User blog comment:B214/Question & Answers 5/@comment-108.224.166.119-20150507020532/@comment-26345952-20150507062108

Striker I agree, I think that if Issei has someone who he can call a friend would either Kiba or Saji.

Saji is someone who he can relate to a little bit better than with Kiba for their similarities seeing their both dragon possesors, devil pawn, and have the goal to make their masters their lovers, BUT it is also of those similarities that they have a rivalry for those goals of theirs, a "friendly rivalry".

However with Kiba their relationship has grown from a one sided HATE to a strong friendship. Kiba has been, between the males, the one who has shared more time and moments of the whole series, and Issei has come to know him better and accept him as his friend (though scared that Kiba might had fallen for him), but never has said to be his best friend; only Kiba has declared himself as Isseis best friend