Draconic Codex - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

This view really is incredible…

Rias hummed in thought, her legs crossed and her cheek lightly resting against her knuckles as she waited for her peerage to assemble.

Well, most of her peerage.

When Rias had a lot on her mind, she often loved just staring out at the view from her dorm window in an almost meditative trance. Especially tonight, the moon full and high in the cloudless sky with it and the stars reflecting magically off the inky black water.

Unbidden, a memory floated to the forefront of her mind, the one and only time she and Issei went on an outdoors date like a normal couple, hiking through the forests surrounding the university and stopping only to eat the picnic her boyfriend had prepared for them.

A fond smile graced her beautiful features.

Needless to say, they’d finished the day trip dirty, their clothes torn, miserable and vowing to never stray from their comfortable hunting party dates ever again, where the only risk of bodily harm was calluses on their fingers from playing too many video games.

A powerful surge of affection threatened to burst its way out of her chest at the thought of her boyfriend. She’d gone into their relationship with a realistic fatalism, no matter how adorable she’d found it when Issei finally mustered up the courage to ask her out.

Issei was a human, and Rias, a devil. Even if she did as her heart begged her to do and selfishly reincarnated him using one of her priceless Evil Pieces, that only meant she’d be increasing his life-span, and in the grand scheme of things, they’d only been dating for a couple of years.

Eternity… was a very long time.

But then something happened, something miraculous and terrifying in equal measure. Kiba, her ever-faithful Knight, confided in her that he sensed a power in Issei. At first Rias had thought Issei might have been keeping secrets from her just like she was with him, and a flash of irrational anger had threatened to consume her.

She’d quickly calmed herself however and analysed the situation with a rational, logical mind.

Was it more likely that Issei, her lovable doofus of a boyfriend, was some kind of secret spy from one of the other supernatural factions trying to honeypot his way into her good graces… or that he simply didn’t know?

Kiba shared her opinion that her boyfriend was an unwitting wielder of a Sacred Gear.

And so, life had returned to normal with the exception that Rias kept a closer eye on her boyfriend, waiting, watching and desperately hoping for signs that he’d awaken into a power that meant they could be together.

And to think… a Longinus wielder…

Her musings were cut short when a gentle knock at her door signalled the arrival of both Akeno and Koneko. Her throne-like chair glowed purple, levitated and swivelled, turning to face her beloved peerage.

Akeno Himejima, her Queen and best friend, had been with her the longest. The raven-haired half-breed was the perfect image of a traditional Japanese beauty - elegant, refined, kind, soft-spoken. 

Of course, Rias knew that all to be a well-practiced facade. The only elegance Akeno exhibited was the grace with which she danced through her screaming, electrocuted enemies, the only true kindness when she finally allowed them the sweet release of death…

Not too long ago the two of them had been referred to as the Two Great Ladies of Kuoh, their beauty unrivalled amongst all the girls in their high school. With Akeno’s long raven hair, lidded violet eyes, breasts larger than even her own and sultry, teasing smile, that may still be the case.

Then there was Koneko Toujou, svelte, slim and powerful. The white-haired cat girl had once upon a time been considered her peerage’s quiet little mascot - criminally adorable, stoic and impossible not to dote on.

A kitten in every sense of the word, even if she’d hated the obvious comparison.

Back then, few knew what she truly was - a Nekoshou, a rare variant species of Nekomata with terrifying potential belied by tired eyes and deadpan glares.

Rias sighed, those days felt like a lifetime ago. Koneko had grown into something far more formidable, no longer a mascot, but a beautiful young woman in her own right - calm, unshakable and strong enough to flatten most enemies before they’d even realised she’d moved.

None of that matters. She’ll always be my adorable little kitten, my baby sister.

Both young women took a seat without prompting around the coffee table on the other side of her desk. Rias grinned, her blue-green eyes twinkling with mirth.

‘Oh my,’ she gasped in mock hurt with a hand over her heart, ‘Have I become such a loathsome King that my very own Queen will no longer offer to make me tea?’

Rias stifled a giggle as Koneko rolled her eyes and Akeno offered her the most insincere of smiles.

‘I had to cancel a date to make this oh so important emergency meeting.’ She looked around the otherwise empty dorm room pointedly, before returning her gaze to Rias, ‘A meeting I can’t help but notice our dear Knight somehow got out of.’

‘Kiba is hunting a Stray,’ Rias explained the young man’s absence away with a casual wave of her hand. ‘Besides, he already knows the purpose of this meeting - in a way, I’m only conveying something he told me years ago.’

Rias had to suppress another giggle at the barely noticeable twitch and look of frustration in her friend’s eyes. Akeno, her right hand, was not used to being left in the dark - especially on matters of such apparent importance.

Seemingly very much over being teased, Akeno decided it was time the shoe was on the other foot.

‘You’re being particularly catty this evening Buchou - is your pet human not seeing to your needs?’

Bitch, he’d make you squeal…

Before Rias could answer, they heard Koneko sniffing and both turned to the adorable cat girl. 

‘They had sex earlier.’ Neither Rias or Akeno said anything, sharing an amused stare unseen by the Nekoushou. ‘Twice.’

Rias decided to make her teasing a little less obtuse. ‘It’s always the quiet ones…’

‘Oh my,’ Akeno picked up where she left off with practised ease. ‘To be able to identify the scent of his manly essence so well… does Koneko chan have a crush?’

‘I should probably start shutting the balcony door and windows when Issei is over… who knows who might be sniffing about?’

Instantly regretting getting in the way of their sisterly bickering, Koneko flushed a deep crimson and turned a frustrated, embarrassed scowl on Rias. ‘What are we waiting for? I thought you had something to tell us Buchou?’

Their good-natured teasing of their adorable little kitten was interrupted when a small, black raven flew into her dorm room through the cracked-open glass doorway of the balcony. Had Issei, or anyone else not supernaturally-inclined spotted the innocuous bird, they wouldn’t have given it a second glance. To the girls’ trained eyes however, they saw the smokey tendrils of shadow magic steaming off its glossy, feathered wings, instantly giving the game away.

Rias didn’t bother speaking until the bird’s eyes glowed a demonic crimson, its master now in the room with them.

‘Gasper-kun?’ Akeno started, sitting up in her chair, her posture a lot less relaxed now that their helplessly agoraphobic peerage mate had joined them. The bird turned its head so that its eye was looking at the beautiful half-fallen, before letting out an aggrieved squark.

Rias stifled a smirk at the rude response, knowing full well that her adorable, powerful Bishop was more than capable of speaking through his familiars… should he wish it.

A fact both Akeno and Koneko knew very well too.

‘Okay, now we can begin,’ Rias broke the silence, turning a patient gaze over her Queen, Rook and Bishop to give them one last chance to interrupt, before she continued. ‘My pet human, as my beloved Queen so tactlessly put it, as well as being the man that I love… just so happens to be a Longinus wielder.’

She was, of course, met with deafening silence. Even Gasper, through his shadow crow summons, gaped at her, the creature’s beak hanging open comically.

Akeno was the first to recover.

‘How could you possibly know that? Did he tell you? Has little Issei been keeping secrets too?’

Rias masterfully masked her annoyance at Akeno not only rightfully pointing out she’d been keeping secrets from her boyfriend, but also because of the way she condescendingly referred to him as little.

Rias let none of her thoughts show on her face - a skill she’d honed after years of having to deal with her family. If she showed her Queen how much her barbs annoyed her, they’d only become infinitely worse.

‘He’s still completely clueless about us and the supernatural world.’ Rias closed her eyes and pinched her chin, frowning in annoyance at herself - she knew better than to dismiss even the most unlikeliest of possibilities. ‘Either that, or he’s the world’s greatest actor.’

‘You don’t look as shocked by this as you should be…’

Gasper’s soft, shy voice spoke within her mind, but all the other’s heard was the bird’s obnoxious caw. Akeno and Koneko scowled in annoyance when they realised Gasper was using his projection ability selectively, not letting them in on his side of the conversation.

‘I’ve always suspected Issei was in possession of a Sacred Gear, ever since Kiba said he felt something when they first met - you all know how unnaturally keen his senses are.’ Seeing the subtle, well-disguised look of hurt in Akeno’s violet eyes, Rias sighed and gave her Queen a small smile. ‘I never said anything because Kiba’s hunches don’t always bear fruit - and it wasn’t as if that was the reason why we were dating. It was completely irrelevant… until now.’

Akeno frowned and sat up in her chair, crossing one long, pale leg over the other before speaking. Rias found her eyes drawn to her friend’s bared flesh unwittingly - thankfully, Akeno didn’t notice, still far too busy absorbing the bomb she’d dropped on her.

Rias had called this emergency meeting right before Akeno was set to go on a date with another of her powerful clients, and she was dressed for the part in a long, black dress that reached her ankles, with twin slits running up the length of her legs. The dress was a halter style with a deep, plunging neckline, giving a tantalising view of Akeno’s mouth-watering cleavage.

I wonder if Issei would like it if I wore a dress like that next time we went out…?

Rias mentally grinned, imagining the look on her boyfriend’s face if she turned up to the restaurant he worked at wearing a dress with her breasts constantly threatening to spill out…

‘You haven’t told us how you know it’s a Longinus though.’

All signs of annoyance at having her evening of cultivation interrupted were gone as Akeno processed the enormity of the situation.

It wasn’t like Longinus wielders grew on trees, there were only thirteen Sacred Gears classified as such in existence - according to all Sacred Gear scholars.

Gasper’s Sacred Gear was borderline in terms of power, and the sheer advantage having him in their peerage for Rating Games was staggering.

Should they add another…? An actual Longinus?

Rather than give another unsatisfying answer, Rias went into detail describing what had happened earlier that evening in their Occult Symbolism elective. Both girls and Gasper hung on her every word, and when Rias described the spark of lightning she saw when Professor Vale brought out the dragon statue, they gasped.

Akeno, Koneko and Gasper all looked at each other in stunned silence as Rias finished her explanation. It was the Nekoshou that spoke up first.

‘...and Vale just happened to bring in a magical artefact that could trigger the pervert’s awakening?’

Rias rolled her eyes in annoyance while Akeno was too stunned to even join in on the teasing, her eyes gazing off into the distance.

‘Professor Vale is always bringing in such artefacts - that’s why Sona hired a Magician to play historian. The whole point of opening up a school and university in the human world is to discover Sacred Gear wielders before they can get themselves killed.’

The shadow crow cawed again, and Rias heard Gasper’s voice in her mind.

‘Okay, say I believe everything you’ve said and Issei-san has a dragon-related sacred gear - what makes you say it’s a Longinus?’

Rias offered the crow a patient smile as both Akeno and Koneko looked between them impatiently. She didn’t answer immediately, her eyes unfocusing as her mind travelled back to a rather traumatic experience in her youth.

The only time she’d seen the result of her brother going all out.

‘I’ve only ever felt power like that once before,’ Rias began, her voice wistful. ‘When my brother had his little altercation with Tiamat.’ Akeno winced at the mention of said altercation. The fight had been legendary and had been felt from all corners of the Underworld. ‘It was only an instant, but the power I felt coming off Issei in that moment… it felt older, more powerful…’

The others stared at her in mute shock.

There were only thirteen Longinus-class Sacred Gears, after all, and only two of them were dragon-related - both of them unaccounted for and both with similar, and mysterious powers.

Neither Akeno, Koneko or Gasper felt the need to put voice to their thoughts.

If Issei was a Longinus wielder, he must be one of the mysterious Draconic Codex wielders.

Every time a Codex wielder popped up in history - should they even survive and grow into their own power - they typically left devastation and carnage in their wake.

It… tickled Rias in a way not entirely appropriate, the thought that Issei could grow that powerful.

That would be so sexy…

Rias’ daydreaming was interrupted when Koneko decided to rain on her parade.

‘...if this gets out, he’s going to be hunted.’

Rias nodded with a grim look, her beautiful, pale features set in a mask of worry.

‘I intend to come clean and tell Issei everything - both for his protection… and in the hopes that he’ll join my peerage.’

To say Rias was unsurprised to see Akeno lick her lips at the thought was an understatement.

Her best friend was suddenly a lot less dismissive of her pet human.

Common sense won out against her Queen’s sudden greed and lust, however. ‘Do you even have enough pieces to reincarnate a Longinus wielder?’

Rias had been privately wondering that very same thing. She’d spent years battling with her peerage in the Rating Games, putting her freedom on the line to earn herself four mutated Pawn pieces.

Will that be enough…?

Before she could put voice to her thoughts, a shadow cast by the nearby fire flickered unnaturally and Rias’ sharp eyes instantly caught it, her heart clenching with fear. When she saw her shadow imp familiar slip out of the shadow, its head bowed, she rocketed to her feet, her chair flying back with the force of her motion.

‘The human was attacked by a fallen,’ the imp dutifully reported, unable to meet Rias’ murderous gaze. ‘He will be dead in moments.’

‘Go!’ Rias hissed, her eyes narrowed into slits and her voice cracking and simmering with panic and rage.

Her familiar dutifully slipped back into the shadows, travelling in that unique way of his to be by Issei’s side. Rias connected with the rune she’d magically implanted onto her familiar’s body, and activated the teleportation spell with an application of will.

A low pulse of crimson light spilled across the floor, seeping out from beneath the plush rug in slow, elegant ripples. The rug lifted just slightly as the runic circle hidden beneath it came alive - etched into the stone long ago, now glowing softly with royal red energy, the glyphs shifting and rotating in synchronized arcs.

Rias hurried into the center of the circle without hesitation, her presence completing the runic link that bound her to her familiar.

She locked eyes with her Queen, her vision blurry. Rias didn’t even try to hide her emotions and Akeno didn’t even dare try to tease. Instead, the half-fallen nodded resolutely and Rias turned her attention back to the complicated spell all Devils were intimately familiar with.

A pressure gathered in the room, like the air itself was bracing. The circle’s glow intensified, but didn’t crackle or scorch - this was precise magic, rehearsed, refined. And in the space between heartbeats, Rias vanished, her form drawn toward the anchor like silk through a ring - no thunderclap, no flash. Just a soft gust of displaced air and the fading hum of high devil magic.

-

Earlier

After wrestling himself away from Rias’ side, Issei hurried over to the bike locker behind the dorm building, right on the picturesque lake.

He allowed himself a moment to gaze out in wonder, the water looking eerily calm and reflecting the night sky like a mirror.

Maybe after this weekend I can move in with Rias properly? Then I can see this view every day…

Though he was a student, Issei was usually working at the restaurant at this time, and was too tired afterwards to admire the view of the lake at night. That evening, the moon looked particularly large in the sky - unnaturally so - its light illuminating the campus grounds with an ethereal glow.

With a disappointed sigh, he unlocked his bike and jumped on, peddling with all his might towards the campus’ exit and the forest path that would take him into Kuoh proper. If he pushed it, it usually took him about half an hour to get to his parents’ house.

It would take half that time to clear the forest and make it to his appointment.

The path through the forest would have been pitch black at this time with the thick canopy, were it not for the knee-high lamps that lit the way. With a practised ease of someone who’d made this trip many times before, Issei zoomed through the path like a pro, hopping into the brush and taking shortcuts where he knew it was appropriate.

Though Issei was very much over this enforced cardio - and very much looked forward to getting himself a motorbike now that he no longer had to save all his money - he couldn’t deny how much it kept him in tip-top shape.

If the countless hours spent tracing the lines of his abs were any indication, he knew Rias very much appreciated his ripped, athletic physique.

Almost as much as he appreciated her soft, delicate curves…

KU was on the outskirts of Kuoh, on the other side of the large forest and mountains that surrounded the city he grew up in. The academy where he went to highschool was on the opposite end of town, closer to his parents’ home. The long trip was honestly the main reason why Issei mostly crashed at Rias’ dorm room most weeknights rather than bike all the way home, especially after a long, soul-draining evening of working as a sous chef at one of the fancy restaurants on campus.

Rias had of course scolded him, telling him to stop being silly and just move in with her - just as she’d offered to buy him a motorbike. He’d refused, of course - a fact that had him constantly berating himself every time his muscles started to burn. Call him a chauvinist, but it didn’t sit right with him to have his rich girlfriend doting on and providing for him - it made him feel uncomfortable for reasons he couldn’t rightly explain.

It would have been one thing if it was her even richer parents’ money that was footing the bill, but Rias had been estranged from them for a long time. His girlfriend had put her prodigious mind to work and had turned her - frankly ludicrous - allowance from when she was a teen into a sizable fortune on its own.

He’d wondered about these so-called investments several times over the years, but Rias usually begged off getting into the specifics.

Just as she typically refused to get into what she and her friends got up to in their spare time, or where her family even lived.

He wondered if that, too, would be a part of the upcoming talk Rias had promised they would have this weekend.

In his defence, Issei made decent money for a college student, the restaurant he worked at being pretty ritzy and catering to the nobles that attended the prestigious school.

It’s just, well, it was kinda hard to have any disposable income when ninety percent of what one made went towards buying a ring deserving of the woman he’d fallen in love with.

A ring she hopefully wouldn’t laugh at when he got down on one knee.

God, that would be depressing…

He finally made it through the forest, and it only took another five minutes of heart-pumping peddling for Issei to reach the jewellery store. He came to a skidding halt just as the old man hobbled outside and started to close for the evening, his normally kind, dark eyes glaring at him when he saw the state Issei was in.

Issei let his bike drop to the pavement and put his hands over his head, sucking in deep lungfuls of breath.

‘Sorry,’ he gasped out, sucking in more oxygen, ‘sorry I’m late, old man.’

‘My dinner is going to be cold when I get home.’

Mindful of how much his body was slick with sweat, Issei wiped his hands on his jeans and grinned, spreading his arms wide. ‘Aww, come on, don’t be like that. One of the most beautiful women in the world will be walking around with one of your rings!’

He didn’t bother adding that that would only be the case if she said yes. He was kinda confident she would? Hell, he’d had Rias’ best friend come and help him size up her ring - he doubted the condescending hottie would have bothered wasting her time if she thought it was for a lost cause.

The old jeweller rolled his eyes and motioned him inside. Issei was fidgeting, shifting from side-to-side as the man went into the back of the store to fetch his purchase.

Issei had explained what he wanted, but seeing it in all its glory for the first time took his breath away. Imagining the ring on Rias’ finger had his chest clenching with all sorts of gay-ass feelings.

‘That’s…’ Issei looked up, his face a mask of awe. ‘You do incredible work.’

All signs of annoyance fled the old man’s wrinkled features as he watched Issei marvel at the ring with pride. Issei hadn’t wanted to get anything too gaudy, or something that would put him in debt for the rest of his life. Thankfully, when Issei had explained what he wanted to the jeweller, Akeno had watched on with a teasing smirk, but didn’t otherwise object.

He was pretty sure that meant she approved. Maybe.

The ring the jeweller presented to him was in a red velvet box, nestled in a bed of black silk. The band was made of white gold - he’d never seen Rias wear regular gold, ever - while the main showpiece was a brilliant-cut one-carat ruby surrounded by a halo of glistening diamonds.

Issei reached for it robotically but all the good cheer fled from the old man’s face and he narrowed his beady eyes at him. ‘Money first!’

Rolling his eyes, Issei fished out his credit card and handed it to the old man in a two-handed grip. Still eyeing him suspiciously, the man left to process his payment.

Of course, when he returned with Issei’s ring and his credit card, the jeweller was all smiles again, gladly handing over the beautiful piece of jewellery with his card.

Issei shook as he took the ring box in hand, flipping over the lid and gazing at the sparkling gems in awe.

‘I can’t believe this is real…’

‘As much as I enjoy watching you marvel at my work, young man, my dinner really will get cold if I don’t leave right now.’

Issei let out a watery chuckle and turned on his heel. ‘Alright, alright, sheesh, I get it old man. Thanks for your work!’

Issei slipped the ring into his jacket pocket, the tiny, almost weightless box feeling like a brick as it settled. Getting back on his bike, Issei couldn’t help constantly brushing against his pocket with his arm, just to make sure it was still there.

Just to make sure it was all real.

God, I can’t believe I’m doing this… hope she says yes…

With no time crunch making him rush, Issei took off at a leisurely pace towards his parents home. He was riding for maybe five minutes when he noticed something was very wrong.

He looked down at his watch as he automatically swerved around a pothole. It was only seven thirty, and while the moon was high in the sky, it wasn’t late enough for the streets to be this quiet. Not only was every street he passed completely deserted, but he hadn’t even crossed one pedestrian, even though he’d ridden past several train stations.

Kuoh was no Tokyo, but it was never this quiet…

Was there some kind of accident or something? I don’t think there are any festivals on this time of year…

He slowly came to a stop, looking around the empty street with a puzzled frown on his features. The light from the moon was completely overpowered by the nearby street lamps - the white light they gave off illuminating the street perfectly even though it was fully night time.

A white light that was steadily being overpowered by a purple hue.

‘What the fu -’

‘Prey never looks up…’

The sultry voice had come from above and behind him, but before Issei could turn around and look at its source, he was blinded by a brilliant flash of violet light, right before his shoulder exploded in pain.

Issei screamed.

This pain wasn’t normal - he didn’t see what hit him, but from the point of impact and spreading out in painful pulses, it felt like his blood was boiling in his veins, each beat of his heart sending fresh spikes of agony through his very being.

With shaky limbs, he put his palms face down and struggled to push himself back up.

‘Tsk, can’t believe I missed. Why don’t you just die already!’

Issei screamed again as a fresh, even worse lance of pain hit him square in the lower back, instantly severing his spine. Issei coughed up blood and finally panicked when he realised he’d lost all feelings in his legs.

The pain was unimaginable - he’d never hurt this much in his entire life. 

Issei refused to give up. 

Though his legs didn’t work, his arms, though trembling, hadn’t failed him. With his head feeling increasingly light by the second, Issei attempted to drag himself into the nearby alley and out of sight.

Unfortunately, his traitorous body gave out on him before he made it even a meter.

‘Fuck! FUUUCK!’

He punched the pavement with his closed fist before headbutting the ground in anguish.

I can’t believe I’m gonna fucking die here! W-what is this?! A mugging?! Are you fucking serious right now?!

Through the sound of his blood thundering in his ears, he heard the sharp, staccato of heels striking pavement - it was coming closer, deliberate.

With what little strength he had left, Issei turned, pain lancing through his body like fire. The world blurred at the edges, but the light above burned clear and merciless. A streetlamp blazed behind the approaching figure, casting her in stark relief - a woman, unmistakably, framed in white.

But the light betrayed him. It robbed Issei of the ability to look his killer in the eye.

Her body was haloed in brilliant, white light, yet every feature was swallowed by shadow. He couldn’t see her face - only the curve of her silhouette, the sway of her stride, and the cold certainty in each step.

She looked like the shinigami, and she was coming to collect.

Issei clenched his teeth so hard they almost cracked, and his killer had the audacity to laugh. The sound was sultry, condescending.

It was a sound that filled him with hate.

‘If you want to hate someone…’ As she began to speak, Issei was shocked by how beautiful her voice sounded, or, it would have if it wasn’t filled with dark mirth and derision. ‘Hate God for giving you that Sacred Gear…’

The final strike never came, and as Issei’s vision started to fade from blood loss, he could make out the sounds of her heels growing further away before a powerful whooshing sound robbed him of that, too.

With all his remaining strength, Issei flopped over onto his back and stared up into the sky, coughing up the blood that was rapidly filling his lungs.

If I’m gonna die, it sure as shit isn’t gonna be while looking at the fucking pavement…

The moon really was beautiful.

-

Veyrix hated Hyoudou Issei like he hated no one else - with a passion that burned his cold, black heart.

As a shadow imp familiar of the Great, Powerful and Ridiculously Stacked Rias Gremory, his gig was a pretty sweet one, generally. He was well looked after, he got to cultivate his monster core by feeding off the heiress’ superior essence, heck, he even got to watch that total smokeshow fuck from the shadows to his greedy heart’s content.

This gig of having to play babysitter to a useless mortal though?

Yeah… my life sucks.

From his position in said mortal’s shadow, Veyrix had the good graces to wince guiltily.

Well, I guess he’s not totally useless. Those prime rib sandwiches he makes the bosslady are amazing!

Veyrix sighed in defeat. In all honesty, it was hard to hate the brat when he made his master so deliriously happy all the time. 

Especially when he benefited from said happiness, the trickle-down effects of her surging lust and desire-tinted essence just perfect for his own cultivation. 

Still, it rankled that a shadow imp as powerful, majestic and grand as he was forced into the role of a glorified babysitter.

At least this human town was a sleepy one where barely anything happened. Veyrix was often able to catch a few Z’s in the kid's shadow while he went about his mind-numbingly tedious choirs.

Who cries when they see a cheap bit of jewellery anyway?! It wasn't even enchanted! Weirdo…

Veyrix had just managed to nod off when he was rudely awakened by a blindingly bright flash of light piercing through the sky and impaling his charge in the shoulder.

A light so bright, so holy, that it seared his inky black, leathery skin from mere proximity alone. 

Uh-oh…

Turning with a mounting sense of dread, Veyrix spied the Fallen hovering in mid air, her body clad in skintight black leather like a second skin and her two, raven wings outstretched, keeping her afloat.

The familiar looking wench already had a second, violet spear of light forming in her cocked-back hand, her body side on to her target as she readied the killing blow. 

The shadow imp made sure to get a good look at the Fallen, her weapon of light illuminating her face just enough that he should be able to memorise her features. It was a meek, pathetic offering, but he'd do anything if it meant forestalling his enraged master's wrath.

She's gonna be so pissed… I'll be lucky if she only obliterates my wings…

If anyone saw Veyrix cowering in the useless - soon to be dead - human's shadow, they would wrongly think him a coward. 

That was pure demonspit.

Veyrix was great, Veyrix was powerful. Contracted to one of those most promising, terrifying and generous young devils of her generation, there wasn't much that gave him pause…

He was also a shadow imp. Against a foe comfortable in hurling javelins of pure light, he would be little better than an annoying fly.

…He just hoped his master understood that too.

Veyrix winced as the second spear severed the human's spine.

His death was imminent. 

Even with the greatest excuse in the world, there was no way he was escaping punishment for this. 

With a vile, mental curse hurled at both the dying human and the stupid, sexy Fallen, Veyrix slipped into the shadow realm, his natural instincts allowing him to easily and instantly navigate his way back up his master's lair.

Rias’ pain, anguish and rage at the unfortunate news he'd delivered was so intense, it felt like bile being shoved through their bond. 

He tried not to flinch, to not let his fear show when his master's beautiful features contorted with rage and she hissed, ‘Go!’

As if her words were a geas, Veyrix shadow teleported back almost instinctively. Back by the dying human's side, the imp familiar let out a weary sigh as he felt his master immediately lock onto his position with the teleportation rune she'd inscribed on his body. 

The instant the link solidified, a familiar runic circle sprouted out from Veyrix’s clawed feet, the darkened alleyway the dying kid had half crawled into suddenly bathed in ominous, crimson light.

At hearing his master's choked sob and anguished cry, Veyrix made very sure his bone-deep sigh was inaudible. 

She's definitely taking my wings for this…

-

Rias choked back a sob and let out an anguished cry at the sight of Issei splayed out on his back, his eyes glassy and almost drowning in a pool of his own blood.

While many hailed her a genius for her control over her bloodline magic, she was no slouch when it came to other forms of magic either. Pulling as much aether from her core as was safe, she expertly shaped it into the most powerful healing magic she knew. 

Her hands glowed green with the rejuvenating energy before she laid them on Issei's heaving chest. Instantly, his wet, garbled breathing eased, but fresh tears poured from Rias' eyes when she realised it would not be enough. 

Issei, breathing easier now but his skin still a deathly pale, slowly turned to Rias, his eyes widening at the sight of her.

‘S-sniped b-by a crazy bitch, I think it was a b-bird’ he mumbled nonsensically, no doubt the immense loss of blood rendering him insensate. For a moment his eyes cleared and he looked up at her in wonder. ‘W-why do you have w-wings growing out of your ass?’

With that ridiculous question, her boyfriend, the love of her life, breathed his last, his eyes turning lifeless and his body sagging in death. 

Rias let out by another choked cry, fat, salty tears spilling from her eyes as she held his cold hand against her face. 

‘I'm so sorry, Issei,’ she whispered in a soft, broken tone. She only allowed herself a moment to grieve though before resolve burned like a furnace in her heart. ‘But I love you too much. You're not allowed to die!’

Wrapping his blood-soaked body in her arms and cradling him with her spiked wings, Rias connected with the summoning rune back in her dorm and once more cast the teleportation spell.

As the crimson glow faded she was met with the worried faces of her peerage. 

Well, Akeno and Koneko looked worried, Gasper just stared at them through his conjured, puppeted raven.

Turning to her best friend, Rias smiled as Akeno presented to her a very familiar box, one opened to reveal its red, velvet-lined interior housing an incomplete set of chess pieces. 

Rias only had eyes for the eight pawn pieces, half of them much more powerful than the others. 

These pieces represented how hard she'd worked ever since becoming estranged from her family. 

‘Will it be enough…?’

With no traces of her earlier teasing tone, Akeno voiced the question Rias had been torturing herself with ever since Veyrix had teleported into her room. 

A question she refused to countenance or give legitimacy. 

‘It'll have to be.’