"Issei, are you here?" The voice of one Seele Vollerei echoed in the now-quiet classroom. 

The aforementioned young man looked up and towards the young woman by the door. Normally, Kiana would have dragged him to who knows where along with Mei but she was currently in her clubroom to take care of some things while Mei herself was busy with the cooking club. 

Yes, they all are powerful heroes and Dragonlords in their own rights but they wanted to experience their missed school lives damn it! 

"What is it, Seele?" 

"Do you want to have lunch with me?" Lunch huh? He barely ate ever since he had to start his research on raising an undead fallen angel using shadow-based magic instead of the regular light element favored by Necromancers of the Sandsea. Not like he needed to since he is technically an undead. 

But! Seele was a good cook, not as good as Mei but she was so damn adorable to say no to! 

"Sure," Pushing himself off his seat, the young man approached the shorter teen and tussled her hair with her hand. 

"hehe," With a goofy grin, the adorable short-haired girl leaned into the palm of the young man in front of her before hugging his arm. "I made some bread similar to what big sis Serenity taught me," 

"Is that so? Well, they better be tasty," Issei shot back, walking with her towards who knows where. 

"Did... did that first year just ask out Hyoudou?" Aika Kiryuu could only nod at how adorable that scene was. 

"Hey... perv... who was that girl?" Katase asked, looking at the perverted paparazzi, Motohama. 

"That... hmm... Seele Vollerei, a transfer student from Russia." Motohama said. "Issei told me the two of them are close  but not as close as he is with Kaslana!" 

"No, they're closer," Aika whispered. While Kiana Kaslana was quite flirty with Issei, she was closer and more romantic with Mei than that girl. Issei immediately lowered his guard for her and even positioned herself so Motohama could not scout her. 

-=-=-=-=-

Seele Vollerei smiled as she and her friend, Issei found themselves hidden from view with a powerful set of illusion magic while a blanket was set under them. The smell of fresh bread danced in the air as Issei poured tea into a pair of cups. She remembered how they first met. 

The fire war, a war that started with Issei trying to hunt down the great dragon of fire to stop him. The same war where Issei developed his overwhelming mastery of Dragon magic created a gap between the current Dragonlords of the time. Developing the art of Dragon magic-based Dragonslaying magic. 

Great Fire Dragonslaying magic. The magic he used to force Akriloth, the greatest fire element-based creature in Lore into a stalemate before it got serious enough to circumvent Issei's mastery of Dragonlord-based Dragonslaying magic.. Devouring Dragonic flames with his modified body and using the concept of killing dragons to power up his fire attacks.

The mastery of the ice-based magical art of dragon-slaying combined with the legendary frozen claymore capable of having its target be weaker than ice-based magic and the dragon-slaying magic that he used to alter his stomach and body to eat the elements. He defeated the great Dragon of Fire without his dragon. 

Then it happened. The bloody second part of the fire war where a man too blinded by grief enslaved fire and plasma dragons. Issei Hyoudou, the Dragonlord of Hope became the Doom of dragons. Blinded by the grief of losing a mentor and friend, Issei hunted down the fire dragons under Konnan's control. His spear with the blade of a hydra's fang became coated with the anti-dragon metal Dragonbane and with it and his mastery of the new dragon-slaying art.

At the time, she was one of the people captured by Konnan in his castle. The mad pyromancer was fascinated with her ability for Necromancy and wanted her to help bring his family back after he killed Issei for not being able to rescue them in time. She did not help him and she stuffed him in a prison filled with others. 

She remembered that day. 

A young man dressed in green armor with red linings, the same color scheme as his baby dragon on his shoulder with a spear in hand. 

"Sup, sorry for being late, I got lost," A helmet shaped like a dragon's head decorated his face. Removing it, the face of her savior was revealed. "It's getting pretty hot in here," 

"What is it?" 

"Sorry, I just remembered how we first met," She said with a kind smile. "The great fire war," 

"Ye.... God... I made myself look like an idiot back then," he whispered with a blush, remembering how the first few years of his travel had him sling puns and jokes as much as possible. They were a bit corny and made him cringe a lot. 

To be fair almost nothing changed... except for the more stakes against him. I mean a bomb that can destroy all of Lore, a nuke filled with Doom? Hell no! Otherworldly invasions of powerful creatures? An entity that needed the direct intervention of the great dragon of earth and nature? The creator deity of Lore sleeping in the Mana core capable of one-shotting a person immune to Lore-based magic. 

Not to mention that fucking squid under the sea is capable of turning him into a mind flayer-like creature while asleep. Hell fucking no! 

'I'd rather turn myself into a lich again before fighting that thing again,' Issei thought as he remembered the process of turning himself into a living lich. The feeling of acid flowing in his veins as he endured the process with Seele's help was painful but way more manageable than the psychic attacks a just-woken up Kathool. That was before his Soul-weaving training. Hell, in hindsight, well... it was probably good that he was animated by light and darkness-based magics before he got hit by a true resurrection spell by a worried Kiana as Seele protected his soul. 

"So, your grandfather hates me..." 

"Well, you'll be fine. He's a softy if you get to know him," Seele said with a smile. As someone who helped his ascension to lichdom and eventual purification of his soul from the darker effects of the ritual, he had her full trust. Not to mention her skills in Animancy helped him retain his human flesh. 

He did not need her around anymore after he finished his Archpaladin training, and his complete balance of life and death, becoming both at the same time.

"Grim reaper training?

"Yeah, I finished it. Well, it took me years to do it in Lore but in here, it only took a week!" 

"Good girl," 

"Hehe," 

"Say, Issei... are you really fine?" 

"Why do you say that?" 

"Issei, I know all that happened to you on Lore," She said, forming patterns on the back of his hand. 

As the keeper of his soul, Seele managed to learn a lot about him as she protected his soul while his body underwent the Lichdom transformation. She knew all about it, his hate, insecurities, and more. Unlike Kiana and Mei, he told her a lot. He trusted her with his soul. 

"I just wonder... what would have happened if I didn't hatch Draco or got to Lore..." He whispered, remembering all his failures and shortcomings. "Would... would someone else have done better?" 

A sweet scent covered his nose and something soft covered his face. Seele, the keeper of his soul, gently pulled the older male into a gentle, loving embrace. 

"Issei, don't bottle it in please," She whispered. She admired the hero of Falconreach who would fight for the people but she loved the man behind the hero. The man with an honest heart, Issei Hyoudou. A fact she never hid and showed with her actions, even bonding her soul with him as a sign of faith. While they would never be reunited after Issei finally accepts his true death due to his nature as a Soulweaver, she would cherish him and their time together. 

"Did they get bigger?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Nope... I see, targeted partial aging?" Issei's muffled voice from her chest made her giggle a bit. He was so fun to tease. 

"Oh, it's about time to go back," She said, looking at her watch. 

"Yeah..." Gently, the young man pulled himself away from his junior with a smile. 

As the minutes passed by, Issei blinked as he opened the door to his classroom. His classmates all stared at him. 

"What are you guys looking at?" The hero of Falconreach asked, looking at his classmates and turning to where they were looking. "Seele?" 

"Hehe..." The Dragonlord of life and death was clinging to his side and he did not even notice her.

"Seele, go to your classroom," 

"But I wanna cuddle more," She said, pressing her face closer to his side, nuzzling it like a cat. 

"No means no," Issei said, gently picking her up by her armpits like a cat and gently lowering her to the ground. "Behave," 

"Okay..." She said with a pout. "But, gimme!" 

"Fine," Taking his blazer off his shoulders, the hero of Falconreach gently wrapped it around the 1st year while leaning a bit to meet her eye

"Chu," 

"OH MY GOD!" 

"SOMEONE KISSED HYOUDOU!" 

"THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!

"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!" 

"WHY HIM?!  IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME?!" 

"WHAT IS MY FUTURE BABY MOMMA DOING WITH YOUR DUMB ASS," 

That was the wrong thing to say as the aura of death erupted from Issei's body making all inside the school and those too weak to pass out as the visage of death embraced the body of the young man.  That would have happened if not for the soft lips of his soul keeper pressing on his in a chaste kiss filled with love and affection canceling out the true form of his dragon's power source he could tap into. 

"Behave, Issei," She said with a gentle smile before taking a wink to all inside the classroom. With a hum, the short-haired first year walked away as Issei's brain capable of doing complex high-level magical computations short-circuited at the kiss the adorable first year gave him. 

'So unfair,' he thought with a goofy grin as he entered the classroom just as Kiana and Mei entered with disheveled clothes. 

-=-=-=-=-=

"How are we going to explain this to Lord Hades?!" 

"Lady Seele was the clingy one! Not the pervert!" 

"But he would punish us!" 

"I know! Think!" 

"What are you two doing?" A hooded figure asked another set of mask-wearing-robed figures who currently observed the academy from a nearby building. 

"We're looking after our lady!" 

"She's seducing that pervert! It should have been the other way around!" 

"Oh, you mean Lady Seele is being sweet to Master Issei again?" The hooded figure said and the two robed figures turned to see the undead mummy Tut, a figure clad in bandages while wearing a hoodie and jogging pants. "Huh, I would not have expected her to make the first move. Granted, she was always very sweet and clingy to Master Issei!" 

"ZOMBIE!" One of the robed figures shouted while crawling away. 

"MORON! WE'RE GRIM REAPERS! ACT LIKE IT!" 

"STOP USING ME AS A MEAT SHIELD!" 

"WHAT KIND OF GRIM REAPER IS AFRAID OF GHOSTS!" 

"HE'S A ZOMBIE!" 

"I'm a Mummy," Tut said, raising his hand. 

"MUMMY?! NO, I DON'T WANT TO END UP LIKE THAT ONE GRIM REAPER WHO MANAGED TO GET EATEN BY A MUMMY!" 

"YOU MORON, THAT GRIM REAPER WAS NOT EATEN LITERALLY!" 

"I KNOW WHAT I SAW!" 

Tut said nothing as he looked at the robed figures with a sigh. 'In all two hundred years of my undeath, this is easily the most ridiculous thing I have seen,' The mummy thought as he watched the two robed figures. 

"You must be the Grim reapers assigned to protect Lady Seele?" Tut said, catching their attention. "I am Tut, one of the intelligent undead of Master Issei's undead legion. I propose that you two stop stalking Lady Seele," 

With those words, the two Grim Reapers finally felt it. 

Numerous eyes from the shadows were looking at them directly as a two-headed dog the size of a small couch looked at them. Undead creatures from standard wolves to dragons took a look at them. Blue eyes glowed ominously as they looked at the two grim reapers, observing, waiting. 

"It is our pride and joy to protect all those that our lord and master love," Tut the mummy said, looking at the Grim reapers. "I am Tut, leader of Lord Issei's secret service and personal bodyguard of Lady Seele," 

"... BULLSHIT! I AM LADY SEELE'S BODYGUARD!"

"FUCK YOU! I WAS THE ONE THAT HELPED RAISE HER!"

"Hah! Pathetic! I am Lord Issei and Lady Seele's godfather to their future children!" 

"Take that back you bandaged motherfucker!" 

"I like to see you make me do so!" 

Scythes readied themselves as a bow of blessed light appeared on Tut's hand. 

"Focus, you three!" 

"Our job is to protect Lord Issei and Lady Seele!" The voices came from the two-headed puppy dog as it looked at them. 

"You two are correct," Dispersing his bow, the Mummy looked at the two. "I would like to apologize for my outburst." 

"I would like to apologize too," 

"Same here," 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The young Dragonlord of Doom smiled as he looked at the new property he had acquired. A small Japanese estate in the traditional sense and with a good amount of underground areas perfect for his Necromancers. Not only that, it would be a good area for his intelligent undead to live in. 

"We already managed to get some ears or people to talk from numerous underground organizations in Kuoh," Tut, the head of his intelligence division said as he handed a folder to Issei. 

"We already have your study area prepared my lord," Liest said as he looked at Issei. A study area or a workshop for magical activities was essential for mages or spellcasters like them. A place to study and improve their knowledge for numerous purposes? It was admirable that such a thing could be created in a short time. 

While he was a lich, he never liked going into the theoretical side of things. 

But still, he had an assortment of Grimoires and magical books. Not only that, it was probably getting filled with the magical findings of his undead along with all of the knowledge they wanted to share. 

Codex Draconis, the tome of Dragonlords. His very own Grimoire where he documented his Dragonlord-based Dragon magic. It was more informal than a proper grimoire but it was good enough. A copy of the Eggnoggnomicon, the Pyronomicon, and the Necronomicon. 

Seele herself gifted him a compilation of her magical knowledge but he rarely parted with it. That book became the basis of his Lich tome after all.  The Dragonlord Lich tome, title pending, is his very own grimoire where he wrote his own spells relating to Necromancy from the basic darkness-based Necromancy to the light element, even to the multiple-elemental formulae. 

"Issei! I have a guest for you to meet!" 

Hearing the voice of the Dragonlord of life and death, the Dragonlord of Dragon's doom turned to see a cute blonde with her hair tied into a pair of twin tails. Divinity exited her form and he knew she was a goddess. 

"Hello, pardon me for my manners. I am Issei, Issei Hyoudou." 

"The fabled Lich King himself," 

"Lich king?" 

"Yes," 

Turning to Seele, the young Dragonlord of Dragon's Doom sighed. 

"I assure you, I am not a king. I'm just a man who wants to learn," Issei said with a smile. "Would you like some tea?"

"I would love some. I am Ereshkigal, it's a pleasure to meet you, Issei Hyoudou." 

And so, the Living undead and the forgotten goddess of the underworld met each other. 

"don't get too close," Seele said with a sweet smile as she showed her dull orbs. A sign that she is displeased by something. 

"Why are you so adorable?" Issei asked, squeezing the Dragonlord of life and death in a loving embrace. 

"More," She said as she hugged Issei back, loving the warmth that escaped the living undead. 

Ereshkigal wisely took a step back Seele gave her a smile. Out of all the girls Issei traveled, Seele herself is the more dangerous of them all. Sure, she is not as powerful as Kiana, fast as Mei, as durable as Issei, or as smart as the last member of their standard group but has an edge over them. She has an intimate connection with souls and could easily bond with all of their dragons and be a diplomat to all factions they held. 

She pulled away from the Dragonlord of Doom and looked at Ereshkigal. "Auntie Eresh, do you want some desserts? They go well with Issei's tea." 

The forgotten goddess of the underworld gulped as she saw the blank look on Seele's face. It was terrifying, far too terrifying than a lot of things she had recently seen. Like a dragon protecting her hoard. Hell, this was the first time she saw the flower of the court of Hades like this. 

"I would love some!" 

"Yes! Mind if I use the kitchen, Issei?" 

"Sure, knock yourself out," 

"Sorry about her, she gets all blanked-eyed when nervous," Issei said with a smile, watching the Dragonlord of Life and Death head to the kitchen. 

"It's fine. I'm just shocked to see Seele like this,"  The goddess of the underworld said. "She is usually more quiet and polite." 

"Well, it depends on her mood but she is usually adorable and polite," Issei said with a smile. "Thought, there are times when she becomes terrifying like when you accidentally eat her food. I swear fighting a dragon is way easier than getting her to stop being annoyed."

"Speaking from experience?" 

"Yes," Memories of him accidentally angering the innocent Seele and how hard he tried to calm her down appeared in his mind.