Four long days had passed since Issei returned to the Demon's Castle.
"There sure are a lot of enemies on this floor…"
Issei sat on top of a half-collapsed building, using the binoculars he had brought to survey the battlefield of floor 80. He had already been stuck here for almost an entire day. The climb from floor 50 had been quick, averaging about ten floors a day, with only the occasional strong demon carrying the entry permits slowing him down. He dealt with each one the moment they were located.
[But still no sign of the demon carrying the entry permit.] Ddraig pointed out, his voice echoing from Boosted Gear, which Issei had decided to have out at all times.
"Yeah, the EXP has been great, though." Issei said, noting the EXP bar displayed on the window showing his Character Status. Thirty floors of hundreds of thousands of demons and he still wasn't even halfway to the next level, though it wasn't really bothering him. "The whole army is getting some good levels out of this, so I'm not complaining."
[!] MP (current attribute Draconic/Demonic): 951/13,850
"My mana is almost out again." Issei murmured, taking note of the notification in front of his face before bringing out a Greater Mana Potion from his Inventory. Uncorking the bottle, Issei finished the whole thing in one go before bringing out another and drinking it as well, feeling the familiar feeling of his mana being replenished spread through his body as the numbers on the window climbed back up to full. "Good thing these potions don't really cost much…"
Throwing the empty bottles away, Issei continued to scan the battlefield, noting the colossal blast of ice in the direction Gladio and Glacia were covering. Before long, Issei could feel a non-hostile presence approaching him from behind, and turned around to see the familiar figure of Asterius walking toward him. Following behind the minotaur commander was his troops, which consisted of two dozen Shadow Orcs, each one carrying in their hands or on their shoulders a variety of loot taken from the demons they had taken down.
[!] Asterius – LV MAX
Rank: Knight – The Shadow seeks permission to be promoted to higher rank.
"About time." Issei remarked with a small chuckle, watching as Asterius lowered himself down on one knee behind him. "Time for you to join the others, Asterius. Permission granted."
The Orcs roared, cheering in triumphant and excitement as tendrils of darkness erupted from their commander, rising in thick layers that shifted and circled around his form as the promotion took effect. When the shadow finally settled and pulled back, Asterius emerged standing taller than before, his exposed muscles glowing a reddish brown color as his dark armor now covered his torso, arms, and legs. His horns were longer, curving slightly upward, and his battleaxe had grown into a massive weapon with a broader blade and reinforced handle.
[!] Asterius – LV 1
Rank: Elite Knight.
"Now everyone is an Elite Knight." Issei said, smirking as Asterius let out a roar toward the sky, the force of it sending a shockwave rippling through the air. Two days ago, Tempest had achieved his promotion, and yesterday, Vulcan had followed right after. With Asterius now joining them, the core of his Shadow Army had been fully upgraded to the highest obtainable rank.
"Good work, all of you." Issei said, standing up from his spot to make his way over to the Orcs and examine the loots that they had brought. There were a lot of valuables, from weapons and armors that he could either sell for a small sum of Gold or distribute among his soldiers, to Mana Stones and Crystal Ores of various colors, some of which could be sold for a small fortune at the Crimson Emporium.
There were also a vast variety of Crafting Materials and Monster Drops, which, along with the lower quality weapons and armor, could be broken down to be crafted into higher-leveled gears by Vulcan, whose Blacksmithing Skill had improved after his promotion, allowing him to forge and refine better equipment than before. Issei usually had him done this at nighttime, after the army had cleared out an entire floor and finished sorting through everything worth keeping or selling to maintain his fund for buying Mana Potions and other essentials.
"These sure will…"
[!] MP (current attribute Draconic/Demonic): 11,251/13,850
Before Issei could comment on the mana stones he had picked up, a sudden, sharp drop in his mana made him flinch. Instantly, he spun toward the horizon, where his army was still locked in battle against the seemingly endless horde of demons. The only explanation for such a sudden drain was that an entire squad of Shadows and their commanders had been wiped out at once, forcing him to expend a large amount of mana to restore them.
And the only thing strong enough to do that had to be the one carrying the Entry Permit.
"Lightning signal, that must be Lycaon." Issei called out when he saw a brief flash of a lightning bolt striking from the sky in the distance. Without wasting a moment, he activated Shadow Exchange, swapping places with a wolf fighting near the impact site to get there as quickly as possible. The replacement landed him in a wide, empty avenue, where smoke curled from the remains of collapsed buildings. The ground was scarred with deep gouges, as though something enormous, even larger than Lycaon himself, had clawed and slammed across it. Large sections of stone and pavement had been blasted apart, leaving only craters marking them while nearby walls were shredded, with huge claw marks raking through them.
But there was no demon in sight. Not a single figure remained, except for Lycaon, Tora, and the rest of Team B, reforming after being blasted apart.
"The demons that attacked you guys are gone already?" Issei asked, looking at his shadows once they had fully reformed. He reached out to pat Lycaon on the head, making the wolf let out a soft whimper, then lowered his hand to do the same to Tora. His eyes continued to sweep across the wrecked battlefield, searching for any demon that might be lurking nearby. 'A hit and run tactic… so they're as smart as they are powerful.'
[!] MP (current attribute Draconic/Demonic): 10,454/13,850
"Another attack."
Issei murmured, his eyes narrowing when his mana suddenly plummeted again. Looking toward the Western region of the city, where Vulcan was fighting with his troop, Issei watched in bewilderment as a wave of energy blasted across the burning city. Even from this distance, Issei could feel the shockwave rattling the ground beneath him, and the force of it threw up enormous clouds of dust and debris as it carved a path of destruction through an entire city block, reducing everything in its path to rubble before setting off an explosion that left a thick cloud of smoke that blurred the devastation even from afar.
[You're not heading there, partner?] Ddraig asked, noting that Issei was still standing in his place instead of heading toward the direction.
"No, without Shadow Exchange, I won't be able to make it there in time." Issei answered while shaking his head.
Two things had become clear in the past couple of minutes. First, the enemy was targeting his Shadows, wasting him of his mana in the process. Second, they were actively avoiding a direct confrontation with him, leaving the area before he could reach them. The retreat phrase of their tactic was also faster than he could get to the location using Shadow Exchange, which meant there was almost no chance he could arrive in time using other means, even if he flew to the location at full speed.
"Hold on…"
Saying that, Issei reached into his inventory and took out his notebook, lowering himself to one knee on the cracked pavement of the destroyed street. As Lycaon and Tora watched in curiosity, he quickly began sketching the formations he had sent his shadows, filling the empty pages with circles, lines, and symbols that marked their positions across the city.
"If I'm not mistaken, Aegis, Blade, and their troops are just right over there." Issei said, pointing toward the direction of the ongoing fight before circling the shield symbol he had drawn on the page. "They're right next to Lycaon and Tora, but the enemies still skip over them to attack Vulcan."
[So they're smart enough to know which shadow to pick off as well.] Ddraig spoke, his words more of a statement than a question. Blade was one of his deadliest Shadows, but it was Aegis that was the real problem of Team C due to his powerful defensive capabilities. If his deduction was correct, then the enemy definitely avoided attacking them because of him and his shield troopers, and decided to move toward a target that was much easier to pick off.
"Yeah, and since I'm here, there's no way they'll hit Lycaon and Tora again." Issei said, looking at Tora as she leaned forward and nudged her head against his neck with a soft purr. He allowed himself a small smile, patting the Shadow Coeurl again before turning his attention back to his notebook on the ground. "Because Gladio and Glacia are my strongest, the chance of them being targeted next is low. So that only leaves…"
Without wasting another second, Issei put his notebook back into his Inventory, recalled Lycaon, Tora and their troop, and launched himself toward the direction where Katerea and Tempest were fighting at maximum speed. Since there hadn't been many flying demons on the floor, he had assigned both of them to assist with clearing the ground forces, meaning that the two were most likely to be the next target.
So if he's fast enough, he could intercept the enemy before they hit Katerea and Tempest.
"There!"
Within seconds, Issei reached the location where Katerea and Tempest were, arriving just in time to see a unit of armored demons advancing on his shadows and attacking them. Several were on horsebacks, each wielding in their hands a different blade weapons, but they were all towering, humanoid figures that were cladded intricately layered red and gold armors, which were polished to a sharp gleam, with horned helmets that twisted skyward, giving them an almost regal menace.
Even at first glance, Issei could tell that these were some of the strongest demons they had faced, even when comparing them to the bosses of the previous floors. Tempest appeared to be the only one capable of holding his ground against them, his wind spear flashing as he parried blows and countered strikes aimed at him, but it was quite clear to Issei that he was fighting a losing battle, being outnumbered and pressured by the speed and coordination of the demon knights, who also made quick work of his troops while giving them no time to regenerate.
Likewise, the situation around him was far worse. Katerea and her magician troops, with no one covering for them as Tempest and his Shadow Elemental troop got their hands full with the relentless demon knights, were being torn apart in the onslaught, as the knights gave them no time to cast their spells. Shadow tendrils lashed out from behind Katerea as she tried to strike the knights rushing at her, but they all moved with speed that could rival even Gladio and Blade, dodging her attacks before dashing past, their weapons leaving deep cuts in her flesh before she was struck down by a decisive strike from a glaive wielding knight, who leaped off his horse and decapitated her in an instant.
'No wonder why Vulcan, Lycaon and Tora stand no chance against them. These Knights are seriously no joke.'
Without wasting any more time, Issei dove down, drawing Ascalon from his Inventory to intercept a sword strike that was aimed at the former Queen of Diodora Astaroth. Sparks flew as his holy flame blade met the long sword of the demon knight, who showed no surprise as his red eyes glinted from the shadow of his visor. With a sudden twist of his wrist, he broke the lock, knocking both weapons briefly up before he brought his sword down to slash Issei across his torso.
But Issei was faster, much, much faster. Before the blade could reach him, the Sekyruutei had spun around and delivered a devastating kick across the demon knight's neck, breaking it and sending him flying through the air like a ragdoll. He crashed into a nearby building with a thunderous impact, causing the entire walls to buckle as steel beams and concrete splintered and collapsed, burying the demon under the rubbles.
[You have defeated a demon knight]
[You have obtained 3,000 experience points]
'Doesn't yield much exp though…'
As the entire structure crumbled, Issei recalled all of his shadows in the area and turned his cold, hardened gaze toward the advancing knights as they all rushed at him. Ascalon gleamed in his hand as he took a leap forward, narrowly avoiding a long spear that was aimed at his chest, and dove his blade into the chest of the attacking demon knight. Before the knight could even sink to his knees, Issei had slashed his blade out, tearing his torso apart to parry the strike of another demon knight, knocking his glaive back before swinging his blade back down, cutting the knight clean off from shoulder to hip.
Two more demon knights charged at him from opposite sides, one swinging a massive sword while the other thrust a spear directly at his midsection. In retaliation, Issei simply dodged their attacks, his movements were almost casual as he twisted and weaved his body just enough to let both weapons sail past him. Without breaking his rhythm, he spun around and slashed Ascalon up in a swift horizontal strike, striking the first knight in the chest. His armor was split in half as the holy energy seared into his flesh, causing him to collapse to his knees with an agonizing cry before Issei finished him off.
Without pausing, Issei grabbed the second knight by his horned helmet and slammed him down onto the scorched ground. The impact erupted into a massive explosion of dragon flame, scorching the surrounding area and sending out waves of heat that crashed into the remaining knights.
[Skill Activated] – Phoenix Shift.
Before the dome of dragon flame even died down, Issei had blinked toward the next demon knight and hacked him to pieces with the Kamish's Awaken daggers. Two more knights tried to flank him, but a burst of blue aura signified the change of his pact, from Ddraig to Midgardsormr, and water surged up at his feet with Tidal Step, letting him glide backward effortlessly, avoiding their attacks as steel scraped past where he had just been.
In the same motion, Issei spun, striking the first knight across the neck. The second demon barely had time to raise his sword before Issei closed the distance, slashing across his torso with a single, decisive sweep. Water erupted around him as he sent a wave of poisonous water surging toward the remaining knights. The liquid hissed and fumed as it made contact, corroding their armor and burning through their flesh almost instantly.
The last demon attempted a desperate charge, but Issei dashed past him, the flash of his blade flickering to view a split second later as he delivered a decisive upward slash, cleaving the knight from waist to chin. The demon twitched briefly before he collapsed, his split body hitting the ground with a muted thud as his weapon fell down next to him.
[Fantastic work as usual, partner] Ddraig praised from Boosted Gear, as the notification for the amount EXP Issei had gained from defeating all the demon knights flashed across his vision. But Issei remained on high alert, his eyes scanning the battlefield as he looked around.
"No… this isn't right." He muttered. "None of these guys could have produced that blast of energy earlier. That means…"
Before he could finish, a blinding wave of scorching energy tore down from the sky, engulfing the battlefield in a searing red light. Issei instantly dove out of the way before the blast could slam into him, letting himself be knocked away in the resulting explosion as the entire district was swallowed in a blinding inferno. Stone and steel screamed as the force tore through the battlefield, ripping apart what remained of the ruined district and sending debris flying in all directions.
For a heartbeat after the blast started to subside, there was only silence. However, even before the clouds of smoke and dust finally settled, Issei had launched himself into the air, his dragon wings beating rapidly as he flew toward his attacker, a colossal a large wyvern with dark-crimson scales streaked with gold, deep red eyes, and a wingspan so vast that each wing was lined with four long, spear-like protrusions. A long, whip-like tail lashed behind it, while two long, narrow horns jutted from its head. Smaller spines ran along the length of its neck, with two large spikes rising from the base, adding to its already formidable silhouette.
'Wait, that is a wyvern.' Issei thought in surprise. This was his first time seeing a non-demonic species in the Demon Castle.
It didn't take it long for Issei to see that the wyvern was not alone. Riding on its back, gripping a long double-edged spear of gold and dark steel, was a demon knight clad in gold armor with red paint and a matching short cape. Much like the others he had cut down, this one also wore a horned helmet to conceal their face, but the design was leaner and far more regal. The rest of their armor was also much more streamlined, highlighting a curvaceous and shapely figure of a woman underneath.
"So, you two were the ones that led the attack against my shadows." Issei said, diving to the side to avoid a slash of energy that the wyvern sent at him from its wings. The attack continued to travel downward and carved into the ruined city below, splitting an entire block in half and leaving a deep gouge in the ground as Issei continued to close the distance toward the wyvern, Ascalon blazing in his hand as he slashed at its side when pushing into its airspace.
The rider wasted no time to react, her hands pulling at the reins and sending the wyvern into a sharp spin, its tail lashing out in a wide arc as it avoided the holy, dragon slaying blade of Ascalon. Issei slipped beneath it, wings folding tight for a moment before he shot up, his blade carving a long, burning trail through the air as he attempted once again to slash at the wyvern. This time, he was successful, and the beast roared in pain as his blade carved deep into its arm before flying back to put some distance between itself and Issei.
[Megaflare]
Before Issei could catch up, the warning flashed across his vision, and the wyvern immediately unleashed a storm of blazing energy projectiles. Dozens of scorching bolts erupted from its maw and wings, tearing through the sky in a wide spread that lit up the battlefield like falling stars. Issei instantly banked hard to the right, wings flaring open as he wove through the barrage. Each projectile streaked past him close enough to scorch the edges of his jacket, exploding behind him in violent bursts that blew away chunks of the burning city below them as he soared over it.
[Boost!]
Before the wyvern could attack again, Issei increased his speed, rocketing forward in a burst of power that tore through the air. In a split second, he climbed higher, arcing above the enormous beast and its rider until he was directly overhead. The moment he had the angle, Ascalon vanished from his grasp and was replaced by the Phoenix Soul bow, already drawn with flame blazing from the limbs.
A volley of flaming arrows were then shot downward, all aimed at the wyvern rider and her beast. With a sharp tug on the reins, the wyvern twisted into a tight spiral to avoid most of the arrows before her spear swept out, slashing through the ones that were aimed at her while the rest exploded in the air. Capitalizing the brief opening, Issei dove down hard, narrowly avoiding the quick burst of blue energy the wyvern fired at him before hurling himself forward in a surge of dragon flame.
"Tempest!" Issei called out as the wyvern snapped its wings forward, forming a barrier of dense energy in front of itself. Shooting out of his shadow, Tempest met it head-on, his wind spear crashing into the shield with a violent impact that filled the sky with ripples of blue and green light as the two forces collided.
At that same moment, Issei curved sharply midair, soaring behind the wyvern where its barrier did not cover it. The Phoenix soul bow fell through the air, dissolving into motes of flame as Issei threw it away and drew Ascalon once more, the blade flashing as he tore through the air faster than the demon rider could even see him coming. The creature let out a painful roar as he slashed its left wing clean off in a wide, blazing arc before plummeting in a spiraling freefall toward the city below.
Issei turned around, and immediately had to raise his blade to block the strike coming from the demon knight, who had launched herself up from the falling wyvern to attack him. The two clashed in midair, with the rider using some kind of magic spell to keep herself afloat, turning the sky into a chaotic duel as her double-edged spear carved sharp arcs through the sky, each one aimed to take off a limb or split him open, but Issei met her attacks head on. Every time her spear swept in, Ascalon was there to turn them aside and counter, though she was able to do the same each time.
But one mistimed swing left her open for half a heartbeat, and that was all Issei needed to press the advantage. He slipped past her guard, Ascalon scraping along one of her blades to knock it wide before he shot forward and grabbed her helmet with his free hand.
"Got you."
With a powerful beat of his wings, Issei accelerated their fall. The world below rushed up at them in a blur as he drove her downward, slamming her into the ground with enough force to crack the earth open beneath them. The impact erupted in a violent shockwave, sending debris and dust blasting outward across the ruined street. The crater left behind swallowed her form completely, leaving her motionless at its center while Issei stood over her, Ascalon coming down her chest.
"I surrender!"
Issei froze for a split second, his hand halting his blade just fast enough to keep the tip from stabbing into her chest. His eyes then widened as his inner alarm blared, and Issei instantly reacted by yanking the rider with him as he dove sharply to the side, narrowly avoiding the beam of energy that tore through the air where they had been a moment earlier.
"Wait here." Issei ordered firmly as he threw the demon rider down behind a safe cover before leaping over it to rush toward the wyvern, just as Tempest dove down from the sky in a whirlwind of darkness. The wyvern roared and swung around, smashing him aside with its remaining wing as Issei soared around its front, slicing deep into the thick scales along its neck with Ascalon. A line of scorched flesh opened beneath the blade, and the wyvern shrieked in pain, jerking backward, giving Tempest the space that he needed to come back around and drive the blade of his wind spear into its shoulder joint.
The beast howled, one clawed hand scraping across the ruins below as its movement faltered. Its tail whipped toward Issei as its clawed hand shot up and grabbed Tempest to throw him off, but he stepped inside the swing, his blade flashing as it cleaved through the lashing tail in a single, fluid motion. The dragon tried to spin away, but Issei ran after it, blinking to its side in a burst of flame using Phoenix Shift to slice through the base of its remaining wing before leaping onto its back to drive Ascalon down along the spine. The blade sank deep between the vertebrae, tearing through flesh as the wyvern twisted in agony, its limbs and tail thrashing in violence and fury to throw him off, but Issei had already run up its neck and used its head as a pedestal to launch himself into the air.
[Skill Activated] – Vital Slash
[Skill Activated] – Penetrate
[Boost!]
Ascalon roared with holy flame as Issei raised it above his head, suspending momentarily in the air before shooting down, bringing his dragon slaying sword with in a single, decisive decapitating strike toward the wyvern, slashing its head clean off. Its massive body crumpled onto the ruined streets below, shaking the rubble and scattering debris in all directions as Issei landed lightly on his feet with Ascalon still glowing from the flame. The wyvern was motionless, leaving the battlefield with silence except for the crackle of fire and the distant howl of demons being slain.
[!] Level up!
[!] Reward: You have received a Sigil of the Shadow Wyvern – Kaisel.
"Finally!" Issei grinned as the notification for his new level flashed before his eyes.
But before he could put it into his Shadow Monarch class…
"I thought I told you to stay where you were." Issei said, spinning around and grabbing the wrist of the demon rider as she lunged at him with a knife. With a swift twist, he disarmed her and shoved her back with the flat of his palm, sending her stumbling across the ground with her weapon in his hand. A fine blade, he had to admit.
Looking back at the demon rider, Issei could see that the fall had knocked her helmet off, revealing a youthful and beautiful human face with long purple hair, and large red eyes with matching markings running halfway down her cheeks. She did, however, have pointy, elf-like ears, and pronounced canines, which seemed to be where her demonic traits ended.
"Please… spare my life. I will do anything!" She cried, scrambling to her hands and knees before Issei could open his mouth to speak. Her forehead slammed against the ground as she bowed her head as deeply as she could, desperation in every movement.
Issei could only stare at her, his eyes narrowing as a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his head.
'This demon…' Issei thought before noticing Tempest walking toward them, drawing his attention toward the wyvern corpse lying on the ground where he had slain it. "Keep your eye on her."
With that said, Issei strode toward the fallen wyvern, leaving Tempest to move over to the demon rider and stand next to her, his spear pressing lightly against her neck as she held up her hands in surrender. At the same time, Issei stood over the slain beast, looking him over for a second before calling out the command.
"Arise."
Instantly, shadows seeped into the body, connecting it with the head before erupting upward and taking shape. Within moments, the shadow of the dark wyvern rose, towering over Issei and its fallen form with smoky black scales and pulsing crimson veins running across its body. Its blazing red eyes fixed on Issei for a second before the shadow wyvern bowed Issei, allowing him to rest a hand on its head.
[The shadow has leveled up.]
[This shadow's level will start at level 15]
[You may assign a name to shadows with the knight rank or higher]
"From this day on, your name will be Bahamut." Issei grinned.
[!] Name Assigned
Bahamut LV. 15
Rank: Elite Knight
In response, Bahamut stretched its wing wide and let out a deafening roar that echoed across the ruined city, the sound vibrating through the rubble and sending small clouds of dust scattering into the air. Satisfied, Issei then stood up and turned his attention back to its former rider, who seemed to be trembling slightly at the sight of the shadow wyvern that now accompanied Issei.
"Now, where were we?" Issei started as he walked back to the demon girl and lowered himself down on one knee in front of her. "I have a few questions for you. If you want to keep your head, then you better answer them honestly, got it?" As he said that, Bahamut lowered his head down and growled threateningly at its former rider, as if daring her to lie to him.
"Y-Yes." She answered, nodding her head as Tempest pressed his spear closer to her neck.
"Do you have the entry permit to the next floor?" Issei asked.
"N-No, but my father has one stored away." She answered, "If you allow me to take me to my castle, I'm sure my father will give it to you for sparing my life."
"Castle? Are you a princess or something?" Issei asked, cocking an eyebrow in interest. No wonder why he hadn't been able to find the permit. As far as he could tell, his army hadn't even covered thirty percent of the floor. There were still locations that they had yet to discover, locations that the permit might be at, instead of on a specific demon.
That was a possibility he hadn't considered until now.
"Yes, I'm Esil Radiru from the Radiru Demon Clan." She nodded, making Issei widen his eyes in surprise. After meeting Ice Elves Baruka and Elva, he had known there were hierarchies among the Gate Monsters, but he hadn't quite expected something similar among the demons of the Demon Castle. It seemed even among the brutal species, from what he had seen so far, there was still a noble class, with titles, influences, and privileges not granted to ordinary members of their kind. No doubt there were other clans like the Radiru, governing each floor from this one onward.
"Right. You said your father would give me the entry permit if I brought you to him." Issei then said "Will he really do it? I mean… I killed a lot of demons on this floor already. I also killed all of the demon knights that were with you."
"It's… it's fine. Those knights were just my bodyguards. Their duty is to protect me with their life, which I'm sure they would lay down happily as long as I am safe."
'You sure?'
[What a shameless demon.] Ddraig remarked while Issei sweat-dropped again at the awkward smile Esil was making while telling him all that.
"A-As for the demons you have slain on this floor, it's completely fine." She then continued "The Radiru don't consider them our own, and they don't see any of us intelligence demons as theirs either. If anything, you're doing my clan a favor by clearing them out. They have been attacking our land and keeping us from expanding to the rest of the floor."
"Alright." Issei said, finally standing straight up and looking over to Tempest to give him the signal to lower his spear, allowing Esil to breathe out a sigh of relief before offering her a hand "I guess we're gonna have to pay your father a visit, princess."
"Ah, please don't do anything harsh when we get there." Esil said, running after Issei as he turned around and walked toward Bahamut "I… I know where all the entry permits to the other floors too. If you guarantee the safety of me and my clan, I'll be your guide and show you where to get them."
"Well, that's a tempting offer, I have to admit." Issei said, climbing onto Bahamut as the wyvern lowered his head down for him to get on. After spending a moment to think about it, Issei gave a nod and then turned back to Esil, who stood there and looked up at him with hope in her eyes "Alright. As long as your father shows me no hostility and give me the permit, I won't attack him and your clan. Deal?"
With that asked, Issei offered her his hand again. Esil looked at it for a second before reaching her own out and letting him pull her up. She settled herself behind him, still looking a bit tense but clearly relieved.
"So," Issei said, glancing back over his shoulder "where do we need to go?"
"That way. It's on the edge of the floor so it will take us a bit to get there." Esil answered as she pointed her hand west.
"Got it." Issei nodded, recalling Tempest and every shadow he had fighting across the city before looking at Bahamut and patting him firmly on the side of his neck "You heard her, Bahamut. Let's go!"
Bahamut roared in response and unfurled his wings to their full span before kicking off the ground, rubble scattering under the force as he took off. The air rushed past them in a burst as Bahamut climbed sharply, beating his wings hard enough to leave a spiraling column of dust spinning below as he soared across the sky.
"This is way more fun than flying on my own." Issei remarked with a wide grin before calling out to Esil, who obviously had no problem holding on as she was its former rider "Make sure to point out the way if we need to change direction, okay?"
"Okay!" Esil shouted over the wind.
Without wasting any more time, Issei turned back and pulled up his Character Panel, putting the level he had just gotten into his Shadow Monarch subclass. The moment that he did, a series of notifications flashed before his eyes.
[!] LV 50 Shadow Monarch reached.
[!] Skill: Shadow Extraction has leveled up.
[!] Form Change – Unlocked.
Shadow Soldiers from [Common] to [Elite] Ranks can be transformed into specific armament forms to empower the Shadow Monarch in battle. Increase Skill Levels to allow higher ranks shadows to be affected.
If the wearer already has equipment in the corresponding slot, the shadow armament will replace it.
[Hmmm… interesting.] Ddraig mused, his words pretty much summing up everything that Issei was thinking in his mind as he reviewed his new skill. [Admittedly I was actually expecting something more, but still…]
'I wonder…' Issei hummed thoughtfully as he read the description of the new Shadow Extraction.
"Umm, Issei, sir…" Esil called out from behind him "Did you say something?"
"I didn't… Oh, you must have heard Ddraig's voice." Issei said, raising up his arm to show her Boosted Gear as Ddraig let out a low chuckle. "Long story short, he's the dragon that was sealed inside this gauntlet of mine."
[Hello, Esil Radiru.]
"Oh…"
If anything, Esil looked even more confused than she did before.
Chuckling a little, Issei turned his attention back to the description of Shadow Extraction, Form Change.
Before he could ponder it further, he felt a faint vibration in one of his jacket pockets. He reached in and pulled out his phone, only now remembering he had stuffed it there after playing on it the night before.
"How is she, sensei?"
Rias asked worriedly as she looked at Azazel, who had just stepped out of the room where Ingvild had been staying. Currently, they were at Serafall Hospital in the Underworld, where Ingvild had been transferred to after she suddenly collapsed a few days ago. As it was visiting hour, the hallway outside the room was rather crowded, with families gathered near doors, doctors and nurses weaving through them, and the low hum of conversations filling the air.
"She's stable, and awake… for now." Azazel said with a small sigh, having just done his own checkup on Ingvild "But there's no telling when she'll pass out again. Her condition is getting worse by the hours."
"I… I don't get it." Akeno, who had come to visit Ingvild with Rias, said with a shaky voice as she peeked inside the room, where Ingvild was laying on her hospital bed with a monitor beeping next to her "She was just… so normal a few days ago. She's been hanging out with us for months and yet she didn't show any sign of these symptoms. We knew that she had Sleep Disease, but I thought..."
"At this point, I don't think that she was ever cured." Azazel shook his head and said, looking just as concerned as Rias and Akeno "If I have to guess, I think something has been suppressing her disease this whole time. So, the moment that it's no longer there, the disease…"
"…returns." Rias nodded her head in understanding, finishing the statement before widening her eyes as she recalled "Wait, the first time she fell asleep, it was when Issei left. Do you think…"
"No, it couldn't be him. Ingvild was always fine at home whenever Issei-kun was away." Akeno pointed out.
"Maybe it's the distance. He's in Egypt right now…"
"Rias, Akeno, Azazel-sensei!"
The three of them turned their heads at the same time, their eyes widening when they saw Issei striding down the hall toward them, still wearing his travel gear, dust on his boots, and the hurried look of someone who had come the moment he heard what happened. Aphrodite followed right behind him, heels clicking softly against the polished floor, her expression serious in a way that immediately killed the usual playful energy she carried.
"And speak of the devil…" Azazel let out a soft laugh before arching an eyebrow as he looked Issei over before casting his eyes over to Aphrodite, giving her a meaningful look while Issei came to a stop beside his two girlfriends.
Rias asked him in surprise. "Issei? You're back already?"
"Azazel called and told me what happened, so I brought him back to you girls," Aphrodite said, tilting her head toward the Fallen Governor.
"I came back as fast as I could," Issei said before leaning slightly to look into the room. "How's Ingvild?"
"Her condition has stabilized," Azazel replied, his tone shifting into something far more serious, "but there's no telling when she'll collapse again. And Issei… the next time she loses consciousness, it could be permanent."
Rias reached out and gently took his hand, her grip firm but trembling slightly.
"Issei… you should talk to her," she urged softly.
Akeno nodded beside her. "She's been asking for you whenever she wakes up."
Issei swallowed once, then stepped past them and toward the door, pushing it open slowly to step inside with Rias and Akeno following closely behind him. Once the three had entered the room, with Ingvild beaming at them, Azazel closed the door behind him and then walked over to the vending machine to buy a bottle of water, not needing to look to know Aphrodite had followed him.
"That's not Issei, is it?" he finally asked, letting out a soft chuckle. "Hard not to notice when there isn't an entire army hiding in his shadows. He usually keeps them well-hidden, but not that well."
"It's Euphrosyne, my handmaiden." Aphrodite said, leaning against the vending machine with her arms crossed. "She's skilled at mimicking other people's mannerisms. I just had to use a transformation spell to turn her into Issei"
"…something you're rather known for." Azazel concluded, raising an eyebrow. "Where is he, by the way? If you don't mind me asking."
"He's stuck inside a Red Gate at the moment." Aphrodite replied. That was the story she and Hephaestus had agreed upon to help Issei with his absence just in case his friends asked.
"How long has he been in there?"
"Half a day. I wouldn't be too worried if I were you. He can take care of himself."
"That, I can't argue with." Azazel replied, holding up his hands in mock defense before heading over to the benches outside Ingvild's room and taking a seat.
Aphrodite was about to follow him, but froze when a sudden, chilling feeling washed over her. Her eyes drifted toward the far end of the hallway, and focused on the familiar figure of a tall, brown haired young man standing at the reception desk, leaning slightly forward as he spoke to the receptionist.
She blinked, and when a pair of doctors crossed the hallway, their bodies briefly blocking her view, the figure was gone, leaving an eerie stillness that lingered around Aphrodite, who could only stare at the now empty spot in confusion until Azazel called to her.
"Ah, it's just my phone running out of battery." Issei murmured in disappointment before putting his phone away into his Inventory as Bahamut continued to soar across the sky. Soon, a massive castle came into view, its spiked towers rising from tall cliffs, with a single path stretching over a canyon of raging fire to the main gate.
Esil pointed down toward the approach. "You should land over there." She said, gesturing to a flat ledge just before the main gate. "If we go straight to the castle, we'll alert the entire army. This way, only a few guards will notice us at first."
Issei nodded and guided Bahamut lower, adjusting his flight to descend carefully toward the ledge. Just like Esil had said, a few guards noticed them and immediately reached for the weapons, but Esil leaned over and waved her hands at them, giving Bahamut the space that he needed to land.
A moment later, Issei and Esil found themselves walking through the main hall, the interior of the castle grand yet imposing. The floor was polished black stone, reflecting the flickering flames and giving the hall an almost ethereal sheen as their footsteps echoed down the corridor.
"Where's my father?"
"He's in the throne room at the moment, Lady Esil." The demon knight standing guard in the hallway said with his head bowing to Esil "And who's that man behind you?"
"He's a very important guest of mine and our clan, so make sure everyone knows to show him the respect he deserves." Esil gave a small nod to the guard, who stepped aside immediately after bowing his head. The massive doors to the throne room creaked open, revealing a vast chamber illuminated by towering braziers along the walls. At the far end, a throne of stone sat atop a raised platform, where a man dressed in a fine robe with two armored shoulder pads sat ominously in the shadow. Despite the dim lighting, Issei could clearly make out his features, as he bore a strong resemblance to Esil, with black hair and a neatly trimmed beard adding an air of authority.
"Father!" Esil called as she walked forward, leaving Issei behind to take in the view, noting how similar the place looked to some boss arena in video games that he had played before. If he hadn't met Esil, then he probably would have to fight here for that Entry Permit to the next floor.
"E-Esil…" The king murmured, his body trembling for a second before he screamed out in fear "What have you done!? What have you brought to our castle!?"
"Well, father. He's my guest…"
"What kind of guest brings along an entire army!?" The King interrupted "Are you incapable of seeing them, Esil? There is an entire army of hundreds of soldiers hiding in the darkness at his feet!"
'Well, I guess he's not the boss of this floor for nothing.' Issei thought simply as the demon knight standing around the throne room all rushed at him and surrounded him with their weapons. Maintaining a perfectly calm face, he then looked directly at the sweating king and spoke to him. "Calm down. I'm not here to fight."
"I promised your daughter that I'd leave this floor in peace as soon as you hand me the Entry Permit you have." Issei finished, keeping a firm voice so the King and his guards would not feel threatened, but enough to make sure that they understood his attention.
The king swallowed hard, his chest rising and falling as he tried to regain his composure. "Y-You… you're not here to cause trouble?"
"Unless you give me a reason to." Issei replied evenly. "I only need the permit to advance to the next floor on my way to the top. After I get what I want, I'll leave your clan and castle untouched."
His eyes flicked to Esil, who gave her father a small, reassuring nod. With a tense sigh, he finally rose from his throne, signaling for one of the attendants to bring forth a sealed case. "Very well… but is that all that you want."
"Yeah, another thing…" Issei said, lifting a hand and pointing lightly toward Esil. "If it's not too much of a hassle, I'd like your daughter to accompany me on my journey. She said she knew where the other entry permits were, so she could help me speed things up. You have my word no harm will come her way."
"Hmmm… as much as I dislike the idea of sending my daughter into something that dangerous, very well…" The king said reluctantly before casting his eyes over to the attendance he had sent away to retrieve the permit, which rested neatly on top of the tray in his hands as he returned.
"Here, Esil." Her father called as he picked up the permit and handed it over to his daughter.
"Yes, Father." Esil accepted it carefully, then turned and walked it straight over to Issei. He took it in his hand and unrolled it, checking the contents inside. With the System confirming its function, Issei nodded in satisfaction before rolling it up and putting it away into his Inventory.
"Thank you." Issei said, nodding his head gratefully to the King before looking over to Esil. "If there is nothing else, can we head out right away?"
"Can… Can you give me a moment?" Esil asked. "There are a few things that I need to prepare."
"Do you really need to bring all that along?"
Issei asked, noting the enormous backpack Esil was carrying with her as the two of them crossed over to the 81st floor together. Just like the previous floors, the environment resembled a burning city, though this district was relatively clear, with no skyscrapers or tall buildings in sight.
And in the distance, Issei could see a castle similar standing on the tall cliff.
"O-Oh, yes." Esil said, taking off the backpack to put it down in front of her as she lowered herself down and went through the items inside "My father prepared gifts for each of the demon clans so we could have an easier time negotiating with them."
"Negotiating?" Issei repeated, arching an eyebrow in curiosity as Esil took out a wine bottle.
"This is the liquor that the chief of the Garsh Clan, the demon clan governing this floor, really likes." Esil explained "Please take this with you, sir."
"You know you don't have to call me sir, right?" Issei asked before continuing on "So this… Garsh clan, are you guys on good terms with them?"
"Ah… well, not really." Esil smiled nervously "The Radiru is the 20th strongest clan within the Demon Hierarchical. We're the weakest, so… everyone kinda just looks down on us. And disputes between the clans are pretty common as well."
"I see…"
"But I assure you that the Garsh Clan is at least reasonable." Esil stated "We don't really have much use for the Entry Permit, so if you can reason with them like you did with my clan, they might be willing to…"
"Let me ask you something, Esil." Issei cut her off, stopping midway as he turned his gaze to the purple-haired demon girl. "If I hadn't had you with me as leverage against your father, do you think he would have just sat back and talked with me, an intruder?"
Esil fell silent at that, at a loss for words as she tried to gather her thoughts, her fingers tightening slightly on the straps of her backpack. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, unsure of how to respond to his question.
"Exactly." Issei let out a soft chuckle as he turned back, letting Bahamut, Gladio and Glacia to emerge from his shadows as he walked toward the castle in the distance while Aegis stayed behind to protect Esil "Wait here, Aegis will watch over you."
"Issei! Sir!" Esil tried to call after him, but Issei had already vanished into the distance.
"Now…"
Standing on the edge of the canyon overlooking the castle, Issei summoned the Shadow Fire Wolf, its fiery form shimmering briefly as it looked up at him before dissolving into tendrils of shadow as Issei activated his new skill, Form Change. Within seconds, the darkness circled around Issei and moved down to his legs, where it condensed into a pair of dark metal boots with intricate designs etched along their surface.
"Wait, this is actually kinda cool."
Issei remarked, bouncing lightly to test how they felt before willing the boots to ignite in a burst of flame. At the same time, he noticed that his High-ranking Demon Set boots had been unequipped to make room for the shadow armaments, which caused him to lose its full-set passive and his overall stats to go down.
Shouldn't matter much, Issei thought to himself as he swiped away his Character Panel.
"Hmmm, I wonder if the fire pacts affect its strength."
[Only one way to find out, partner.] Ddraig said, his voice echoing from Boosted Gear as Issei grinned and turned his attention to the Garsh Castle in the distance.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Reincarnated Devil / Dragon
Class: Level 50 Dragonsworn / Level 50 Shadow Monarch
HP: 30,421/30,421
MP [Current Attribute: Draconic/Demonic] : 14,250/14,250
Link Gauge: 120/120
Title: Champion of the Dragons
Strength: 296
Vitality: 240
Intelligence: 263
Dexterity: 245
Perception: 220
Charisma: 216
Unique Class Skills: Fire Imbue (LV3), Lightning Imbue (LV2), Water Imbue (LV2), Shadow Extraction (LV2), Shadow Extraction – Form Change, Shadow Storage (LV1), Karma (LV1), Shadow Exchange (LV1)
Active skills: Doubling (LV4), Transfer (LV4), Penetrate (LV4), Sprint (Max Level), Vital Slash (LV1), Observe (LV2), Ruler's Hands (LV1), Phoenix Shift (LV2).
Active spells: Fire balls (LV4 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Firewall (LV4 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Lightning Strike (LV2 – Lightning Dragon Pact Affected), Water Blast (LV2 - Water Dragon Pact Affected), Earth Shield (LV1)...
Current Pacts: Y Ddraig Goch (Fire) – Pact LV3, Chaos Karma Dragon Tiamat (Fire) – Pact LV1, Rassei (Lightning) – Pact LV1, Ingvild Leviathan (Water) – Pact LV4, Midgardsormr (Water-Poison) – Pact LV1.
Current Shadows: 535 / 660 (Wolves 29. Panthers 18. Shadow Troopers 118. Shadow Elementals 27. Magicians 34. Shadow Elves 42. Fallen Angels 13. Devils 15, Orcs 69, Soldier Ants 170)
Elite Shadows: Asterius (Elite Knight), Vulcan (Elite Knight), Tempest (Elite Knight), Lycaon (Elite Knight), Tora (Elite Knight), Blade (Elite Knight), Gladio (Elite Knight), Glacia (Elite Knight), Katerea (Elite Knight), Aegis (Elite Knight).
Exclusive Items: Boosted Gear (LV5), Razan's Blade (LVMAX), [High-ranking Demon] Armor Set (LV1), [Obsidian] Jewelry Set (LV1), Kamish's Awaken (LV?), Key to the Demon's Castle, Ascalon R1 – repaired (LV40), Staff of Avarice (Given to Glacia), Yarn of Ariadne.
Potions: Healing Potions x15, Mana Potions x15, Greater Healing Potions x10, Greater Mana Potions x10, Miracle Potions x3…
Gold: 42.621.515 (G)
Ultimate: Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker – Boosted Gear Crimson Scale Mail (LV.2 – Pact Affected), Soul Link (LV1), Soul Link Full Break - Dragon of Dragon.
Finisher: Rage of the Fire Dragon (Crimson Scale Mail), Twinflare (Soul Link – Bishop Promotion), Hammer and Anvil (Soul Link – Rook Promotion), Draconic Assault (Soul Link – Knight Promotion), Dragon Damnation (Soul Link – Queen Promotion).
Tower of Ascension sigils: Sigil of the Shadow Commander – Igirs (Incomplete), Sigil of the Shadow Ice Bear -Tank (Incomplete). Sigil of the Shaodw Wyvern – Kaisel (Imcomplete)
End of Chapter 47