"...." - A character's dialogue

(....) - A character's thoughts

{....} - Ddraig speaking in Issei's mind

[....] - Ddraig speaking openly to his surrounding

(...)- Ddraig's thought.

------

The Day after The Date.

"....Ngggh."

As if waking up from a long terrible nightmare, Hyoudou Issei unconsciously groans due to discomfort running through his entire body. The last time he felt this kind of pain was from stretching his undeveloped muscles in the gym. However, he wasn't able to continue much anymore. To put it simply, he's just lazy.

Well, after today, he will regret it immensely.

Raising his upper body, he rubs his eyes while mentally preparing for today's class---

"...School?"

Furrowing his brow, he mutters the word 'school' as if it's foreign to him. To be more precise, he instinctively felt that was the very least of his worries.

"Still 5 A.M. ...?

Looking at his digital clock clearly showing the time, Issei frowns confusedly. Although not a lazy slob, he's definitely not this much of an early riser. There are still 3 and a half hours before his first period starts.

(...Hold on a second? Why did I think of school immediately?? Shouldn't I----!?)

"..Uggh!??! What the--"

Rubbing his temple in discomfort, he receives a sudden but painful flashback of yesterday's event. The day when he went on a date with Yuu!@@>#---

"....No."

The moment he tried to remember the girl's name, he couldn't make a sense of it as if a fog was mentally blocking him. Moreover, it feels...wrong as if it's the wrong clothes to wear for the said person.

But why he couldn't even remember the rest of its day's events either?

"...What really happened yesterday?"

Then, suddenly----

.

.

.

.

[Hmm. Looks like there's slight disarray with your memories. Can't say I didn't expect it though.]

A deep, rumbling voice resonates through the room.

"!? Who's there!"

After a slight jolt, Issei turned his head left and right to find the source of that deep voice with an alarmed expression. However, no matter how much he looks around, only his familiar room's walls surround him with no sign of the said speaker.

[*Chuckle*...You are looking at the wrong place. Look on your left hand.]

Trembling from this unknown voice speaking without warning, he feels reluctant to follow his direction. However, no matter how much he looks around, there's no sign or shadow of the spoken figure.

(...I guess there's no choice.)

He REALLY hopes it's not some ghost haunting him!

TImidly raising his upper left wrist from below the bed's blanket, Issei prepared for the worst. He move his left hand slowly as if it could stir even without his mental command.

There, on the back palm of his hand,

[Hmm. I guess this is the first time we talk to each other like this directly.]

A green circular glow blinks periodically in the same rhythm as the spoken voice.

Cold sweat running down his cheek, Hyoudou Issei asks the voice ve~~~ry gently.

"Who...---What ....are you?"

Trembling in fear with events happening far beyond his understanding, Issei tried his best to communicate with the voice as normal as he could. Sadly, his' held tremors in it, expressing his inner terror.

Hearing that, the voice cackles at him, not answering immediately. Although, if Issei was not imagining it, there's....a certain sense of melancholy in it.

As if it had been asked that countless times already.

[...You should know what I am. After all, you dreamt about me a few days ago, no?]

Blinking rapidly, Issei couldn't digest its words properly. Then, after closing while thinking hard about it, his eyelid shoots up while staring at the glowing circle on his hand.

He recognizes this voice.

(!! ...There's one.)

Didn't he hear it once during the time he napped in the math class? He thought it was just his mind playing with him for watching too much anime. But as it said, its voice truly overlapped with the dragon before the dream ended.

Which means...

"!! Are-are you saying you are!?"

[Correct. Well then, let me introduce myself. It's inconvenient for both of us if you don't know my name.]

[Nice to meet you, Hyoudou Issei. My name is Y Ddraig Goch. People called me Sekiryuutei, The Red Dragon of Domination.]

-----

Dragon.

From ancient times, people have always been afraid, in awe, hated, or admired their prowess. Each of them is a being that could terrorize everyone in the vicinity just by hearing its existence. In today's age, they were the most commonly used hardest trials for the heroes in the media to overcome adversity, winning recognition from the masses.

And now, such a being exists on his body, specifically on his left hand. 

If Issei was not in a panic, he would joke all those chuunibyou lines about some feared power sealed in their hand has some truth in it.

...Which, for him really does. If all those middle-grader syndrome know this, they're going to cry tears of blood in extreme jealousy.

"You got to be shitting me."

A curse spat out in his mouth, but he doesn't have the mental capacity to care about being polite. All of his attention is focused on his hand cautiously as if it could explode at any time.

Amused by his reaction, Ddraig couldn't help but ask him in a jolly tone while laughing.

[Hahahahahaha! Rather than fear or joy, you curse at me!? My, my. You are one unique host, aren't you?]

"....Anyone would say the same if they were in my shoes."

Really, a dragon? A freaking boss monster that makes one give up even before trying to face them is now on his body!? 

(What kind of bullshit is that!? No, more than that---)

"...It was you."

He FINALLY remembered what happened yesterday. Specifically, what occurred to him.

"Before I lost consciousness, you spoke to me. Something about...welcome?"

What did Ddraig mean by that? No, not only that---

"....It was all real, wasn't it?"

It was a question, but Issei himself only asked it for confirmation. After talking with the...glowing hand, he could sort out his memories into proper state. Some small part of him meekly hoped it was just a bad dream but....

[Yes.]

The dragon's short answer crushed all of it instantly.

Hearing the simple but the tone of finality used behind its words, Issei bit his lip strongly. His right hand gripped the bed sheet strongly as if it could rein him from this shaking nauseous sensation. He wanted to reject it by screaming from the top of his lungs, but he restrained that impulse forcefully.

He needs to accept it. No, he MUST.

All of that blood poured out from his body, the sensation of falling into the darkness, Raynare-san stabbing him and crying for his death, and this dragon in his left arm. From this moment, All of this will be the norm for him. He could remember all of it vividly as if it just happened to him a few minutes ago. If not, he'll be heading to his sink, puking out all of the content he ate due to all this craziness.

This is his new reality.

Taking a deep breath, Issei released it erratically at first. Repeat it a few times, he was able to calm his emotions and stabilize his breathing. Opening his eyes, he looked at his left hand, the being who could make sense of all this situation with a serious gaze.

"...Why am I still alive? At that time, Yuu--Raynare-san stabbed me. I could still feel the sensation too."

Stopping, Issei raised his white shirt to check his stomach anxiously. To his surprise, there were no signs of the scar at all. It looks unblemished as ever.

"I'm really healed, huh?"

[It's nothing that impressive. With the proper magic and the right way to use it, anyone could cure that kind of wound easily. As for who...]

Speechless by the first half of his sentence, Issei blanked out for a moment with a gaping mouth. If magic could cure tens of centimeter diameter stabbing wounds just like a paper cut, then there's little to it COULDN'T do. 

Then, he paid attention to Ddraig's second-half comment. Thinking about the mysteries of magic won't do him any good currently. Speculating about his mysterious savior(?) would though.

"...Who?"

Asking expectantly, Issei ask the dragon for any kind of information that could help this madness. Sadly, it would only cause him another disappointment again.

[...Hummm...I was able to gain consciousness like this after that. So even if you asked me, I couldn't give you the right one.]

"...Of course, it's not going to be that easy."

Sighing helplessly, Issei rubs his temple to reduce his migraine. While he is grateful for the person preventing his death, it won't help him much if said savior doesn't give him any kind of guide or direction. Ddraig-san couldn't help him either since he had just woken up fully after his near death, not before.

(...Let's think about this differently.)

Cupping his chin, he hums in thought while closing his eyes. Thinking about the rescuer is a no-go. His memory returned but the ending of it was too blurry for him to reminisce. So, the most pressed question he should ask is---

"Who---What exactly is Raynare-san?"

The person who killed him.

(No, that's not right.)

Narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, Issei rejects that notion. While he won't deny he's holding a faint illusion that Raynare is unrelated to all of this, that's just denial. Raynare-san is definitely involved deeply in this case. No, what makes him think so otherwise is another thing.

The glowing mark on her forehead. That's one important clue.

"Ddraig-san."

[What is it?]

"What do you know about Fallen Angel?"

[...Fallen Angel, huh?]

Humming, Ddraig rumbles his corporal throat in thought about his host's inquiry. Even he himself is interested in Issei's situation too. He won't mind helping while guiding him about the know-how of the supernatural.

[Before I explain about the supernatural, I need to warn you. I may live a long time, but that doesn't mean I know everything. Some things and meanings could change with the passage of time.]

Nodding in understanding, Issei grasped the meaning behind his words.

"That's fine. I'll take what I can get right now. Besides, you're the veteran in this...partnership, yes? It's natural to rely on you."

[.....Hmm.]

"Ddraig-san?"

Tilting his head, Issei asked one more time for the dragon to get silent.

[Hm? Ah, sorry. Just thinking about something. Back to your question. For Fallen Angel, they are the deserter of the holy army of heaven. I'm sure you know about it a little too.]

"Well...yeah. I couldn't understand the supernatural but at least the basic concept of it from stories in games or anime. I just want to ask if there are any differences."

[Not much. From what I know, an angel could fall because they could not suppress their base desire. That's the start of the existence of Fallen Angel.]

Base desire. It can be such as Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, and such. If he just categorized it roughly, Fallen Angels are beings who had lost their way from the proper path. Ddraig-san also commented that most angels he had met fall from arrogance, so they always have a big ego when confronting other races.

Tapping his chin, Issei hummed in thought from the vague knowledge given. Although it gives him a start, it doesn't match the events that happened yesterday. Specifically, what Raynare did to him.

"....That doesn't really connect to her."

[What do you mean?]

Taking a deep breath, Issei explained succinctly about the event yesterday. He doesn't REALLY want to explore it since it just gives him a flashback of his gruesome near-death state, with all of its painful sensations. However, he gritted his teeth, bearing it. Running away from the situation will just make it worse.

Hearing from his host's side, Ddraig also frowns thoughtfully in confusion.

[....You are right, it doesn't match. Killing you is one thing. Trying to erase your memories, sealing me, and even trying to cure after injuring you by herself? Her actions are full of bipolarity.]

"Right? She even cried you know? If Fallen Angels are what you describe, arrogant ass, then my body will be treated like trash."

That's true. Ddraig nods his head understandingly. At first, the dragon thought that this fallen angel was sent to this town for killing him. Some of his previous hosts experienced a similar experience. However, hearing from Issei's side, it looks like there's something unusual happening in this entire situation.

To put it simply, there's bigger shit brewing in this town. On what, he hasn't the slightest clue of it.

Setting that aside though, Ddraig also chuckles in his mind hearing this Fallen's...emotions.

(Looks like my partner is quite a charmer.)

Historically, his hosts all had numerous romantic encounters, whether with females, males, or both. Powers are one of the biggest factors for attraction in this world. Fallen Angels is not an exception to this fact. Most of his 'partners' didn't have trouble finding mates in their lives.

Although, this current host is quite different as he could make one of those bloated egghead races favor him with just pure sincerity. 

That is truly something to be proud of. Nobody, not even his strongest users could be likened to Fallen Angels THAT much just with your own personality as standard.

Not only that, but the comment about Issei relying on him openly. Out of all the hundred hosts he had, only he entrusted his life decisions to the dragon on important decision making. To the top of the cherry, Issei's polite but respectful attitude toward the sudden partnership is definitely a big plus point for him too.

If all of these got combined after unlocking all of his potential as Sekiryuutei...

(*Chuckle*...Looks like there's something fun I could look forward to.)

Cautious, Respectful, and Considerate. All of these are positive qualities unrelated to power but in character. In terms of this category, Hyoudou Issei wins in a landslide compared to most of his previous problematic hosts.

He could understand a bit why that fallen angel acted that way. This is their first conversation, but Ddraig gets a good feeling from this current host even in this short time. After all, instead of a tool, he is treated as an individual with his feelings considered.

(Well, that is a later story.)

While he could use this as teasing material, Ddraig set his mind back to the main topic. This is not the time for it. It looks like Issei also thought about a possible hypothesis for her to act like that.

"...Was she...controlled? I don't know much about magic, but she was suddenly in pain after a glowing mark appeared in her head."

[That's...possible. Magic is very versatile depending on mastery and imagination. Her peculiar actions could be explained too. Which means...]

Grimacing from the darker conclusion, Issei voice out his thought grimly. While he's glad Raynare-san doesn't want to kill him voluntarily, that's not the biggest issue.

"...Somebody wants to kill me for sure. Either from her organization or forced by someone else even without her noticing it."

[That's highly probable. Considering the number of wings too, that someone is also in a very high position or prowess.]

Blinking rapidly, Issei look at his left hand for that comment. How does the number of wings relate to the possible identity of the manipulator? Realizing his confusion, Ddraig continues his explanation easily. After all, it's just one plus one concept.

[Fallen angels, just like their counterparts, the angels are ranked by the number of wings in terms of their personal ability or capacity. The more pairs they have, the more powerful and higher authority they have in their belt. The highest angel or fallen ones recorded is 6 pairs, ranked as seraph. From that, we know that Raynare is in a considerably high position in her organization.]

"...Only for killing me? I'm just a normal human, you know?"

Folding his hands, Issei shook his head bewilderedly at the overblown action of the personnel chosen for this...mission. Regardless of how strong Ddraig-san is, he is truly just a standard high school student with no special background relating to magic or his ancestors.

Ddraig even tilted his head mentally for this peculiar movement. Sending her after his host awakening him is understandable. His infamy has spread through the world for more than a millennium years, juvenile user or not. There's nothing wrong with being cautious by sending a six-winged agent with an established record. But before? 

How could they sense his existence when he's still in deep sleep? His dream contact with Issei is just a sign, but not big enough to sense him accurately.

[Maybe it's related to the identity of the one who saved you? They are known for being hostile toward the devils and angels unanimously.]

"There's even devils too!?"

Angels and their counterparts are bad enough, but the literal personification of an evil race is worse! It's understandable for him to be worried. Imagining beings like Lucifer or Satan, Issei trembles in fear imagining the terror of their possible actions.

[Calm down. While I won't say the devil's powerhouse or legend like Lucifer won't exist, those kinds of beings are truly one in a million cases. In your current state, worrying about your current life is a higher priority than thinking about them.]

"...*sigh*...Thank God--Augh!?"

[Issei!!]

Breathing a sigh of relief, Issei thanked 'God', but the moment he did so, an unimaginable pain ran through his head. It was almost like someone pounded on his brain constantly for the blasphemous action he just did.

[Issei, focus on my voice only. Don't think about unnecessary things and just listen to me.]

Confused, but obediently following the command, Issei did as he was told. While the pain is still there, it's slowly receding. Only, the shock and frustration of experiencing this kind of unknown pain suddenly is spooky, to say the least.

Needless to say, Issei is scared, HUGELY freaked out.

"What the hell...What the fuck was that!?"

[Calm down, partner. Panicking won't help you.]

"I just!?---*Tch*...you are right. You are absolutely right, Ddraig-san."

Taking a few deep breaths, the high schooler tries to calm down his rising emotions. It's getting harder and harder but the dragon's guidance helps him immensely in this disastrous and confusing situation. His cursing words constantly pour out unfilteredly compared to his usual state.

It is a sign of his unstable state of emotions. Thanks to his unexpected, but gratefully needed partner though, he was able to stay relatively calm. 

It was truly a silver lining for him.

(...If I'm doing this alone...)

Issei scowls heavily on that possible scenario.

Panic attack is just the beginning. He'll go crazy from paranoia sorting all of these unbelievable facts thrown to him without precaution. It is just a disaster in the making.

Initially, he'd be kind of grateful to his rescuer. Now? People wouldn't blame him if he held a less-than-positive image of his supposed savior for being irresponsible.

Saving someone won't end in just curing his wounds. They HAVE to be responsible for the after-effects of the actions too. His being thrown to his own room without any sort of explanation is...worrisome to say the least.

Sensing him calm down, Ddraig continues but with a softer tone than normal. He didn't want Issei to be triggered unnecessarily with careless comments.

Besides, it is a crucial point for both of them. With that reaction, his uncertain guess has become definite.

Whether is it good or not....that depends on the boy entirely.

[Issei, prepare yourself mentally. What I'm going to say is going to be a huge shock for you. This is truly the first case of my long life for the host to be involved in this kind of situation.]

His body tensed involuntarily, cold sweat running down his cheeks from anxiety and fear. If Ddraig-san said so without a preamble, then it truly is a pressing matter.

Gulping down his saliva, the previously normal boy asked this dragon's partner with a trembling tone. 

"..Ddraig-san. W-who...What am I?"

He thought nothing surprised him anymore. Angels, Devils, and even dragons as his spiritual partner existed in real life. What could top that? 

His current existence is.

Vaguely, he could sense his body was not the same as usual. He shrugs it off because of yesterday's events, and the possible ramifications due to the dragon as his partner. But now...now after his pain just mentioning that one single word?

He hoped it was not true. He treasured his humanity as same as anybody else.

However, reality was always cruel to everyone equally. For his biggest fear has just been realized.

[...Issei. Yesterday, It was a 'devil' who helped you. I don't know the who, how, or why, but they definitely did something to cure your wounds. Your reactions just proved that. You got reincarnated by your "savior". As for what you are---]

He's not just stopped being normal because of Y Ddraig Goch becoming his partner.

After all---

[You are a devil.]

He's not a human anymore.

----

Author's Note: And~~ cut. Before I say anything about the story, one note. I just realized, my progress in the story is definitely slow compared to the norm. Other fanfic just bulldozed to the action and kissy-kissy scene. It's exciting, but not applicable to my writing style. For me, actions are definitely going to be very basic and short. I don't have the necessary skills or experience to do that. For relationships, I want to challenge that. That's why this story is born anyway. Please be patient with me. If not, then just read another story. I won't force you.

We all read fanfic for satisfaction either way.

Now, for this chapter. Issei woken up in the room is definitely worrying for normies. Isn't it so? His being scared shit is very natural. Not only was he almost killed, but he was sent to his own room without any sort of explanation. That's not just irresponsible. That's cruelty, unintentional or not. It's a good thing Ddraig awakened early due to their high compatibility. 

If not...Issei would go rogue as a stray devil. IMMEDIATELY. I will honestly admit that I, being in his position would just deny all of it and get bamboozled to death if there's no guiding figure.

That's why I said it. This story expands the shrugged scene to a deeper level than normal. Combining that with a different personality, his attitude toward Rias is going to be VERY different. I won't say hate instantly and indiscriminately to her. But Issei will never hold her in high regard anymore. 

That's all from me today, Ciao~~~