"Yo, heard you were looking for me."
Issei lowered the hammer in his hand when he heard, looking over his shoulder to see Ise walking toward him while Ria and the rest of her club remained behind to sit and talk with Rias. Currently, they were out in the garden of the Gremory Residence, with the late afternoon light stretching across the stone paths and neatly kept hedges, casting long, soft shadows across the space.
"What is all this?" Ise then asked as he came to a stop behind Ise, looking at the area around him as the Sekiryuutei of another world kneeled in front of a heavily armored training dummy. Broken pieces of armor littered the ground nearby, some dented inward, others split clean through, while a few other tools lay off to the side, looking to clearly have been used by Issei to break open a suit of armor to reinforce the training dummy.
"Let me ask you one simple question, Ise." Issei said as he rose to a standing position next to him, brushing the dust from his pants before asking "How do you think I did so much damage to Sairaorg yesterday?"
Ise blinked in surprise, his gaze drifting briefly upward with a thoughtful expression as he recalled the sparring match between his doppelganger and Sairaorg yesterday, thinking it over very carefully before answering, "You punched him really hard?" And the answer was met with some slow shakes of the head from Issei. "Hey, I'm just telling you what I saw." Ise reasoned with a casual shrug of his shoulders.
"You could have taken a guess. Anything else would make more sense, you know." He pointed out to Ise, who let out a soft chuckle while scratching the back of his head.
His dragon partner, on the other hand, seemed to have already figured it out.
[Hold on. You are telling me that you hit him with Penetrate, Issei?] He asked in surprise, with Issei nodding his head in confirmation.
"Penetrate?" Ise repeated in wonder "Isn't that one of the abilities you had, Ddraig?"
[It was.] Ddraig confirmed [But I couldn't sense it from you yesterday when you fought Sairaorg Bael, Issei. You can conceal it?]
"Pretty much." Issei answered. He had been able to do that ever since he made the Pact with Ddraig. It seemed experienced opponents, like Albion and in turn Vali, could distinguish Penetrate infused attacks from normal ones, but the Dragon Pact with Ddraig had made the ability indistinguishable to most others, even those with extremely sharp senses.
[Impressive.]
[That's my partner for you, Other Me.]
Ddraig replied proudly, making Issei chuckle in response. His dragon partner seemed to be having a great time. As much as he seemed to pity his doppelganger for having his grace dragged through the mud by the questionable, perverted techniques his host came up with, his pride as a Heavenly Dragon clearly outweighed it, making him openly take pride in Issei and how he compared to Ise in front of the other Ddraig, like a proud parent showing off their talented child to a friend.
"You haven't unlocked Penetrate yet, have you?" Ise shook his head at his question. "But you know what it is at least, right?"
"Yeah. Ddraig has told me about his old abilities before, and how I would eventually inherit all of them through Boosted Gear." Ise replied, making Issei nod his head in understanding. It was a satisfying answer.
"Eventually, yes, but you don't have time to wait anymore." Issei said, making Ise widen his eyes in surprise. "Because at your current level, Sairaorg will kick your ass and you won't be able to do anything about it. None of your current abilities work against him, and I don't think you intend to use them on him either, do you?"
"No. But I can try using them on his female servants." Ise replied with a small laugh before raising his hands in defense when Issei raised the hammer in his hands threateningly, clearly not amused by the answer he was given. "I'm kidding."
"I don't believe you." Issei replied flatly before letting out a small sigh. "Look, I don't like you for putting your Ddraig through the humiliation of your perverted nonsenses, but I'm not going to just stand back and watch you slander our names even more than you already did either. You want to beat him, don't you?"
"I do." Issei answered almost immediately, his tone determined.
"Good. Now listen up. His natural durability is one thing, but it's his Touki that you need to worry about." Issei pointed out. "It seems to me Sairaorg can do a lot with Touki, but one of the major problems is that he can use it to reinforce his body, making him even tougher than he already is. When he uses it like that, it will manifest as an aura around his body. Think of it as an armor of some sort, like this one here."
Issei added as he reached out and tapped the breastplate he had strapped onto the training dummy he had taken from the storage room of the Gremory Residence. The frame alone was already quite durable, but Issei had further reinforced it with a full set of armor that he bought from the System shop. The entire thing wasn't cheap, but he had more than enough Gold to spare.
"Feel free to try brute forcing him down if you like, but using Penetrate to overcome a defense like that will be much easier." Issei explained "When infused into your attacks, Penetrate allows you to bypass everything that tries to block you, whether they be defenses, special abilities or even other attacks, leaving only the base physical durability of your target in the way."
"Everything?"
"Yes, everything. Even Touki. Now watch this."
Saying that, Issei turned around and took a single step forward to throw a simple, but fast punch at the training dummy, hard enough to make it swing back halfway toward the ground. At first, it looked like the strike had done nothing at all, but Issei then reached up and unfastened the breastplate after steadying the dummy, pulling the piece of equipment aside to reveal a deep, clean dent pressed into the wood beneath, right where his fist had landed, as if the armor had never been there to begin with.
"Woaahh." Ise uttered in amazement "You are telling me I can do that?"
"I'm telling you that you can do much, much more than that. Not just your fists, but every attack you make can be imbued with Penetrate." Issei said as he put the breastplate back on "Now, our predecessors have to awaken the ability first to use it, and I started off with it as well so I cannot show you how to reach that point. However, I have been told that you can achieve some ridiculously disgusting stuff with your imagination, so maybe you can start by picturing your attack overcoming everything in its way, then put that idea into practice."
"Sound simple enough. Here I go." Issei grinned as he summoned Boosted Gear before taking a straight, solid punch at the training dummy. The impact sent a sharp thud through the armor, sending the dummy rocking back slightly.
"Try again." Issei instructed, prompting a frown from Ise before he drew his arm back and struck the dummy once more, this time putting more force behind it. "It does not matter how much force you put behind it. An attack infused with Penetrate will always bypass defenses and abilities meant to stop it."
"So I should be able to defeat Sairaorg-san with this?"
"Most likely not." Issei answered flatly, wiping the grin right off Ise's face. "An experienced fighter will notice something's off with your attacks almost immediately. I bet it will only take a single punch from you for Sairaorg to start dodging instead of face-tanking your attacks like yesterday. And even if you do manage to land a hit, you still have the density of his muscles to worry about. Unlocking and mastering Penetrate will even your odds against him, forcing the fight between you two to a straight comparison of strength, endurance, and will. Whether you can beat him at that point will be entirely up to you."
"So you're saying that even with Penetrate, I'm still a long way off from being able to beat Sairaorg-san."
"Of course. But for a disgusting perv like you, it's a start."
"Can we like… tone down on these passive-aggressive remarks about me?"
"What? You have a problem with that? I thought you took pride in being the great 'Oppai Dragon'."
"I think those two are getting along just fine."
Rias remarked with a small laugh, making Ria, who was sitting beside her on the bench at the far side of the garden, giggle and nod in agreement. Around them, the members of her Occult Research Club gathered, watching the exchange between the two Isseis with similar expressions.
After a moment, Rias leaned back slightly and looked over to her counterpart to ask. "By the way, Ria. Aren't the second years leaving for Kyoto soon?"
"Yeah." Ria replied, nodding her head with a small smile "They are scheduled to have the trip next week. Kind of wish I could go with them to visit Kyoto again. I had so much fun last year."
"Same. I'd love to go too if I have the chance." Rias replied, her eyes glinting in excitement as she recalled the trip to Kyoto that she had gone on last year. They both fell quiet for a moment, watching as Issei and Ise continued with their back and forth while the latter tried to unlock his technique. Around them, the Occult Research Club members talked among themselves, occasionally letting out small laughs whenever the two Isseis clashed verbally.
"By the way, Rias." Ria spoke up after a moment, turning slightly toward her counterpart as she spoke in a much lower tone. "How did you and Issei end up dating? Did you… ask him out?"
Her question immediately caught the attention of a few club members, who turned to them to listen with clear interest and anticipation.
"Oh, it's actually the other way around." Rias answered with a small smile, making Ria and her club widened their eyes in amazement "He asked me out at the celebration party after our victory against Sona and the Sitri Peerage."
"…Really? You're so lucky, Rias." Ria remarked honestly, her gaze drifting toward her own Issei Hyoudou before letting out a small sign. It wasn't hard for Rias to see that her doppelganger cared for her Issei just as deeply as she did her own, even if the way they showed it was a little different, which was clearly also the problem for Ria.
"You know… I was so confused when I heard that your Ise's still calling you Buchou." Rias admitted, making Ria turn back to her "I mean… mine started calling me Rias-senpai long before we started dating. I think I only ever heard him call me 'club president' a few times before it just stopped altogether."
"What're the differences then, I wonder." Ria murmured, more to herself than anyone else.
"Does your Ise work for Lady Aphrodite?" Rias asked, prompting Ria and the rest of the Occult Research Club to look at her in surprise. "You know, the Greek Goddess of love and beauty. From what I heard, she gave Issei relationship advice, and also the one who gave him the ideas of asking Akeno and me out."
"Wait, wait, wait…" Akeno spoke up in clear surprise, a feeling that was shared by all those around her as she quickly lowered herself to get between the two Gremory heiresses. "You're telling me that my doppelganger is also dating Issei-kun?"
"Oh yes. Way before I did, actually." Rias nodded, her tone carrying a faint trace of annoyance while Akeno looked clearly amused. "Don't ask me how it happened. My Akeno enjoys keeping that part to herself, but she and Issei started dating long before we did. Probably not long after we beat Raiser."
"Hold up, you beat Raiser!?"
From the side, Ise blurted out in surprise as he walked over with Issei, having tuned into the conversation after giving up on unlocking Penetrate for the moment.
"I did. Broke him pretty badly too. Physically and mentally." Issei replied almost calmly, though there was a note of satisfaction slipping into his voice that everyone could hear as he glanced at Ise and the rest of the Gremory Peerage with a small frown "Wait, why are you all acting so shocked? You guys didn't beat him?"
"No, Issei-kun." Akeno answered, shaking her head lightly.
"We lost the match." Kiba added, forcing an apologetic smile.
Issei blinked, then slowly turned his attention to Ria. "Okay, then why aren't you… you know…"
"Married to Raiser?" Ria finished the thought for him before continuing with a small, warm smile directed at Ise. "Ise crashed the wedding and challenged Raiser for me. He beat him in a duel and freed me from the engagement."
"Wait! That's so romantic." Rias cooed, her eyes practically sparkling as she clasped her hands together.
"I-I mean.. it wasn't that dramatic. I just couldn't let it happen." Ise scratched the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.
"I guess there's some redeeming quality in you yet, perv." Issei chuckled, reaching out to pat his doppelganger on the shoulder.
"Yeah, but from what I heard, he stormed in and shouted to a ballroom full of devils that Ria's virginity belonged to him."
The comment cut in casually as Azazel approached them from the side, one hand tucked into his coat pocket while the other lifted in a lazy wave toward Issei and Rias, an amused grin plastered across his face.
"Guess I spoke too soon…" Issei muttered, shooting his counterpart a sharp look before turning fully toward the Governor General of Grigori. Azazel, for his part, ignored the far more pointed glare coming from Ria as he came to a stop beside the two devils from another world, looking as casual as ever.
"What are you doing here, Azazel?" Ise asked with a quiet huff, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly not thrilled to be reminded of what was easily one of his most impulsive moments.
"Relax." Azazel waved it off. "I just came to let you two know that another Gate showed up. The energy reading on this one is pretty low, but I figured you should know anyway."
That immediately caught their attention, making both Issei and Rias widen their eyes in surprise as they looked at him.
"And don't worry." Azazel continued. "No recon unit was sent in this time. I had my subordinates secure the area and lock the Gate down with a barrier as you said. Right now, it's just sitting there, waiting for the two of you to take a look at yourselves."
"Well then, what are we waiting around here for?" Issei grinned as he turned toward Rias, who was already on her feet, answering him with a small nod. Ria and the rest of her Peerage stood up almost at once, their intent to follow along written plainly on their faces.
"And before you guys start thinking about going with them, there's something you need to take care of tonight." Azazel cut in, his tone noticeably more serious as he walked toward Ria, pulling a small folded note from his coat before handing it over to her. "It's from Sona."
Rias accepted it, her eyes narrowing slightly as she read through the contents. Akeno and Kiba leaned in as well, lowering their heads just enough to glimpse what was written from over her shoulders. The light mood from moments earlier faded quickly as Rias folded the note and put it away before looking back at Azazel and giving him a short nod.
"What is it?" Issei asked in curiosity, having clearly noticed the shift in the atmosphere around the rest of the Gremory Peerage. At the same time, Ria leaned toward Rias and whispered something to her, and it made her widen her eyes for a moment before nodding her head in understanding.
"Nothing you need to worry about." Azazel replied with a grin, his usual relaxed demeanor returning as he rested a hand on Issei's shoulder. "You'll have plenty of time to pick up where you left off over dinner later if that Gate doesn't take you home. For now, we've got ourselves a Gate to raid."
"You seem awfully excited about this." Issei remarked, making Azazel grin in response. After all, Rias had promised to bring him along the next time a Gate showed up and turned out to be a normal one, and the Governor General had clearly been looking forward to it ever since. "Alright then."
Issei nodded, turning and gesturing for Rias to follow. He waved a quick goodbye to his doppelganger and the rest of the group before moving outside. The familiar sensation of a teleportation spell soon washed over them as they joined Azazel in the magic circle he had already set up, and when it faded, the three found themselves standing in the middle of an evacuated construction site. Half-finished multiple floored buildings rose on all sides, with exposed steel frames cutting into the afternoon sky while idle cranes and heavy machinery stood frozen where they had been left.
At the center of the site, between two unfinished stacks of reinforced concrete slabs, a blue Gate hovered above the dirt-covered ground. From what Issei and Rias could see, it was being contained behind a magic barrier maintained by two Fallen Angels stationed nearby, just as they had instructed Azazel how a Gate should be handled just in case of a sudden Dungeon Break.
"Hope you don't mind me having my subordinates do a little science for research purposes." Azazel said casually as he accepted a report from one of the Fallen Angels moving through the area with scanning devices, which they seemed to be using to check the residual energy coming off the Gate.
"No. Not at all, sensei." Issei answered, before his attention shifted to a young, slender woman with brown hair walking toward them, a data tablet held close to her chest.
"Azazel-sama." She called out as she came to a stop in front of him, dipping her head slightly in greeting.
"Ah, perfect timing." Azazel replied, his expression brightening as he gestured to the brunette. "Issei, Rias, this is Elena. She's my best geologist."
Elena straightened at the introduction, offering them an excited smile. "Master Azazel told me about you two. Wow, you really do look just like the Rias Gremory and Issei Hyoudou from our world."
"Yeah, we do get that a lot lately." Rias replied with a small laugh as she extended her hand toward Elena, offering it to her "Nice to meet you, Elena-san."
"The pleasure is all mine." She said, shaking hands with Rias before doing the same thing to Issei, who offered her a polite smile in return.
It was after this that Azazel continued.
"Hope you two don't mind me bringing Elena along." He said as he handed the fallen angel next to him back the report, allowing the man to leave and continue what he was doing before. "Having her expert insight and opinions into the geological structure of the Gate would save me a lot of guessing later."
"Promise I won't get in the way." Elena said, lifting one hand in a small, earnest gesture. The excitement was obvious in her expression, the kind that came from a young scientist standing on the edge of a discovery she had never even imagined before.
"Alright." Issei nodded, then pointed at the tablet she was clutching to her chest. "You won't be needing that though. Conventional machinery from my world doesn't work inside a Gate, so I highly doubt anything from yours will function either."
"Understood." Elena replied, slipping the device back into its case without complaint, though the excitement and curiosity in her eyes did not fade.
With that settled, the group moved toward the Gate. The moment they crossed the threshold, the construction site vanished behind them, replaced by the enclosed space of a standard cavern, just as Issei had expected from the moment he laid eyes on the Gate. Uneven stone walls closed in on all sides, layered with rock and dotted with clusters of mana crystals embedded sporadically along the surface. Their faint glow provided just enough light to guide them deeper inside, while loose gravel underfoot crunched softly with each step.
"Well, admittedly, I was expecting more." Azazel remarked with an amused chuckle as he glanced around the cave, taking in every detail. "But I guess you can't expect a D-rank Gate to be anything flashy."
"Not always. But trust me, you don't want a D-rank to be flashy. That's when things start to go wrong." Issei replied with a small shrug of his shoulders, his attention briefly shifting to Elena as she walked toward a cluster of mana crystals jutting from the cave wall, curiosity plain in her expression as she examined them.
"Those are mana crystals, Elena-san." Rias explained as she walked over to the geologist "They're extremely common in Gates with a cavern layout like this."
"Amazing… the amount of energy these crystals are giving off is incredible." Elena muttered in awe before she brought out a compact set of tools from her pack, selecting a small chisel and carefully tapping at the edge of one crystal to extract a clean sample without damaging the surrounding formation. "I bet there are so many ways we can utilize them."
"Oh yes." Rias nodded with a smile. "Mana crystals can be used as auxiliary power sources to supplement almost any kind of device that has a suitable energy harvester. These are mid-grade at best, but even so, they'd still fetch a respectable price on the market."
Issei glanced toward Azazel and explained to him with a chuckle when he saw the look the Fallen Angel was giving his girlfriend. "The Gremory in my world owns a business called the Crimson Emporium. It specializes in the crafting and trading of Gate items, products made from materials harvested directly from Gates. As I said, these things have been around for so long back in my world that they've generated an entire industry around them."
"Hmm. Interesting." Azazel replied with a thoughtful smile, nodding slowly as the idea clearly sank in.
Before he could say anything else, a low hiss echoed from deeper within the tunnel, causing all four of them to turn around. From the shadows along the walls and behind the outcroppings of stone, multiple humanoid, but monstrous figures started to emerge. One by one, they walked into the crystal-lit path, until at least a dozen of them had revealed themselves to be lizardmen that were at least eight foot tall and heavily muscular, their hunched frames and overall towering frame reinforced by thick, scaled hides that varied from dull green to dark brown. Their limbs were long and sinewy, ending in hands with claws that were as long as a combat knife. Slitted yellow eyes reflected the crystal light as they locked onto the group with clear hostility, while forked tongues flicked out as they let out rough, guttural growls.
"And here's the welcoming committee." Issei said as he turned fully over to face the lizardmen as they started advancing on him while holding one hand out. With a burst of energy, Crimson Throne flashed into his grip, red lightning crawling along the length of the massive blade as he swung the weapon around before resting it against his shoulder while calmly walking toward the lizardmen.
"That sword is not your version of Ascalon, is it?" Azazel asked in an impressed voice.
"No. It's a Gate item. Issei said he found it in the raid that he participated in before we took the mission that led us here." Rias answered, having a look of amazement herself as she looked at the blade "I'm not as good as my father, but I can tell you for a fact that that sword is of the highest quality."
"Yeah, no kidding…" Azazel nodded his head as he fixed his eyes on the crimson blade. He could sense its tremendous power, and the weapon was simply unlike anything he had ever seen before in his life.
"Stand back. I'll handle this." Issei called out, and the lizardmen answered with a chorus of feral snarls and lunged forward as one, claws scraping against stone as they came charging at him, with even more emerging from the shadows at the far end of the cave, their eyes glowing menacingly as they joined the others, quickly pushing their numbers well past two dozen.
Issei lowered his gaze, his steps quickening as he simply dashed forward in a blur with Crimson Throne flashing out in wide, decisive arcs. Each swing pulled crimson lightning straight from the long blade, crashing down on the lizardmen before they could even react while Issei himself wove effortlessly through their ranks. The horde fell apart almost instantly, each monster either cut down where it stood or struck by violent flashing of lightning that tore apart the ground beneath their feet.
And then, just as quickly as they had begun, the noise cut out entirely as Issei skidded to a stop on the far side of the tunnel and let his blade fall to his side, the lingering glow along the metal slowly dimming until there was nothing left but silence.
"Oi, hold back a little, will you?" Azazel called out, masking his amazement with mock amazement as he gazed at the young man before him. It was hard for him to imagine that this was the same young man as the Oppai loving pervert he had grown fond of.
"Who said I wasn't!" Issei replied as he glanced over his shoulder before turning fully around, eyes already scanning the smoking corpses at his feet for valuable loot. "These guys aren't really that strong anyway."
"You really can't expect much from a D-rank Gate, huh?" Azazel remarked with a small chuckle.
"Pretty much. Here, catch." Issei bent down, pulling a glowing stone shaped like a four-winged star from one of the bodies before tossing it across the cavern to Azazel, who caught it smoothly and examined it. "That's an Essence Stone. Some monsters drop them when they die. They're used to craft weapons, armors, or just about anything else you need. Higher-grade stones naturally produce higher-quality gear, obviously."
"I'm guessing this is worth a lot more than your average mana crystal." Azazel noted before handing the stone over to Elena so she could take a closer look.
"It is. Come on, the boss should be further in."
Once Azazel had called in some scientists outside to carry the slain lizardmen out to examine them, Issei turned around and walked ahead, having no trouble seeing far down the tunnel and past the darkness thanks to his devil vision. Every so often, he would pause to give Elena a moment to collect samples from the cavern floor and walls, watching with mild interest as she took note of almost everything that crossed her eyes.
The trip was also relatively peaceful, with only the occasional lizardmen standing in their way, which Issei took care of before they could cause any trouble to his companions. Unless the Gate suddenly turned Red, which he considered unlikely, a D-rank Gate was well within what he could handle at a slower pace. That gave Azazel and Elena plenty of time to observe and study, so he literally had no reason to rush.
But as he led Rias, Azazel and Elena deeper inside, a strange sense of familiarity slowly crept in, and it was unsettling because he also knew for a fact it had nothing to do with the dozens of Gates with similar cavern layouts he had been to in the past. The feeling refused to fade no matter where he looked, as if the cavern itself was trying to jog a memory he could not quite grasp, keeping his instincts on edge as he continued to press forward until…
"Issei… woah! Easy there."
Issei spun around at the sound of his name and the feeling of a hand resting on his shoulder just as the image of an eerily grinning statue flashed across his vision. It was gone almost as soon as it came, but the sudden jolt was enough to make his grip tighten on Crimson Throne, the weapon humming in response as he looked at Azazel, who immediately pulled his hand back to raise both of them up in defense.
"Hey, relax," He said cautiously despite the easy going smile that he wore on his face. "I was just trying to get your attention. You almost walked into a wall there."
Issei blinked in surprise before turning back to look ahead, realizing he had been only a single step away from walking straight into the solid stone wall where the tunnel took a sharp left turn. There was a cluster of mana crystals on his left, but otherwise the spot looked nothing out of the ordinary.
And yet…
"What's wrong, Issei?" Azazel asked, prompting Issei to turn back to look at him. Over the governor's shoulder, he could see Rias and Elena standing a short distance behind, their attention fixed on a patch of green moss clinging to the stone as the geologist used a small scraper to collect samples of the growth and the surrounding rock beneath it.
"I…"Issei opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't finish saying anything as he turned back around to look at the wall he had almost walked into. Behind him, Azazel raised a brow in curiosity before doing the same, his eyes scanning over the area himself after finding nothing that stood out or looked even remotely unusual around the spot.
"I think… I think something's supposed to be here." Issei said. The words naturally left his mouth this time, despite he himself felt quite unsure about it
"What do you mean by something?" Azazel asked, confused as he casted his gaze around a second time "I don't see anything, Issei."
"Like… There was a door here." Issei said, his eyes widening slightly at his own words.
What caused him to say that?
But moreover… How did he know that?
"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that it's not normal for a door to be in these Gates." Azazel mused while rubbing his chin with a thoughtful expression.
Issei opened his mouth to answer, but a low, animalistic growl rang out from the darkness, causing all four of them to snap their attention toward the far end of the passage. Heavy footsteps followed, slow and unhurried, each one echoing through the cavern as a massive silhouette pushed its way into the crystal light, revealing itself to be a towering lizardman that dwarfed all the others they had encountered so far in the Gate. Its frame was broader and much denser with muscles, while old scars cut across its chest and arms, which ended in claws that scraped against the stone wall as it moved. Saliva trickled from between rows of razor sharp fangs while its slit eyes fixed on them with the stare of a predator sizing up its prey.
"I believe that's the boss, yes?" Azazel asked, with Issei nodding his head in confirmation before calling out "Rias, Elena."
In response, the two women slowly straightened and quietly began moving toward them, each step careful and measured as their gazes fixed on the imposing monster. They lizardman instantly turned to Rias and Elena, its eyes focusing fully onto them before it surged forward with a sudden burst of speed, stone cracking beneath its feet as it charged with both arms raised.
The monster did not even make it halfway before Issei vanished in a burst of flame, flashing to its side as Crimson Throne carved through the air in a wide, flaming arc with the Phoenix Strike follow up skill. The blade cut cleanly across its flank, but before the blow could even register, Issei was already moving again, chaining the opening strike into a rapid sequence of lightning-fast slashes. Faster than trained eyes could track, his form flickered in and out of view, leaving only brief afterimages as Crimson Throne traced thin lines of light through the air.
Eventually, the final pass carried him straight through and past the lizardman, letting the momentum pull him forward before Issei spun around and skidded to a stop directly in front of Rias and Elena, his blade finishing one last horizontal sweep as it came to settle at his side. For a single heartbeat, everything stood still, the boss lizardman frozen in place before just as sudden as the first strike of his attack had come, a violent, tremendously powerful surge of crimson lightning tore through the space around the monster, striking it where it stood and tearing apart the carved sections of its body before they could separate, leaving the remaining mass to collapse in scorched fragments across the ground.
"You girls okay?" Issei asked as he glanced over his shoulder toward his girlfriend, who had a smile on her face as she looked at him and nodded. Rias opened her mouth to speak, but before any word could come out, Elena had rushed past her and threw her arms around Issei without even slowing down, practically slamming into him and catching Issei off guard as she embraced him.
"My hero!" The Fallen Angel geologist cried out, her voice full of relief and excitement. "Thank you so much for saving me!"
"Yeah… you're welcome, I guess." Issei froze for half a second, caught off guard, before he let out a small, awkward laugh, with one hand moving to scratch the back of his head, a visible sweat drop forming as he glanced toward Azazel and Rias, who had a small pout on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest and took in the scene.
"Never took you for the clingy type, Elena, but I guess any girl would get smitten after witnessing something that heroic up close." Azazel remarked with an amused chuckle, choosing that moment to step in and save Issei from the overly appreciated geologist, who finally let go of the Sekiryuutei from another world to stand back. "So, what now?"
"We're done here. The Gate should be closing soon so we should probably leave. It used to take a full hour for a normal Gate to close, but that's not the case anymore." Issei cleared his throat and explained, holding his hand out after storing Crimson Throne back into his Inventory to use Ruler's Hand to pull the gold Essence Stone from within the charred remains of the boss lizardman. Azazel blinked, then furrowed his brow in clear confusion at what he had just witnessed. "I'll take this as a reward for this raid."
"Wait, hold up, what did you just do?" Azazel demanded as he followed after him. "Was that telekinesis I just saw?"
"May the Force be with you." Issei simply replied with a small chuckle.
As Azazel chased after him as he led Rias and Elena toward the exit, Issei looked back over his shoulder and cast one last look at the stretch of wall he had stared at earlier. The empty spot still looked as unremarkable as ever, but the strange feeling continued to linger all the same, despite how much he wanted to shrug it off.
"I mean… that was educational," Azazel commented as the Gate closed with its energy dissolving behind them. "And you kids can trust that I'm going to be really busy tonight. Just one of the samples we brought back could keep me busy for hours."
Rias glanced his way. "You will not be joining us for dinner later, then?"
Azazel let out a short laugh and shook his head. "Nah, you two should go on ahead without me. I'll catch up tomorrow once I've had time to go through everything."
"Very well," Rias replied with a small nod.
"See you then, Azazel."
After exchanging a brief wave with Elena, who had already regrouped with her fellow researchers nearby, Issei and Rias reactivated the teleportation magic circle and vanished in a flash of crimson light. A split second later, they reappeared inside the Gremory Residence, its familiar warmth and welcoming atmosphere settling around them almost instantly. The servants and maids of the manor warmly greeted them as they passed through the entrance hall and headed straight for the dining room, which was already occupied by Zeoticus and Venelana Gremory, and surprisingly Sairaorg Bael alongside his Queen Kuisha.
"Yo." the Bael heir grinned, lifting a hand in a casual wave. Issei was about to return it, but the motion stalled halfway as his eyes swept the rest of the room. The seats that should have been occupied were empty.
"…Um, where's everyone?" Issei asked, voicing his confusion before Rias could do it herself as the two walked over and took their seats after greeting the Lord and Lady of the house. "They haven't returned yet?"
"They'll be back soon, Issei-kun. They just have some important business to take care of." Zeoticus replied with a reassuring smile, prompting Rias to nod in agreement beside him.
Issei accepted the answer for the moment, but there was another question in his mind, question that had been turning over in his head all afternoon.
"Is it that business Azazel mentioned they needed to take care of tonight?" He asked.
And it was Sairaorg who answered, which he did before Rias could redirect the question.
"I heard the Hero Faction wanted to settle the score with them tonight, so they probably went to… fight them in Kuoh." Sairaorg said, but his voice started trailing off as he finally noticed the neck cutting hand motion Rias was making from the corner of his vision to signal him to stop.
"Wait, what do you mean they went to fight the Hero Faction?" Issei asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he leaned forward slightly.
"Uh, They're part of Khaos Brigade. They've been carrying out attacks on important locations across all Three Factions. I myself have fought and stopped their attempts here in the Underworld more than a few times these past weeks." Sairaorg explained, his answer riddling with confusion as he cast his gaze repeatedly between Rias and Issei, who had a look of utter disbelief as he stared at him in confusion. Sairaorg arched an eyebrow before it hit him, making him widen his eyes as he asked "…You don't have to deal with them in your world?"
"Deal with them?" Issei asked, as if he was almost offended by the idea. Reaching into his pocket, Issei pulled out his wallet and flipped it open, showing everyone in the room the laminated card he stored carefully and nicely in the ID pocket. It featured his profile portrait, his rank, and profession, something that instantly caused everyone to widen their eyes in surprise. "In my world, I'm also one of them."
As the table went silent, with even Sairaorg staring at Issei in bewilderment and confusion, Rias let out a small sigh before she went on to explain it.
"In our world, the Hero Faction is a noble and respected organization, and not one that is driven by the idea of eradicating other factions they all label as evil. They have been our allies for as long as I can remember, often working alongside us to deal with Gate-related threats. They also act as a broker between all factions when cooperation is needed." Issei turned his head to look at her as she went on. "And unlike here, where the Hero Faction is made up solely of humans, in our world anyone can become a Hero if fighting for the innocent and helping those in need is the career they choose. Once a devil advances to the Middle Class, they can choose Hero as their profession, just like Issei did."
"I talked to Ria and the others, Ise." Rias continued softly as she turned her head over to look at her boyfriend "And we all agreed that it's best you don't know about the Hero Faction here. I know how much you look up to each and every one of them, how much being one of them means to you after Sieghart inspired you to be one with his sacrifice."
Sieghart… It was a name he had not heard in a long time, yet it still rested firmly in his heart even now.
He had been a Hero in every sense of the word. Not because of his strength, his leadership, or the title he carried, but because he never turned away from people who needed help. When that Gate turned Red, Sieghart had been there to be the pillar of the Raid, taking up the mantle of leadership to keep everyone moving when panic threatened to take over. With his flamboyant attitude and natural flair, his endless pursuit for beauty, he even managed to keep their spirits up during the worst moments. Those scenes stayed with Issei, simply because they were so beautifully memorable, in both the literal and figurative sense.
Sieghart had laughed in the face of danger, even as the situation worsened, even in death. It was his confidence, that refusal to let despair take hold, that had kept Issei and the entire raid from collapsing.
And when things finally went wrong, when their Hideaway was finally attacked by the Ice Elves, Sieghart was the one who fought fearlessly with him at the front line.
Not to be remembered.
But simply because it was the right thing to do, because it was beautiful to stand before those in need with a shield to protect them.
Every word he said. Every decision he made… it had carved itself into Issei, shaping every choice he made afterward. Becoming a Hero had never been about chasing fame or money. It had always been about living up to that example of Sieghart, about becoming a Hero that the man he had looked up to would be proud of.
And then there was Cid, Mirei, Kanae, Goto Ryuji, even the eccentric instructor Takeda… all those who fought to protect the world, to stand in front of danger so others did not have to.
And those humans… they had slandered the word Hero.
"Where are they right now?" Issei asked, his tone low and dangerous. Rias swallowed and unconsciously leaned back slightly, a chill running down her spine at the sight of her boyfriend like this.
This was the first time she had ever seen that expression on him. Even Sairaorg could only watch on in silence, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face as an oppressive weight started pressing down on him when Issei's aura became visible to the eyes.
"Ise…"
"Rias. Where?" Issei asked firmly. And it was clear that this time, he wanted his answer.
"They are at the abandoned factory Northeast of Kuoh." It was Venelana Gremory who gave him that answer, her tone calm despite the mixed of emotions she was feeling. "Do what you must, Issei-san."
"Thank you, Venelana-san." Issei said gratefully before turning on his boot to start making his way out of the room.
"Issei, wait!" Sairaorg called as he stood up from his seat, halting Issei from his advancement and making him glance over his shoulder "I'll come with you."
Issei didn't say anything at first, and only studied Sairaorg over for a second before saying.
"Suit yourself."
And with that, the two left the room with Kushina following closely behind them. Staying behind, Rias lowered her gaze finally and allowed herself a heavy sigh as Zeoticus and Venelana went over to check on her.
Outside, Issei activated the teleportation magic circle to teleport himself and Sairaorg to Kuoh, with the Bael heir using a special bracelet imbued with a small amount of demonic energy, enough to allow the spell to work on him. A flash of crimson later, the two found themselves standing on uneven ground, with the cold air of the night rushing past them, carrying the distant glow of Kuoh Town's city lights far ahead. They stood on a low hill overlooking the outskirts, the city clearly visible yet frustratingly out of reach.
"Hm, strange. Shouldn't your spell take us to the Academy." Sairaog noted as he looked over to Issei, who looked up and scanned the space in front of them with Observe before answering.
"It should have." Issei replied. "There's a barrier around the city right now. My guess is that it's blocking any attempt to teleport directly inside."
"Ah, I heard the same spell was used during the Three Faction Peace Treaty." Sairaorg nodded his head as Issei reached his hand out and moved it over the invisible barrier without any resistance.
"But I guess moving through it physically isn't a problem."
Sairaorg let out a small smile as he took a step forward. "Race you the..."
"Bahamut."
Before Sairaorg could finish his suggestion, the ground beneath Issei darkened as his shadow stretched outward, swelling before peeling away from his feet. From it emerged the shadow wyvern Bahamut, his form solidifying in a surge of darkness and mana as he spread his wings wide and let out a thunderous roar that reverberated through the air, leaving Sairaorg to unable to do anything but stare at the creature in shock and stunned silence.
"Try to keep up." Issei spoke with a small smirk as he swiftly leaped onto Bahamut and stood on his head as the wyvern launched himself skyward, the force of the takeoff kicking up a powerful gust that forced Sairaorg to raise a hand to cover his face and eyes from the dust. In a blink, the wyvern then faded into the night sky, leaving Sairaorg astonished for a second before giving chase with a burst of speed and a wide smirk on his face.
Ise gritted his teeth as he fired a Dragon Shot at a nearby magician, the blast slamming into him and sending his body crashing through a concrete wall. Before he could make his next move, however, two more instantly took his place, their hands already weaving a magic spell that launched twin fireballs toward him, forcing Ise to throw himself to the side just as they struck the ground where he had been standing. The impact detonated in a violent blast, the shockwave ripping through the street and making him skid several meters before he managed to regain his footing.
"Hyoudou, more are coming!"
From a distance, Saji cried out, having come to aid them with the rest of the Sitri Peerage. But even with the Sona and her servants them up, their numbers still paled in comparison to the force of the Hero Faction. From what Ise could see through the visor of his Scale Mail, everyone was holding their ground well, but there was only so much they could do against the sheer number of enemies bearing down on them. The rooftops and the air above had turned into a warzone, with Rias, Akeno, Rossweisse, Sona, and Tsubaki being locked in constant aerial combat against the Nilrem Magician Faction, the same group that had attacked the Kuoh Peace Treaty months ago.
What was supposed to be a straight confrontation with the Hero Faction, who claimed they were here to 'save' Kuoh by eradicating them, had turned into a coordinated ambush. The Nilrem forces had arrived almost as soon as the fighting began. Ise had learned quickly that they had also cut off all forms of communication to the outside world, preventing them from reaching anyone who could send reinforcements or even warn others of what was happening.
Rias had tried to send her familiar out amid the chaos, but she was intercepted only seconds after leaving her master. It was clear that this had been planned from the start, and that they had grown too accustomed to the small-scale attacks of the past few weeks, each one preceded by an invitation from the Hero Faction, to anticipate something as dishonorable, yet effective, as this ambush.
And to make matters worse, their leaders had yet to join the fight, only standing on top of the abandoned factory watching the fight in clear amusement. One of them was a young man who wore glasses, the other was a two meter tall man with an extremely muscular build. Standing slightly behind them was also a young man with silver hair, and a woman with blonde hair dressed in a purple uniform underneath light orange armor.
However, the last person, a young man who was dressed in ancient Chinese hanfu attire, was the one he was most worried about, and it had a lot to do with the spear-like weapon he was carrying. He could tell it was a holy weapon, but just looking at it was enough to give Ise the worst feeling he had ever felt in his life, even more so than the fragments of Excalibur Xenovia and Irina had brought to Kuoh in the past.
The feeling was so distracting that Ise barely noticed the presence behind him until it was almost too late.
"Issei-kun!"
Just as a blade flashed toward his blind spot, a shower of sparks rained down the space between them as Kiba shot down and forced the strike away with his Holy Demonic Blade, his swift footwork allowing him to quickly get between Ise and the Hero who had attempted to stab him in the back. Kiba twisted smoothly, driving the enemy back with a precise counter that was followed with a slash across his chest before turning his head to look over his shoulder as he stood with his back to his comrade.
"Focus. You can't risk lowering your guard here even for a second." He called out, with Ise quickly nodding his head in understanding.
"Yeah. Thanks for the save, Kiba." Ise said before blasting the Hero away with a short burst of Dragon Shot before asking while looking at the magician force that kept on coming "You have a plan? Because this is getting us nowhere."
Kiba followed his gaze toward the factory rooftop before replying. "I talked to Buchou earlier. Someone has to break away and get outside the city. If we can contact Sirzechs-sama, reinforcements will come."
"Then it should be me. You're the fastest one here." Ise replied immediately.
Kiba shook his head without hesitation. "No. It has to be you, Issei-kun. You're the only one who can force your way through if they try to stop you. If any of us get intercepted, I will not make it. You might."
Ise hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Are you sure?"
"We do not have time to argue." Kiba shook his head quickly. "The longer we stay trapped here, the worse this will get."
"Alright. Watch over everyone for me, comrade."
"You have my word."
With that, Ise fired his thrusters at maximum power and launched himself across the street in a single burst as he shot toward the outskirts of Kuoh.
"Where do you think you're going?"
But Ise did not get far. Before he could even leave the area, the ground ahead of him exploded as the tallest figure from the rooftop of the abandoned factory came crashing down directly into his path, landing with such force that the street exploded beneath him. The shockwave slammed into Ise mid-flight, forcing him to veer aside before hitting the ground hard, rolling himself to a stop before pushing himself onto one knee before the figure.
"The name is Heracles," the man said curtly. "I carry the spirit of the Greek mythology hero, Heracles." His tone alone made his arrogance obvious, but from this close, Ise could feel the weight of his presence even more clearly. The sheer pressure radiating from him was astonishing, the kind that came from absolute confidence backed by undeniable power. If that presence was anything to go by, then the man had reasons to believe he stood above everyone else on this battlefield.
But of course…
"Like I give a shit." He replied flatly. "Get out of my way."
[Boost!]
Power surged through his armor as he shot toward Heracles, his fist glowing as he drove it straight at his torso with enough force to shatter reinforced steel. The blow landed cleanly.
But it did absolutely nothing.
Heracles barely shifted as the blow connected, his feet grinding into the broken pavement as he looked down at Ise. Before he could react, Heracles threw his fist out and it collided with the chestplate of Ise's Scale Mail with a thunderous impact, knocking the air from his lungs before he was sent skidding across the ground.
Before he could recover, Heracles was already on him, one fist cocking back to deliver a punch that was aimed right at his head. Ise instantly fired his jets and launched himself away before the blow could connect, but immediately found himself being thrown into the air when the area around Heracles exploded violently under the brute force of his blow. Ise twisted midair and forced himself back into control, jets flaring as he shot forward again.
He struck once, then twice, then again, his fists crashing into Heracles from every angle in rapid succession, but Heracles barely reacted to the hits. He turned with the blows, more annoyed than hurt, one massive hand repeatedly reaching out to grab Ise out of the air. Ise barely avoided the grasp each time, teeth clenched as frustration started to creep in.
'What the hell is this guy made of?' Ise thought in frustration as he grounded his teeth together, throwing himself back a couple feet to put a little distance between him and the Hero descendant. It felt like he was just hitting a wall, a heavily reinforced wall…
A heavily reinforced wall
'However, I have been told that you can achieve some ridiculously disgusting stuff with your imagination, so maybe you can start by picturing your attack overcoming everything in its way, then put that idea into practice.'
[Partner?] Ddraig called out, but Ise barely registered the call as his mind replayed the words Issei had told him earlier on that day.
The next thing he did was stupid, but still Ise found himself shutting out the noise of the battlefield and narrowed his thoughts to a single idea.
Break through.
"Let's do this, Ddraig!"
Without further ado, Ise launched himself forward, his jetpacks firing at full force as he closed the distance with Heracles in a blink. Heracles seemed a little surprised by the speed, but he remained still with a smirk on his face, intending to take the attack to prove his superiority.
"Eat this!" Ise shouted as he threw his punch toward Heracles, his metal knuckle connecting squarely with his face with a resounding smash that reverberated across the street.
And for the first time, Heracles reacted. His head snapped to the side as his massive frame staggered a single step away, boots scraping against the ruined pavement.
Did it work?
"That hurt, you punk."
Before Ise could find out the answer to his question, Heracles spun his head back around, one hand brushing his jaw. His eyes narrowed, an annoyed grin that was equal parts irritated and amused spreading across his face. His massive hand shot out and grabbed Ise by the shoulder before he could react, and the next instance, Ise found himself airborne, his body hurled violently across the space like a bullet as he took a direct hit in the guts, crashing into a pile of construction materials, steel and concrete collapsing around him as dust filled the air.
"I'm gonna break you, limb by limb." Heracles scoffed as he walked toward him, cracking his knuckles one by one. His expression was filled with smug confidence as he watched Ise crawl out of the rubble, armor scraped and dented as he grunted in pain while forcing himself back onto his feet.
From a distance, the rest of the Occult Research Club had seen everything. Several of them had already started to move, panic and anger flashing across their faces at the sight, but none of them made it more than a few steps, not because of the enemies that intended to get in their way…
But because of a deafening roar tore through the battlefield, a sound so overwhelming that it drowned out the clash of magic and steel entirely. It was a deep, draconic bellow that reverberated through the air and shook the surrounding buildings, forcing both sides to halt as heads turned skyward in unison.
There, cutting through the night sky, was a massive black, shadowy wyvern, its huge wings beating with immense power as it descended toward the battlefield. Radiantly glowing patterns that ran along its dark scales cast an eerie light over the streets and stunned faces below as it soared overhead, its presence alone enough to send a sense of unease through everyone watching.
But the shadow wyvern did not land, instead continuing forward into the night sky before suddenly vanishing altogether. Confused, Heracles was among the first to lower his gaze, and when he did, he found himself looking at another Issei Hyoudou, who stood between him and the one he had been fighting as if he had been there all along. Unlike Ise, he was not wearing his signature Scale Mail, bearing only the Boosted Gear on his left arm. His eyes glowed an ominous red as he returned Heracles' stare with a cold glare, which was extended to the other Heroes nearby when they finally saw him.
"Issei?" Ise called out, but the other Issei barely reacted as he started walking forward at an unhurried pace, his attention locked squarely on Heracles. The pressure in the air got heavier and heavier with each step he took, and several of the Heroes nearby instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons. Even the other Gremory and Sitri Peerage stiffened at the feeling, despite the strange sense of relief that washed over them at the arrival of the other Issei Hyoudou.
Just outside the battlefield, Sairaorg skidded to a stop, cracks spreading beneath his boots as he straightened and surveyed the enemy forces nearby with a sharp, assessing gaze, his eyes moving briefly across the Heroes, the Nilrem magicians, but he made no move to intervene. Instead, his focus returned to Issei, a deep instinct telling him that the Sekiryuutei from another world already had a firm grasp on the situation, and that stepping in now would only get in the way rather than help.
Behind Heracles, the two figures who had been observing from the rooftop finally made their move, leaving their spots to drop down to the street with casual ease. The spear-wielding young man wore a faint smirk on his face, while his companion had a more calculated look as they studied the newcomer, their expressions filled more with interest rather than concern, as if they were watching an unexpected development in a situation they still believed firmly under control.
"So the rumors are true. Everyone's saying that there is another Issei Hyoudou running around in the Underworld." The one in the Chinese hanfu attire said "And here I thought it was…"
"Which one of you is in charge?" Issei asked coldly, cutting the so-called Hero off before he could finish his speech.
"That depends." Heracles answered when Issei was only three steps away from him, his massive frame shifting slightly as he towered over the advancing newcomer, fist ready to take another swing as another a confident smirk had already formed on his face. "You might be looking at him right…"
But Heracles never got the chance to finish. Faster than almost every eye could, Issei coldly shot his hand out and clamped it over his face. What followed next was a sudden, but chilling display of absolute domination as Issei simply threw Heracles out of his way and down into the street at his feet. The impact was catastrophic for the Hero as the ground detonated beneath his head, stone and asphalt erupting outward in a violent eruption that sent debris flying in every direction and cracked the surrounding pavement like shattered glass while a shockwave swept through the area, forcing nearby Heroes and magicians to instinctively raise their hands to shield themselves from the dust and rubble that billowed out.
Finally, when it settled, Heracles lay motionless at the center of the crater, his massive body half buried and completely still, his presence snuffed out as abruptly as it had asserted itself moments earlier. The sight shocked all those who were watching, Sairaorg and Ise most of all, but Issei simply continued to advance forward without sparing Heracles a single glance, as if the Fallen Hero had been less than an inconvenience removed from his path.
"I'll ask again…" Issei continued coldly as his aura radiated more and more from his body with each step forward "Which one of you is in charge?"
"Cao Cao, wait!" The one wearing glasses called out as his companion took a confident step forward to face Issei, who also came to a final stop a few feet away from him as the two stood facing against each other almost in the center of the abandoned site.
"I believe that would be me." The young man, Cao Cao, introduced himself, almost smugly as he rested his arm at the ready on the spear on his shoulder. "I'm Cao Cao, leader of the Hero Faction. What business do you have with me then?"
Issei replied without hesitation "Simple. I want each and every one of you to surrender and turn yourself in."
For a brief moment, the battlefield seemed to hold its breath. Then Cao Cao let out a soft laugh, adjusting his grip on the spear in his hand as his eyes sharpened with interest, as if he found the demand Issei just gave him amusing.
"That is a bold demand." He said, glancing briefly at the crater behind Issei before looking back at him. "Especially from someone standing in the middle of a battlefield that is being controlled by us Heroes..."
"None of you here deserve to call yourself a Hero." Issei cut in coldly "You really think wearing the names of legendary heroes gives you the right to decide what's right and wrong, who's evil and who deserves to be wiped off the face of the world? No. All I see is a bunch of egotistical little shits drunk on their own righteousness, playing dress up with legends you've never earned."
He scoffed, a short, bitter sound as he let his gaze swept over them.
"You hide behind the word Hero because without it, you'd have to admit what you really are. A bunch of bullies, and above all, scums. You are nothing but a bunch of insecure brats who're just out here swinging some fancy toys around because you hate everything that doesn't fit your narrow view of the world."
"So I'll give you one chance." Issei carried on as he held up a finger. His voice was deadly calm, yet it carried a promise of violence beneath it. "Surrender, or I will make sure each and every one of you regret the choice that brought you here tonight, before me."
For a heartbeat, Cao Cao and the members of the Hero Faction just stared at him.
Then he snorted. The sound quickly turned into laughter, loud and unrestrained, echoing across the ruined site as he leaned slightly on his spear while shaking his head.
"Wow, that was… very dramatic. Almost poetic, even." Cao Cao said once he caught his breath, wiping at the corner of his eye, while some of the Heroes around him chuckled, mirroring their leader's reaction "So tell me, how exactly do you plan to do that? You and what army?"
There was no warning, no buildup, not even a chance for anyone to react. One moment Issei was standing still, the next he was already in front of Cao Cao, moving faster than the eye could track. The moment the words finished leaving his mouth, Issei swung his hand out and backhanded Cao Cao across the face with devastating force, snapping his head violently to the side as his body was sent flying like a ragdoll across the battlefield. The impact alone kicked up a shockwave that rattled the surrounding structures, and Cao Cao's spear slipped from his grasp in the same instant, torn free by the sheer force of the blow.
In the same motion, Issei twisted his body, caught the spear and hurled it after him. Cao Cao slammed into a steel beam with such force that the metal bent inward under the impact, the sound ringing sharply across the battlefield. Before his mind could even register what just happened, the spear struck him, impaling his shoulder and pinning him hard against the twisted beam, the force of it driving the air from his lungs and sending a sharp pain tearing through his body.
Georg, the spectacled hero standing with Cao Cao and Heracles, could only look on in utter shock and horror. Slowly, he turned his head around and looked at Issei, who remained standing in the spot with the same posture as if what he just did took no effort at all.
"Attack him!" Georg roared, his voice carrying across the battlefield as he leaped back from Issei, his body moving almost instinctively as he realized just how dangerous this Issei Hyoudou was. "What are you all standing there for?! Advance! Kill him!"
The Hero Faction and Nilrem surged forward in response to the command. Magic circles flared into existence across the field, layered and overlapping as magicians started casting their magic as Heroes charged forward. Dark creatures released guttural shrieks as they bounded ahead of the formation, claws gouging into the earth as they rushed toward the lone, solitary figure standing at the center.
"Rias!" Sona shouted, and across the battlefield, Ria turned her head toward her childhood friend and nodded her head in understanding.
"Everyone! With…"
"Wait!" Sairaorg shouted and shot a hand out to stop his cousin and her Peerage before any of them could charge forward, prompting the Sitri to immediately stop in their steps. At once, they all turned to him in confusion, but Sairaorg didn't say another word, his eyes continued to stay fixed on Issei as the other young man continued to stand his ground.
He could finally sense them. Like an ocean that no longer chose to remain perfectly still beneath a thin layer of ice.
As the first wave of dark creatures closed the distance, a horned beast with elongated limbs lunged ahead of the others toward Issei, its claws aiming for his throat. Others followed close behind, ready to tear him apart before the Heroes even arrived.
"If this is your choice, then so be it."
Only when it was nearly within reach did the Sekiryuutei from another world finally speak, his voice low but carried clearly despite the chaos around him.
"Come."
In less than a heartbeat, darkness burst outward from beneath his feet, racing across the battlefield in every direction. It swallowed stone, dirt, and blood alike, flattening into a vast, inky surface that erased the natural contours of the terrain. The charging creatures did not even have time to react before blades, spears, halberds and pikes erupted upward, impaling clean through the front line of dark creatures mid-stride just before they could reach Issei. Bodies jerked violently when dark steel tore through flesh and bone, with many being lifted entirely off the ground as they were impaled through torsos and limbs before they could complete their leaps.
What came next was unlike anything Ise and the others had ever witnessed. The other Occult Research Club, Sairaorg Bael, the Sitri Peerage, even the Hero Faction and the magicians of Nilrem could only watch as the battlefield transformed in the span of seconds. One moment Issei Hyoudou was standing alone at the center of the darkened field, with shadow weapons still embedding in the ground and in the bodies of those they had struck. The next instance, humanoid and beastly, monstrous figures began to tear themselves free from the darkness one after another, their forms solidifying as they rose and wrenched their weapons loose from the corpses they had impaled.
Tempest was the first to take to the air, his spear cutting through the wind as he drove upward and forward, leading the aerial troops in a sharp advance over the battlefield. Bahamut hauled his massive frame up from the darkness soon after, claws digging into the shadowed surface before he spread his wings to their full span. The motion displaced the air around him in a heavy rush, and his roar reverberated across the battlefield in a deep, resonant wave that forced more than a few of the charging fighters to stop in order to steady themselves.
Several never recovered, however, as the berserker troops struck at that exact moment, with Vulcan and Asterius leading the charge at the forefront. Both released raw, thunderous battlecries as they slammed into the stunned front line, the force breaking the enemy formation while many were sent flying even before their weapons started smashing down and away those who were too slow to raise a defense, forcing others to retreat back in fear of the two muscled behemoths.
In the span of a few seconds, an army of shadows numbering in the hundreds took shape behind Issei with his commander Gladio standing steadfast at his side, both hands resting on the pummel of his sword while Glacia hovered directly over his head, her Staff of Avarice unleashing a steady but cold, chilling aura. The sheer scale of the Shadow Army silenced the entire battlefield, leaving even the most seasoned warriors to stand rooted in place as the oppressive presence of the newly formed force pressed down on them.
"Let's start."
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 54