DxD: Path of the Gremory Prince

Just as I was massaging my temples, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Then I lifted my head just in time to see Freed, with a savage grin, reach inside his cassock and pull out a pistol.

"AHAHAHA!" He laughed like a maniac in ecstasy. "Finally, a day worth living for! I'm going to kill two devils at once!" 

Freed's index finger was already on the trigger, and he fired one, two, three shots.

The bullets that came out of the silver Desert Eagle he wielded cut through the air. However, being a devil made my perception of time, when attentive, much sharper than that of a normal person.

So, before the first bullet even left the barrel, my body disappeared from Freed's view.

Issei, for his part, threw himself to the ground and hid behind one of the wooden benches to avoid the shots. 

Freed was confused about where I had gone, so he stopped shooting and started looking around to figure out where I had come from.

Just as he was about to turn back, I appeared behind him. With the side of my right hand, I hit him on the back of the head and used enough force to make him faint with this blow.

"I may be a transmigrate, but I've also trained under Grayfia's vision all my life. I don't forget how a devil moves," I muttered to Freed.

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[However, another group of Patrons found the fight too fast and convinced others not to sponsor.]

'They want action, but they also want fights drawn out like in Dragon Ball? Damn assholes...'

Issei then stood up from his cover. I gave him a serious look, and he started running toward me with that determined expression of an anime protagonist.

"You bastard! Tell me where Asia is now!" Issei shouted.

At that moment, I raised a hand toward him and made a clear 'stop' gesture.

Issei stopped abruptly, dragging the soles of his shoes on the stone floor, and I said:

"Calm down, Issei. We're on the same side."

I could see in Issei's eyes that his instincts were on high alert, probably because of the tense situation and the fact that he had just seen Freed, one of the most dangerous lunatics he and I had ever met, easily defeated by me. In his mind, I was probably so evil that I had defeated my ally.

"First of all, I'm Milicas Gremory, and I'm from your Master's family."

Issei's jaw dropped. "Milicas... Gremory? Are you related to the President?"

I nodded and held up a lock of my red hair to show that I wasn't lying.

"I'm her nephew, Sirzechs Gremory's son, and I'm sure you've heard of him. I'm also here to help Asia, but before I tell you where she is so that you and I can save her... Issei, you need to promise me something."

"Promise what?" He no longer glared at me, but with that determined look. "I'll do anything to save Asia!"

"I want you to promise me you'll let Asia be my Bishop if we save her."

Issei took a step back, looking at me as if I had just asked for something absurd.

I realized Issei would have a hard time accepting this because he wouldn't have Asia as his companion, so the natural reaction was...

"That's... that's impossible! I don't agree with that!" Issei shouted, waving his left arm where the Boosted Gear was. 

[You received -5 Relationship Points with Issei Hyoudou for going against his plans.]

I took a deep breath and gestured with one hand.

"Asia has the potential to be a powerful Bishop and very useful in battle. After tonight, she'll have nowhere to go, and I'm offering her a home. You've seen a small demonstration of what I can do. With me, she'll be safe, and since you're Rias' servant, you'll be able to see each other constantly... Now, will you agree with me and save her, or do you just want Asia for yourself so much that you won't agree to my little condition?"

Issei looked at the ground, fighting his own feelings.

"So, you... you'll only help Asia if she becomes your Bishop? Is that what you intend?"

I nodded, and Issei looked away for a moment. "All right. If you're from the president's family, I know Asia will be safe," he said reluctantly, reluctantly swallowing his pride.

I just nodded, without expressing much reaction, because a positive response was exactly what I was hoping to hear from Issei.

"Good. With that settled, let's save Asia. She's underground in this church. The secret passage is under the altar. Follow me."

Guiding Issei through the church's underground passage, we descended a stone staircase lit by only a few candles mounted on the walls. 

Issei was tense, and I could feel the anxiety and anger emanating from him. At least these feelings weren't all directed at me. He wasn't just worried about Asia; he was furious with someone.

At the end of the staircase, we found an enormous iron door with the marks of sacred incantations. But these enchantments were deactivated, indicating that Freed and the others had already acted. 

When I pushed the heavy door with both hands, we found something that made Issei hold his breath. From where we stood, we could see Asia, small and with long blonde hair, slumped on top of a stone altar at the end of the rectangular chamber.

"... No..." Issei's voice finally came out in a whisper before becoming a cry of despair. "Asia!!!"

He ran to her, stumbling over his own feet and fell to his knees beside her at the altar. His hands trembled as he touched her face. Her skin was pale and lifeless. Chains still bound her ankles and one of her hands. Her chest was neither rising nor falling. Her eyes were closed, and a thin line of blood ran from the corner of her mouth.

She was already dead.

"No... It can't be...! Asia, open your eyes! Wake up!"

I already knew this would happen. But unlike Issei, I didn't see it as the end.

"Get up," I said to him.

Issei turned his head towards me with tear-filled eyes. "Shut up! Why are you so calm? This isn't a joke, she's... she's..." 

"Humans don't come back to life. At least, not as humans."

Then a red light shone on my right palm, and a small ebony box materialized, floating in the air before I grabbed it. When I opened the box, I pulled out a chess piece. A Bishop. 

"What... What are you doing?"

"I'm going to fulfill the promise I made to you and save her." Without saying another word, I knelt down next to Asia and placed the piece against her chest.

The garment sank as if into calm water, glowing faintly as it disappeared inside Asia Argento's body.

"She... she's going to wake up now, right?" Issei asked. "And how long will it take?" 

"It could take minutes or hours. But, as I said, she'll live. Don't worry."

Issei looked at Asia, still unconscious.

"Can you carry her?" I asked, standing up.

"Hey, wait a minute..." He looked at me with an angry frown. "You're asking me to carry her?! Really?! You're her master now! You're the one who's supposed to carry her!"

I let out a light sigh. "That's not it."

"Then what is it, eh? Laziness? Are you kidding me? If you're going to make me carry her, at least admit you're just selfish and bossy!" 

I ignored Issei's outburst and simply pointed with my chin toward the middle of the chamber. Issei froze before muttering: 

"Yuuma...?"

Leaning lazily against a pillar was Raynare, a Fallen Angel, blocking our exit.

"Oh, Issei, darling~! Are you holding another girl in your arms? And she's half-naked... It hurts my heart." She put a hand over her chest and pouted, pretending to be sad.

Raynare then smiled even more, tilting her head to the right.

"Kidding! I couldn't care less!"

Issei's face contorted in anger. "You...! You monster... What do you want now?!" 

I raised one of my hands. "Enough."

Raynare finally looked at me with more interest. "Well, well... A red-haired devil? Func! She sniffed the air, as if she could smell me from this distance. "Ah, yes~. That perfume is unique. A Gremory, isn't it? Should I feel honored to have two of you come hunting me?"

"I don't have time for these jumpy dialogues." I replied coldly. "Issei, take Asia and get out of here."

"But—"

"Now."

Raynare clicked her tongue. "Oh, how rude. I was expecting something more polite from the nobility."

"Something more polite? Right... Please get out of my way, or I'll politely make you shut up forever."

Raynare's smile widened. "Great! I can't wait to see you try!" She twirled a spear of light in her hand and licked her lips.