Calling the situation awkward would have been a massive understatement.
Thanks to the timely arrival of reinforcements from the Underworld, the horde of werewolves that attacked Kuoh was swiftly defeated. From what they had overheard, Issei and Rias could roughly infer that a Dungeon Break had taken place, causing nearly an entire district of the town to be overrun by magical beasts.
Still, that did not explain how they had exited in Kuoh instead of the same location they had entered from, or the existences of the other Issei and Rias, who were identical to her counterpart, while the other Issei only somewhat resembled him. After discarding his Scale Mail, the two Issei finally saw that their hairstyles and facial structures were not the only things that differed. For starters, the other Issei was noticeably shorter than he was, and also nowhere near as muscular.
But of course, those were only the least of his worries. After the last werewolf was taken down and the situation had calmed down somewhat, Sona had invited them to come with them to the academy.
So here they were, seated on one side of the large table in the conference room of the Student Council office, facing their counterparts in an awkward silence, along with the rest of the Peerage, who clearly did not recognize Issei. Neither party had spoken a word since the moment Azazel left with a strand of hair taken from each Rias to run a DNA test, nor had they made any attempt to break the silence. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind as Issei sat with his arms crossed and stared at the other Issie, who was also looking at him in utter confusion, but none of them made much sense except for a single possibility.
After all, he had noticed the absences of both Ingvild and Ravel from the Occult Research Club, even though the lavender haired Leviathan had already been released from the hospital a couple of days ago and had rejoined them in their daily activities. Notably, Ddraig had also confirmed he sensed a presence similar to his own coming from the other Boosted Gear his twin had worn. It was also pretty clear the other Ddraig had said the same thing to his partner, who still seemed to be trying to make sense of the situation.
"So…"
Finally, Rias, his Rias, broke the silence as she rested her arms on the table. Her attention was focused on the other Rias, who also met her gaze in expectant.
"You love Japan as well?"
She asked, making Issei turn to her, his left eye narrowing a little as his girlfriend looked over to him and just gave a little shrug.
"I do." The other Rias answered, turning the couple back to her "My favorite things about it are its…"
"… culture and history." Rias finished, making the other Rias widen her eyes slightly before nodding her head with a small smile. "What is your favorite location then? How about we answer it at the same time?"
"On the count of three?"
"Alright. Three… two… one…"
"Akihabara."
Both Rias answered at the same time. There was a short pause, with both Issei looking over to their Rias before Issei himself let out a small snort. Obviously, the location that was considered by many to be the center of Japanese Otaku Culture would be his girlfriend's favorite. Anyone could tell that much.
Then again, given her love for Japan and how often she talked about other cities, especially Kyoto, with the annual trip coming up for the second year students of Kuoh Academy, the answer could really have been anything. The fact that both Rias had given the same answer at the same time only made the possibility even harder to ignore.
"I mean… there's no way, right?" the other Issei said as he gestured toward his counterpart, who turned to look back at him. "No way this guy is me. This has to be some kind of cloning trick the Khaos Brigade pulled to mess with us."
"You know I could say the same thing." Issei replied as he leaned farther back in his chair, raising his left arm as the Boosted Gear materialized in a flash of red. "Let's just say one of us really is a clone of the other. What about our Sacred Gears? Recreating the Boosted Gear is well within Azazel sensei's capabilities if he has enough time, but what about the spirit sealed inside it? You really think Ddraig, in his current state, can be cloned too?"
"Well, to be fair," Akeno said with a gentle laugh, hiding her smile behind her hand. "Issei-kun did accidentally create three hundred clones of himself a few months ago. They caused us quite a bit of trouble before vanishing, but each one could use the same powers.
For a brief moment, Issei and Rias were unable to do anything but just sit there and stare at her, stunned, as it was not something either of them had expected to hear.
"Granted, they all looked the same as Issei-kun, though." Kiba finished, breaking the silence with a soft laugh and his trademark smile.
"Okay…" Issei said while nodding his head slowly and exchanging a glance with Rias before he continued "That never happened to me, but I think I get why you think we're clones now."
"Wait, what do you mean that never happened to you?"
The response was delayed, at least for now, as the door across the room suddenly swung open. Azazel entered, carrying some files, but he was not alone. He was followed by Sona and her Queen Tsubaki, as well as Sirzechs Lucifer, his maid Grayfia, and the Gremory household's Lord and Lady, Zeoticus and Venelana Gremory. They all paused upon seeing Rias, while Issei's presence only added to their confusion.
"So it's true…"
"Father. Mother." The other Rias acknowledged in surprise as she stood up to greet her parents. Rias almost did the same, but Issei grabbed her hand and held her down, giving her a quick nod of assurance before turning his gaze back to Azazel, looking at him in expectation.
"Alright, I've got the DNA test results right here." Azazel said, holding up the files and successfully drawing everyone's attention back to him. "And before anyone asks, yes, I ran it multiple times, and no, this is not another incident caused by one of my experiments. Simply put, the DNA results are identical. Genetically speaking, each pair is the same person… or devils, but you get what I mean."
"But how can that be, Azazel?" Zeoticus asked as he turned around to look at the Governor General of Grigori, who could only shrug his shoulders in response.
"I think I have the answer, if you guys want to hear it."
Issei spoke up, making everyone in the room look at him.
"Before I give it though, let me ask you a few questions to confirm it first." Issei continued as he leaned his chair back and sat down fully, turning his attention back to Rias and the other Occult Research Club to ask "First, do you know who Ingvild is?"
"Ingvild?" Issei repeated in confusion, and that was all the answer Issei needed.
"Alright, second question… has Ravel Phenex been transferred to Kuoh yet?" Issei continued, and it was Sirzechs who answered the question. From the look on his face, it was quite clear he had started to realize it as well when he asked that question, with the other adults in the room and a few others like Sona, the two Rias, and Rossweisse sharing the same understanding.
"No, she hasn't. She's scheduled to be transferred next week, actually."
"Where I'm from, you have already transferred her to Kuoh several months back." Issei answered, with Rias nodding her head in confirmation.
"She's been part of my Occult Research Club for a while now." Rias added, drawing a visible look of surprise from her counterpart.
"Okay, third and final question." Issei cut in before anyone could interrupt, his tone becoming more serious this time "Did the werewolves you fought earlier come out of some kind of portal?"
He wanted to ask if it was the same portal that he and Rias had come out of as well, but given how chaotic the battle had been, he highly doubted that anyone had noticed.
"They did," Sona Sitri answered. "That portal appeared in our town four days ago. We did expect it to be a portal leading somewhere, but it was like a solid wall that we couldn't break down to enter, nor did anything come out of it until earlier today."
Issei and Rias exchanged a look when they heard that. Could it be the reason?
"Alright. Listen carefully, what you guys experienced with those werewolves coming out of that portal is what we called a Dungeon Break." Issei continued as he leaned back, looking quite satisfied with the answer he had gotten as it met the possibility he had decided was the case from the start "Every time those portals… those Gates like the one that you saw were left unchecked for too long, an event called the Dungeon Break will occur, allowing the monsters inside to cross over and enter your world."
"What do you mean our world?" The other Issei asked, but it seemed he had also started to come to the conclusion.
"You must have realized it by now, don't you, Issei?" Issei asked, gesturing to himself and the crimson haired girl next to him before resuming "Rias and I, we are from another world. Parallel to yours."
There was a moment of stunned silence as his words sank in among the devils and angels, including Irina, in the room. Some of them stared openly, while others frowned or exchanged glances, clearly trying to process what they had just heard.
For several seconds, the only sound in the room was the faint hum of the air conditioners overhead.
"Cool! So the Parelle World theory is true then!" Azazel exclaimed, breaking the silence before noticing the look everyone was giving him "Come on now, don't tell me you guys haven't watched any of those superhero movies with the multiverse elements. We are dealing with the same problem, you know?"
"Oh, like season 2 of the Flash?" The other Issei pointed at Azazel after snapping his fingers, making the Fallen Angel nod his head in confirmation. "Okay, I get it now."
"Oh? You like superhero stuffs too?"
"Of course. It's my favorite genre." The other Issei answered, prompting them both to point at each other with identical grins "My favorite is Kamen Rider Pinky. What's yours?"
"The hell is… wait, isn't that shit porn?" Issei asked, remembering the title of the movie Matsuda and Motohama tried to make him watch with them months ago back when he was still working as a Supporter, but he had been too busy with works so he had refused.
"What's wrong with that huh?"
"So, I take that this mean your world is very similar to ours?" Kiba asked with a chuckle, interrupting the exchange between the two Issei while Gasper and the other Issei went on to explain the whole multiverse concept to Xenovia, Irina and Asia, as they had zero clue what everyone was talking about.
"As far as Rias and I can tell, except for the differences I pointed out earlier in my questions, everything here seems to be more or less the same as where we come from. At least, everyone here is the same. Azazel is our Chemistry teacher, while Rossweisse-san is the Civics teacher. Our peerages are also identical." Issei nodded. "But as for how we ended up here, I have no clue. Rias and I were out clearing a Gate similar to the one you saw, but we entered it in Astaroth territory in the Underworld. When we exited, instead of coming back out there, we ended up here in Kuoh Town. Your Kuoh Town inn your world."
"Hmm, Does that mean the two Gates were somehow connected?" Azazel asked while rubbing his chin with a thoughtful smile. As Issei had expected, the Fallen Angel would be the one who would be most excited about the whole situation.
"I guess that must be the case. Rias and I think…"
"Wait wait wait. Stop it right there." The other Issei raised his hands, interrupting the topic as he decided to ask "This has been bugging me for a while now, but why do you keep calling your Buchou by her first name? Isn't she your…"
"Why? Because she is my girlfriend." Issei interrupted matter-of-factly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to say.
And it was, but apparently only in his world, as the entire room went silent again. But this time, everyone on the other side shared the feeling of shock, and it wasn't that difficult for Issei to figure out why.
"Wait…" He said, acknowledging the faces everyone was making as a smirk creeping up to his own. "Don't tell me that you guys are not dating here."
"You guys aren't?" Rias asked, and her counterpart shook her head in response, looking slightly disappointed, but she hid it well.
"Well then, I guess that already answer the question of who the cooler one is between the two of us." Issei concluded smugly, earning a gentle nudge in the rib from Rias as she turned to him and gave him a light but meaningful glare. Across the table, her counterpart looked just as shocked as everyone else, but there was a hint of hope in her eyes as she stared at the couple.
"Yes." The other Issei said it flatly, before his shoulders slumped. "…yes, you are."
After a moment of silence, the other Issei cried out with tears of jealousy streaming down his cheeks
"HOW!?"
The sudden outburst caught everyone off guard, no one more so than Issei himself. Some flinched, others blinked, though it was quite clear a few of them had expected it, as much as they had hoped for a better circumstance.
At the same time, the other Issei slumped forward, his elbows slamming onto the table as his hands dragged down his face. Issei stared at him for a moment before remarking flatly, not feeling amused in the slightest at the face he was making. "You're being way too dramatic about this, you know."
"I am being…"
"Issei-kun, please. We will have time for you two to talk about it later." Sirzechs spoke up finally with a comforting smile, his hands waving slowly in front of him as he cast his gaze between the two Issei, his words clearly meaning for them both before the matter could exascale. "For now, let us hear them out on other matters first. I believe they have much to share with us."
"We do." Issei said after exchanging a look with Rias, having no trouble telling that she was thinking the same as he was.
"Onii-sama, umm…" Rias spoke up, but held herself back before a question could properly form, feeling unsure how to address Sirzechs properly as he wasn't her brother.
"Feel free to call me whatever you like, Rias." The crimson haired Lucifer said with a chuckle "I'm still your older brother over there, yeah?"
"Yes, you are." Rias answered, nodding her head with a smile before she continued "So, something I have been wondering… correct me if I'm wrong, but from the way Sona said it, is it safe for me to assume that you guys have never encountered a Gate here in your world before?"
"No, nothing like that." Azazel answered with a shake of his head.
"Then I think this is where our worlds differ from each other. These Gates have been opening in my world for nearly eighteen years now." Rias replied, making the others widen their eyes in shock. "We still know very little about them, but they seem to act as entrances to another dimension that is completely different to both of ours. Some of them look like caves, others leads to open lands and so on, but all of them contain a horde of monsters, which are led by a powerful boss, and will remain open until the boss is killed."
"Kinda like a video game. You kill the boss, the dungeon ends. You kill the strongest monster, the Gate closes." Issei nodded. He had always wondered if it was because of those similarities that everyone ended up using video game terms for anything related to Gates.
"As for the monsters themselves, you can't reason with them. The more intelligent ones, they speak a language that even Devils cannot understand, and they're constantly driven by a voice in their heads to slaughter anything that isn't one of their own. When dealing with them, you're either the hunters, or the hunted." Issei finished. His tone was light at first, but growing gradually more serious, leaving everyone but his Rias slightly stunned, with no one feeling more so than his counterpart and the ORC.
"But that's also the problem. You said you couldn't enter that Gate, right?" Rias asked, looking at Sona, who nodded to confirm her words. "Normally, you can enter a Gate and try to clear it by hunting down the boss before the Dungeon Break occurs. The only Gates that prevents anyone from entering as well as leaving are Red Gates. Was the Gate red in color by any chance?"
"No, it was blue."
"Okay, so it was a normal one, which made it even more strange." Issei pointed at his counterpart in response before silence once again settled over the room. Issei continued to rock back and forth on his seat, his eyes staring up at the ceiling above as he lost himself in his own thoughts trying to figure out what was going.
There was one thing he felt he knew for sure, however. He would need to ask a few more questions to confirm it, but Issei had come to the conclusion that his counterpart had never had anything like the System, which was probably the catalyst for the differences between the two of them, at least in terms of appearance.
"So… what now?" The other Issei asked while scratching the back of his head and looking at his counterpart.
"I hate to say it, but I guess for the time being, I think Rias and I are stuck here." Issei said finally as he leaned back and uncrossed his arms. "Nothing I've tried to get us back to our world worked, and believe me when I say I've tried everything."
Issei finished with emphasis on his last word, having tried to use Shadow Exchange earlier to see if he could get himself and Rias back by swapping with one of the shadows he had assigned to watch over Asia. But just as he had expected, however, the skill remained inactive, and he could only swap with the shadows that had come along with him and Rias inside their shadows. That pretty much confirmed the ability was not interdimensional, or at least, not yet. A lot could change once it leveled up.
For now, he had to figure out what happened. Finding out the cause would point him toward a solution, and Issei had a feeling that those Gates were his best bet, as that strange Gate had left him and Rias in this parallel world. He could only hope that another one would appear sometimes soon.
And for some reason, he also suspected the System had something to do with it as well, even if he just couldn't prove it yet.
"I'm sure I can figure something out to help you two. Believe it or not, those movies are surprisingly scientifically accurate." Azazel spoke up, making Rias and Issei look at him. He was about to speak again, when suddenly his phone rang, making him say before leaving the room. "Excuse me for a moment."
"Issei-kun, Rias, might I talk to you two in private for a second?" Sirzechs requested as he approached Issei and Rias with Grayfia and a small smile, though his expression became slightly more serious as he talked to them "It's about those Gates you speak of, you think…"
"So, what do you guys think?" Akeno asked, letting Sirzechs have his conversation with the other Issei and Rias in private as she turned back to Rias and the others. Like everyone else, she was still reeling from the shock of seeing another Rias, another Issei, and learning that they had come from an entirely different world similar to theirs.
"I mean… I still don't know how to feel about it…" Issei said unsurely while scratching the back of his head. He's still having a difficult time believing that the other guy was him, from another world or not. From the look of it, it seemed they shared many similarities, though those similarities seemed to be rather insignificant compare to the two Rias, who seemed to be exactly the same.
"You know, when you think about it." Kiba started with a mirthful smile, his eyebrows knitting together as he cast a glance over to the other Issei, who was talking to Sirzechs "Don't you think that the other Issei's a bit… I don't know…"
"Mature?" Rossweisse offered, tilting her head slightly.
"Yeah, Rpssweisse-sensei." Kiba nodded at the civics teacher and fellow Rook of the peerage. "That's the word."
"It wouldn't be a surprise if he isn't a pervert like you, senpai, with how he reacted to your trash." Koneko added flatly, but there was a hint of amusement in her yellow eyes as she looked at Issei from her spot.
"H-Hey" Issei protested immediately with a forced smile. "That's not fair, Koneko-chan!"
"Alright. We'll talk more about it later if the situation escalate." Sirzechs said, his voice raising a little to signal that the private conversation he had with the other Rias and Issei had ended. With a small smile, he then continued to the rest of the room "Everyone, until they manage to find a way to get back to their world, Issei and Rias here will be staying with us for now."
"We'll be in your care." Both of them said, lowering their heads formally to those seated across the table.
"Do you have a place to stay though?" Rias asked, before offering with a beaming smile "Why don't you come over to our home and stay with us? We have plenty of spare rooms you two can use."
"Yeah, I kinda know how it goes as well." Issei replied with a chuckle. He wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if the Hyoudou Residence in this world had also been reconstructed overnight into a six story house with two basement floors.
"But… don't you think it would trouble Goro-san and Miki-san if they saw us both wandering around the house?" Rias reasoned, gesturing between herself and her counterpart with a finger. After all, they looked exactly the same, and it would be extremely confusing for anyone who had not been told about the situation.
"And don't forget about us." Issei spoke to his counterpart, who nodded his head in understanding with a chuckle.
"Then… Father, Mother, can they stay at the mansion?" Rias asked, the idea forming as she turned toward her parents, who had been observing the exchange in silence with matching, amused smiles. "Rias can have my room if she wants."
"I… I don't want to be a bother…"
"Do not speak that kind of nonsense." Venelana cut in firmly, making Rias immediately shut her mouth. A moment later, her expression softened into a warm smile as the lady of the Gremory household continued. "Any Rias is always welcome in our home, dear."
"And any Issei Hyoudou, of course." Zeoticus agreed with a nod. "Our doors are open to both of you for as long as you need."
The other Rias lowered her head respectfully as she smiled at them. "Thank you. We truly appreciate it."
"So…"
"Good news, guys!" Azazel announced as he returned to the room while sliding his phone back into his pocket, interrupting Issei before he could say anything as the whole room turned to him "Another one of those Gates just showed up near our headquarter in the Underworld."
"Remind me again how is that a good news?" Rossweisse asked, with her eyes narrowing a little at her colleague.
"I mean..."
"He's right. Right now, they might be our only hope of finding a way back to our world. One of them brought us here, so one of them might let us go back."Issei pointed out as he stood up with Rias, his head turning to Sirzechs before continuing with a frown "Although, I guess that means the situation's starting to escalate. These Gates and the magical monsters have been plaguing our world for years now. The last thing I want is for another to suffer the same fate."
"Azazel, can you take us to that Gate?" Rias asked. "If there's even a chance it can help us find a way back, we need to see it. And if not, then we can help you clear it."
"I don't want to brag, but I'm something of an expert." Issei nodded his head smugly, his chest puffing forward as he crossed his arms over his chest. The act was met with another playful nudge from Rias, making Issei turn to her with a grin "Hey, you know better than anyone it's true."
"Alright, lovebirds. I'll take you there." Azazel said finally, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "Sirzechs, you wanna come?"
The crimson haired Maou nodded his head in response
Just as they were about to leave and return to the main office, where the Sitri group kept their magic circle, the other Issei, Rias, and the rest of the Occult Research Club rose from their seats and moved to follow, halting the couple in their steps as they turned back and looked at them.
"We're coming with you," the other Issei said with a wide grin.
"This isn't sightseeing, you know." Issei asked with a raised eyebrow, but then continued before anyone could protest. "But sure, go ahead. This is your world. I'm not stopping you."
With that settled, Azazel turned and led them out of the room, using the magic circle the Sitri Peerage had to teleport to the Underworld.
In a flash of light, the devils and fallen angels found themselves standing in a wide, open avenue, where a colossal Gate stood at the center, towering over the surrounding structures, its surface rippling faintly as lightning cracked and dense mana swirled toward the center.
"Shemhazai, Baraquiel, Benemune!" Azazel then called before anyone could make a comment about the Gate, directing their gazes toward the group of fallen angels currently gathering around it. Among them were Vice Governor General of Girgori, Baraquiel, and a woman with long, purple hair and sharp orange eyes that were framed by a pair of glasses, giving her a strict, professional look.
Issei recognized her, having seen her, or the one of his world, with Azazel a couple of times. Her name was Benemune, and she was the Chef Secretary of Girgori.
"Father!" Akeno called, drawing the attention of Azazel as the three Cadres turned around and looked at them.
"Akeno!" Baraquiel replied with a smile before walking over with his fellow Fallen Angels. As they approached, all three of them froze upon seeing the second Rias and Issei, their gazes flicking back and forth between them and their doppelgangers in clear confusion.
"Long story." Azazel said with a chuckle, patting Baraquiel on his shoulder before he turned to Shemhazai to ask "Shemhazai, what's the situation here?"
"This Portal appeared moments ago." Shemhazai reported. "I sent a reconnaissance unit inside to assess it, but..."
"Wait, this one's enterable?" Azazel asked, surprise creeping into his voice. Shemhazai nodded in confirmation. "The one that showed up in Kuoh was completely sealed. Issei, what do you think?" He asked, looking over to Issei as he stood next to Rias, who was using a strange device to scan the Gate.
"This has to be a normal Gate then. Based on this reading, it's a B-rank Gate." Issei replied after checking the mana meter Rias was holding before turning his gaze back to the massive swirl of energy before them.
He could not quite put his finger on it, but there was something about the Gate that felt familiar to him, as if he had seen or sensed something like it before.
"Let me guess. Third most dangerous in terms of Ranking?" Azazel asked, and Issei nodded in response. "You said you sent a reconnaissance unit in, Shemhazai?" He then asked, looking at his vice governor.
"Yes, but they have yet to report back, Governor."
"And when was that, exactly?" Issei asked seriously as he turned toward Benemune, who adjusted her glasses before answering.
"Ten minutes ago."
"And how many did you send in?"
"Only a dozen. Why?"
Issei simply nodded his head in understanding and exchanged a meaningful look with Rias before he said.
"Look. Conventional communication methods don't work inside a Gate." Issei said seriously as he turned fully to face the Fallen Angels. Several of them widened their eyes at his words. "Your men should have realized that almost immediately. So if they've been gone that long and you haven't heard anything from them, then they're either lost… or worse."
A tense silence settled over the avenue as Issei turned his attention over to his girlfriend and spoke to her.
"Rias, you stay here with them. I will head in and look for those fallen angels. If we're lucky then they might still be alive." He said, turning swiftly toward the Gate the moment Rias gave him a small nod of understanding.
Before he could enter, Azazel called out, halting him in his steps.
"Wait. You're planning to go in alone? At least let one of us come with you."
"With all due respect, sensei, I know what I'm doing. None of you do. Bringing anyone with me will just slow me down. Not to mention exceeding its raiders limit might make the Gate turn red, and the location on the other side will change." Issei replied firmly, meeting the gazes of Azazel, Baraquiel, and Sirzechs in turn. "And if a Dungeon Break happens, you guys are the ones I trust to keep the situation under control. I can take care of myself in there."
Sirzechs studied him for a moment, then nodded. Satisfied, Issei then looked over to his doppelganger, and reached out with a fist to lightly punch him in the shoulder. "You hold the line here while I'm gone."
"Of course. You can count on me."
Issei gave a short nod in return and turned back to the Gate. Without hesitation, he rushed in, his figure swallowed by the swirling mass of energy as the portal flared once before settling again.
"Hey, Rias. Can I borrow that device for a moment?" Azazel asked, gesturing toward the mana meter in her hands.
"Sure, sensei." Rias replied, handing it to him. "We use it to measure the mana wave coming from Gates to determine their difficulty. The physical size of one doesn't always translate to its actual level."
"Interesting…"
"Rias, do you have any special countermeasures for these Gates in your world?" Sirzechs asked as he walked over, his gaze shifting briefly to the portal before them.
She shook her head. "Not really. Once a Gate appears, the priority is to clear it before a Dungeon Break happens. Trying to close them from the outside has never worked, though I have heard you could contain them. In Russia, there's a Hero named Yuri Orloff who could…"
"Wait, Hero?" The other Rias repeated, her eyes widening in surprise as the entire Occult Research Club turned to her doppelganger upon hearing the term "As in Hero of the Hero Faction?"
"Yeah, they are one of our greatest allies." Rias answered with a nod, studying the faces looking for a second before continuing in realization "Wait, they aren't here?"
"Quite the opposite, actually." Akeno said, shaking her head. "They're part of the Khaos Brigade, a faction whose goal is to eradicate any species they deem evil. Devils are only one of their targets."
"Yeah, those bastards have been attacking us almost every night," Issei added with a scowl. "They've caused us a lot of trouble lately."
"I don't believe it." Rias murmured in pure shock before she went on to explain "In my world, they are noble warriors who fight to protect everyone no matter who they are, human or not. We've been allies with them since before the Kuoh Peace Treaty was signed, and have worked closely with them to deal with the threats of Gates since the first one. My brother fought alongside them during one of the worst Dungeon Break incidents."
"And anyone can become a Hero, even us Devils if you decide to choose it as a career path once you reach Middle Class." The crimson haired girl from another world continued, making everyone widen their eyes in amazement "In fact, my Ise works as a Hero. He's been one for months now and was recently promoted to S-class."
"Seriously?" the other Issei asked in disbelief. "Wait, does that mean he's already a Middle Class Devil?"
"Everyone, something's coming!"
Rias was about to answer when Baraquiel suddenly called out. All eyes snapped to the Gate on high alert, but then widened in relief but also worried when multiple shadowy figures, which then revealed to be the Fallen Angels of the recon unit, stumbled through in quick succession. Many of them were barely staying on their feet, and had to rely on the support of others as they hurried out of the portal. Several were visibly wounded, and their clothes were stained with blood.
"Shemhazai-sama!" One of them shouted.
Shemhazai rushed forward. "Aden!" The Fallen Angel called Aden emerged next, one eye sealed shut by swelling as a deep gash ran down the side of his face. He had one arm hooked around another Fallen Angel, who looked barely conscious as he was helped out.
"Asia-san." Baraquiel called, and Asia immediately went to use her Twilight Healing on the most injured Fallen Angels as they were laid down a safe distance away from the Gate. Akeno, Benemune and Rossweisse also joined in to help, leaving Shemhazai to rush toward the Fallen Angel Aden and grabbed his shoulders.
"Aden, what in the world happened?"
"M-Monsters. They attacked us, sir!" Aden answered through gritted teeth "There were so many of them. I thought we were done for…"
"Everyone, get ready! Some of them are right behind us!" One of the Fallen Angels who emerged last shouted, alarming the entire group as their eyes snapped toward the Gate.
"Don't worry. They can't leave the Gate just yet," Rias said quickly as she rushed toward him. "The Gate itself won't allow it. Where is Ise? Was he with you?"
Aden froze mid-step, staring at her with wide eyes. "Wait. That guy… that guy was Issei Hyoudou?"
"He is." Azazel said sharply. "Where is he, Aden?"
Aden swallowed as Baraquiel helped lay the injured Fallen Angel in his arms down. "He stayed behind to hold the monsters off after taking down their leader. Told us to run as fast as we can toward the Gate. He also had this… wolf made of shadow led us back out."
Before anyone could respond, the Gate began to pulse violently. The mana around it surged, its surface rippling as unstable energy flared outward in erratic waves.
Rias widened her eyes in shock. She did not need to say it, nor anyone needed her to. Having seen what happened earlier that day with the Gate that had appeared in Kuoh, they knew exactly what was about to happen.
"Everyone! Get ready!" Sirzechs commanded firmly as he stepped forward with Grayfia. There was a brief moment of silence, before a hulking figure emerged from the Gate, towering over everyone present. Its body was massive and brutish, muscles packed beneath rough, red hide that was marked with green war paints. A brutal, crudely forged battleaxe was clenched in its hands, the weapon nearly as large as some of the people facing it.
"They're here!" Aden cried in panic as the Orc let out a thunderous roar when it fully emerged from the portal and immediately charged forward.
Everyone reacted at once, but before a single spell could be completed or a weapon raised, a flash of red light tore through the air. A crimson sword crackling with lightning shot out of the Gate, striking the Orc squarely in the back and driving clean through its massive body to emerge from its chest in a spray of blood. The Orc died instantly as its body was forced forward, its charge cut short as its limbs went slack while its body was held in place by the crimson blade.
Behind it, the Gate erupted with a surge of energy, before it began to collapse inwards.
Just before it fully closed and disappeared, Issei appeared beside the corpse of the Orc in a burst of flame. Fire licked along his shoulders and the edges of his red coat as he skidded to a stop, eyes glowing a vivid red as he reached out with one hand to take hold of the hilt of his sword. In a single, smooth motion, he yanked the blade free, leaving the dead Orc to collapse at his feet in a pool of its own blood.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Reincarnated Devil / Dragon
Class: Level 55 Dragonsworn / Level 50 Shadow Monarch
HP: 32,561/32,561
MP [Current Attribute: Draconic/Demonic] : 15,324/15,324
Link Gauge: 130/130
Title: Champion of the Dragons
Strength: 336
Vitality: 260
Intelligence: 303
Dexterity: 265
Perception: 260
Charisma: 236
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), Monarch's Domain (LV1).
Active skills: Doubling (LV4), Transfer (LV4), Penetrate (LV4), Sprint (Max Level), Vital Slash (LV1), Observe (LVMAX), 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), Bahamut (Elite Knight).
Exclusive Items: Boosted Gear (LV5), Razan's Blade (LVMAX), [High-ranking Demon] Armor Set (LV1), Kamish's Awaken (LV?), Ascalon R1 – repaired (LV40), Staff of Avarice (Given to Glacia), Yarn of Ariadne, Crimson Throne (LVMAX – Demon King's Longsword), Demon King's Daggers (LVMAX – Given to Blade),[Demon King] Jewelry Set.
Potions: Healing Potions x15, Mana Potions x15, Greater Healing Potions x10, Greater Mana Potions x10, Miracle Potions x3, Elixir of Life x6.
Gold: 92.231.645 (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 52