Returner in DxD

The next morning.

"You... you really did it," Issei said the moment he stepped into the living room and saw Yasaka sitting close beside Kousuke, delicately serving him fruits. He also noticed something different—Yasaka seemed to radiate even more sex appeal than usual, making it impossible for anyone, especially men, not to glance at her twice. And it was clear who all that charm was being directed toward.

'Something happened between them,' Issei thought. He wasn't sure whether to feel jealous or impressed. His friend was just too fast. Even a widow hadn't escaped his clutches!

Meanwhile, Issei had only recently gotten comfortable holding hands with Rias in public.

"Hmm? Yo," Kousuke greeted with a casual wave. After the night they spent together, Yasaka had grown even bolder in her affection. There were still a few days left before the trip came to an end, so he figured he might as well enjoy it thoroughly.

Since Tsubaki had already given her blessing, he no longer felt the need to hold back.

"How did it go? Got any clues?" he asked after sipping some tea, letting out a satisfied sigh—the taste was exceptional. Yasaka, seated beside him, watched him fondly. That night had changed something in her. Her daughter, Kunou, was still sound asleep in her room upstairs.

"Not good. They were very thorough," Issei replied with a sigh as he flopped onto the couch. Then, after a brief pause, he looked at his friend and hesitated. "Why don't you... use your power and check for yourself?"

"What do you think I am? Omnipotent? The All-Seeing Eye?" Kousuke joked with a chuckle. Though in truth, Issei wasn't entirely wrong—there was a way for him to use his power in this situation. But honestly, he just wasn't interested.

Sooner or later, whoever was behind this would reveal themselves. And unless they were part of some hidden faction he wasn't aware of, Kousuke didn't see the point in rushing.

"I'm more curious about your relationship progress, my friend," he said, leaning forward, elbows resting on the table, forehead against his hands. Then, he raised his head and looked Issei in the eye with a serious expression—like a detective interrogating a suspect.

"Surely you took advantage of this trip to finally score one of your goals?"

Kousuke was genuinely worried. If Issei was still the same guy he knew, then his relationship with Rias shouldn't be so complicated. That could only mean one thing: something must have happened during the year he was missing.

'Maybe something traumatic... was it that fallen angel who caused his transformation?'

Noticing the tension between them, Yasaka excused herself after planting a soft kiss on Kousuke's cheek.

"I... I can't," Issei said with a frustrated look. He went on to tell his friend about his lingering trauma—how, every time he tried to take his relationship to the next level, the image of Yuma would invade his mind. Not just that night in the park, but everything about her betrayal still haunted him.

"In short, your trauma's stopping you from becoming a harem king," Kousuke muttered after hearing the full story. He looked at his friend sympathetically. He too had his share of traumatic experiences in the Other World—some of which still lingered. But thanks to the blessing, he'd managed to keep most of them at bay.

Without warning, he reached forward—Issei's eyes widened as he watched half of Kousuke's arm disappear into thin air. When it returned, there was a simple black ring resting in his palm.

"Here, try this on," Kousuke said, tossing it to his friend, who nearly fumbled it onto the floor.

"What is this?" Issei asked, inspecting the ring. It looked plain—nothing fancy at all.

"Put. It. On."

"...Fine." With a sigh, Issei slipped the ring onto the middle finger of his right hand. Nothing happened. He gave Kousuke a deadpan look.

Kousuke smirked. "Now call Rias. Tell her you have something important to say."

"Now?"

"No, tomorrow, next year on Christmas at seven in the morning—yes, I meant now."

Grumbling, Issei did as instructed, sending Rias a message via the Evil Pieces. He turned back to Kousuke and saw the smug grin on his face, which gave him a very bad feeling.

"Now, listen very carefully," Kousuke said in a low voice, glancing around as if making sure no one else was nearby. "When Rias comes in... I want you to go straight for her lips."

"You want me to kiss her?! I-I don't think I can do that!"

[...Listen to your friend, partner. You'll understand later.]

Even Ddraig, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly chimed in. Unbeknownst to Issei, the former Heavenly Dragon had noticed something change deep within his host's body the moment he wore the ring. He didn't know exactly what it did, but he did know it was worth testing.

If it did what he suspected… then maybe, just maybe, Kousuke could restore him to his full power as the true Heavenly Dragon.

"Trust the voice in your head. Just do it," Kousuke said casually, clearly leaving the rest to Ddraig. He didn't know what the dragon had sensed, but he was confident enough to let him handle it.

"Alright... but you'll see exactly what I mean," Issei muttered, resigning himself to whatever madness lay ahead. He trusted Kousuke—and to a certain extent, Ddraig too. But trauma wasn't something that could be magically resolved in a day.

"Issei? You said you had something important to tell me?"

Before long, Rias entered the living room, her crimson hair still damp as if she had just come out of the bath. Her curvy figure was wrapped snugly in a bathrobe. Issei swallowed hard at the sight—his girlfriend really was gorgeous.

Just as he thought Yuma was about to creeps into his mind again… Kousuke lightly smacked him in the back. The reminder was enough.

Issei clenched his fist and stepped forward with a determined look.

"Issei? Hmm—!"

Rias was caught completely off guard when Issei, usually so reserved, suddenly pulled her in for a deep kiss. She gasped into it as his arms wrapped firmly around her waist, drawing her close. Her eyes darted past his shoulder—and there was Kousuke, smirking and giving her a thumbs-up.

'This was his doing, wasn't it?!' she thought, her face burning red from the unexpected boldness. But her body didn't resist—instead, she melted into the kiss.

At that moment, Issei forgot all about Yuma. All he could think about was how *soft* Rias's lips were… and the feel of her full chest pressing against him only fueled his desire.

Wordlessly, Rias pulled him away toward her room—but not before giving Kousuke a silent nod of thanks. He waved back with a knowing grin.

'Enjoy.'

That day, Issei didn't leave Rias's room for hours. Not even when Akeno came knocking. No sounds escaped the walls—it was as if someone had magically muted everything inside.

Naturally, the greatest wingman was none other than Kousuke.

He sipped his tea peacefully in the living room, flanked on either side by a beautiful young woman and a stunning mature foxian.

"Was that your doing?" Tsubaki asked, hugging his arm. She'd returned early after finishing her contract work—just to see him again.

She could tell he had crossed the line with Yasaka, judging by how the fox-woman acted around him. But to her own surprise… it didn't sting as much as she expected.

To some extent, she understood. The loneliness Yasaka must have felt after losing her husband—Tsubaki could imagine it. Maybe that's why she found herself accepting Yasaka into the relationship.

"Guess," Kousuke said with a playful smile as Yasaka leaned in and fed him a grape.

Today had been a very eventful day for him. He had helped his friend finally graduate from his V-card and, at the same time, found himself enjoying the company of beautiful women on either side.

Definitely an eventful day.