Issei is NOT a normal human. I repeat, he is NOT an ordinary human. He is just "unaware".
My ending author's note will talk a bit about what the titles mean, such as [Embodiment of Chaos] XX. I already have most, if not all of the main characters "endgame" titles as well as abilities. A character in this chapter will explain it briefly. The side characters are flexible, depending on which of the two directions I wish for this story to go.
I will not be sharing the two endings until much later in the story.
Without further ado, here is the final part of the "Prologue".
I will have an Opening at the beginning of Chapter 4, similar to most animes.
Midnight Sun
Chapter 3
History of the World
Inside of the Student Council room were seven people.
Issei was alone on his side, looking back at the six perhaps most popular people within Kuoh Academy. Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima were due to their natural beauty, Sona was the Student President, Tsubaki was the Vice-President, Kiba was called the Prince of Kuoh, and Koneko was supposedly the school's mascot due to her cuteness.
"Devils...?" He tested the words on his tongue as a question.
"Yes." Rias Gremory nodded. "We are Devils." Two bat-like wings spread out behind her, Akeno, Kiba and Koneko following their lead and spreading their own wings. Sona and Tsubaki did not bother to show their wings, choosing to remain still in their seats.
Issei shook his head. "Why this interest in me now of all times?"
"Because we just recently sensed this power from you." Rias said bluntly. "We wanted to reach you before the other powers did."
Akeno giggled. "It's thanks to Koneko here." She patted the short first-year. "Without Koneko's help, we would've missed you."
Koneko shivered as she glanced at Issei. She shrunk away from the shadows, as if they were dangerous. She made sure to stay in the brightest part of the room.
Sona continued. "Before we continue with what we intended, we would like to give you a little history. It's a history that concerns everything within this world."
"In the beginning, there was nothing but Heaven and Earth. The two were connected and were never separable. Until one day, a star ruptured. The two inseparable worlds were suddenly split apart, bringing forth the dawn of a new age. Heaven became controlled by the Angels of the Heavens, while Earth became inhabited by mankind itself, in its purest form.
This peace however, did not last long. A few centuries after the rupture of Heaven and Earth, the first angel was cast down from Heaven. None know of his name, but he is most known as [Disgraced Devil]. People commonly associate [Disgraced Devil] with the [Lord of Wrath] Satan. But they are not the same entity. Soon after the fall of the [Disgraced Devil], seven others fell after him. They were named the Seven Sins, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. They were also known as the Seven Princes of Hell.
After that, the ones that fell from Heaven became disgraced Angels, or Fallen Angels. Unlike their former comrades who had wings of the purest white, their wings were of the darkest night. None know why after the first eight became Fallen Angels instead of Devils, but it mattered not. The first of the Angels to fall from paradise was [Watcher of God's Children] Azazel. Following him was [Oracle of Calamity] Shemhazai, then [Lightning of God] Baraqiel, and finally [Star of God] Kokabiel. These four are the original founders of the Grigori.
After these events had transpired, the once pure mankind was trapped between the Angels, Devils, and the Fallen Angels. While the Angels mostly stayed out of humanity's way in order for them to evolve and attain their salvation without any influence, the same cannot be said for the dwellers of the Underworld. The Devils and Fallen Angels sought out humanity, as they were unable to repopulate without the help of humans. While the Devils turned humanity from the path of God, the Fallen Angels bred with the humans, as well as convincing more of their former brethren to join them and to leave the paradise known as Heaven.
The Seven Princes of Hell, after the mysterious disappearance of [Disgraced Devil], who had seemingly been wiped from history, with only the oldest written text mentioning this being, created the Underworld, and with that, 72 families that would support and fight for the Underworld. They created the strongest of armies, a horde of demons meant to not only fight against the Angels, but to be opposites of the Angels, down to the very core. The Fallen Angels also had their own armies, either pure of half-Fallens, consisting of only the strongest of Fallen, each one of their spears rivaling even the strongest of mankind's weapons at the time.
The Angels at first, refused to fight the war against the two cast aside by the [Omnipotent God] himself, but when the threat against humanity was made, the Angels of the Heavens chose to be humanity's salvation. They clashed against the Devils and the Fallen. This battle between the three races continued for centuries, only ending because of each faction's retreat. The first to leave the battlefield were the Fallen Angels, led by Azazel. The Angels pulled out shortly afterwards, suffering many losses and intended to retreat to preserve their already dwindling numbers, as all Angels had fought, not just the Lord's Armies. So in hindsight, the victors of the Great War are Devils, who continued to fight.
However, after the conclusion of the Great War, and the Devils' ultimate victory, two sides began to fight. One side wished to continue the war, and to raze the ones that had oppressed them. The other wished for peace, and wanted to remain within the Underworld for the next century to regain their numbers that had already been hard to recover. Led by Sirzechs Gremory, Serafall Sitri, and Ajuka Astaroth, the rebellion against the original descendants of the Seven Princes was successful, repelling the influence of Katerea Leviathan, Creuserey Asmodeus, Rizevim Livan Lucifer, and...Shalba Beelzebub."
"Shalba Beelzebub..." Issei spoke for the first time in the brief History of the World that Sona had recounted.
"Yes, Shalba Beelzebub. The one you had to fight against, and you successfully repelled."
In an instant, Issei knew what had happened. Luna existence was hidden from them, and so was the arrival of that white armored celestial being. They believed he himself was able to drive off Shalba Beelzebub, who seemed to be so powerful from his standpoint, to the point of being able to overwhelm even Luna's overwhelming combat prowess.
"Anyway, after the defeat of the descendants of the Seven Princes themselves, the three leaders of the rebellion took their oppressors names. Sirzechs Gremory became [Wielder of the Abyssal Works] Sirzechs Lucifer, Serafall Sitri became Serafall Leviathan, and Ajuka Astaroth became Ajuka Beelzebub. The three of them continue to lead the Underworld today, two centuries after the rebellion they had led."
Sona sighed as she pushed her glasses against her face. "That is the history of how we were here. Humanity, Devils, Fallen, and the Angels."
Issei sat deep in thought. "I don't see how this history concerns me."
Yuuto clenched his fist. "Why you-"
Rias held up her hand, and Yuuto stopped. Rias did not say anything, and Sona continued. "You see, this story does concerns you. You are humanity. You are mankind. You are stuck between all three factions. After your victory against Shalba Beelzebub, beings from all sides will attempt to sway you, as despite his arrogance, he was still an Ultimate-Class Devil, one of the strongest ones in fact."
"We want to help. While you will have to join our side, we will unlock a power within you that has been locked away." Sona extended her hand. "What do you say, Hyoudou Issei?"
Issei frowned at their condition for unlocking his Sacred Gear. He opened his mouth, but a few moments of silence went by, before he spoke. "Am I allowed to summon my Sacred Gear before deciding whether to join your side?"
"Of course not." Rias started. "If that happened we may have to potentially put you down. I would rather not waste such a Sacred Gear." Akeno giggled at this, and looked at Issei with flushed cheeks.
"Very well." Rias and her peerage looked at Sona in shock. "I will allow you to decide while we are calling up your inner power."
She gestured for him to stand up. She pointed at another chair that was away from the group that he had not noticed. "Sit there and close your eyes."
He followed her instructions.
"Hold your arm up, and think of the strongest thing you can imagine."
He thought of Luna, before his mind protested, switching to the being covered in the white celestial armor. He focused on the way he descended onto the mortal plane. He thought of the kick he had done against Shalba Beelzebub, and how powerful it was to crush the wind around him.
"Now replicate what you just imagined."
He did not do the descending the being that had called itself Vali did. It was impossible to copy the way he came down from seemingly the Heavens. He was simply not powerful enough to copy that action.
But he attempted to copy the kick that Vali had done. He remembered the motion, from when he dragged Shalba around the field, before soaring into the air and kicking him back down to the Earth. He grunted as he did a spin, kicking outwards as he did.
He opened his eyes, and there was no apparent change to him.
"...What?" Sona questioned, speechless.
"No Sacred Gear?" Yuuto muttered.
"To defeat Shalba without even a Sacred Gear?" Akeno cocked her head to the side. "That's amazing."
"So...what happened?" Issei asked Sona. "Am I not able to awaken my Sacred Gear?"
"No...you did it all correctly. You do not have a Sacred Gear. This power I'm feeling from you...is your actual power." Sona sighed.
Issei blinked in confusion. "But I'm a human."
"So you are." Sona nodded at him agreeing with the statement he had just made.
"Sona, you can't honestly believe what he is saying, can you?" Rias stood up as she slammed her palm against the table. "It is clear he isn't a human to hold that kind of power that can even terrify Koneko."
Sona looked back and saw said girl. She was still as a statue, her amber eyes watching Issei's every move. A single movement from the brown-haired boy would caused her to tense up and give out a low hiss.
"I believe we are done here Hyoudou-san." The Student President bowed to Issei. "Thank you for your cooperation, and I apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused in our own curiosity."
He shook his head. "No, it's fine. I hope you managed to get what you were looking for."
He walked out, and the moment the door shut, Tsubaki exhaled, and shivered.
"Tsubaki, what did you manage to find?"
She took off her blue-rimmed glasses and shook her head. "I couldn't identify it. No matter how deep I tried to pry, I couldn't get any information out of him. Absolutely nothing. All I was able to find out about him was the things we researched about him in the school file. We know nothing else of him."
"What we do know is that Grayfia may be withholding some information." Rias nodded. "It's her duty as the Head Maid of Gremory to report back to me. I will be able to get it out of her."
"Ah, she lives with Issei does she not?"
Rias nodded in reply. "Yes. She cannot disobey me as I am the Princess of the Gremory. We will get answers on what Issei is. To be able to defeat Shalba with no Sacred Gear, but believing himself to be human."
"Rias, what if there is a logical explanation for all of this. Say something like, a split personality?"
The red-haired girl blinked in confusion. "A split personality? As in two people with the same body?"
Sona shrugged at her response. "I suppose you can say that. I believe his second personality took over in his fight against Shalba, which meant that he doesn't remember how he defeated Shalba, only that he managed to beat him."
"I don't think that's how a split personality works Sona." Akeno spoke up.
"It is the most logical reason." Sona shot back. "He clearly does not have a Sacred Gear, nor does he have a clue how much power he has. There is no reason for someone to not know their power after encountering an Ultimate-class Devil and defeating them."
Rias pondered. "What if he didn't defeat Shalba? What if someone else had helped Issei and wiped his memories of it?"
All of them froze as the two different theories both made a lot of sense. Issei was a human, according to him, allowing any supernatural creature to have utmost control over his mind. As Issei is a human, he may also have a normal human disorder.
"We must keep an eye on him." Rias stated. "I believe Tsubaki and Koneko should both do it. As both of them use Senjutsu, it'll allow them to evaluate Issei's mental state."
Both of them nodded in agreement.
"It's settled." Sona nodded. "Let us get back to school."
School ended, and Issei walked out. He was immediately able to spot someone that was different from the ordinary people.
His silver eyes met with Issei's own chocolate brown.
He let out a smirk as he walked to him.
Girls swooned over him as he walked with confidence. He glanced around him with an annoyed look, but the girls took no notice of it. They continued to watch him walk with a confidence that no human could potentially have.
Issei knew who he was. He wore a green high collared leather jacket, opened in the middle to reveal his grey shirt underneath. He wore a pair of slim burgundy pants with chains hanging from his waistband.
"You are Vali, the one from the other day?"
Vali nodded.
"Indeed I am. We should head somewhere that is more private, no?"
He looked around, before saying, "Let's head to my house. It's private, and Luna is there right now. My caretaker will not be home until a couple of hours later, she's currently having a meeting with the other staff of Kuoh."
He nodded. "Then lead us there, Squire of the Dragon Knight."
Issei glanced at him, before nodding.
"I was expecting something more grand. Something more fitting of a Knight, then this ordinary looking house." He stated bluntly, almost mocking him had Issei not noticed his impassive tone, stating he cared not for the appearance, but what was inside.
"This is what I'm living with."
"Is your caretaker not Grayfia Lucifuge? Why would she allow you to live in such a cramped area?"
Issei realized something he had never known before Vali had told him. "Lucifuge is her last name? I never knew that..."
He blinked. "You never knew the Maid of Gremory's full name before? Even I know her name, and I am one of her enemies."
"Maid of Gremory? Isn't Gremory the last name of Rias?"
Vali sighed as he ran his hand through his silver hair. "Rias Gremory, the Princess of the Underworld, Heir of the Gremory. She is most known throughout the Underworld as a beautiful young woman with her crimson hair. However, little know that she is already engaged with Raiser Phenex, a well-known Devil by his power in Rating Games."
"Engaged? Isn't she only 18?"
Vali nodded. "And what of it? She knew what she was born into."
Issei sighed. "She should've had a choice in this."
The silver-eyed male sighed. "I have no intention to continue this foolish talk with a...human." He said the last word with a sneer, almost as if he were mocking the things that Issei had said about himself.
"Please come in." Issei unlocked the door and stepped inside, not being a gentleman and opening the door for Vali.
He scoffed at Issei's actions, and walked in, looking around. He analyzed the interior, noting that it was an ordinary home from the inside as well. He kept track of the windows in the living room, knowing that he would need to cross at least twelve meters.
"Please call down the Dragon Knight."
Vali crashed down onto the sofa, causing it to creak. Vali looked at Issei expectedly, and Issei shook his head in annoyance. He had only seen the guy for at most an hour, and he was already annoying with his antics.
He was about to knock on his door after walking up, but the door opened from the inside.
"I am here." Luna only wore one of his bigger hoodies. He didn't dare try to peep what else was under the hoodie, for fear of what she would do, even if she did not think of herself as a woman. "Who is this strong presence I feel in our house?"
He took notice of her use of "our", which practically said that she will be staying and defending the house with potentially her life.
Dragons were known for their greed, as well as their foolishness. That was what got both the [Dragon of Entropy] Albion and [Dragon of Potential] Y Ddraig Goch killed.
His eyes widened as this thought just entered his head. He frowned at this, but replied to the white-haired woman that was standing so close to him, he was able to smell the shower smell still on her.
"Follow me down." He replied to her, but did not answer her question.
When Luna caught sight of him, she froze.
"You are...the one who saved me against that...magician." She spat out the last bit, but the rest of her statement was in surprise.
"Oh? You are able to finally recognize my presence after being close to it?" He nodded in approval. "That is good. That makes introduction a bit simpler. My name is Vali, and I am the one who assisted you in the defeat against the Devil named Shalba Beelzebub."
"Devil...?" She cocked her head.
"Demons of the Underworld essentially." Vali gave a single short statement to explain.
"The only Demons I knew were those Unknown from the Chaos Gate..." She muttered, her amber eyes getting lost, before they refocused.
"Chaos Gates." He exhaled harshly. "Is that the connection between your world and this?"
She shook her head. "No. Chaos Gates are gateways to the End of the World. I am not sure if it is the same as this 'Underworld' you speak of."
Vali sighed and he crossed his arms. He looked pointedly at Issei. "I suppose the sister of the Leviathan gave you a brief history of the world?"
The way Vali had said it, it didn't hold the same meaning as the way Sona said it.
Issei assumed Sona was this sister of the Leviathan. "Yes, I suppose she did. She only talked about the first Devils and the first Fallen Angels. She also spoke about of the coming of the families of the Underworld, and the Devil's Rebellion."
He nodded. "That will suffice for the Devil's portion." He rose his hand, and a magic seal appeared. It disappeared too quickly for Issei's to look at the symbol at the center of the seal. All Issei was able to see was the silver color.
"This is just to prevent anyone from walking in without my permission. None will be able to walk in, nor is anyone here powerful enough to break through it besides you two."
Luna's eyes hardened at the mention of "two" by Vali, but Issei did not notice.
"Since you already know the History of the World, I will skip it. Instead, I will delve into something you might have heard before. These...'titles'. That is much simplistic word I can use to explain this. You probably heard it once by mere coincidence by the Dragon, had you not?"
Luna blinked in realization. "Yes, I said one by mistake. I had told him about [Heir of Covenant] Ras Elclare."
There was power within the words she spoke. There was something primal inside of the "title" she had given to Ras Elclare.
"Yes. Something like that. You have already realized this feeling of power just from hearing it. To put it simply, these so-called titles are merely representations of their greatest achievement or what they are known for. I, myself, am [Dragon of Entropy] Vali. My accomplishment was the usurpation of the original [Dragon of Entropy] Albion, who currently lives inside of my Sacred Gear, Divine Dividing."
"What exactly are these Sacred Gears though? Sona tried to call mine out, but it wouldn't appear." He realized something within his question. "She never explained to me what Sacred Gears are."
He scoffed. "Typical Devils, leaving him to fend for himself in the dark in case he doesn't join your side. Sacred Gears are a type of weapon designed by [Omnipotent God], meant to be utilized by humanity to defend themselves from both the Devils and the Fallen Angels as the two factions were continuously attempting to lure mankind to their side for their own benefit. Each of these Sacred Gears can perform feats that most supernatural beings are not able to perform. Within these hundreds of Sacred Gears, there a total of 15 Longinus. There may be more Sacred Gears that can ascend to the God-Slaying Tier that was named after the Spear that Pierced Christ, but as of now, there are only 15 God had left behind solely to defeat Gods.
Their names are the True Longinus: Spear of the Setting Sun, Zenith Tempest: Prism of Bright Heavenly Thunder, Annihilation Maker: Creation of the Demonic Beast, Dimension Lost: Fog of Extinction, Boosted Gear: Red Dragon Emperor's Divine Gauntlet, Divine Dividing: White Dragon Emperor's Mystic Wings, Regulus Nemea: Lion King's Battle Axe, Canis Lykaon: Dog God of the Black Blade, Sephiroth Grail: Holy Grail of the Secluded World, Incinerate Anthem: Chief Mourner's Crucified Stand of Purple Flame, Absolute Demise: Eternal Ice Princess, Innovate Clear: Miniature Garden of the Green Tree of Innovation, Telos Karma: Ultimate Karma, Fragrant Olive Sword: Sunsetting Flowers of Goddess Stacia, and lastly, Fertility of Frigg: Back to Zero."
He frowned. "These...Longinus. Can anyone possess them?"
"Only one person at a time for Longinus. For ordinary Sacred Gears, such as Twice Critical, multiple can possess at the same time. There are also subspecies to these Sacred Gears, which can completely change the function of the gear, and have it astray from what it was meant to do. I myself have a subspecies, but I will not be sharing what it does, and how it is different from a normal Divine Dividing."
It relates to how I usurped the position of [Dragon of Entropy] from Albion.
He gave a small smirk at them, and despite Issei not understanding most of what he had said, a shiver went down his spine. Vali was dangerous, there was no denying that, but he was also a wildcard. He couldn't tell what was his motive for telling issei all of this.
"These titles. Let's get off of Sacred Gears and onto these titles you spoke about."
He nodded. "Yes. While they can be one's greatest accomplishment or what they are known for, it can also be for a sin they have committed in their lives. One such being is [Wielder of Abyssal Works] Sirzechs Lucifer. He traded in something precious in him, to attain the power needed to overthrow his oppressors, even with the help of Ajuka Beelzbeub and Serafall Leviathan. His titles speaks controversy and hypocrisy. He wields such a power meant to annihilate anything, and yet, uses it to protect instead of destroy. A title can also tell what caused their ascension to be noticed by the World itself, which is what grants us this authority. The World is the collective consciousness of Gaia, the will of the Earth, the planet's intrinsic wish to survive and prosper. The World also includes Alaya, the collective unconscious will of mankind to avoid extinction.
The World is the one that recognizes our achievements, and it deems us worthy of a title. While you may have an impressive achievement, unless Alaya and Gaia themselves recognize you for it, you will not be known for it. Your title can also change, for the better or worse depending on how Gaia deems it. While this title can be intimidating to some, as you yourself was able to ascend to this so-called Counter-Force the moment you obtain this title, it will also tell them of your powers or weaknesses. It will cause you to be predictable, as it speaks volumes of your power. Take [Oracle of Calamity] Shemhazai for example. With his title, you can tell he is able to to tell the future. Take mine for example. As a Dragon, I'm vulnerable to Dragon-Slaying Weapons, or the cursed Samael's Blood from [Serpent of Sin] Samael. Without my title, you would not know I was a Dragon.
Anyone can gain a title, as well as lose it. Once you lose it, you are able to regain it. In fact, two separate people can continuously fight for the same position. Even with your ascension to the Counter-Force, you still are able to be defeated. That is how I managed to get my title. While you can be defeated, that doesn't mean that you lose your position as apart of the Counter-Force. It is only when you lose your title, do you lose Alaya's favor."
Issei nodded slowly at Vali's explanation.
"Who else is within this Counter-Force you talk about?"
Vali sighed. In an instant, he looked much older than he appeared to be. "There are many within Alaya's favor. Far too many to recount. Prior to Alaya's defeat, members of the Counter-Force were able to warp across space and time, capable of traveling worlds to the past or future. However, after Gaia and Alaya's struggle, which ended in Alaya's defeat, we are no longer able to cross space or time, and we are stuck here in our world. Only when Alaya becomes healed, will we be able to cross worlds once again."
"That may be the key to Luna's return to her world." Issei breathed.
Vali nodded in agreement. "So long as she becomes one of the Counter Guardians, and she travels back to her world, and she breaks apart her contract with the collective thoughts of humanity itself, she will be able to return to her world without the use of the Gap Between Worlds. I do not know how capable she is, nor if Alaya will accept her, but it is our best bet. To travel to the Gap Between Worlds is too dangerous. It will only be the last plan if all else fails. I have entered it once..." Vali winced as he remembered his experience within it. "I do not wish to enter it again. What is inside of it may cause anyone to go insane from the amount of nothingness that is inside of it. It is a death sentence if you are not prepared for it."
"So basically, we have to slowly get stronger, and eventually gain the attention of Alaya, as well as wait for humanity itself to be healed?"
Vali nodded. "I know not of how long it will take before Alaya will heal. It has been at least five hundred years. There is no recorded date of the Great War, which is the war between the three factions in which Sona explained to you. We only know that Alaya has been hurt since the end of the Great War, when humanity was last involved in the struggle between the supernatural. None knows how to speed up Alaya's recovery as well. Similarly, Gaia has been silent since Alaya's fall. Usually, the Beast of Gaia would be wandering around the worlds, but it also has not appeared in centuries."
Luna's brows furrowed. "Maybe both Gaia and Alaya got harmed at the same time? The two together do make up the World. What if it wasn't just Alaya that fell that fateful day, but Gaia as well? What if the blow that was dealt was not to Alaya specifically, but to the World specifically, harming the two simultaneously?"
Vali nodded in agreement. "That is what I believe at well. I only hope that the two would be able to recover before the fall of the Age of Man. Once the Age of Man ends, humanity will decline and the Earth will soon turn into the Land of Steel, a place where no life can be supported by the loss of all of Gaia's resources."
"If Alaya does not wake up...then that means Gaia's influence will also disappear as humanity continues to go down a path that neither of them can prevent them from going down. As long as Alaya continues to sleep, humanity will have no guide."
"It is up to the Counter-Force of this world to try to wake it. [Watcher of God's Children] Azazel has already been spending many of his resources alongside [Seraph of Delusion] Michael. Both have been for the past century when it became clear of humanity's path. [Oracle of Calamity] Shemhazai also says that he is unable to create any kind of contact to Alaya and Gaia. [Wielder of Abyssal Works] Sirzechs Lucifer has also recently tried to find him personally. He has searched the entire Underworld, but was unable to find anything as well."
Issei frowned, before saying. "So us three will search for Alaya together."
Vali gave out a laugh. "Hah! You sure are interesting. Just for now, I will ally for you two."
[Dragon of Entropy] Vali grinned at Issei and Luna. "Just know that anytime, our alliance will be cut. After all, I still want that fight with the Dragon Knight. I will humor you, human, and I will go along with your charade."
The human and Dragon Knight nodded. They rose up from where they sat and shook hands with Vali.
"This will be interesting. A Counter-Guardian, teaming up with an Outsider and a human. Who ever heard of that before?" He shook his head. "I have explained most of what the sister of Leviathan had missed."
He stepped onto the porch. "Don't you two disappoint me. I don't expect to do all of the work since I am already recognized by Alaya. I expect you two to pull your own weight when we go out hunting."
"Hunting?" Issei tilted his head.
Vali did not answer, but just looked up at the sun. In an instant, his armor formed on him. In a single instant, Vali was clad head-to-toe with his celestial-like armor. His eyes glowed yellow, as his mystic wings spread out behind him. Each feather was a different color than the rest, constantly changing colors, with no color being the same as the previous. It was a beautiful sight, something that was able to keep Issei mesmerized forever.
Vali walk down the steps, before crouching down. Issei blinked, and in a single loud sound, Vali was gone. There was no trace that he had been at Issei's house just a few moments ago.
"What a show-off." Issei sighed.
"Issei, are you sure this is wise? We know he would eventually betray us just to fight me."
He sighed. "This is one of the only ways for you to get back to your own world. Vali knows how to, he's been to the Gap Between Worlds before, and he knows all this stuff about Gaia and Alaya. If it isn't for him, we wouldn't be able to find a way back to your world."
She was silent.
"We just have to prepare for what is coming next." Issei reluctantly took her hands in his, causing her cold amber eyes to look into his. "Just trust me. I'll be able to survive. With Vali and you defending me, I'll be able to survive even as a powerless human. I just need to avoid direct fights."
She nodded. "I still cannot agree with your actions, but I understand why you have done them." She pulled her hands out of his. "I will begin training myself. I will gain Alaya's favor, even in his slumber."
She walked back into the house, and Issei closed his eyes softly.
"What did I get myself thrown into...?"
He turned, and followed Luna inside.
I can only move forward
If I wish to end this
Cycle of Hatred
My People have suffered
End Prologue
Welcome to the end of the page.
So as you were able to hopefully read within this dialogue heavy chapter, Vali basically summed everything up. I inserted Natsu-verse's Counter-Force and twisted it a bit to better fit what I'm looking for at the end of this entire story. If you still cannot understand I have an ELI5 here:
Do something memorable so "God" can recognize you and make what you did public so everyone can put you an a mantle and admire you.
I was initially going to do a more in-depth explanation here of what they meant, but I had Vali basically tell Issei everything. I'm supposed to have this be a story, and not a bunch of author's notes explaining everything that's happening.
That's all I have to say. See you all next time. Don't forget to leave a favorite or follow if you wish to continue reading, and a review for any comments, questions, or concerns of this story.
-Houvdon