WHAT IF FEMALE VALI AND FEMALE AZAZEL FELL IN LOVE WITH ISSEI

WHAT IF FEMALE VALI AND FEMALE AZAZEL FELL IN LOVE WITH ISSEI

he sky above Kuoh trembled as a silver streak cut through the clouds. Issei looked up, confused, when the air suddenly cracked open. Out stepped a tall woman with silver hair tied in a loose braid, eyes sharp like blades, aura colder than winter. Her armor hugged her form, glowing faintly with demonic power.

It was Vali—except this Vali was female, the White Dragon Emperor, proud and unmatched.

She landed with her arms crossed, glaring at Issei as if he was the center of all trouble in the universe.

“So you’re the Red Dragon Emperor,” she said, her voice smooth but full of challenge. “I came to see what kind of idiot keeps beating strong foes by pure guts.”

Issei blinked. “Oi… what’s with the insults?!”

But her lips curled into a tiny smile, the kind she rarely showed. She didn’t hate him—she was interested. Curiosity mixed with rivalry.

Before Issei could answer, another presence descended from the sky. A warm golden light spread over the school yard. Issei squinted when a woman landed gracefully behind him.

A beautiful Fallen Angel—Female Azazel.

She had long black hair, tied loosely behind her neck, golden eyes glowing with wisdom, and wings that shimmered like dark silk. Her coat was open, showing her toned stomach and the mechanical bracelets on her arms.

“And I thought I heard my little White Dragon acting tough again,” she teased Vali. Then she looked at Issei and smirked. “So this is the boy everyone talks about. The Red Dragon Emperor who keeps surprising the supernatural world.”

Vali clicked her tongue. “Don’t flirt with him in front of me.”

Azazel raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Sounds like someone is jealous.”

“I AM NOT!”

Issei felt lost. Why were two powerful, beautiful women visiting him at the same time?

Azazel stepped closer, placing a hand on Issei’s shoulder. “Relax, kid. We didn’t come to fight. Not today.”

Vali sighed and looked away. “I came because Albion said you’re worth meeting… and because every time you fight, you do something stupid but impressive.”

Issei scratched his head. “Uh… thanks? I think?”

But the day didn’t end there.

That night, Issei found Female Vali sitting on the rooftop of his house, the moonlight reflecting on her silver hair. She didn’t look like a warrior right now—she looked almost… lonely.

“You’re awake,” she said. “Good. I wanted to talk without anyone bothering us.”

Issei sat beside her. “Why me?”

Vali hesitated. This was rare. She never opened her heart like this.

“Because you fight for others,” she said quietly. “You fight even when you’re scared. You fight even when you’re weak. I… don’t understand that. But I want to.”

Her fingers brushed his hand by accident. She pulled back quickly, cheeks slightly red.

“I just… find myself thinking about you. And I hate that I can’t stop.”

Issei’s heart jumped. Was the White Dragon Emperor… blushing?

But before he could respond, a soft glow appeared behind them. Female Azazel hovered in the air, wings spread like a dark angel.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asked with a teasing smile.

Vali stood up immediately. “What are you doing here?!”

Azazel floated down, landing beside Issei with a warmth that was completely opposite of Vali’s icy pride.

“I came to check on my favorite troublemakers,” she said. Then she looked at Issei more seriously. “You know… I’ve watched you for a long time. You keep changing the world without even noticing. You’re kind. You’re loyal. You inspire people.”

Her fingers brushed his cheek softly.

“And you’re the first human in a long time who makes me feel… alive.”

Issei froze. First Vali—now Azazel?

Vali stepped in between them, glaring. “Back off. I was talking to him.”

Azazel smirked. “Oh? And since when are you allowed to hog him?”

“I’m not hogging—!! I’m just… interested in him for personal reasons!”

“That sounds like hogging.”

Issei watched as the two legendary beings—once rivals, once enemies—began arguing over him.

Finally, he raised his voice a little. “Why… why me? There are stronger guys. Smarter guys. Cooler guys.”

Vali stared at him with surprising softness. “Because you make me want to be better.”

Azazel smiled warmly. “Because you make even broken people feel whole.”

The wind blew through the night, and Issei felt his chest tighten. No one had told him such things before.

Vali held out her hand. “Issei… I want to fight by your side. And maybe… stay by your side.”

Azazel placed her hand on his other shoulder. “And I want to protect you, teach you, and maybe love you… if you let me.”

Issei felt their warmth from both sides.

Two powerful women.

Two hearts reaching toward his.

And the Red Dragon Emperor didn’t run away this time. He took both their hands.

“Then stay with me,” he said. “Both of you.”

Vali’s cheeks went pink.

Azazel’s smile softened.

And the night sky seemed to glow brighter as their wings—white, red, and black—spread together for the first time.

It was the beginning of a new bond.

A union of rivals, mentors, warriors—and love.

And for Issei, it was the start of something far more dangerous and beautiful than any battle.

The moon watched them like a quiet witness while Issei held two hands that both felt like a promise. Vali’s grip was solid and warm, like a blade that did not cut. Azazel’s hold was soft and steady, like a tide that would not pull away. For a strange moment, Issei forgot how to breathe. The world around him shrank to the touch of their palms and the hush of the night.

“Do you really mean it?” Azazel asked. Her voice was small, not teasing. For once, the clever smile was gone and something honest took its place.

Issei looked at both of them. He saw Vali’s eyes, fierce and unguarded, and Azazel’s, thoughtful and full of quiet fire. He felt the weight of their feelings, the danger of living with them, and the comfort of being wanted.

“Yes,” he said. “I mean it.”

Vali blinked, and the usual scorn on her face melted into something like relief. Azazel’s shoulders lowered, and she let out a breath that sounded like a laugh and a sigh. For a while they simply sat there, three silhouettes under the moon, wrapped in a silence that was not empty but full.

The morning came too quickly. Kuoh Academy woke, students flowed like rivers, and rumors began to race—whispers that the boy who kept breaking rules had two legendary women visiting him at night. Issei tried to act normal, which looked exactly like the opposite. He ate breakfast with his heart pounding, and every little noise turned his head.

Vali left earlier than Azazel. She gave Issei a nod—short, proud, but softer than her usual greetings—and stormed into the wind. She trained in places where only the strong dared step, and Issei felt both thrilled and nervous thinking of her in danger. Azazel lingered, however, sharing a quiet cup of tea with him in the kitchen while his sisters fussed about everything from clothing to safety spells.

“You can’t keep living like this,” Rias said later, voice steady but worried under her kindness. She had learned much about power and love, and she knew complicated feelings when she saw them. “If you accept them, there will be changes. Allies will shift. Enemies will notice.”

Issei listened. He was not blind to consequences. But in his chest, something larger than fear told him this choice felt right. He loved the feeling of being protected and needed. He loved the fierce warmth of Vali and the steady light of Azazel. He loved how they made him want to be brave.

The first test came sooner than anyone expected. A ripple in the sky—thin, wrong—appeared above the city that afternoon. It looked like a tear, a wound stitched poorly. Demonic energy leaked through it like smoke. Issei felt the Red Dragon within him thrash and wake. Danger had found them.

“You two, stay close,” Rias ordered in her calm way. Her peerage moved into position. Sona hummed under her breath, a song that made the air tight and ready. A few students panicked; Kiba and the others formed a protective circle. Issei’s heart beat faster, but it was not fear that rose first. It was the steady certainty that he would fight—for his friends, for the people he loved, and for these new feelings that had no right to exist quietly.

The tear widened and a thing crawled out from it like a shadow that should not be. It had limbs like shattered glass and eyes like pits. It drank at the air with a hungry, invisible thirst. Its presence made hair stand on end. The city felt colder.

Vali appeared in the blink of an eye, arriving from the clouds with a wind that cut like knives. Her armor shone under the cloud-smeared sun. Azazel stepped from a soft halo of twilight, her wings folding behind her like a cloak. They moved like two storms meeting, different colors, different directions, both unstoppable.

“I’ll hold it!” Vali shouted, charging with a roar that shook an old bell tower. She met the creature head on, sword slashing, great dragon fire flashing from her blade. The monster shrieked, but it did not die. It was made of a strange, void-stuff that drank flames and spat them back.

Azazel circled, eyes narrowed. “It’s not ordinary,” she said. She raised both hands and strange patterns of runes spun around her wrists. A net of fallen-angel magic—pure, old, and deep—fell over the creature, slowing it like a tide caught in marshgrass. Together, the two women battered the thing into a corner.

Issei ran. He ran because he could not stand at the edge and watch them fight without him. He felt his heart thrumming along with his feet. When he arrived, breathless, the creature turned its gaze to him. It did not know emotion. It sensed a new core—the Red Dragon Emperor—and it tasted opportunity.

“Back off!” he shouted, and he did. Fire flared from his chest, not like a flame but like a promise. The Red Dragon’s aura wrapped around him, wild and ragged, but in that raggedness there was power. Vali and Azazel looked at him with surprise, not because he had power—they expected that—but because he chose to step into danger all the same.

Issei dashed forward and struck. His fist connected with the creature, and for an instant, nothing happened. Then the creature convulsed as if struck by lightning. It reeled, then slammed into a rooftop and split into pieces that dissolved like smoke.

When the dust settled, there was a hush. People looked at each other with wide eyes, then exploded into nervous applause and shaky laughter. Issei was panting, his shirt scorched, hair messily falling across his face. He felt pride like heat behind his ribs, and his eyes found Vali and Azazel.

Vali stepped close first, not graceful this time but urgent. She took his face in both hands and looked at him like someone cataloging a rare star. “Are you stupid?” she said, her voice trembling with something that could have been anger but was not. “Do you understand how reckless that was?”

Instead of answering, Issei smiled—half-dazed, half-joyful. “I couldn’t just watch you two fight.”

Azazel laughed softly and brushed soot from his cheek. “You’re impossible,” she murmured, and then leaned in to press a careful kiss to his forehead. It was a tiny vow: I will care for you. I will keep you safe. Vali’s grip tightened on his jaw as she joined, kissing the corner of his mouth with the fierce reverence of someone who would fight tooth and nail to keep what was hers.

The moment hung between them, fragile and true. Around them people recovered and moved on; life returned. But for Issei, something fundamental shifted. The three of them—awkward, brave, and stubborn—had just become an unspoken unit. They had tested each other and found not weakness but strength.

Afterward, they trained. Training became the new language between them: Vali pushing Issei’s raw power to the edge with brutal sparring; Azazel teaching him technique, strategy, and how to listen to the flow of demonic energy. Their training was not always gentle. Vali’s methods left Issei bruised and proud. Azazel’s lessons left him thoughtful and sharp. Between sessions, they shared small things: cups of tea, mended clothes, stories of strange worlds. They argued about the best food, about who was the most embarrassing in battle, and who was the worst cook. They learned each other’s habits—the way Vali tapped her sword when nervous, the way Azazel hummed when she thought deeply.

Inevitably, jealousy stirred. Rias watched from the sidelines with that calm that hid storms. She did not pretend to be unaffected. At first she said nothing; then one evening she asked Issei to walk with her. They strolled through the academy gardens where the night-blooming flowers smelled of honey and old promises.

“Do you want me to step back?” Rias asked, voice small. No one had to remind her that she had loved Issei differently. Her patience and kindness were not weakness but choice. Issei stopped. He looked at her, at all she had given him: trust, power, a family.

“I don’t want anyone to lose what they love,” he said honestly. “I love you, Rias. I care about you. But my heart… it’s wider than one person right now. I don’t want to take anything away from you.”

She smiled, tears quick like rain. “Then we learn together,” she said. “If you are honest and kind, we will find our path.” She took his hand and squeezed. “I trust you.”

Those words—“I trust you”—became an anchor. Rumors would come, enemies would test them, but that single human phrase held weight.

Time moved, as it always does, in small pieces that became whole. Issei’s power grew in shape and in mind. He still made mistakes; sometimes he let pride push him too far, sometimes he let his heart lead before his head. But Vali and Azazel were always there to pull him back or push him forward. They argued, they fought, they laughed until their voices broke. They held each other in the small hours. They protected one another when shadows came.

One night, months later, they faced something different: a true test of their bond. A phalanx of Seraphim, relics of an ancient experiment, descended onto Kuoh. They were cold and precise, seeking a piece of the world the way storms seek a coast. The city braced. Schools locked doors. The world seemed to narrow to the pulse of looming steel.

They came in force, and at first their power seemed unstoppable. Issei’s heart hammered. He looked at Vali and Azazel, and each caught his eye like two beacons. No words were needed.

Battle was violent, brutal, and beautiful in the way only desperate defenders know. Vali moved like a whirlwind, ferocity in every strike. Azazel opened doors of arcane law with a serenity that felt like a storm held in glass. Issei moved between them, a bridge of flame and foolish courage. The Seraphim were like living machines: cold, efficient, and without pity. They adapted, changing tactics, testing the trio’s edges.

At the critical moment, when one of the Seraphim tried to cut between Azazel and Issei, Vali threw herself into the path and took the blow. Blood painted the air, and for a single second Issei saw the world tilt. Vali had risked herself without thinking, the old pride now softened into a stubborn, fierce devotion.

Issei’s eyes widened. Something broke inside him and reformed into something stronger. He rushed, calling the Red Dragon’s power like calling a friend into a dark room. The dragon answered with a roar that rolled like thunder. Together, the three of them pushed the Seraphim back, pressing their will like a hand on a wound until it closed.

When the dust settled, when the last piece of metal clattered and the city held its breath and then let it go, they stood, battered but unbroken. Vali leaned against Issei, breath ragged. Azazel held his other side, her wings stretched and slightly torn. Their clothes were ruined, their hair in ruin, their cheeks marked, but their eyes shone like lanterns.

“You are impossible,” Vali said again, but there was no anger, only relief and something warm called belonging.

Azazel laughed and kissed his shoulder. “But you are ours,” she whispered. “We are yours.”

Issei felt like he might float away. It was not a lightness of not knowing where to go; it was the opposite—a feeling of being rooted so deep that even storms could not wrench him free. He looked at them—at Vali with the proud set of her jaw, at Azazel with the tired softness in her gaze—and he understood something simple and terrible and joyful: love could be many shapes. It could be a sword, a lesson, a quiet cup of tea, a kiss in the moonlight, or a shield thrown without thinking. Love could be messy, awkward, brave, and utterly unstoppable.

They walked home under the stars. The city hummed with a million small lives. Issei held two hands—callused and soft at once—and felt like the luckiest fool alive. The future was uncertain. Enemies waited. They would have to fight, to heal, to laugh, and to argue. But they would do it together.

And for Issei, that was all he ever wanted.

The days after the Seraphim attack settled into something strange for Issei: peace mixed with new tension. Not the bad kind—the kind that made his heart beat faster whenever Vali or Azazel stepped into the same room. He felt their eyes on him more often now. Vali’s gaze was sharp, fierce, challenging. Azazel’s gaze was warm, studying, almost protective. Both made him nervous, but in a way he didn’t want to escape from.

On the training field, Vali pushed him harder than ever before. Her silver hair swayed behind her as she circled him, eyes focused, smirk sharp. She taught him how to use the Red Dragon’s power without letting it control him.

“Again,” she said as Issei fell. “You’re thinking too slow. Fight like someone you want to protect.”

Issei groaned, rolling onto his back. “You’re too strong…”

“Then get stronger.” Vali knelt beside him, hands on her knees. Her voice lowered slightly. “If you fall in battle, I’ll never forgive you.”

Issei blinked. “Vali… are you worried about me?”

“No—yes—I mean—shut up!” She turned away quickly, ears slightly red.

Azazel watched them from under a tree, arms crossed, wings folded neatly behind her. She smiled the kind of smile that saw everything. “You know, Vali, if you trained him any harder, I might have to start charging you rent for using him as a punching bag.”

“Stay out of it,” Vali snapped without looking back.

Azazel walked over and crouched beside Issei. Her hand brushed his forehead. “You okay?”

Issei smiled. “Yeah. I think I’m getting used to her.”

Vali huffed. “Don’t say it like I’m some wild animal.”

Azazel chuckled. “Well, you do behave like one when Issei gets hurt.”

Vali’s cheeks flushed again. “I only— I just— It’s not—”

Azazel leaned closer to Vali with a smirk. “You’re jealous again.”

“I AM NOT!”

Issei watched them argue and felt something warm in his chest. They weren’t just fighting for him—they were learning how to exist together. The tension wasn’t hostility anymore. It was something else. Something tender and new.

Later that evening, the three of them walked through Kuoh streets lit by dim orange lamps. Normal people walked by unaware that two of the strongest beings in the world were arguing over what flavor ice cream Issei would like best.

“Vanilla,” Vali insisted. “Simple, straightforward. That fits him.”

Azazel shook her head. “Chocolate suits him more. Warm, sweet, and easy to fall for.”

Issei rubbed the back of his neck. “Guys… I’ll eat anything…”

Vali scoffed. “Of course you will.”

Azazel laughed. “At least he’s honest.”

They bought all the flavors in the end. Issei ended up stuck between them on a park bench while they fed him spoonful after spoonful, arguing about which one he liked more. He didn’t know which flavor tasted better—he was too distracted by the blush on Vali’s cheeks when his lips touched the spoon she held, and the soft smirk Azazel gave him when she wiped a bit of ice cream from his chin with her thumb.

It felt like a dream. A strange, warm dream where danger lurked in the distance but peace held them close for now.

But peace never lasted long in their lives.

A sudden shockwave rolled across the park, bending lampposts and shaking the ground like thunder. People screamed. Birds scattered into the night. Issei jumped to his feet as the sky above them turned red for a moment—like a warning from the heavens.

Vali’s eyes narrowed. “Something big is coming.”

Azazel’s expression turned serious instantly. “That energy… it feels familiar.”

Issei felt the Red Dragon roaring inside him. “Is it an enemy?”

Before they could answer, a figure appeared in the sky—dark armor, huge wings, and eyes glowing like molten gold. The pressure radiating from them made the air thick. Vali tensed, Azazel’s wings flared open.

The figure descended slowly, like a god stepping through the clouds. Their voice echoed across the town.

“Red Dragon Emperor. White Dragon Empress. Fallen Angel Queen. I have come for you.”

Issei’s blood froze. Vali stepped in front of him, stance ready to fight. “Who are you?”

The figure raised their hand. “A messenger of the Heavenly Order. A force born from your sins, your chaos, your union.”

Azazel frowned. “Union? What do you mean?”

The figure’s wings spread wider, blotting out part of the moon. “Your bond with the Red Dragon threatens the balance of power. The fates have shifted. A new prophecy has begun.”

Vali clenched her fists. “Prophecy?”

The figure pointed directly at Issei. “The Red Emperor of Two Wings—one white, one black. A dragon who loves two hearts. A future that terrifies the heavens.”

Azazel’s eyes widened. “…Issei… they’re talking about you.”

“And us,” Vali added quietly.

The figure’s voice deepened. “Your love creates power beyond calculation. And the heavens cannot allow it.”

Without warning, the messenger summoned a spear made of pure divine light. The air burned. The ground cracked. Even Vali and Azazel stepped back under the weight of its energy.

Issei stepped forward.

His heart was pounding, his body shaking, but he did not stop.

“You want to stop us from being together?” he shouted. “You want to take them away from me?”

The figure aimed the spear at him.

“You must be eliminated.”

Before the spear flew, Vali grabbed Issei’s hand with a strength that trembled. “If they want to take you,” she whispered, “they’ll have to kill me first.”

Azazel stood on his other side, wings spreading protectively. “And I won’t let anyone erase the one person who taught me how to feel again.”

Issei squeezed both their hands.

“I won’t let anyone take you away from me. Ever.”

The divine spear launched with the force of a falling star—but the three surged forward together.

Vali roared and unleashed the White Dragon’s fury, splitting the sky with silver light.

Azazel summoned ancient forbidden magic, weaving it around Issei like armor.

Issei charged through the storm with the Red Dragon’s power exploding like a sun in his chest.

Their combined attack met the divine spear.

The explosion lit the entire town.

When the light faded, dust and smoke swirled where they once stood—but Issei, Vali, and Azazel remained standing, wounded but unbroken.

The messenger stared at them in disbelief.

“Impossible… your bond… it amplifies your strength…”

“Yeah,” Issei said, panting but smiling wildly. “That’s what love does.”

For the first time, the messenger stepped back.

And for the first time, the heavens feared them.

The night sky trembled again, signaling that this was only the beginning. Their love was now marked, watched, and hunted.

But as Vali leaned on Issei’s shoulder and Azazel wrapped her arm around his waist, none of them felt afraid.

They had each other.

And that made them unstoppable.

The smoke from the explosion drifted upward like a torn curtain, revealing Issei, Vali, and Azazel standing together. Their clothes burned, their bodies bruised, their breathing rough… yet their eyes were full of fire. The messenger of the heavens stared at them as if witnessing a forbidden miracle.

“This bond… should not exist,” the messenger whispered, voice shaking. “A dragon loved by both light and shadow… It defies fate.”

Vali wiped the blood from her lip with her thumb and smirked. “Then fate needs to catch up.”

Azazel stepped forward, wings spreading with a quiet strength. “You don’t decide our lives. We do.”

The messenger’s aura flickered. For the first time, they looked uncertain. “I will report this to the Heavenly Council… but know this: they will not ignore you three. The Red Emperor of Two Wings must be stopped before he destroys the balance.”

With a flash, the messenger vanished, leaving behind cracked earth and an echo that slowly faded into the night.

Silence followed. Only their breathing filled the air.

Issei felt his knees weaken. He wasn’t scared—he was overwhelmed. Everything had changed so quickly. Vali grabbed his arm before he fell, her grip firm and warm even through her damaged armor.

“Don’t collapse yet, idiot,” she muttered.

Azazel steadied him from the other side, lifting his chin gently. “Breathe. You did well.”

Their faces were close. Too close. Issei could feel the heat from their cheeks, smell the faint metallic scent of blood on their skin, see the worry hidden under their strength.

“I… I’m not letting anyone take you two away,” Issei said, voice raw. “I’ll fight Heaven or anyone else if I have to.”

Vali’s eyes widened slightly. She didn’t blush. She didn’t smirk. She looked stunned, almost vulnerable. “Idiot… don’t say things like that unless you mean them.”

“I mean every word.”

Vali turned her face away quickly, but her hand squeezed his arm tighter.

Azazel exhaled softly, touching her forehead to his. “You’re unbelievable,” she whispered. “Dangerous… but unbelievable.”

Sirens echoed in the distance. Rias and Sona’s groups arrived at last, rushing through the ruined park. Kiba, Akeno, Tsubaki, Saji—they all stopped when they saw the crater.

Rias approached first. Her eyes scanned Issei, then Vali, then Azazel. Her voice trembled. “Issei… what happened…?”

Issei explained everything slowly. When he finished, Rias didn’t speak. Her expression shifted from shock to fear… then to understanding.

“So the heavens are watching you now,” she said softly. “You three together… it scares them.”

Vali crossed her arms. “Good. Let them be scared.”

Azazel added, “It means they know they can’t control us.”

Rias looked at Issei with a sad smile. “You really are impossible, Issei Hyoudou. But… I’ll trust you. Like always.”

Her words were gentle, but Issei could still feel the hurt behind them—she cared deeply for him, and this path was one she couldn’t follow completely. He squeezed her hand in silent thanks. She squeezed back, letting him go.

Recovery took days. Wounds healed, but the tension in the air didn’t disappear. Rumors spread through the supernatural world: the Red Emperor of Two Wings, the Forbidden Trio, the Dragon Bond. Some called it destiny. Others called it disaster.

For Issei, days became training, and nights became moments of warmth he never expected.

Vali visited him every night. Sometimes they trained under moonlight, clashing fists and flames until they collapsed side by side on the grass. Other nights, they simply sat in silence.

One night, she rested her head on his shoulder—something Vali would never have done before—and whispered, “If war comes… stay close to me. Don’t make me watch you fall.”

His heart nearly burst.

Azazel, meanwhile, spent late evenings in Issei’s room, sitting on the floor with him as she drew complex symbols in the air, teaching him forbidden magic. Their hands brushed often; every time they did, Azazel’s breath paused for a heartbeat.

“You learn fast,” she said softly one night. “It makes me want to teach you everything.”

Issei blushed. “I… want to learn everything from you too.”

Azazel smiled—a small, real one. “Dangerous words, Issei.”

Jealousy brewed slowly between the two women, but not the destructive kind. They both loved him fiercely, and both wanted time with him. Sometimes they argued.

One afternoon, Vali grabbed Issei’s arm. “You’re training with me today.”

Azazel stepped in front of her. “Actually, I promised to show him a new binding circle.”

Vali glared. “You can teach him your weird magic tomorrow.”

Azazel smirked. “I can say the same about your violent training.”

Issei sighed, caught between them like a rope in a tug-of-war. They stared at each other for five long seconds—then both turned to him at once.

“Choose,” Vali said.

“Choose,” Azazel echoed.

Issei panicked. “I—I can train with both of you today!”

They both froze.

Then, unexpectedly, they laughed.

Not mocking laughter—warm laughter. The kind that cracked the tension like sunlight breaking clouds.

Together, the three of them trained that afternoon. Vali blasted him with shockwaves, Azazel shielded him with two-layered runes, and Issei used the red dragon’s will to push back against both.

Sweat dripped down his face. His muscles screamed. But he didn’t stop.

Because every time he looked at either of them, he saw something that made his heart beat faster.

When training ended, the sky turned orange. Vali sat on the ground, exhausted, armor half broken. Azazel lay on her back beside her, wings spread. Issei dropped between them, staring at the sky.

Vali spoke quietly. “I want to protect this. Us.”

Azazel turned her head. “So do I.”

Issei felt their hands find his—one on each side.

Before he could respond, the sky suddenly cracked with divine lightning—gold, violent, spiraling into a symbol neither of them had seen before.

Azazel sat up instantly. “That’s Heaven’s seal.”

Vali clenched her fists. “What now?”

A voice echoed across the world itself—deep, powerful, ancient.

“Red Emperor. White Empress. Fallen Queen. Hear the decree of the Heavenly Council. You three have broken fate. And fate demands balance.”

A single line of golden text carved itself across the sky.

BRING THE RED EMPEROR TO HEAVEN WITHIN SEVEN DAYS. OR WAR WILL BEGIN.

Issei’s blood turned to ice.

Seven days.

Vali stood, eyes blazing. “They want you.”

Azazel rose slowly, wings trembling with anger. “No… they want to take everything from us.”

Issei clenched his fists.

“They won’t.”

Vali moved closer. “Issei…”

Azazel touched his back. “Whatever happens… we face it together.”

Issei looked at the sky. He wasn’t afraid anymore.

Because he had something worth fighting the world for.

The golden letters in the sky slowly faded, but the fear they carried did not. Even after the light vanished, the world seemed darker. Issei stood frozen, staring upward as the last shimmering fragments dissolved. Seven days. Seven days until Heaven demanded him, or they would start a war.

Vali stepped in front of him, her silver eyes blazing like cold fire. “They won’t take you,” she said, voice trembling even though she tried to hide it. “I swear it.”

Azazel touched his shoulder from behind, her fingers gentle but firm. “They think threatening us will make us break apart. But they don’t understand what they’re dealing with.”

Issei’s chest tightened. For the first time, he truly understood something: Heaven wasn’t afraid of his power. They were afraid of his bond with these two women. They feared what the three of them could become together.

The next day felt heavier than normal. The supernatural world shook with the news. Devils whispered, angels watched from a distance, fallen angels prepared for conflict. Kuoh Academy became a fortress overnight. Sona made barriers. Rias placed runes. Akeno filled the air with lightning energy. The entire place looked calm, but the tension was so thick Issei could feel it like weight on his shoulders.

Vali arrived early that morning. She didn’t knock—she stepped into Issei’s room through the window. Her armor was on, her expression hard, but when she saw him, her face softened for the first time.

“You didn’t sleep,” she said.

“Neither did you,” Issei replied.

Vali sat beside him quietly. Silence stretched between them, heavy but warm. She looked at his hands—strong, but shaking slightly. She reached forward and held one.

“Issei,” she whispered, “you don’t have to pretend with me. You can be scared.”

Issei swallowed. “I’m not scared for myself…”

Vali froze, waiting.

“I’m scared they’ll hurt you. Or Azazel. Or Rias. Or the others.”

Vali’s grip tightened. “Idiot… don’t carry everything alone.”

She leaned in a little closer, forehead almost touching his. Her eyes glowed faintly with dragon power.

“I’ll protect you. Even if I have to fight Heaven itself.”

Before he could speak, the door slid open slightly.

Azazel stood there, arms folded, watching the two with a soft half-smile. She walked over and sat on Issei’s other side, letting her wing brush lightly against his back.

“You two are so dramatic,” she said softly. “But… he’s right to be worried.”

Vali frowned. “You think we can’t handle Heaven?”

Azazel shook her head. “Heaven isn’t sending normal angels. They will send their best. The ones who erase entire worlds without blinking.”

Issei’s stomach dropped. “Then… what do I do?”

Azazel touched his cheek gently, her thumb stroking his skin. “You get stronger. And you trust us.”

Vali nodded. “We train. Hard.”

The next hours became brutal training. Vali punched him through the air again and again, forcing him to control the Red Dragon’s flames mid-flight. Azazel summoned heavenly runes stolen from ancient forbidden books, teaching him how to break them with raw power.

The training field shook with their clashing energies. Grass burned. Stones cracked. Wind exploded outward with every hit.

At one point, Vali slammed her fist against Issei’s guard, sending him skidding backward.

“Again!” she shouted.

Issei coughed, wiped blood from his lip, and charged again.

Azazel watched the two with a small smile. “He’s growing fast.”

Vali glared. “Of course he is. He’s mine.”

Azazel rolled her eyes. “Ours, Vali. Ours.”

That word made Vali’s cheeks heat up, but she didn’t argue.

When the sun set and the sky turned purple, the three collapsed on the ground—alive, exhausted, and closer than ever.

Issei breathed heavily. Vali lay beside him, hair messy and armor cracked. Azazel sat with her knees bent, wings open, watching the stars.

The silence was peaceful… until cracks of divine energy appeared again far above them.

Azazel stood instantly. “No… already?”

Vali pushed to her feet. “Heaven sent someone? This fast?!”

A single figure descended slowly from the sky, surrounded by golden feathers that burned like small suns. Every feather made the air ripple.

When they landed, the earth trembled.

Issei’s breath caught.

Vali’s eyes widened.

Azazel whispered, “No… it can’t be…”

Standing before them was an angel taller than any of them, dressed in shining white armor trimmed with gold. Six wings spread outward in a perfect halo. Their eyes glowed brighter than sunlight. Their presence was so overwhelming it felt like gravity increasing.

Issei trembled. His body wanted to kneel. His instincts screamed.

The angel stepped forward, voice echoing through space.

“Red Emperor. I am Sariel, Archangel of the Heavenly Council.”

Vali growled. “Archangel?! They’re starting with THIS level?!”

Azazel clenched her teeth. “This is bad…”

Sariel raised a hand. Divine power swirled around their palm like a miniature star forming.

“Issei Hyoudou. Your presence threatens prophecy itself. You must come with me.”

Issei stepped back, heart pounding. “And if I don’t?”

Sariel’s voice remained calm, but the air shook with it.

“Then I will take you by force.”

Vali immediately stepped between them, wings flaring. “Over my dead body.”

Azazel stood on Issei’s other side. “And mine.”

Sariel looked at both of them without emotion. “Your attachment to this boy is the problem. Remove it… and fate will correct itself.”

Vali’s aura exploded. “Don’t you dare.”

Azazel’s eyes turned cold. “Try touching him.”

Sariel raised the divine star in their hand.

Their command echoed across the world.

“Step aside, or be erased.”

Issei felt something snap inside him.

He stepped forward, pushing Vali and Azazel back gently.

“No,” he said.

Sariel’s eyes widened slightly. “You challenge me?”

Issei’s fists shook, but his voice was steady.

“You think I’m afraid of Heaven?

You think I’ll abandon the people I love?”

He pointed at Vali. “She taught me strength.”

He pointed at Azazel. “She taught me heart.”

“And you want me to give them up? Never.”

Sariel’s divine power flared so bright the world turned white.

“Then prepare yourself, Red Emperor.”

Issei’s aura ignited, red flames rising high into the sky.

Vali stood behind him, trembling with pride.

Azazel placed her hand on his back, whispering, “We’re here.”

The archangel stepped forward.

The war had begun.

The air around them thickened until every breath felt like swallowing lightning. Sariel’s six wings opened wider, each feather glowing with a holy light so bright it hurt to look directly at them. The ground under their feet cracked, grass turning to dust from the pressure alone.

Issei felt his heart pounding like a drum inside his chest. Not because he feared dying—but because Vali and Azazel were standing behind him, ready to risk everything for him.

He couldn’t let them fight alone.

Sariel lifted one hand. A swirling sphere of holy light formed in their palm, humming with the power to erase mountains.

“This is your final chance,” Sariel said, voice echoing like a thousand bells. “Come to Heaven willingly.”

Issei stepped forward. “No.”

Sariel’s eyes narrowed.

“So be it.”

The archangel vanished.

Not teleported—vanished like a flash of pure light.

Issei blinked—

—and Sariel was already behind him.

Vali roared. “ISSEI, MOVE!”

She shoved him aside just as Sariel’s hand sliced through the air. The shockwave shattered trees, split the ground, and hurled Vali backward like a rag doll.

“VALI!” Issei screamed.

She hit a wall, the impact cracking stone. Blood trickled down her cheek, but she stood again almost instantly, wings glowing with fury.

“Don’t underestimate me,” she growled, launching toward Sariel.

Azazel moved next, wings spreading wide. She summoned a dozen dark spears made of fallen angel light and hurled them at Sariel. The spears tore through the air, slicing everything in their path.

Sariel didn’t dodge.

They raised a single hand.

A dome of golden light flashed outward, vaporizing every spear instantly.

“You cannot harm an archangel with such weak magic,” Sariel said calmly.

Azazel grit her teeth. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

She waved her hand sharply, and the smoke from the destroyed spears swirled upward—forming a massive spell circle underneath Sariel’s feet.

The ground glowed with ancient Fallen Queen runes.

Sariel’s eyes widened. “This… is forbidden magic.”

Azazel smirked. “Good thing I’m a fallen angel then.”

The runes exploded upward, chains of shadow and divine fire wrapping around Sariel’s legs and wings.

Vali shot in again, fist blazing with dragon aura.

“DRAGON FIST!”

Her punch connected.

Sariel flew back through three trees, crashing into the ground so hard the earth shook.

Issei stared with wide eyes. “You two are incredible…”

Azazel placed a hand on his back. “You haven’t even started yet.”

Sariel rose from the crater, armor cracked slightly, expression unchanged.

“You two are strong,” they said. “But your power is tainted by emotion. This is why Heaven rejects you.”

They pointed a finger at Issei.

“And this boy is the source of your weakness.”

Issei felt something inside him ignite. A deep anger. A burning fire.

“You think love is weakness?” he shouted.

Sariel vanished again.

Issei prepared himself.