"Ddraig"
"ugghhhh" I moaned at the heavy dizziness that overtook my senses. Samuel's poison sure was something.
"Ddraig," Ophis somehow remained stoic as she poked my side, further compounding the pain from the poison coursing through my veins.
"Wh-what is it Ophis? Where are we..." I gasp out, fighting with all my might to retain consciousness. I'm not going to lose to some goddamn dragon killing poison.
"You are too weak."
"…" I can't really say anything. She's right. I am too weak. A failure of a Sekiryuutei, a failure of a comrade…a failure of a hero of the children- that is all I am. At the very least, I'm damn sure I managed to kill Shalba with my Longinus smasher…
"So he is~"
"Q"
A weird man in red pajamas begins to prod at my body.
"And please, these pajamas are the uniform of the great Starfleet; this one being that of a fleet admiral. Damn, humans of this reality really suck."
[?] He can read my mind? Was he a god from another mythology?
'Ddraig? Can you hear me?'
"He can't hear you- he's expended most of his pitiful energy trying to save your soul. Ughhh, and I'm not a god; don't lump me with those idiots."
The man finishes his prodding and instead begins to brush his 'uniform'.
"You are interesting though, interesting enough to have drawn me to this shitty universe. So…I think I might help you. I mean, who would pass up the chance to help the Oppai Dragon? This has to be the best entertainment I've had in millennia!"
""…"" Both Ophis and I stare at Q with incredulous looks. This guy is insane.
"Wellll, I guess it isn't as fun as messing with Janeway or Picard, but eh, you'll do~"
Q snaps his fingers and a banjo band snaps into existence.
"So congratulations! You have the assistance of a Q."
I tried to roll my eyes.
"Hmm, so, I'll just restore your body to its original condition."
"Wh-wha, you can actually do that?" Maybe this crazy weird man could help me after all.
"Of course… but there will be a price to pay. Something interesting; how bout in exchange for restoring you, I erase a few of your memories?"
"Why do you want to erase my memories?"
"To spice things up of course; not to mention, I'll give you a teennny-tiny bit of power to sweeten the deal. Just enough power to break all the seals stupid Yahweh put on your beloved partner."
[You…you are greater than even the Infinite and the Dream]
Ophis and I continue to stare at Q and his banjo band, now in awe. Was this man really that powerful that he even surpassed the Infinite Ophis?
"Aww, you're making me blush Ddraig. When'd you wake up? Thought you'd be completely out from all that power you spend saving your partner. All well."
[Partner, you don't have to accept Q's offer. Ophis and Great Red are capable of creating a body for your soul]
"But can they give you the unleashed power of the Red Emperor Dragon? Or even a taste of the power of a Q?"
[Don't listen to him Issei, don't fall for his-]
I groaned with effort to stand; my body was finally at its last stages of deterioration. Soon my balance breaker armor would be all that was left of me.
"Q, will this strength be enough to defeat Cao Cao? Will it be enough defeat any enemy that tries to destroy peace?"
"…" Ophis is still silent, her eyes quietly boring into Q.
"Yes," Q gave a sly grin as he took a step in my direction. "You'll have more strength than any in this universe if you are able to tame it. You can bring change to the world- damn that bastard Picard is starting to rub off on me…"
[…Partner…]
"Ddraig, Ddraig, I haven't forgotten you. Would it make you feel better if I sent Issei back in time so that you'd never be known as the Oppai dragon?"
[ugghhhhhhh- this temptation! I'm too depressed for this shiitttt]
"Ddraig…"
[I'm always trying to help you! And the only thing I have to show for it is for ME, the Red EMPEROR dragon to be reduced to a perverted fetish!]
"Uh…wow, you guys have some issues to hammer out," Q laughs. "So, what do you say? Will you take my extremely generous offer?"
[I'll never forgive youuuuuu Iseiiiii! Even the eternal beings of other dimensions laugh at mee! Why does it have to be me... why…. *tears*]
"I guess I'll fix your dragon for you too… so, how about it? Do you accept?"
I sigh; the last of my body has disintegrated into nothingness. Ophis continues to watch us silently while Ddraig continues his hysterics. Great Red, who's back we're all on, continues to lazily swim through the Dimensional gap. There doesn't seem to be too much of a choice. Ddraig is mentally unstable, and the thought of gaining strength for such a small price was alluring. Maybe now I'd be able to protect my friends. What's a couple memories or an arm if it means my friends won't have to suffer again?
"Q… I accept with one condition."
Q puts on a mocking expression of surprise, "Has Issei finally grown a pair of brain cells to rub together? I will fulfill your condition. So be it."
With that, Q snapped his fingers and everything went white.
000
"[WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP I'M GOING TO K-KISS YOU…]"
I moaned as I pulled myself out of bed. Why was the alarm clock set so fucking early?
[Ah, good morning partner]
"Ddraig…what happened?"
[You accepted Q's offer; I hope you are ready to face the consequences]
As I stumbled towards the bathroom (I'm not a morning person), it suddenly hit me.
"What kind of consequences?" I ask Ddraig as I begin my (admittedly uncoordinated) morning routine of smearing toothpaste all over my face with my toothbrush. All well, there's bound to be some toothpaste that actually ends up on my teeth. I'm too lazy to care.
[For one, we have travelled back in time. A couple of months, not exactly sure how long]
"Damn…" I was off the last of the toothpaste from my face and begin to change into my uniform.
[Yeah, it's pretty scary, especially since you've retained your body]
"Wait, so how does causality play into all of this? Won't we be creating paradoxes if we even the smallest details are changed? Never mind a huge one like me being a couple months older?"
As I button up my shirt, Ddraig replies, […Q wasn't joking when he said he made you smarter. Your aura and body are also much more powerful now]
[And don't worry about paradoxes or the butterfly effect, Q has ensured that much]
I finally finish knotting my tie, "How about my evil pieces and Ascalon?"
I really hope that I've kept most, if not all my power. Q did say he would make me strong, but I'm not completely convinced yet.
[You have your dragon-slayer, but your evil pieces have been…removed]
"…Removed? So I can't use my Illegal Triennia-"
So there's the catch. Of course Q wouldn't just hand everything to me on a silver plate…
[You won't need it. Q has kept his promise- he has made quite you strong. Your Balance Breaker is able to give you the full power of the Sekiryuutei]
I stop in my tracks.
"What?!"
[Not only that, but the power of the Vanishing Dragon as well. He has essentially made it so that when you go into your Balance Breaker, you have the power of the two heavenly dragons in their prime]
I…I have twice the power of beings that rival even the gods?! How can this be… Even Cao Cao won't be able to face me so easily now.
[*sigh* But that is not all. Parts of your memory have been sealed as per the agreement you made with Q. He's made it so that you'll be able to regain some memories through certain triggers but some are completely gone]
A few memories are a small price to pay for this kind of strength. Plus, I don't feel like I'm missing anything.
[The memories he has sealed all pertain to Rias, her peerage, and most of the factions of Heaven and the Underworld. The bastard also erased some of my memory on those subjects…]
"Who's Rias?"
[Oh dear fuck…]
I give my right arm a weird look. Was this Rias person important?
[… anyhow…take this]
Suddenly, an ornate wooden box the size of a thick book appears on my arm.
"Is…is this what I think it is?"
[Yes. Now put in into a dimension for safekeeping. Looks like you're really late for school; should've set that alarm clock earlier]
[No need to have Issei worry about the fact that he's been out cold for the past three days… After this morning, he's going to have to deal with the girls, whether he remembers or not, considering they live here… I hope his memory triggers well]
o.0.o
Calculus, chemistry, literature, world history: everything's suddenly so easy. I stare in fascination at my own notes and solution sets. Q has definitely worked a miracle here.
[I can't believe it. My power idiot Issei actually has a brain now! At the very least, we can thank Q for that]
'Shut up' I grumble as I breeze through my classwork, but Ddraig isn't wrong. At this rate, I may even end up taking top marks in the class! The bell rings and I happily pile up my notes, confident in my academics for the first time in my life.
"Hey, Buchou is looking for you"
I can't believe it. The pretty boy of the school is actually talking to me? And who's this buchou?
[Oh shit, if that didn't trigger it…]
"Uh, what Buchou?" I ask ignoring Ddraig's distressed mutters as I stand near the door of the classroom with the school's number one prince.
"Is this some kind of joke Issei-kun? Rias-Buchou wants to see you since you've recovered. We were all worried about you…"
[Rias, partner. Ring a bell? Love of your life? Buchou?]
Wh-what, was I close to this Rias?
"Umm, where can I find her?" I reluctantly ask the pretty boy, even as girls around us whisper threats behind my back about how I shouldn't corrupt their Prince Charming and what not.
"Are you serious? She's at the clubroom- did you hit your head during the Rating game?"
Kiba, instead of looking frustrated, seems worried. Was I on friendly terms with the Prince of Khou academy?!
[I-I can't stand this any longer- Kiba, Issei has suffered some… memory loss. Please lead him to the clubroom]
Kiba looks even more worried now, but he accepts Ddraig's explanation and leads me to the old school building.
o.0.o
"Buchou, here's Issei-kun"
I followed Kiba hesitantly into the 'Occult Research Clubroom'.
"Isseiiiii!" A gorgeous blonde and Akeno, one of the school's onne-samas rushed to give me a hug. Their rather considerable breasts were squishing me from all sides; what a nice sensation.
Wait… Akeno…the… the Priestess of Lightning! I remember now! She's a comrade, half-fallen half-human. And the blonde, she's Asia, a former nun with the Twilight Healing sacred gear who was saved from the fallen angel Raynare-
Raynare…my first girlfriend…she manipulated me, manipulated my heart: I truly loved her and she jus- NO! I can't think like that, I-I need to forget that- purge that from my memory- wh-whyyy, why am I remembering her- her of all…
[Partner-PARTNER! Grab a hold of yourself; don't let your emotions overwhelm you. There is no fear of the Juggernaut Drive, but you still may accidentally activate your Balance Breaker. And with your newfound power… that would be disastrous]
"Issei…"
Both Asia and Akeno have let go of me, their eyes widened with fear. Everyone in the clubroom has taken a couple steps back. Am I really that scary?
[Partner! You need to forget about that damned Fallen angel bitch! Ughh, I think Q amplified emotions attached to your sealed memories.]
000
Q Continuum Entertainment Room for Q's exclusive use only (Yeah I'm talking to you Q junior)
"He-he, when I increased that poor dragon's IQ (heh, to about 150?), I also had a little fun with his foundational critical thinking skills…he'll draw the conclusions I want him to draw. Our hero can't just cakewalk over the opposition now can he? A little drama spices up anything~"
"You're such an asshole Q," grumbles Picard, who's sitting across from Q eating popcorn. Nevertheless, both of them were engrossed by the action on the holoscreen.
000
FLASHBACK (Vol. 10, Life 2)
"…Hey, Ise."
"Y-Yes…"
"…To you, 'what' am I? 'Who' am I?"
I don't get the meaning of this question.. But, to me…..
"….Ummm, to me Buchou is Buchou and-"
The moment I said that.
"-! Baka!"
She scolds me mixed with a sound of her crying. Buchou rushes away from the spot, and she left the clubroom.
"Rias-oneesama!"
Asia goes after Buchou.
Asia turns to me after she reaches the door. Her eyes…are soaked with tears. Why is Asia crying…?
"Ise-san! You are horrible! It's too much! Why can't you…..! Why can't you understand Onee-sama's feelings!?"
Saying that, Asia goes after Buchou.
Having Asia also say that to me, I just stood there dumbfounded.
….Wa, wait a sec! What's the meaning of this!? Why is Asia also mad at me!?
"That wasn't right, Ise-kun."
Kiba makes a sigh.
"….N-not right as in what?"
"That, precisely. Geez, you are so….. I can understand very well what the girls are going through."
"Exactly. It's natural for Rias and Asia-chan to get mad."
Akeno-san also sounded mad. Even Akeno-san….?
"Even I, who is dense at these sorts of things thought you were a bit off, Ise."
Even Xenovia looks at me with her eyes half-closed!
"Mou! Ise-kun, sure is a no-no! Poor Rias-san!"
Even Irina was mad.
"….You are the worst."
Ooooooo! I just received the coldest "You are the worst" quote from Koneko-chan!
I don't know what I did wrong! I just don't know! To begin with, maybe I should go after her?
I tried to leave, but I was stopped by Akeno-san.
"The current Ise-kun will just hurt her more even if you go after her, so don't."
…..Seriously?
Is it that serious? B-But….. It's my fault right? My fault…
I really don't know.
No, I actually have a 'maybe' kind of guess, but inside me that possibility is very unlikely…..
It's basically impossible, that's why I don't understand….. Shit! I started to get confused even more thinking about it!
"…Hey, Gasper. Am I really bad here?"
I asked my junior. Gya-suke says it in apologetic manner while twitching his body.
"…Umm…. Yes, I think you are very bad….."
Even Gasper says that to me!
I felt down. –Then Ravel asks while panicking.
"U-Umm…..this is my mother and my fault, right…? I'm sorry…."
Is it…Ravel's fault? It seemed like Buchou tried to leave after the communication between the Phoenix mother and child…
Akeno-san places her hand on Ravel's shoulders.
"Ravel-chan doesn't have to worry about it. Ise-kun's the most at fault here because he never tried to think about the crucial thing between Rias and himself until now."
Akeno-san cheers her up like that, and she started to prepare for tea after urging Ravel to sit on the sofa.
It looks like I'm the biggest villain here.
END FLASHBACK
000
"Rias" I say simply, not a drip of emotion in my voice.
"I remember Raynare. I remember you."
[How did you project that memory onto everyone? Is it really that powerful of a memory-?]
"You all are really just selfish in the end. You did not care for me." My voice is a monotone at this point. The pain of…betrayal and heartbreak has overwhelmed whatever vocal expression I tried to muster.
"Of course not. I'm just the stupid, perverted Oppai dragon, eh?"
""""…""""
"Your personal pet to play with. Not your peer, not your comrade, no, just a pet. That is what I am to all of you."
"I'm just an attack dog you keep on a little leash made of false affection and cute words. I really was stupid. I can't dispute that."
"Sue me, I was a fucking idiot. Ignorance is bliss right? Yet you still blamed me, still dog piled on to me when I clumsily tried to please you to the best of my ability. I put you above all else. I really was a fucking idiot."
[Your memories are incomplete Partner; you are obviously missing pieces cruci-]
"Stay out of this Ddraig" I grit out. Even my partner…
"I don't even know why I bother…" I whisper, slinking to the floor. The clubroom is dead silent.
You've finally realized it, haven't you oh great Red Dragon Emperor
"Raynare!" I feebly gasp. My vision is blurry- I vaguely sense the club members rushing about, perhaps to get that old bastard Azazel.
Those devils, of course they act out of selfishness. That's their nature after all. Especially when they can bring the idiotic, yet so powerful Sekiryuutei under their thumb
I-I can't breathe… I thought she was dead- is this a fragment of my memory-?
At least I was honest with you. In the end, I told you my intentions. This Rias however- she claims you as her own but never gives you any of what you desire. What a selfish princess.
I claw at the ghost that haunts me, but there is no escape.
Your dream, to become a harem-king was it? You thought you could fulfill that as a low-class devil? Promotion? Please, in the last hundred years, only one has been promoted. Yet even you finally understand that your dream was merely a construct of your desperation
She manipulated you from the very beginning you know? She knew the Grigori were after you. She knew I would kill you that day. She manipulated the variables so that she'd be able to swoop in and take you as her 'dearest' pawn. She's no better than Diadora. She didn't even try to save you from death.
And to think you even dreamed that Rias genuinely loved you. How absurdly naïve. Maybe she loved the power of the dragon within you. But even the Sekiryuutei is, in the end, a reincarnated, low-class devil. You can never truly advance in such a rigid caste system as that of the devils.
So what will you fight for! You have been given strength, strength to change the world. Will you unite the oppressed and throw down their chains! Lend strength to those who have none!? Or will you serve as a lapdog, forever a slave to your master's whims?
Just like that, Raynare disappears, and I collapse on the floor.
A/N: EDIT: Just to clarify: I do not hate Rias... and she will be an integral part of the story.
Beyond that, IF Rias does end up being with Issei, it'll be a longgg ways off.