Chapter 68 - 5

Chapter 5

Josuke was always alone as a kid. The other children were often intimidated by Josuke, his size and funky hairdo making them think he was some kind of freak. Now Josuke was tough, even as a boy. At the age of seven, he would often defend the smaller children from the bullies, yet the others were still scared of him. But even though the other children refused to play with him, he was able to keep a stoic appearance. The tall boy never got angry at the other kids, for he knew it wouldn't help him make any friends either. But that did not mean he didn't feel lonely. In fact, he was quite envious of the other kids, watching them play in the park so freely together. Josuke never stopped visiting the park in the hope that he could make just one friend.

Josuke sat alone on the swing, going back and forth in boredom. He had tried and failed to join several other children on the playground, but he could tell he was making them uncomfortable. Josuke didn't want to pressure them, so he decided to just stick to the swings for the day.

"Oi, monster boy!" He heard from the side. Josuke could only sigh, glancing at the small group of boys now heading his way. The tall seven year old made the swing slow down with his feet before coming to a stop.

"Is there something you want?" Josuke asked tiredly, turning to them with a blank expression.

"I heard you were picking on Mako a few days ago! Who do you think you are?" The slightly older boy growled. Josuke jumped off of the swing and shoved his hands into his pockets, his size still a bit larger than the boy in front of him.

"I didn't pick on him. He was messing around with some other kid, so I told him to stop." Josuke retorted, narrowing his eyes.

"You don't get to tell us what to do, monster boy! No one wants to hang out or be around you, freak!" The boy said disdainfully, the other three behind him making sounds of agreement.

"Yeah, get lost!"

"No one likes monsters!"

"I come to this park all the time. I can hang out here if I want." Josuke shot back, making no move to budge. In his pockets, his hands gripped tightly. Despite the stoic appearance, their words did hurt him inside. Why does everyone have to call me a freak?

"Well, find some other place to go! A giant with stupid hair just sticks out and is annoying!" The leading boy said, and suddenly something within Josuke snapped.

"What'd you say about my hair?!" He growled, taking his hands out of his pockets. The boys slightly recoiled before putting up strong fronts.

"W-we're not afraid of you! We'll beat you up all together!" The leading child said, and with that the others started to surround Josuke. He was too angry to care, his focus solely on the one who insulted his hair.

"No one ever insults my hair and gets away with it!" Josuke growled, taking a step forward.

"Don't act tough! No one cares about your big, stupid, ugly hair!" The boy laughed, raising his fists to fight. Josuke moved forward once again, about to unleash his fury on the bully.

"I think his hair is cool!"

Immediately, Josuke stopped in his tracks along with the surrounding boys. They all glanced to the side to see a small brunette haired boy standing on top of one of the sand turtle shells. Josuke blinked in shock, unable to say a word in response.

"Huh? You're gonna stick up for this monster?!" The leading bully growled in annoyance, but the brunette only smiled in determination and pointed a finger at him defiantly.

"What makes you think he's a monster? Because he's tall or has way better hair than you do?!" The tiny brunette scoffed, crossing his arms and smirking. "He's awesome! He stands up to bullies like you because you pick on smaller kids! He's a hero!"

Josuke's rage was all but forgotten now, his eyes sparkling in awe as he listened to the smaller boy's speech. He… really thinks I'm cool? And he likes my hair?

"You better shut up unless you wanna get beat up with him!" One of the other boys growled, stepping toward the brunette.

"I'm not afraid of you! I'll help him kick your guys' butts!" The small boy retorted, jumping down and running up to the group. Josuke couldn't help but feel amazed, seeing the brunette's bravery now. H-he's wrong… he's the cool one…

"Fine then, we warned you!" One of the other bullies growled, throwing a punch at the smaller kid. The brunette was unable to stop him, and took a punch right to the gut. Immediately, Josuke grew angry. Almost as angry as when someone insulted his hair. He grabbed the boy who struck him and quickly turned him around before punching him across the face and into the sand.

"Don't you dare touch that guy!" Josuke roared, quickly turning to the other boys. The brunette was down, but not out, jumping to his feet and taking a position next to Josuke.

"I won't let you guys talk bad about him again!" He declared, causing Josuke to glance at him in shock.

"You should stay back, they look pretty strong."

"No way! I can't let you fight on your own! What kinda man would I be?" The brunette chuckled, smiling at Josuke from the side. The tall boy smiled back and nodded. After that, they took on the three remaining bullies, doing quite well against them. Despite being smaller, the brunette boy held his own rather well, getting several good hits in of his own. Eventually they were able to scare the boys off, leaving both Josuke and the brunette tired and bruised, but victorious.

"Man, what a bunch of jerks…" The brunette said, plopping down on his butt before lying on his back. Josuke smiled back at him, slowly taking a seat down next to him.

"Thanks, man. I really appreciate it." Josuke said in appreciation, but the boy waved his hand dismissively.

"No problem! I'm Issei Hyoudou, nice to meet you!" He declared, holding his hand out to shake. Josuke smiled, taking it into his own and giving a small shake.

"Josuke Higashikata." He replied before releasing his hand. Issei forced himself to sit up with groan, but offered a friendly grin.

"So, Josuke. Wanna be friends from now on?" Issei offered. Josuke couldn't hide his joy after hearing those words, offering one of the biggest goofy grins he had ever given.

9 years later…

Shit, I can't believe this happened again!

It was the dark of night. Josuke and Koneko had received the news of the assault on Issei by a Stray Exorcist, and were now bolting back to school. Koneko could have teleported herself back to the school, but that would have meant leaving Josuke behind. He told her to go on ahead, but Koneko decided to go with him. She knew that he was worried and wanted to make sure Issei was alright, but part of her thought that Josuke might also try an assault on the fallen angels because of this. Despite her thoughts, Josuke didn't consider turning around for a second. He sprinted as fast as he could down the sidewalk, making no attempt to slow down.

To be honest, Josuke felt rather guilty he wasn't there to stop it. Logically speaking, the pompadour spotting teen knew that he couldn't just follow Issei around and that his time was most likely better spent looking for the fallen angels. But still, to have this happen a fourth time in a row made his gut wrench. I'm going to make those bastards pay for this. Josuke mentally growled, his teeth grinding together as he started to pick up speed.

"Are you alright, Josuke-sempai?" Koneko asked, causing him to slightly jump. He had almost forgotten she was there, making him sigh.

"I'm… not, Koneko-chan. I'm getting really frustrated." Josuke declared, his eyes narrowing. Koneko wordlessly nodded, watching him for a moment before refocusing on the road ahead. Suddenly, she started to notice something odd about their surroundings: nearby trees, bushes and even the street seemed to start becoming twisted and morphed. Koneko widened her eyes in shock before looking back at Josuke, who didn't seem to take much notice of his surroundings.

"Is this you?" Koneko asked, causing Josuke to glance back at her in question.

"Is what… oh." Josuke trailed off, now noticing everything that had changed. "Yeah, sorry. When I get mad, sometimes that happens."

"I see." Koneko said in acceptance, not bothering to pursue the issue further. The two finally reached the school, but didn't bother to slow down. Josuke silently cursed at the fact that the old school building was in the back of the campus. Within several minutes, the two finally arrived.

"Issei!" Josuke called out as he pushed the door to the clubroom open. Akeno and Yuuto could be seen, both jumping in surprise at his loud arrival.

"Oh, Higashikata-san. There you are." Kiba said, standing to meet him. Josuke quickly ran up to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Where's Issei? Is he hurt?" Josuke asked in panic, causing Kiba to blink.

"Why yes, he was. Please calm yourself though. Hyoudou-kun is currently being healed by the president-" Kiba explained, but Josuke shook his head.

"Let me see him, I can heal him up real quick. Where's he at?" Josuke asked urgently. Kiba opened his mouth to protest, but Akeno spoke first.

"He's right behind that curtain with the president. Why don't you join them?" Akeno suggested with a serene smile.

"Okay, I'll go help out!" Josuke agreed, quickly releasing Kiba.

"Um, Higashikata-san. You should know that-" Kiba tried to warn, but the tall teen was in too much of a hurry. He rushed over to the curtain and pulled it back.

"Issei! You alright… man…?" Josuke started in a shout before trailing off. In front of him were Rias and Issei. Both were completely naked, but turned around, giving Josuke a full view of her rear. Both Issei and Rias stared at him in shock, while Josuke stood there for a moment in silence. Several moments later, his face turned completely red, and he slowly pulled the curtain back in place. "I apologize…" He muttered before slowly walking back over to the couch and taking a seat. He was still quite flustered, not saying much at first. Suddenly he narrowed his eyes and glared at Akeno who was now giggling.

"You knew…"

"Of course I did. I wanted to see your reaction." Akeno giggled, causing Josuke's eye to twitch in annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Higashikata-san. I tried to warn you." Kiba stated with a sympathetic smile. Suddenly the water turned on, and out came Issei in his boxers.

"O-oh, Josuke! Good to see-" Issei started before Josuke quickly wrapped his hands around his throat.

"I came here running, quite worried that my best friend might be really hurt. Now, I'm going to make sure he is before I heal him right up." Josuke growled through grinded teeth with a vengeful smile, comically choking the brunette.

"It wasn't… my fault… That's just how…" Issei struggled to say, unable to speak much while being choked out.

"No need to be so upset, Josuke-kun." Rias spoke from the shower, amusement lacing her voice. "I have to heal Issei through direct contact, which means without clothes. It was nothing lewd."

"Sure it wasn't…" Josuke grumbled, his face still red as he let Issei go. "So are you all healed up now?"

"My healing seals his deep wounds, but it is not perfect. He is still quite hurt." Rias declared from behind the curtain. "Do you think you can finish healing him up?"

"Yeah, no problem." Josuke sighed, turning back to Issei and summoning Crazy Diamond. With a light touch of his shoulders, Issei's bones and muscles lost all of their soreness and pain, making the brunette smile.

"Ara ara, your healing is truly amazing, Josuke-kun!" Akeno praised, causing Josuke to smile bashfully.

"Shoot, you're making me blush! Saying stuff like that…" He chuckled sheepishly until he frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Wait, no! I'm still mad at you…"

"But why? I'm sure you got a good view." Akeno giggled again in amusement.

Issei glanced at the shower curtain before he leaned in with a lewd smile, cupping his hand over his mouth. "To be honest, I think I prefer the president's healing. No offense."

Josuke opened his mouth to protest before glancing to the side in thought. "Yeah, I guess I can't really be mad at you for that." he conceded with a shrug.

"You were quite lucky, Issei. That stray exorcist was able to wield powers of light well." Rias declared, getting back to business.

"Why's it called a 'stray'? I thought only devils could be strays for leaving their master?" Josuke asked curiously, crossing his arms in front of him.

"There are many exorcists who are excommunicated from the church depending on their actions." Kiba explained this time. "When that happens, they usually decide to serve the fallen angels instead."

"Does that mean Asia is one of those stray exorcists?!" Issei asked in worry, glancing at Yuuto this time. The blond could only close his eyes and cast his glance away, knowing the answer might hurt the brunette.

"That nun girl was the one who attacked you?!" Josuke asked in shock, widening his eyes, but Issei quickly shook his head.

"No way! It was this other guy who called himself Freed. Asia was there with him, but… she would never do anything like that. He treated her like trash for trying to protect me…" Issei explained, trailing off in shame as his gaze became downcast. Josuke frowned in sympathy, knowing that the brunette wanted to help her. But one obvious point in all this kept him from doing that.

"Regardless of her situation, she is a servant to a fallen angel and you are a devil." Rias pointed out, walking out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body. "Those are facts."

"President…" Issei muttered, wanting to protest, but know it wasn't his place. I'm… weak. Josuke saw his hopeless look, understanding his feelings.

He must have really liked her to be this bummed out. He's always been like this. I guess that's why he's cool. Josuke mentally chuckled before yawning and scratching the back of his head.

"Well, that is a shame. I guess it's a good thing that I'm not a demon then." Josuke suddenly proclaimed, smiling slyly at the group. "Don't you worry about your friend Asia, Issei. I'm gonna take down those fallen angel anyway, so I'll make sure to save her while I'm at it."

"J-Josuke!" Issei muttered, suddenly smiling gratefully. He gripped his hand in determination, nodding in appreciation. "Don't worry, I won't let you go alone. I'll help you out!"

"Issei, we've been over this. You'll only make trouble for Rias if you try and help me out." Josuke pointed out, shaking his head. "You can't come with me."

"He's right, Issei. You must refrain from doing anything reckless." Rias agreed, but quickly turned on Josuke. "And you should keep from jumping into enemy territory without a plan, especially by yourself. I want to help you, Josuke-kun. But you have to work with me here. There are just limits that we cannot cross."

"For you there are, prez." Josuke retorted, crossing his arms. "But not for me. I said I didn't want to cause you trouble, and I meant it. This is my fight, not yours."

"By going, you are causing me trouble, Josuke-kun!" Rias declared, far more sternly this time.

"How?! I may hang out with you guys, but I have no official association with you! It's not-"

"Because you're our friend." Rias insisted, quickly cutting him off and making him widen his eyes. "I do not want to see you hurt anymore than I would my own peerage. You're strong, but you're acting impulsive. One mistake could get you killed."

Josuke was silent for a moment, soaking in Rias's words. Issei felt slightly nervous, unsure of whose side he should take. On the inside though, he knew that he was going to support Josuke's decision. He wanted to save Asia, and right now Josuke was the only one capable of doing so. Finally the tall teen sighed and leveled a stern look at her. "I'm sorry, prez. I have to do this. You can't stop me."

Rias and Josuke stared at each other for a long moment, almost as if pitting their wills against one another. If Issei didn't know any better, he would suspect electricity to erupt between them any moment now. He glanced at the rest of the peerage, unsure of how they felt about the subject. Much to his surprise, they seemed to be watching the exchange rather intently, almost as if they had seen something like this very rarely. Finally, Rias sighed in exasperation, turning away from Josuke.

"Do as you wish. Just know that I have warned you." Rias declared quietly, disappointment lacing her voice. Josuke didn't make any retort or answer, only nodding before turning around to leave.

"Let's go, Issei." Josuke said, walking past the brunette and heading for the door. Issei wordlessly followed him, only glancing back and waving his goodbye to the others. Rias took a seat at her desk, tiredly sighing and leaning on her hand.

"When do you think he might strike?" Akeno asked curiously, glancing at her King.

"Who knows? I know at least not tonight. As set as he is on doing it, I think Josuke-kun's concern for Issei's well being overpowers it." Rias theorized, looking back at Akeno.

"What shall we do then?" Yuuto asked, almost as if waiting for orders. "I doubt Higashikata-san will wait long."

"For now, we wait." Rias sighed, glancing to the side. "It's inevitable for Josuke-kun to find them. And despite his protests, Issei will not let him go this alone."

Issei had not gotten a wink of sleep that night. The image of Asia crying and her poor treatment at the hands of Freed continued to go through his mind. He felt so helpless, lying there being unable to do anything for the blond nun. What was even worse is that she was likely still with those psychopaths. He knew that Josuke was planning to try and save her, but… how could he just rely on his best friend to do everything on his own? He couldn't, that was a fact. But looking up at Josuke and what he had done so far, he could only feel inferior.

"I'm weak… I'm too weak…" Issei mumbled aloud, covering his face. "I'm just a pawn. I can't even save a girl…"

"Well that's not good. I guess you'll just have to get stronger."

Issei blinked in surprise before looking toward his door. Josuke stood there with a smug grin, leaning against the door with his arms crossed. "J-Josuke? What are you doing here?"

"We always hang out on Sundays, duh." Josuke chuckled, walking over toward Issei's drawer and pulling out several articles of clothing. "Now get up, today we're gonna start working on those power of yours."

"Wh-what, really?" Issei replied dumbly, sitting up only for Josuke to throw his clothes right in Issei's face. "Where's this coming from?"

"Well, you're coming with me tonight, aren't you? I have to make sure you can defend yourself while you're in there." Josuke pointed out, causing Issei to widen his eyes.

"But you said you didn't want me coming with you. Weren't you trying to avoid causing trouble for the president?" Issei asked incredulously. Josuke only laughed at his answer, tossing Issei's shoes at his feet.

"Come on, Issei. We've been friends forever now. I know you, and no matter what I say you were going to come." Josuke declared with a chuckle. Issei stared at the taller teen for a moment in shock before grinning widely.

"I guess you do know me." Issei laughed, quickly standing up and grabbing the clothes. "I'll get ready now!"

"Great! I'll be waiting outside for you, so hurry it up!" Josuke said with a nod before heading for the door.

"Hey, Josuke?" Issei said, causing the tall teen to stop and look back at him. "Thanks." Issei said, giving a genuine and appreciative smile. Josuke gave a goofy grin and a nod.

"No problem."

"I know I said thank you earlier, but… You're an asshole…" Issei complained, flat on his face. The two went to the park to train. Issei thought that physical training might be enough, but his best friend had other ideas. Josuke had attempted to invoke the power of Issei's Sacred Gear… by beating on him with Crazy Diamond.

"Huh. I thought that you might bring something out if we sparred. I mean, the bracer made you a bit stronger but… not much." Josuke mused, rubbing the back of his neck in thought. "Maybe we should try something else…"

"Maybe, but… I can't really think of much else." Issei groaned, pushing himself up to his feet. Suddenly thoughts of Asia burned through his mind, her desperate and hurt expression lighting a fire in him again. "But you know what? That's fine! Let's keep going! Heal me up with Crazy Diamond so we can start again!" Issei proclaimed, eyes filled with determination.

"That's the spirit! Let's do this!" Josuke said jumping up, using his Stand to heal Issei instantly. "We'll save your friend Asia in no time!"

"Issei-san?"

The two blinked at each other before turning to the side. In front of them was none other than Asia. The blond stared at them for a long moment, unable to say anything at first.

"A-Asia?" Issei mumbled, unable to come up with much else.

"Well, shit… mission accomplished. Good work team." Josuke awkwardly joked, rubbing the back of his neck. Suddenly the three heard a loud grumble coming from Asia. The blond immediately flustered, holding her stomach in embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry…" She muttered, turning away shyly. Issei raised a brow before giving a sympathetic smile.

"Why don't we go get something to eat?" He offered, making the blond turn to the two in question.

It was strangely quiet between the three on the way to the diner. Asia had barely said a word, looking too shy and scared to say much. Josuke wanted to ask what was wrong, but he guessed it had something to do with the night before. Issei was quiet as well, though he seemed far less awkward about it. The three sat at a booth in the restaurant, ordering a simple meal of burgers for the three. As soon as they arrived, Asia made it obvious that she had never seen such food before, staring at it like it was some new species of animal being studied by scientists. Josuke would have found it amusing had she not been through such a traumatic experience the day before.

"Um, Asia-chan?" Issei spoke finally, bringing the blond nun's attention to him.

"Um, yes?" She answered quietly, unable t o mask her surprise. Issei smiled kindly before picking the burger up and unwrapping it.

"This is how you eat it, princess!" Issei declared before taking a large bite of the burger.

Did he really just call her princess? Josuke thought with a sweat drop.

"I-I never would have guessed you eat it like that! Amazing!" Asia murmured in awe as she watched Issei eat. She picked up her own burger and inspected it for a moment. Josuke and Issei watched her expectantly, though she didn't seem to notice. Finally, the blonde took a tiny bite out of her sandwich.

"It's delicious~!" Asia said quietly, smiling at the two in thanks. Issei chuckled, finding her innate fascination with a burger to be kind of cute. Suddenly a thought popped in his head, and the brunette set his burger down.

"By the way, what were you doing at the park?" Issei asked curiously. Asia immediately froze, casting her glance away in thought for a moment. She suddenly turned back, a forced smile on her features.

"Well… I was on break, so I thought that I'd take a walk through town!" Asia explained, trying her best to look natural in saying so. She then looked down with a far more genuine smile. "And then I saw you, so…"

Likely story. Josuke mused, leaning on his arm. She probably ran away from the looks of it. At least she was able to get away. We'll have to think of some way to keep her safe. I doubt Rias will accept her…

"Asia!" Issei suddenly said, pulling the tall teen from his thoughts. "Today, let's play to our heart's content!" He proclaimed, raising an arm with a smile and a wink. Josuke blinked at his sudden outburst, unable to say anything in response. What are you thinking, man?! We should be focusing on hiding her! Josuke mentally groaned before glancing at Asia.

The blond in question looked quite shocked as well, but suddenly smiled happily before giving a nod. "Sure!" She agreed.

"O-one sec, okay miss?" Josuke asked, causing Asia and Issei to glance at him in question. Josuke grabbed the brunette by the shoulders and turned him around, making them huddle close together. "What are you doing?! We should be hiding her, not playing around! Do you really think she's just 'on break'?"

"Of course not! I'm pretty sure she ran away!" Issei whispered back, but gave a sad frown. "But… she went through a lot yesterday. I feel really bad because… I wasn't able to help her. I just want to make her happy and forget what happened. So please, let's just have fun with her today, okay? Then afterwards, we'll find somewhere that we can hide her."

Josuke stared at Issei for a long moment, unsure of what he meant by her going through a lot the previous day. The brunette mentioned that she received poor treatment, but he didn't go into detail. Finally, Josuke sighed and rubbed his face before finally conceding. "Fine, we'll do it your way. We just have to be careful…"

"No problem! I'm sure we'll be good with you around!" Issei declared, offering a joyful grin. The two turned back to Asia, who was watching them with a curious look.

"What were you two talking about?" She asked, unable to hear their conversation.

"Nothing important, miss! Sorry about that." Josuke dismissed, waving a hand in front of him. "By the way, I don't think we got properly introduced yet. I'm Josuke Higashikata, it's a pleasure to meet you." The tall teen said, putting his hands together and bowing in his seat.

"Oh, please forgive me! I am Asia Argento, please take care of me." The blond answered, offering a kind smile to Josuke.

From there, the three moved to the arcade to have fun. They played an array of games, from racing, fighting (much to the both boys chagrin as Asia beat them both easily), and to even a dance go-go game. Issei wanted the group to take a picture, but Josuke decided to let the two take them on their own, only joining in one in which he wrapped his arms around both of their shoulders and stood in the middle. Josuke had to admit, the day was turning out to be very fun. Still though, he didn't let down his guard. Who knew who might be watching them, and without Koneko around they could not be sure if they were at all in the first place. He had no doubt that they would come looking for the young nun. Why, he didn't know, but Asia seemed to have some role they wanted her to play as their servant.

As the three walked through the arcade to find their next game, Asia's attention was pulled away by a claw machine. She let out a small gasp and quickly ran away from the two, causing the boys to glance at her in question.

"What's the matter?" Issei asked, approaching her from the side.

"O-oh, it's nothing!" Asia quickly said, feeling a bit embarrassed for running off like that.

Josuke peeked into the claw machine to see a stack of Pikachu dolls inside. "So you like Pikachu, huh?"

"W-well, that's… yes…" Asia stuttered in embarrassment. Josuke chuckled at her shyness before turning to Issei.

"You're pretty good at those claw machines, aren't you?" he asked, causing the brunette to grin.

"Leave it to me, Asia-chan!" Issei declared, putting several coins inside. Asia blinked as she watched him start to work. "Me, Josuke and our friends Motohama and Matsuda used to frequent arcades a lot. We stopped coming as often because Josuke would always lose pretty badly at the majority of games."

"Shut up! That last part wasn't necessary to say!" Josuke complained sourly, only causing Issei to chuckle. Asia even gave a small laugh at his plight. A few seconds later, Issei was able to pull out a win on the first try and claim the Pikachu plush. Asia smiled in awe before clapping in praise for the brunette.

"Here you go." Issei offered, handing her the doll which she took gingerly into her arms.

"Thank you very much!" Asia said, smiling at Issei. "This Pikachu is a treasure I could get because of you!"

"You really wanted that doll, huh?" Josuke laughed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Now, where shall we go next?" Issei asked, feeling a bit flustered by her words. Josuke followed after him, taking no notice of the fact that Asia lagged behind them a bit.

"So much fun… it's a shame we can only have this memory of fun for the day…" Asia muttered to herself, hugging the plush doll closer.

From there, the three continued to play several more games before taking a break. They headed out and grabbed several drinks, heading next to the park where they could relax for a little and talk.

"Thank you, both! This was the most fun I've had in my life!" Asia said, smiling appreciatively at the two.

"You're exaggerating, Asia. But today was really fun." Issei chuckled, taking a drink from a small can of soda.

"I'm guessing you don't get out much, huh?" Josuke asked with a smirk.

"N-no, not really…" Asia confirmed, rubbing the back of her head shyly. Issei nudged him with his elbow, giving him a look that said dude, don't ask stuff like that!

Sorry, sorry. Josuke mentally said back, shrugging in apology.

"Um…" Asia suddenly spoke up, looking at Issei. "About yesterday… how are your wounds?"

Issei and Josuke blinked before the brunette waved his arms in reassurance. "They're fine, absolutely fine! Don't worry, I'm all healed up now. In fact, it was Josuke who healed me up."

Asia widened her eyes in shock, looking at the tall teen in question. "Oh, I see! You must be… like Issei-san, right?" She asked, avoiding the word 'devil'.

"No, actually." Josuke chuckled. "I'm full human. But I've got a different kind of power than he does. Have you ever heard of a Stand?"

"'Stand'? I don't believe I have." Asia said, blinking in question. Josuke decided to show her personally, calling out Crazy Diamond. Asia gasped in surprise, staring at the large figure floating above them in awe. "Amazing, it's a whole other person!"

"Something like that. I believe they called it the manifestation of the soul." Josuke explained before making his Stand disappear again. "Some people have them, sort of like Issei's and you having a Sacred Gear."

"I see… so it can heal like my Twilight Healing?" Asia asked, showing the emerald ring on her hand.

"That's right, among other things." Josuke said with a nod.

"He can also use it to fight, it's pretty amazing." Issei added with a smile.

"That's incredible…" Asia stated in awe. The three took a seat in a park with a large fountain and stone pillars surrounding them. Issei seemed content with enjoying the sun and company of the other two, but Josuke had other plans. He could see without a doubt that Asia was a good girl, who was kind and gentle in many ways. He let out a long sigh and turned to the blond with a serious expression.

"Asia-chan… I hate to ask, but… why are you working with the fallen angels?" Josuke asked, causing Issei and Asia to jump.

"Oi, Josuke! Don't just-" Issei started to complain, but Asia gently grabbed his shoulder, shaking her head.

"It's alright, Issei-san. I have nothing to hide from you two." Asia declared, causing the brunette to blink. She cast her gaze away from them and smiled sadly, staring at the water in front of them. "My parents abandoned me when I was born. I was told that I was found in front of a small European town's church as a baby. That was where I grew up." She started to explain softly, both boys now listening intently to her story. "When I was eight, a wounded dog wandered into our church. I prayed as hard as I could for it, and a miracle happened. Soon afterward, I was sent to a much larger church. My job was to heal the wounds and illnesses of Christians who came from across the world. I was so happy that my power could help people! Then one day, I encountered a man collapsed on the floor of our church, heavily injured." The small smile she once had was now gone, replaced with a sad frown. "But the man I came across… was a devil. Because I healed him, I was branded a heretic by the church."

"You had nowhere to go, so that's why you were picked up by the fallen angels." Issei guessed, looking at the blond with sympathy.

"Gee, I'm… sorry about that… You've been through a lot." Josuke muttered, rubbing the back of his head in regret.

"But I never stopped praying to God, expressing my gratitude." Asia declared with a sad smile, glancing up at the sky. "But I had no idea what horrible things the fallen angels were doing." The sad smile quickly fell, and she gripped her dress in despair. "Perhaps God is testing me. If I can overcome this ordeal, he will make my dream come true someday."

"Your dream?" Issei repeated curiously.

"To someday have a lot of friends. Together we'll buy flowers and books, and talk…" Asia explained, hugging the Pikachu doll closer. She then glanced at Issei and forced a smile once again. "That's my dream. I don't have any friends, you see."

… I think I'm gonna cry. Josuke mentally groaned, unable to look at the blond while forcing back any tears and covering his face with his hand. Suddenly Issei stood up, walking to the front of the fountain.

"Issei-san?"

"We'll be your friends, Asia." Issei suddenly declared, causing Josuke to glance at him curiously and forget the feels he was having at first. "I mean, we're already friends, aren't we?" Asia blinked in surprise glancing at Josuke to see him giving a kind smile in confirmation. "I mean, we did have a lot of fun today and talked a lot, after all. Well, we didn't get to the flowers and books, but…" Issei finished, scratching his cheek sheepishly.

"I think we've done enough to be considered friends by now, right?" Josuke chuckled, leaning against the stone pillars around them. Asia looked back and forth from Issei and Josuke for a moment before giving her first genuinely happy smile. Tears started to mist her eyes, making her try to wipe them away.

"Yes. Yes, of course!" Asia agreed quietly, gripping the plush doll in her hands tighter. "B-but I'm causing trouble for you both, or at least Issei-san, aren't I?" She asked, though she didn't sound very convinced of that.

"I'm a devil and you're a nun, but so what?" Issei dismissed, walking back up to the blond. "We can still be friends!" He declared, offering a hand to help Asia to her feet.

"I…" Asia started before grinning wider. "I'm so happy."

Always the cool guy, huh? Josuke mused with a chuckle, letting the two have their moment. Suddenly a chill ran up the tall teens spine, almost as if a dark presence was close. What the-

"Not going to happen."

Issei and Josuke suddenly tensed, widening their eyes in recognition before turning toward the center fountain. In front of them was the girl they once knew as Amano Yuuma, Raynare. Unlike before, she looked a bit older now and wore a very revealing leather outfit and a pair of black wings on her back.

"Yuuma-chan…" Issei muttered in shock.

"You…" Josuke growled, standing at full length as his hair now shaded his eyes.

"Raynare-sama!" Asia suddenly whispered, taking a step back. Issei took a step in front of the blond protectively, but Josuke took the lead in front of both of them.

"You really are living as a lowly devil now, huh?" Raynare commented before glancing at the tall teen. "Yet your friend still hangs around you. You're the one who declared war on us, aren't you?"

"Come over here and find out, bitch." Josuke dared, taking a stance as if preparing to fight. Raynare only chuckled in amusement before glancing at Asia.

"Sorry, human. But I'm not here for you. Asia, you cannotrun away." Raynare declared, causing the blond to stiffen slightly.

"N-no! I won't return to a place where I have to kill people!" Asia retorted before looking at Issei in apology. "I'm sorry, but the truth is that I ran away from the church."

"Yeah, we kinda figured that." Issei dryly chuckled, causing Asia to blink. "There's no way you'd help assholes like these guys on your own accord."

"You heard the lady. She's not going with you." Josuke said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "If you leave now, I won't totally destroy you the next time I find you."

Raynare only chuckled, summoning a red energy spear of Light to her hand. "A lowly demon and a human should not address me so freely."

"Issei, stay behind me and protect Asia." Josuke ordered, never taking his eyes off of Raynare. "That light is poison to you, right?"

"Josuke-san, be careful!" Asia warned, but Issei shook his head.

"Don't worry, he's really strong. He's got this." Issei assured, despite his words he had a nervous sweat going. Be careful, Josuke.

"As I said before, I'm only here for the girl." Raynare pointed out, spinning the spear in her hand. "But if you continue to get in the way, I'll destroy you both outright."

"Then come and try it!" Josuke roared, summoning Crazy Diamond as his hidden anger finally spilled over. "I'll make you eat shit for what you did to Issei!"

Raynare suddenly frowned, grinding her teeth in frustration. "Go ahead and try it, you worthless human!" She roared, flying high up into the air before launching the light spear. Without even flinching, Josuke's Stand quickly caught the spear with ease.

"You assholes all have the same dumbass strategy, don't you?" Josuke asked. Crazy Diamond quickly threw the spear of Light back at her, but Raynare had no trouble dodging it.

"Not quite. I'm not some battle crazed fighter like Dohnaseek." Raynare scoffed, forming another light spear. "And I'm even stronger than he is!" She declared before launching her weapon. Josuke raised a brow as he realized that it was headed toward the ground in front of him and not directly at him.

Does she have bad aim or something? No that's not it, she did it on purpose. Josuke mused quickly before widening his eyes. Shit, what if it explodes?! Acting fast, Josuke quickly used his Stand to punch the ground and kick up the stone. He then used Crazy Diamond's repairing power to manipulate the cement and form a sort of shield. As he predicted, the light spear set off an explosion of light, the shock wave causing the three to cover their eyes. The cement wall held for the attack, but quickly collapsed afterward, serving its purpose.

What was that he did, just now? Raynare mused, narrowing her eyes at Josuke who now stood defiantly at the front of the group, uninjured. It almost looked like he manipulated the earth… no, that's not it. I must be seeing things, he most likely just kicked it up using his power and it saved him. How lucky.

"I'm not letting you fight her on your own, Josuke!" Issei declared, pulling attention to himself now. "I'll do what I can! Sacred Gear!" He roared, calling forth his armored bracer and smiling as it appeared. "Yes!"

Raynare, however, only laughed as she saw this, causing Josuke and Issei to turn to her in question. "A Twice Critical? That's all? We were totally off the mark."

"Twice? What are you talking about?" Issei couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Oi, Issei! Don't listen to her!" Josuke warned, grinding his teeth in frustration. She's keeping a distance, and I can't use Crazy Diamond with her so far away.

"It's also called the Dragon's Hand. It's an ordinary weapon that doubles the user's power temporarily." Raynare continued, ignoring Josuke for the moment.

"Doubles my power?" Issei repeated, glancing down at his arm.

"'He has a powerful Sacred Gear' is what my superiors told me. So I went through that whole farce." Raynare declared, causing the brunette to glance back up at her. She suddenly put on the innocent face she had when she first met Issei. "'I really like you, please go out with me!'" She said, her tone reverting back to that of an innocent girl's before grinning tauntingly at him. "Remember that? I remember your ungainly smile of yours."

"Shut up, bitch! I'm tired of hearing your goddamn voice!" Josuke growled defensively, using his Stand to go over to the closest pillar and kick it forward. Raynare quickly dodged the cement, laughing as she did so.

"Looks like I've confirmed it. Your powers really do have a short effective range." Raynare pointed out, causing the tall teen to click his tongue.

"It doesn't matter how short it is, I'm still gonna drive Crazy Diamond's fist into your skull!" Josuke declared fiercely.

"As much as I'd love to entertain a fight with you, my only interest lies with Asia." Raynare giggled, floating above the group. "If you hand her over now, I'll let you both live. Unlike that boy, she possesses a very rare Sacred Gear."

"We refuse!" Josuke and Issei proclaimed loudly, the brunette pushing her more securely behind him.

"Issei-san!" Asia protested, afraid for her friends.

"As a man, I've gotta be able to protect my friends! I'm not gonna sit back and do nothing!" Issei growled, raising his arm up. Asia stared at him in awe while Josuke only continued to stare at the fallen angel above them cautiously.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. Mittelt?" Raynare suddenly said. Josuke and Issei blinked in question until the tall teen heard Issei gasp in pain. He quickly turned around to see Issei pierced from behind, a blond girl with raven wings floating a bit behind them.

"Issei!" Josuke and Asia cried out in shock. The nun attempted to help Issei, but Mittelt quickly swooped down and pulled her back.

"Not so fast. We can't have you ruining a perfect standoff." Mittelt giggled, stroking Asia's face as she wrapped her wings around her.

"Asia-chan!" Josuke called out, grinding his teeth as Crazy Diamond prepared to attack again.

"Ah ah ah~! Don't do anything stupid." Raynare called out, floating down several meters behind Josuke. The tall teen glared back at her, ready to fight again, but equally aware of Issei's wound. He was bleeding and hurt very bad, but thanks to his devil status, he was more durable than a human at least. Shit, I have to heal him.

"You have a choice: keep trying to fight us for Asia and possibly risk your friends death, or save him and allow us to leave. Take your pick." Raynare declared, making the tall teen sweat in fear.

"Please save Issei-san! I'll be fine!" Asia called out fearfully, tears welling up her eyes.

"N-no! D-don't let them take her… Josuke…" Issei struggled to say, hoping to convince his friend. Josuke's hair shaded his eyes, and for a moment his choice seemed unclear.

That was until he dashed straight to Issei.

"J-Josuke, no!" Issei begged, but the tall teen ignored his pleas.

"Sentiment truly is a strong weapon." Raynare chuckled, glancing at Mittelt. "Let's depart."

"Asia-chan!" Josuke called out, grinding his teeth in frustration as he used Crazy Diamond to heal Issei. "I'm sorry! I promise we'll save you!"

"Sorry, but you won't. Human's are so weak." Mittelt giggled, causing the teen to growl.

"Don't worry, Josuke-san. I'm happy with the day we had." Asia said, smiling sadly at the two. "Goodbye, Issei-san."

The wound and pain was now gone from Issei thanks to Josuke's Stand, who quickly tried to push himself to his feet. "Asia!" He called out, reaching out to grab her. Mittelt only giggled at his attempt, quickly teleporting away from sight.

"I await our next meeting." Raynare chuckled, turning her back to them.

"Raynare." Josuke suddenly called out, stopping her for a moment. "You better be prepared for the next time I see you. Because when I do, I'm gonna cave in your goddamn skull." He declared sternly, his eyes now visible and giving a dark glare. Raynare narrowed her eyes in anger before scoffing.

"Your threats are as empty as your resolve, human." Raynare said before teleporting away. Josuke and Issei were silent for a long moment until the brunette quickly grabbed Josuke's collar.

"Why would you let them take her?! You should have left me on the ground, I would have been fine!" Issei growled in irritation, shaking the taller teen. Josuke gripped his arms and ripped them off of his shirt, returning the glare harshly.

"I was not going to have you die again! Asia is alive for now, and we will get her back!" Josuke retorted, the two huffing in frustration. Issei only glared for a bit longer before sighing tiredly and falling to the ground.

"I-I know, I'm sorry. It's just… I really couldn't do anything for her…" Issei muttered, rubbing his face in frustration. "I am weak."

"We both couldn't do anything." Josuke muttered, taking a seat in front of him. Despite his words, his expression was confident and serious. "But that doesn't mean we aren't going to. Tonight, we're saving her. Me and you."

Issei was silent for a long moment, hesitating because of his shame. But he knew that crying over his inability to help would only hurt them, and Asia needed them to be strong. "Yeah, me and you." As the two moved to stand up, a familiar red magic circle appeared before them, causing them to stop for a moment. Out came the vice president Akeno, who looked quite serious.

"Akeno-san…" Issei gulped, knowing her appearance here was most likely not for a good reason.

"Issei-kun, Josuke-kun. Come with me. The president wants to see you."

*Slap*

"Hey now, take it easy!" Josuke said, trying to defuse the situation. As soon as the tall teen and Issei arrived, it was quite obvious that Rias was not happy. After explaining the events of the day, Issei was given a firm slap across the face for his troubles. Koneko and Kiba were present as well, but were silent as Rias continued to scold the two.

Rias turned to Josuke with her eyes narrowed. "Josuke-kun, stay out of this. This is between master and servant. I have no say in your actions, but Issei is to follow my instructions when given." She then turned back to Issei, her expression less forgiving. "How many times have I told you? It's impossible." Rias declared sternly, placing her hands on her hips. "Forget about that girl. You are a member of the Gremory household."

"I know that, but you don't have to-" Josuke started until Issei spoke up.

"Then please release me from your household." Issei asked, causing Rias and Josuke to raise a brow in shock. "If you do that, then I'll go with Josuke alone."

"You're asking the impossible." Rias said, now frowning in disappointment.

"I'm just a pawn on your chessboard, right?" Issei pushed, gripping his hand. "Surely you can get rid of one pawn."

"Enough!" Rias ordered sternly, causing the brunette to shut up. She sighed before holding up a hand. "Do you really think that the pawn is the weakest piece on the board? I told you already that each servant takes on the trait of their piece."

"What trait does a pawn have?" Josuke asked curiously, unable to think of anything. After all, he was still a novice.

"Promotion." Rias stated, glancing back at Issei. "Once a pawn enters enemy territory, it can bare the traits of any other piece save for a king."

"Wait, so I could have everyone's power if I reached an enemy territory?" Issei asked, a burst of hope springing forward.

"If I recognize it as enemy territory, then, yes." Rias confirmed, giving a small smile as she saw he was now done with the illusion of leaving her peerage. "Say, for example, the church."

"Looks like you didn't get dogged out after all." Josuke chided with a goofy smile. As they were talking, Akeno entered back into the room quietly. "And as for your Sacred Gear…"

"It doubles my power, right?" Issei supplied. "Yuum-" He stopped himself short, the mention of her making him nauseous. "... The fallen angel told me." He said quietly, closing his eyes in disappointment. Surprisingly enough, Rias stroked his cheek and shook her head.

"Use your head." Rias told him, a kind smile now on her features. "The Sacred Gear activates by its owners will. The greater the willpower, the more powerful it will become."

"'Willpower'?" Issei repeated somewhat confused. Josuke smiled, understanding it himself.

"I think she means don't underestimate that thing on your arm." Josuke suddenly spoke. "You've got a pretty hard head, so I think that thing is stronger than you think." The tall teen added. Akeno walked up behind Rias quietly, whispering something incoherent to her king. Rias furrowed her brow seriously and nodded.

"Something has come to my attention. Akeno and I will be stepping out." Rias declared, following the raven haired girl out of the room.

"W-wait, president! We're not done tal-"

"Listen." Rias quickly interrupted without looking back. "Even with a promotion, a single piece will not be able to beat a fallen angel. Going alone is suicide." She stood at the center of the room with Akeno, a magic circle appearing under them.

As Josuke listened to her words, though, he suddenly started to get a hint at her actions, rewinding the entire conversation in his mind. He gave a sly smile and quickly wrapped his arm around Issei's shoulders. "Hey man, you heard her. Alone you're outmatched, no helping it. So no need to argue."

"W-what?! Josuke, what are you saying?!" Issei muttered in shock, surprised by his words. The tall teen didn't pay him any mind though, turning back to Rias and waving.

"You know, you're pretty sly." He chuckled, receiving a smile in return from Rias.

"I am a devil after all." She answered before the circle teleported the two away.

"What were you talking about?" Issei asked, unable to follow the conversation like Josuke apparently had.

"Oh, nothing." Josuke shrugged, walking in front of him now. "So, we going?"

"H-huh?" Issei blanched, slightly recoiling. "But you just said-"

"Man, sometimes you really don't know how to read between the lines." Josuke sighed, shaking his head before giving a goofy smile. "She was basically giving us approval to go."

"Wh-what?" Issei repeated dumbly, scratching his cheek in confusion.

"It's as Higashikata-san said." Kiba added this time, now spotting his sword on his hip. "She said that 'even with a promotion', right? That means she has now recognized the church as enemy lines."

"That's right." Josuke confirmed before glancing at Kiba and Koneko. "But you guys don't have to go. I know it's not your fight."

"When she said he would be in trouble alone, she was giving us the okay to back him up." Kiba replied with a smirk. "You may be enough to do it, but I think more support wouldn't hurt."

"Even you, Koneko-chan?" Issei asked in surprise, looking at the petite girl.

"You three going alone would worry me." Koneko answered simply. Josuke widened his eyes a bit in surprise before giving a kind hearted smile.

"You know, you guys are really great."

The four of them approached the church cautiously. They departed in the darkness, hoping for some element of surprise, though didn't count much on it. The church was surrounded by the woods, and so they were able to move through the shadows of the foliage. They soon approached the abandoned church, taking cover behind the trees. Almost immediately, the entire group felt a dark aura that made them pause for a moment.

"What horrible killing intent…" Issei muttered, glancing around to look for any enemies.

"There must be a large gathering of exorcists inside." Kiba declared, causing Issei and Josuke to gasp.

"Seriously? Damn, I'm really thankful you guys decided to come, then." Issei said appreciatively.

"I coulda taken them…" Josuke mumbled sourly, feeling insulted by Issei's comment. Despite that he also smiled at Kiba and Koneko. "But he's right. Thanks for coming."

"We're a team, after all!" Kiba pointed out with a smile. His demeanor took a bit of a dark turn, though. "To be frank, though, I'm not overly fond of fallen angels and exorcists either. I despise them."

"Kiba?" Issei said, surprised by his sudden change.

"I guess they can piss off just about anyone, huh?" Josuke mused, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the church. "I'm done sitting around, let's go."

"Wait, man! What about the element of surprise?" Issei asked, but Koneko stood up and took the lead. "Koneko-chan?"

"We might as well go straight in. I'm sure they know we're here, anyway." Koneko stated, causing the others to glance at one another before following. As soon as she was in front of the door, the petite girl kicked it open. As they entered, Josuke and Issei scanned the area, looking for any signs of the enemy. It was dark inside, and many of the statues of mother Mary and the cross were crushed at the top.

"This is horrible…" Issei muttered, narrowing his eyes.

"Is it? I mean, it doesn't seem that bad in here..." Josuke honestly mused. The conversation was soon interrupted, a faint clapping heard from the end of the room. A man came into view, wearing a long tailed black coat with a white shirt and pants, and his hair platinum.

"Yo, yo, yo~! It looks like we meet again!" the man declared, his voice a bit scratchy. "I'm getting all sentimental! It's unusual for me to run into the same devil twice, you know."

"Who the hell are you?" Josuke asked, narrowing his eyes in irritation. He wasn't a big fan of the way the man was posturing around.

"Freed… That's the asshole who attacked me last night…" Issei growled, summoning his Sacred Gear.

"It really hurts my pride to see you walking around like this. I'll have to correct that now!" He cackled, licking the barrel of his gun. Josuke stepped forward, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Where's Asia?!" Issei growled, ignoring the exorcist's bait attempt.

"Oh, that junk sister who fell for a devil?" Freed scoffed, turning to look back at the cathedral. "She's at the underground ritual site underneath that altar there. If you can get through me, that i-"

DORA!

While Freed had been talking, Josuke closed the distance between them. With the distance closed, Crazy Diamondwas well within reach to land a shattering punch to his jaw. Freed lost several teeth in the blow and was launched backward into the altar. Josuke's three companions stared in awe, for the three knew exactly how strong Freed was.

"Sorry, but we're kind of in a hurry. So either get out of our way or I'll break your face." Josuke declared, taking his right hand out and pointing it at Freed, his Stand floating on the opposite side. "To be honest, I wanna beat the shit outta you for what you did to Issei. Lucky for you, though, I'm way more pissed at that bitch, Raynare."

Freed coughed up some of the blood from his mouth, slowly attempting to push himself up. "You… you'll pay for that!" He cried out, lifting up his gun and firing several bullets. Josuke didn't flinch, for in that instant Crazy Diamond quickly caught the bullets. The silver haired man stiffened in shock, releasing a breath as the Stand dropped the bullets to the ground.

"You were saying?" Josuke asked, tilting his head in question. Freed shuddered in fear, recoiling back as Josuke took a step forward.

"Forget this! I don't feel like dying right now!" Freed spat, reaching into his coat and pulling out a small ball. "Go and get fried by the fallen angels!" He growled before throwing it down. A flash of light erupted, temporarily blinding the four of them. As soon as they looked back up, the exorcist was gone.

"Wow… you truly are strong, Higashikata-san." Kiba chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "He would have been a decent opponent for any of us."

"I can't believe I was worried about you coming here alone." Issei chuckled, patting him on the back.

"Let's get a move on. Asia's waiting for you." Josuke said, smiling back at the brunette. Koneko walked past the two, kicking the debris from the altar away.

"Let's go." Koneko said. The three quickly nodded, running down the dark steps under the altar. It was quite a ways down, and only a few torches lit their way there. But they paid it no mind, only focusing on their sole objective of saving Asia. Though for Josuke, it was also to pound in Raynare's skull. They soon reached the bottom of the stairs, coming to a dimly lit open room. In front of them were a large number of exorcists, all in black coats and their faces covered. Across the ritual site, there was a high stairs leading up to Raynare, who stood at the top in front of Asia. The blond nun was chained to a jet black crucifix with odd symbols and runes etched into it.

"So you've made it, huh?" Raynare cooed, turning around to look at them with an evil grin. "A bit too late, though."

"Asia!" Issei called out, preparing to run forward. Kiba and Josuke quickly grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.

"Wait, idiot!" Josuke told him, but before they knew it, Raynare had launched a spear of light, causing a shockwave that knocked back Issei and Kiba. Josuke used Crazy Diamond to cover himself, standing firm despite skidding against the ground.

"You're too late to stop this now!" Raynare cackled, turning back to Asia's prone form. The small blond slowly glanced up, looking directly at the brunette.

"Issei...san?" She mumbled, tears filling her eyes. Suddenly, the crucifix she was chained to started to glow, the runes coming to life with a green light. Asia started to scream in pain, helplessly struggling against her binds.

"What are they doing?!" Issei cried out, visibly shaking. Josuke was no better, biting his lower lip in fear as he tried to think up a plan. Kiba widened his eyes in realization, quickly drawing his blade.

"So that's what their plan was…" Kiba declared, drawing both boys attention to him. "They wish to extract your friend's Sacred Gear to use it for their own goals."

"Extract her Sacred Gear?!" Issei repeated, doing a double take between Kiba and Asia. "If they do that, what will happen to Asia?!"

"She'll die." Raynare stated darkly, raising her arms to Asia. "Now come, give me your power!" She cackled, the cross glowing brighter and Asia continuing to scream. Finally a small orb of green light rose from her chest. Asia immediately went dark in the eyes, fading into unconsciousness. "Your Twilight Healing… is finally in my grasp."

"Asia!" Issei cried out, raising his armored bracer before rushing forward. An exorcist rushed in to stop him, clashing with his Sacred Gear. "Get out of my way!"

"With this new found power, I can conquer love! I will have absolute power!" The fallen angel declared, sighing in content as she brought the green rings to her chest, merging it with herself. A bright green light flashed briefly, Raynare turning around once it was done. "I can now become a supreme fallen angel! I can now pay those back who insulted me and called me weak!"

"Don't give me that crap!" Issei growled, pushing the exorcist away who first attempted to stop him.

"You filthy devil! We'll destroy you!" Another priest growled, and immediately the entire group started to rush forward and attack the brunette. Issei dodged the first and kicked aside a second, but one eluded his notice. Josuke was there to have his back though, quickly smashing the exorcist into the wall with his Stand.

"Issei! Grab Asia and get out! I'll beat the shit outta Raynare, okay?!" Josuke told him, receiving a quick nod in acceptance.

"Alright! I'll trust you to take her!" Issei agreed as the two rushed forward. More exorcists approached the duo, but this time Kiba and Koneko engaged them first. Josuke and Issei widened their eyes in shock as Kiba's sword absorbed one of the blades of light.

"Hyoudou-kun, Higashikata-san. Go on ahead." Kiba told them, smiling back before quickly knocking away another exorcist.

"We'll hold the line with these guys." Koneko added, quickly slamming her fist into the nearest priest.

"Guys…" Issei muttered before smiling. "Thank you!"

"Be careful, you guys!" Josuke said as he followed after the brunette. Raynare watched as they quickly approached, but made no move to attack them. Josuke narrowed his eyes dangerously, slowing to a walk as he let Issei continue forward.

"Asia!" He cried out before reaching the top of the stairs. Issei huffed as he arrived before slowly stepping closer to the blonde's still form.

"Here's your reward for making it this far." Raynare scoffed, snapping her fingers and making the chains around Asia's body vanish. Issei quickly rushed up and caught her, holding the blond gingerly in his arms.

"Asia! Are you alright?" The brunette asked. Asia weakly glanced at him, giving a small smile at the sight of Issei.

"Issei-san…" She muttered weakly, attempting to stay conscious.

"Don't worry, I'm here for you. We're here for you. Just hang on." Issei said with a forced smile, attempting to stay strong. He quickly looked back at Josuke, who was now at eye level with Raynare. The fallen angel glared at him with a malicious smile, while the tall teen only continued to glare with narrowed eyes. Raynare expected him to attempt to attack her, but to her surprise he quickly rushed to Issei's side.

"Let me see her. Maybe Crazy Diamond can heal her." Josuke offered, summoning his Stand as he knelt down next to Issei. The brunette didn't hesitate to hand Asia over to him. Josuke quickly attempted to heal her, Asia's body being restored but her pale expression never leaving. "Sh-shit! It's not working!" He then whipped around, gnashing his teeth together. "Give us her damn Sacred Gear back!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Raynare scoffed, placing a hand on her hip. "I even lied to my superiors to carry out this plan." She then summoned a lance of light, grinning darkly down at them. "Unfortunately for you, you all have witnessed that. So now you must be eliminated. But dying with her isn't so bad, is it?"

Josuke's eyes shaded under his hair, the tall teen standing up. "You bitch…"

"Higashikata-san!" Kiba called out from below, causing Josuke to pause and glance at the blond. "We're at a disadvantage here! We need to leave!" Josuke was about to open his mouth to reply, but Issei was the first to speak up.

"You were my first girlfriend…" Issei muttered, his shoulders trembling as he closed his eyes.

"Yeah… I was amazed you were so innocent." Raynare chuckled, taking enjoyment out of his pained look. "It's fun to tease someone so inexperienced with girls."

"I was going to cherish our relationship…" Issei continued, grinding his teeth in anger.

"Issei, stop..." Josuke said, attempting to keep his friend from hurting himself further.

"You became so caring when I was even slightly troubled!" Raynare giggled, her facial appearance temporarily becoming like it was when she was pretending to be human. "But all of that was just a pretense! Your face when you were confused or shy was so-"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Josuke suddenly roared, causing both Issei and Raynare to pause. "I'm gettin' real tired of hearing your voice." He then turned back to the brunette and motioned toward the exit with his head. "Issei, go ahead and get Asia out of here. It's not safe. Leave getting her Sacred Gear back to me."

"Josuke…" Issei muttered before nodding. "Kick her ass!" He exclaimed, quickly picking Asia up in his arms and starting to run toward the stairs. Raynare was enraged, but she withheld from moving forward to strike the tall teen. She had a plan set in mind and, even with her power up, she would not dare to underestimate Josuke. I'll make him pay soon enough.

As Issei reached the bottom of the stairs, several exorcists attempted to attack him, but were quickly blocked by both Koneko and Kiba.

"Koneko, Kiba!" He exclaimed, stopping for a moment to look back at them. They were now standing defensively, covering his back.

"Hyoudou-kun, run!" Kiba quickly called out, clashing with another exorcist. "Koneko-chan and I will hold them back! Go!"

"You guys…" Josuke muttered, glancing back from atop the shrine.

"Believe in us as you do in Higashikata-san! Now go!" Kiba told him, causing Issei to hesitate in leaving his friends.

"Hurry up and run." Koneko added before kicking away a priest. Issei turned his back to them finally, several tears misting his eyes.

"Kiba, Koneko-chan…" He muttered before glancing back at them one last time. "When we get back home, call me 'Issei' from now on! Understand?!" He told them before quickly running up the stairs. The knight and bishop smiled as they fought, touched by the pervert's words. "We're a team, after all!"

"The same goes for me." Josuke called out, smiling down at the two. "You better call me JoJo from now on! … wait, sorry, I mean Josuke." He quickly corrected before turning back to Raynare. "What's wrong, bitch? I thought you would've attacked me by now. You scared? I thought you were all powerful now." He goaded, causing Raynare to narrow her eyes before smiling mischievously.

"You left yourself open to try and lure me in." Raynare pointed out, crossing her arms. "Because at the moment, I'm out of your range. That is a rather large weakness if I do say so myself. Why don't you come to me?" She asked, causing Josuke to grind his teeth.

"You've been standing there for a bit. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were waiting for me to approach you. Am I right?" Josuke analyzed, Raynare slightly gripping her hand in frustration. Suddenly a thought came to her, and she smiled wickedly.

"You know, I heard that you also have another weakness. Something about your hair?"

Immediately, Josuke popped a vein on top of his head, his hair now casting a shadow over his eyes.

"Oh that's right, you don't like to hear what utter shit your hair looks like." Raynare added, causing Koneko and Kiba to pause in their fight below.

"Don't fall for it, Josuke-san! She's trying to lure you in!" Kiba attempted to stop him, but all of Josuke's sense of danger and logic now left him.

"What the fuck… did you say about my hair?!" Josuke growled out, several strands standing up on the top of his head. No doubt, Josuke was furious before. He was planning to beat the shit out of Raynare no matter what. But he was still in control, able to keep himself from making stupid moves. Now? All of that was thrown out the window. He stomped toward Raynare, attempting to close the distance between them.

"You fool." She taunted. As soon as Josuke reached within his Stand's range of Raynare, a light suddenly shined under his foot. Despite the fact that he was still in a blind rage, he instinctively glanced down. He was able to snap out of his monster mode and widened his eyes.

"Oh shi-" He cursed, summoning Crazy Diamond to the front to defend him, the Stand crossing its arms in front. His instincts were right to do so, for the circle of light exploded up from there and hit his Stand hard. It sent him flying backward, his arms feeling like they had been hit by a car. Josuke was blown down the stairs and crashed into the ground past the crowd of exorcists and his friends.

"Josuke-san!" Kiba called out, afraid for the condition his friend might be in. Josuke coughed hard, the wind knocked out of him from the attack.

"Shit, I got careless…" He muttered, forcing himself to stand. "That hurt a bit, but don't think it's gonna save you!" Josuke growled out, taking several steps forward to rush back up the stairs. Suddenly, as before, a light shined below his foot, and he immediately paled.

"Another one?!" He groaned, but this time was able to evade being blasted since he wasn't fully on it. It shot up like a beam, almost reaching the roof of the ritual site. "That doesn't make sense! We ran through here perfectly fine earlier!"

"They're called light mines." Raynare declared, placing a hand on her hip. "As soon as you activated the light mine in front of me, the rest were immediately armed afterward. If you step on them, it'll blow you away. You may be human, but light can still kill you."

"Josuke-san, be careful! They don't appear until you step on them! If you're careless, you may step on another one!" Kiba said, hesitating to move from his spot alongside Koneko.

"Make sure you don't move either! You'll get fried way worse than I will!" Josuke told them, fearfully glancing around the room. He spotted a small rock that kicked up when he was blown back, grabbing it and rolling it along the ground. It went several meters forward before stopping, making a grin spread across his face.

"It should be safe at least this far." Josuke mused aloud, taking several steps forward, cautiously glancing up at Raynare. She only continued to watch him silently, grinning at his current predicament. Just you wait, I'm gonna-

Suddenly a light shined again in Josuke's face, causing him to turn his attention back to where he was stepping. He quickly summoned Crazy Diamond yet again to block the light. It burst upward, causing him to fling backward onto the ground. He groaned in pain, the wind knocked out of him once again.

"What the hell… I thought I checked the distance with the rock…?" Josuke muttered, pushing himself up with one arm. He panted as he looked forward, now seeing that the rock was still ahead of where the light mine had been set off. Raynare burst out in laughter, holding her stomach.

"You fool! These mines are created by magic! They have certain conditions placed on them so that they activate when I wish!" Raynare explained, pointing at Josuke. "They will not set off should I or one of my exorcists step on them, or if a piece of debris or nonliving thing goes over them either. But as for you and your devil friends, they'll activate immediately!"

"Son of a bitch. I'll have to play the guessing game after all…" Josuke muttered, pushing up to his feet.

"You should be flattered, worthless human." Raynare chuckled, summoning a light lance to her hand. "To force a superior being such as myself to have to prepare traps just for you. When we saw your powers, we were quite worried you might cause problems. Perhaps that will console you before you die!" She roared before raising the spear of light and launching it at the tall teen. Raynare launched it behind the tall teen to cause another explosion, forcing him to think fast.

I can't catch it with Crazy Diamond! I have to get out of the blast radius! Josuke thought in a panic, weighing his options. Rolling forward wouldn't be good, because if he was dazed by a light mine, he would be open to attack from an exorcist. He had to bet on rolling left or right. Now or nothing! He told himself, and finally he jumped to the left. The light spear exploded on impact with the ground, doing no damage to the tall teen. But much to his dismay, as soon as he landed, another light mine started to shine under him. Damn it! Josuke did his best to twist his body to the side, but the light mine was able to graze his side. It didn't quite burn, but it was painful. Josuke landed on the ground with a thud, gripping his side in pain.

"Josuke-san!" Kiba cried out, but unable to move to help him. These mines really are everywhere. If Koneko-chan or I move, we'll be worse off than him.

"You look so pathetic, lying on the ground like that!" Raynare cackled, pointing at Josuke tauntingly. "You're just all talk, aren't you? Your power is only fearsome if I am foolish enough to let you get close. At a distance, you're just as weak as that pathetic boy who became a devil!" Her final sentence was fuel to his anger again, forcing Josuke to his feet.

"You…" Josuke muttered, raising his head so his eyes would meet Raynare's, a dark glare leveled at the fallen angel. "Don't ever talk shit about Issei! He's the strongestguy I know! Don't act like you know shit about him!" The tall teen growled out before attempting to rush forward once again.

Issei ran up the stairs with Asia in his arms. He wasn't sure exactly what to do with the nun, but he knew getting her out of danger was the best he could do at the moment. As he entered the altar he set Asia down in one of the booths. He didn't know what to do. Could he take her to Rias? No, if Josuke couldn't heal her, then Rias wouldn't be able to help anymore. What do I do?

"Asia! Hang in there!" Issei pleaded, looking back at the altar. "Jo-Josuke will be here any second with your Sacred Gear! Just hang in there and we'll be able to play all the time together!"

"Issei…" Asia muttered, reaching her hand up toward the brunette. Issei quickly took it in his own, comforting her as much as possible.

"Save your strength! We're going to get out of here together, okay?!" Issei pleaded, massaging her hand comfortingly.

"It wasn't for long, but… I'm so happy to have made a friend." Asia mumbled, glancing at Issei weakly. Issei's eyes started to fill with tears again, shaking his head.

"W-what are you saying?! There are still tons of places I want to show you!" Issei dismissed, leaning in closer to the nun. "Karaoke bars, amusement parks, bowling alleys…" Issei started to list off desperately in hope to keep her awake. The blond smiled weakly, touched by his words as her own eyes misted. "We'll even get more Pikachu dolls! And-and… you have to get to know Josuke more! He already considers you a friend, but you-you need to see him like I do! O-oh, and my friends Motohama and Matsuda! They're perverted, but they're really nice guys…" He trailed off, gripping her hand between both of his. His tears started to escape his eyes, dripping onto both of their hands.

"We'll have a big party! A huge one! Just… just hang on!" Issei pleaded desperately, smiling as strongly as possible.

"If I had been born here and gone to school with you…" Asia started, giving a genuinely happy smile to the brunette. "It would have been so wonderful…"

"I-I can take you! No, you're definitely coming. I'll take you…" Issei pushed, but closed his eyes as he tried to muster up more strength. Asia gently stroked his cheek, causing him to look at her once more.

"You're crying for me. I couldn't ask for more…" She declared, widening her frail smile. "Thank you…" She muttered before her hand finally fell stiff. Issei stared at her still form, choking slightly as he processed what had just happened. Asia had just died.

"Asia… why…?" Issei muttered, taking the blond into his arms and hugging her close. "Why did you have to die? You were a kind girl who would heal anyone, even demons…" He begged, pressing her cheek to his as he continued to cry. "Asia!"

"Man~! What a racket you're making. It's really annoying."

Issei suddenly froze, quickly turning his attention to the entrance of the church. Standing there was Freed, who was leaning against the door frame. The crazed exorcist smiled sadistically, strutting slowly inside.

"You… I thought you ran?" Issei growled, gently placing Asia back on the booth. "What do you want?!"

"Oh, nothing really. I was just going to wait out and see how the battle went. I was hoping that perhaps only one of you survived, that asshole with the funny hair, and that I'd be able to catch him with his guard down. Looks like not, though." Freed sighed dramatically before grinning sinisterly at Issei. "But at least the ritual went as planned. That pathetic girl is dead now, huh? That's a relief. She was pretty damn worthless."

"Don't…" Issei muttered before raising his arm to his side. "Don't you ever talk bad about Asia!" He growled as his crimson bracer started to shine. "I'll make you pay for saying that shit!"

Boost!

The bracer almost proclaimed. Freed only laughed, raising his gun at Issei. "Come on then, devil brat! I'll erase you completely!"

"Kiba! Give me your speed!" Issei called out, the form of a knight piece surrounded him for a brief moment. As soon as the exorcist fired his gun, Issei was able to dodge the bullets with enhanced speed, moving in a zigzag line before heading straight for Freed.

"Got a little more bite in you, huh?" Freed laughed, activating his light blade and clashing with Issei's armored bracer. Issei growled as he was pushed back a bit by the exorcist's strength. "But that won't help you now! I'll make sure you disappear!"

"Don't count on it!" Issei roared, his Sacred Gear glowing again. "Koneko-chan, give me your strength!" He called out, the rook piece now enveloping him. He was able to turn the tables and push back against the exorcist. Freed widened his eyes in shock as Issei broke his guard and followed up with a quick blow to his sternum. "I'll make you pay for what you said about Asia!" He launched Freed across the room, knocking the wind out of him along with some blood, crashing into a group of benches.

"Yo-you shit eating devil…" Freed grumbled bitterly, attempting to push himself to his feet. "You and that girl… are both just trash…"

"Trash that kicked your ass." Issei scoffed, taking several steps forward before raising his arm again. "I'll make you apolog-"

Two gunshots went off, causing Issei to tense. His legs suddenly gave out, both of them being shot through by Freed's pistol. The exorcist panted tiredly, but smiled wickedly as he cackled. "I'll admit, you surprised me with that strength, but… looks like you're done now." He slowly approached Issei, spinning the gun in his hand. The brunette grinded his teeth in frustration, and attempted to push himself to his feet.

"I'll commend you for putting up such a fight. Raynare-sama told me that you possess a pretty weak Sacred Gear, but you got some good hits in." Freed scoffed, raising the gun and pointing it directly at Issei's head. "At least you have some sort of high note to go out on, huh?"

Suddenly, before Freed could react, Issei reached up and grabbed the gun, causing him to shudder. Issei still possessed the power of the rook, and used it to crush the gun in his hand. "Wh-what?! Those bullets should be making light burn through your body!"

"It is… it hurts like nothing I've ever felt…" Issei groaned, forcing himself to stand up despite the blood spilling from his thighs. "But… I don't even care. Asia… Asia suffered far more than I am!" The brunette exclaimed, forcing himself toward the exorcist.

"D-don't act all smug! You're still way too weak to beat me!" Freed proclaimed, this time attempting to slash Issei. Issei quickly raised his arm and blocked the slash, grinding his teeth in strain.

"Smug? No, I'm not acting smug…" Issei muttered as his bracer started to glow once again. "I'm pissed off! I'm going to make you pay for what you did to Asia, and make you take back what you've said!" Suddenly, the Sacred Gear started to transform, now spreading further across his arm and hand to cover his fingers with claw like armor.

Dragon Explosion! The bracer sounded, releasing a powerful shockwave that pushed back the exorcist

"Wh-what?! I thought it was just a Twice Critical? H-how?" Freed asked in a panic, recoiling backward in fear. Issei took one step forward, causing the exorcist to shutter. "D-don't fuck with me!" He growled, finally mustering up his courage and rushing at Issei. The brunette released his devil wings and used them to fly forward, bringing his Sacred Gear forward and knocking the light blade out of his hand. Issei then grabbed Freed by the throat, gnashing his teeth together.

"I trust Josuke to beat down your master, but…" Issei growled, cocking his Sacred Gear back. "You can go and die with her!" he roared as he brought his arm around and landed a devastating shot to the exorcists jaw. Freed spat in pain before being flung out of the church and flying through the stained glass windows above. Issei huffed for air before falling back on his knees. "Serves you right, bastard…" He muttered before falling to all fours and breathing heavily. "Josuke… the rest is up to you."

Without warning, the entrance to the underground ritual site exploded, causing Issei to turn in shock to see a black winged figure sent flying through it.

Josuke panted, heavily in pain. He had made several attempts to approach the shrine, hoping to close the distance. All attempts had failed, not only because of the light mines, but also a mixture of the fact that Raynare continued to launch light spears at him, and her exorcists also tried to attack him. Of course, he could beat down those who came near him and deflect her light spears, but both actions had sometimes forced him to move several steps, and in doing so, set off another mine. Koneko and Kiba were doing well to keep from moving too much, but that also meant being unable to help him. They had enough of their own trouble though, dealing with the exorcists while being forced to stand in one spot.