Six Months After Achieving High-Class
The transition from Mid-Class to High-Class had fundamentally changed everything.
Algernon stood in his training hall, surrounded by the evidence of his morning session. The reinforced walls—built to withstand Ultimate-Class attacks—bore fresh scars from his compressed energy techniques. His control had progressed from 87% to 94% over the past six months, each percentage point harder to achieve than the last.
But it wasn't just his energy manipulation that had evolved. His entire combat philosophy had shifted.
As a Mid-Class devil, he'd fought with precision and technique to overcome stronger opponents. As a High-Class devil, he fought with authority—his power no longer something he had to carefully ration but a force he could wield with confidence.
Through the peerage bond, he could sense both his peerage members growing stronger as well. Kuroka's spatial manipulation had reached a level where she could create pocket dimensions and teleport across vast distances without strain. Her year of focused training in the human world estate had transformed her into a truly formidable combatant.
Vali, still with only four pawns integrated, had been training under Azazel's guidance in Grigori. The reports Algernon received through their mental link suggested the White Dragon Emperor was becoming a monster—his Devil-Dragon hybrid nature allowing him to push Divine Dividing in ways even Albion hadn't anticipated.
'Both of them could probably fight on par with Ultimate-Class devils now,' Algernon thought with a mixture of pride and competitive determination. 'Which means I can't afford to slow down either.'
A notification from his surveillance network interrupted his thoughts. The low-class devil he'd stationed near Kuoh Town—a quiet operative tasked with monitoring Issei Hyoudou's development—was requesting immediate contact.
Algernon activated the communication magic. "Report."
The devil's voice crackled through. "My lord, there's activity. Fallen Angels have been spotted in the area, and they're showing interest in the Hyoudou boy. One of them has gotten close to him—a female disguised as a student."
Algernon's eyes narrowed. This was happening way before the canon begun these were the sequence of events that would awaken Issei's Sacred Gear.
"Raynare," he murmured, recognizing the timeline. In the original story, the Fallen Angel would pose as Issei's girlfriend before attempting to kill him, triggering his death and subsequent reincarnation by Rias.
But Algernon had different plans.
"Continue monitoring," he ordered. "Alert me immediately if she makes her move. I'll be there within minutes."
He cut the connection and immediately reached out through the peerage bond. Kuroka, are you available?
Her response came instantly, flavored with her characteristic playfulness. Nyahaha~ Always available for you, boss. What's up?
Fallen Angel activity near Kuoh Town. The Sacred Gear wielder I've been monitoring is about to be targeted. I'm moving to intercept.
Ooh, sounds fun~ Want me to meet you there?
Yes. But Kuroka—we're not killing the Fallen Angel. Not yet.
He could sense her confusion through the bond. Really? That's not like you.
This one belongs to the boy. When he awakens his Sacred Gear properly, I want him to understand what it means to fight for his life. She'll be his first real enemy.
Nyahaha~ You're so calculating, boss. Alright, I'll play along. See you there!
Kuoh Town - That Evening
Algernon materialized on the outskirts of town just as Kuroka emerged from her own teleportation circle. She'd grown over the past year—not just in power but in confidence. Her three tails swished behind her, her golden eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"So where's this Fallen Angel?" she asked, falling into step beside him as they moved through the darkening streets.
"Close. I can sense her energy signature." Algernon extended his perception, filtering through the ambient magical signatures until he found what he was looking for. "There. A park about two blocks east."
They moved quickly but carefully, their presence masked by concealment magic. As they approached the park, Algernon's senses detected the barrier—crude but effective at keeping mundane humans away.
Inside, he could see them: Raynare, her black wings fully displayed, and Issei Hyoudou, on his knees, clearly in shock.
The Fallen Angel was monologuing, as they tended to do, explaining how she'd been ordered to eliminate him because of the Sacred Gear he possessed. A spear of light was forming in her hand, deadly and brilliant.
"Now?" Kuroka whispered, her claws already glowing with demonic energy.
"Now."
They moved as one, passing through the barrier like it didn't exist. Kuroka was faster, closing the distance in a blur and slashing at the light spear, dispersing its energy before it could be thrown.
Raynare spun, shock and anger warring on her face. "What—devils?!"
Algernon stepped forward, his High-Class aura pressing down on the space like a physical weight. "Leave. This territory isn't yours to hunt in."
The Fallen Angel's eyes darted between them, calculating her odds. One Nekoshou and what felt like a High-Class devil, possibly higher. Against her, a mere two-wing Fallen Angel.
"You're interfering in Grigori business," she said, trying to maintain authority despite the fear in her voice.
"Grigori?" Algernon's tone was dismissive. "Azazel doesn't authorize random Sacred Gear eliminations. This is your faction's zealots acting without permission, isn't it?"
Raynare's expression confirmed his guess. She was probably working under Kokabiel, one of the Fallen Angel extremists who wanted to reignite the Great War.
"Last chance," Algernon said, his voice dropping to something cold and dangerous. "Leave now, or I'll let my Bishop practice her new spatial techniques on you. I hear being trapped in a compressed pocket dimension is quite unpleasant."
Kuroka grinned, her energy crackling around her fingers. "Nyahaha~ Oh please say no, pretty bird. I've been wanting to test that one."
Faced with overwhelming force and the very real threat of a painful death, Raynare made the smart choice. Her wings flared, and she took to the sky, retreating into the night.
"You're letting her go?" Kuroka asked, watching the Fallen Angel disappear.
"For now." Algernon turned his attention to Issei, who was still kneeling on the ground, his entire worldview clearly shattered. "She served her purpose—showing him how dangerous this world really is. When he's stronger, he can settle that score himself."
Kuroka's ears twitched with amusement. "Nyahaha~ You really do think ahead, boss."
Algernon approached the trembling boy, his crimson eyes studying Issei with analytical interest. Even in shock, even terrified, he could sense it—the dormant power within the boy's soul. The Boosted Gear, still sleeping, but present.
"Issei Hyoudou," Algernon said, his voice cutting through the boy's panic.
Issei looked up, his brown eyes wide with fear and confusion. "W-who are you? What's happening?!"
"Someone who just saved your life." Algernon crouched to be at eye level with him. "And someone who's about to offer you a choice."
"A choice?" Issei's voice cracked.
"You've just learned that the supernatural is real. Devils, angels, fallen angels—all of it exists, hidden beneath the surface of your mundane world." Algernon's tone was matter-of-fact, not unkind but not gentle either. "That Fallen Angel tried to kill you because you possess something valuable. Something dangerous."
He let that sink in for a moment. Issei's hand unconsciously went to his chest, where the Boosted Gear lay dormant.
"Right now, you're weak. Helpless. A target for anyone who wants what you have." Algernon stood. "But I can change that. I can give you the power to survive, to fight back, to become something more than a victim."
Issei struggled to his feet, his legs shaky. "How? How can you do that?"
"By making you one of us." Algernon pulled out his case of Evil Pieces, opening it to reveal the glowing pawns. "These will reincarnate you as a devil—specifically, as a member of my peerage. You'll gain power, the ability to heal from injuries that would kill a human, and time to master that Sacred Gear inside you."
"Sacred Gear?" Issei looked confused.
"The reason that Fallen Angel tried to kill you. It's called the Boosted Gear—one of the thirteen Longinus, Sacred Gears capable of killing gods. You're its current host, though you haven't awakened it yet."
Issei stared at his hand, as if seeing it for the first time. "I have... something that can kill gods?"
"Potentially. If you survive long enough to master it." Algernon's gaze was steady. "But that's the question, isn't it? Will you survive? Without my help, the answer is no. The Fallen Angels will come back. Others will learn about you. You'll die, probably within a week."
The blunt assessment made Issei flinch, but Algernon wasn't trying to be cruel—just honest.
"If you accept my pieces, you'll live. You'll become my pawn—literally and figuratively. I'll train you, protect you, and give you the tools to fight. But in return, you serve me. You follow my orders. You become part of something larger than yourself."
Kuroka watched the exchange with interest, her tail swishing slowly. This was different from how they'd recruited Vali—no fight to prove worth, just a desperate boy being offered salvation.
Issei looked between them, his mind clearly racing. Finally, he asked, "Why me? If I'm so weak, why bother?"
"Because you have potential," Algernon said simply. "The Boosted Gear chose you for a reason. And I have a use for a Red Dragon Emperor in my peerage." He held out the four pawn pieces. "But I need an answer now. Accept and live, or refuse and take your chances alone."
The choice was obvious, really. Issei might be naive, but he wasn't stupid enough to turn down the only lifeline being offered.
"I... I accept," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Good choice." Algernon stepped forward, pressing the four mutated pawns against Issei's chest.
The reaction was immediate.
The pieces sank into his body, and Issei screamed—not in pain exactly, but in overwhelming sensation as demonic power flooded through his previously human form. His body began to change, to adapt, to transform.
Red and black energy crackled around him like lightning. His back arched as wings began to emerge—not one pair but two, their coloring a distinctive crimson-black that marked him as something unique.
The transformation was violent, chaotic, befitting someone who hosted a dragon's soul. Issei collapsed to his knees, gasping as the reincarnation completed.
When it was over, he looked up at them with eyes that now glowed faintly with demonic power. Two pairs of wings—smaller than they would eventually become, but present—folded against his back.
"What... what did you do to me?" His voice had changed slightly, carrying more resonance.
"Made you a devil," Algernon said. "Specifically, a Devil-Dragon hybrid, thanks to the Boosted Gear's influence on your reincarnation." He pulled up Issei's status through the peerage bond:
______________________________________________________
Issie Hyoudou - Pawn
Age: 13
Race: Devil Dragon
Class: Tier 1(Mid Class)
Sacred Gear: Boosted Gear [Current State: Balance Breaker(locked)]
Wings: Two Pairs (Red-Black)
Abilities: Penetrate (Locked)
_______________________________________________________
Mid Class. Not bad for a fresh reincarnation, though the mutation pieces had clearly done less for Issei than they had for Vali. Probably because Vali already had a developed devil physiology and decades of combat experience, while Issei was starting from zero.
"You're weak right now," Algernon said bluntly, dismissing the status screen. "Weaker than my other peerage members by a significant margin. But that's expected—you're starting from scratch."
Issei looked at his hands, at the wings he could feel but not yet control. "What happens now?"
"Now? You go home. Process what happened. Tomorrow, you begin training." Algernon's tone was firm. "You have school, yes? Continue attending. Maintain your normal life as much as possible. But every evening, you'll report to a location I'll provide, and we'll work on developing your abilities."
"And the Fallen Angel?" Issei's voice held a tremor of fear. "Will she come back?"
"Probably not immediately. But others might." Algernon placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, channeling a small amount of demonic energy. Issei gasped as information flooded his mind—basic devil survival knowledge, how to sense hostile intent, emergency contact methods through the peerage bond.
"If you're in danger, reach out through that connection you just felt. I'll know, and either I or Kuroka will respond." He stepped back.
(END OF CHAPTER)
chapters are released early and uncut on Patreon, ahead of public publication along with exclusive NSFW works.
If you wish to walk ahead of the world…If you want to see the Empire rise before history records it—
You know where to stand.
patreon.com/xxSUPxx
Or you can buy me a coffee at:
buymeacoffee.com/xxSUPxx
Special thanks to all my EPIC members and,
MYTH: Asaf Montgomery
MYTH: Dutchviking
MYTH: Robert Hernandez
MYTH: Kevin Boutte jr.