"If I recall… there were safety concerns?" She finished the last part questioningly.
Sirzechs smiled thinly.
"Yes, you could say that. When we made arrangements to have you stay here, we made sure to position you in territory that wasn't under the direct influence of human organizations. With the Yokai Faction acting as landlords, we wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any chances that one of those human tyrants would see you or Sona as targets."
Rias pursued her lips.
Human Tyrants.
Otherwise known as Godslayers in japan… but abbroad they were referred to by another name.
"Campione?"
Sirzechs nodded.
"You could call them the natural enemies… or perhaps apex predators of the human world. Unlike those of us who originate from other planes of existence, a Campione is an originally human existence that claims dominion over this world. Do you recall why?"
The younger devil recalled what she knew.
Campione, the god slayers. Beings who through chance, luck, or a combination of factors, achieved an impossible victory over a god and usurped their powers for themselves. The natural enemies of the Heretic Gods. As there were few who had any interest in the human world nowadays beyond private business, it wasn't wrong to consider them the tyrants who ruled the human world from behind the scenes.
As a member of the Gremory family, she was made quite aware of the danger they could pose. Especially if she were away from her proper territory, in a land where her family couldn't immediately come to her aid.
But really, why was this coming up now of all times?
"You think one of these Campione is headed here?" It was the reasonable assumption to make. If he were talking to her about them now.
"We believe they already are."
Rias went silent for a second as her mind caught up to what her brother said.
That… wasn't what she expected.
"Will that be a problem?"
"At present we are unsure. The appearance of a Heretic God is an omen for the arrival of a Campione. Whether the one we discovered was slain by one of the six we know of, or gave birth to a 7th… we cannot know until they show themselves." The one who answered was Grayfia, her sister-in-law speaking for the first time since arriving.
Her brother sighed.
"Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?"
The maid stared at him impassively.
"You would have sugar coated it. This is a serious concern, and we are here to warn you that until we know more about the situation it would be better to keep a low profile."
A low profile?
That was… doable.
Rias didn't have to like it though.
When she came back from visiting home earlier, it was with the expectation that she would have some time left to enjoy herself before classes started again. A month just wasn't enough for her to do all the things she wanted, especially once Sona got back.
And now she had to bury her head in the sand until this supposed Campione wasn't around anymore?
"And are you sure whoever this is… is still around?"
Sirzechs sighed, pinching his brow.
"Really, if they were nearby it wouldn't be that much of a problem. A Campione's presence is, frankly, striking. Anyone would know immediately who they were once they got close enough. Those of non-human origin, even more so."
So they wouldn't be sure who this person was until they were close?
"There is a chance that they have already left, but just to be sure, I'd say you should keep away from the public until school is back."
Rias wanted to argue.
Really, weren't they blowing this out of proportion?
Despite being an island country, there were a lot of people and a lot of places in Japan that could be of more interest than her town. If these godslayers were out and about causing mischief, surely they would have heard something about it by now, right?
It wasn't like any of these human tyrants had any reason to come to Kuoh.
Right?
Dark.
Cold.
Weightless.
Issei's mind told him he was floating through the vacuum of space.
His body, such as it was, was simply experiencing an overwhelming sense of tiredness keeping him still. So he drifted through the currents without the strength to so much as open his eyes; giving the boy time for his mind to slowly but surely claw its way back to a firmer consciousness.
Ever so slowly providing the answers to what happened.
He was dead.
Well, pretty sure he was dead after what happened.
The chase all over the ship, Dusa-chan's rampage, his last ditch effort that somehow managed to catch her in the best possible spot. And then the conversation they had as both lay bleeding out. If this was something he was reading about and not living through, Issei would have called it a nice death, a good way to send them off and take down the bad guy.
It sounded heroic.
But this wasn't a game. It wasn't a movie, or even a comic.
This was reality.
And the reality of it was that Issei failed. In the end, there was no other way he could describe what happened on that ship. No other way he could describe it than a horrible tragedy that came for them all, killing almost everything and leaving only him and a couple others behind.
Ultimately, he supposed, not even him.
'It was a bad plan, really. I hope Joan and the others are found quickly.'
If that had really been the real Dusa-chan, she'd have turned into stone at the sight of her own face and everyone else would have been freed. It was at least one of the possible endings he recalled.
But it didn't work.
And now he was dead.
'And I can't even see mom and dad.' Talk about disappointment. Issei forced a laugh, but it was weak, warbling, even in his own mind.
One way or another he was hoping he might have been able to be with them again.
That Shidou guy always went on and on about how God watched over and cared about everyone equally, that there was a place for… good people. Mom and Dad were good people. Sure, they yelled at him sometimes, and it hurt when they chewed him out for his desires. But they cared!
'I promise, God, they care. They want what's best for me!'
There was no voice, his mouth, if it even really existed, could make no sound. And yet his heart ached with the need to cry out. To swear that it was all true!
A moment or two later, chest aching - differently to… before - he calmed and stilled.
Deep down, Issei figured that if Shidou was right, He could overlook all the illegal downloads he made for his games.
That would sure be a stupid way to get kicked out of heaven.
Unfortunately the joke failed to make the aching in his chest any better. His body now just felt numb aside from that terrible, bitter sting of failure.
'No.'
A pinprick formed.
'Wait.'
There was something else there.
A feeling of something hot spiraling out from where his heart should be and a strange sense of awareness speaking from… the center of himself. Trying to grasp the confusing sensations, Issei felt himself being pulled, almost dragged out from where he was; like a fish on a hook, a rush of movement bringing him back to the waking world with a start.
He blinked, slowly.
'Light?'
There was light shining onto him from above. It felt warm, strange. His skin tingled, something prickling him through the back of his shirt and pants.
'It smells like grass.' Fingers twitching, the sensation of the ground beneath Issei spread through his body as the numb feeling was driven back and life flowed back into his limbs. Tired as they felt. Painful as they felt. At least he felt like he was alive again.
There was also… something soft?
Like a pillow, something was holding his head above ground, the scent of flowers stirring Issei as he blinked the fuzziness away.
Only to realize it wasn't just a pillow.
Drop some power stone guys👍😅🙄