Hi Guys! It's been really long I'm sorry, school has been tough and I haven't really been in the DxD fandom for a while now. That really isn't an excuse but I also got major writer's block when I was trying to plan out this story yet again. For those who wanted a lemon this chapter I'm sorry but I won't be able to write that now but once I start gaining back my interest, it will come soon!
"Talking"
'Thoughts'
[Ddraig]
{Albion}
Disclaimer: I don't own HighSchool DxD
Chapter 10: Square One
Gabriel's transfer was the talk of the day as the whole school buzzed about the beautiful transfer student that had graced their presence with her angelic smile and manners, an ironic metaphor in this case since she was an angel.
A really powerful one too.
After getting over the shock, Issei went back to being gloomy and decided to visit the infirmary with his worsening headache from staying up all night to cramp for the test.
Kuroka giggled as she saw her Issei slumping towards the room, him stopping to give her a goofy smile before falling straight into the bed.
Kuroka sighed as she pushed his hair backwards and gave a peck on his forehead. "Sweet dreams"
XX
Issei looked around as he scrunched his eyebrows, he remembered falling asleep in the infirmary but now, he was in huge castle, flames lining up its exterior while its wall burst with colours as he stepped in warily.
The castle was too familiar for him to forget. The phenex castle.
"Why the heck am I here?" He grumbled as he stalked the hallways, not a person in sight but there was definitely cheering on the other end of the castle.
[Your desires]
'What?'
[Just go find out what the commotion is and you will see]
Issei rolled his eyes at the little help he had received from Ddraig but continued on anyway, where he could make out the glimpse of a crowd squeezing into the balcony.
"No…" Before he could even take a step closer, his surroundings had changed and he now stood before the fallen Riser Phenex as he stared at Rias's elated expression, his face mirroring hers too.
And as much of an idiot Issei was, he understood Ddraig's meaning, his subconscious desire even though he was content with the life he was currently living, he had not fully gotten over Rias.
Rias Gremory was a name Issei could never forget and he would have never thought that he would ever be separated from her, she was his first love, kiss and had been the love of his life.
He had suppressed all the feelings he had for her in an attempt to mask how his heart hurt at the sight of her, trying to hate her as much as he could but alas, he really couldn't.
The sight before him had changed as Rias beckoned him over to the griffin Grayfia had gifted them to leave the Phenex mansion in style.
Her blue-green eyes shone in the night when they had flown away, her touch was warm and the kiss they shared was a memory he could never forget.
Before he could even reciprocate her actions, the scenery changed to another night Issei couldn't
forget.
The cold eyes of the soldiers that chased him would send him to be shivering in fear as he barely escaped their grasps by winding through the narrow paths of the neighbourhood, spells flying past him and brushing against his worn out body as he ran for his life.
Though he knew this was a dream, panic coursed through his veins when he reached a dead end, his heart thumping faster while the soldiers drew closer.
THUMP
Issei bit his lip as he rest his back on the wall behind.
THUMP
His eyes closed as he summoned DDraig, hand ready to fire a shot of his stored power.
THUMP
Hands winded around his back..wait what?
"Issei. Its ok, I'm here." It couldn't be.
Rias stood behind him, her calming voice ringing through his ears as she readied a spell too, "I'm with you."
Issei's thoughts stopped running as his words died at the tip of his tongue, Ddraig's words from before resonating with every breath he took.
[YOUR DESIRES]
He found it ironic, the nightmare he had tried so desperately to escape from was coming back to him, at full force too.
He had barely gotten over Raynare and now he had to face the fact that his only desire was for Rias to have been there with him.
To have been by his side.
"Issei?" She looked at him with concern.
"Issei?" Issei couldn't help but realise she had grown cat ears.
"Issei!Wake up!" Issei's eyes widened as Kuroka stared down at him, her hands caressing his cheek as he wiped wet droplets off his face.
"Issei, what did you dream of? You were crying.." She pinched his cheek and passed him a packet of tissues.
"I..I" Issei stammered as he felt more tears appearing, a sudden wave of sadness surging in him as he
grabbed kuroka's arm,"Please...Please don't leave me."
Kuroka was stunned.
Issei had never been so expressive with her before, not counting in his perverted tendencies,he had become somewhat reserved after being chased out of the Gremory household.
Her lips formed a slight smile as she brought his forehead against hers,"I would never leave you..not me..not anyone in the Vali team."
Issei's breath seemingly calmed down as he fell asleep again, kuroka letting out a small sigh as she put him down and went back to her seat.
Issei had been calling out Rias's name while he was asleep and Kuroka's heart seemed to ache at the thought of Rias still remaining in his heart but she knew he had to be given time to heal.
"Rias.." Issei murmured as he gripped her hand, "why did you leave?"
Kuroka sighed as she held his hand, not wanting to let go lest he had another horrible nightmare that made him feel more vulnerable than he needed to.
Just as she was about to leave him to sleep, Issei started to murmur again and his words made her heart stop,"Kuroka, I love you.."
She smiled as she looked back, seeing Issei still in deep sleep, her heart pounding just as fast as Issei's one had just now.
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
It was silly, how everyone's hearts were sickenly similar, even if they were beating for different reasons.
Xx
Koneko was silent as she ate her lunch with Ravel, both of them overlooking the school field as they munched on their sandwiches.
"Koneko-san, are you going to contact your sister?" Ravel asked as she saw Koneko stiffen at hearing her sister's name.
"I...I'm not sure." Stammering to answer, Koneko gobbled up her sandwich before standing up,"I'm going back to class first."
Ravel stood, grabbing Koneko's hand,"I'm here, you know? I'm your friend."
Koneko stood stunned before a small smile formed on her face,"But you're just fried chicken."
Ravel scowled at the nickname but squeezed Koneko's hand nonetheless,"I know it's hard, my brother became a shut-in and I didn't know how to communicate with him at all, so if you have sibling problems, I'm an expert you know!"
Koneko laughed at Ravel's posture, her chest puffed out as she gave her statement and she nodded,"Thank you."
Koneko looked down, her face turning serious. She knew it had to happen, she had to talk to her sister.
Xx
Gabriel sat in the Occult Research Club, slightly worried at how tense the whole room was.
Issei was at a corner, brooding about how he had to be here and the horrible dream he had in the afternoon.
"Gabriel-san?" Akeno spoke up, trying to get Gabriel's attention as she passed her a cup of tea before making her way to the others.
When she passed a cup to Issei, she was met with a scowl and her face fell immediately but Issei's face softened at the sight of her, "Thank you Akeno."
She smiled back,"Your welcome." Maybe it was the fact that Issei had smiled at her, or that she had felt a surge of immense happiness wash through her at his words but Akeno couldn't help but embrace him.
"I'm glad you're back, Issei." She whispered, her arms wrapping around his waist as he put his arms around her, slightly uncomfortable at their proximity.
It was comforting, he thought as he released her. Akeno had always understood what he thought and although she was bold, he knew that she would never go past his boundaries and always respected his decisions. He had really missed her presence while he was in the Vali team because she was always a source of comfort and he could always go to her for help.
Rias grimaced at the exchange of words behind her as she tried to focus on her conversation with Gabriel, her eyes trailing down to the blank piece of paper on the table.
How ironic. For it was the exact paper that she and Issei had written on the other side during one of their meetings with Sirzechs and she knew the exact words.
Rias, this is boring.
The least you can do is concentrate or you will get a 1000 spankings.
What! That's too harsh.
Have you ever heard of the phrase "骂是疼，打是爱" （It's a phrase in chinese that means scolding is like doting a child, and beating/punishing them is out of love.)
I would rather kisses.
Them, I'll give you one if you listen.
Alright! I'm pumped up now!
Rias smiled sadly at the memory as Gabriel continued her discussion with Rossweisse about why she was present in the human world.
Xx
Sirzechs paced around his room as he counted the number of days he had.
Just as he was about to be finished, rapid knocks on the door made him lose concentration.
"I'm not free." He called out politely, wanting the company to leave him alone this instant.
However, the door opened anyway as grayfia walked in, her face grim as she looked at the man before him.
"Look, Grayfia I'm really not free now." He placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to pacify her anger at the hopes of not receiving another lecture.
Grayfia's eyes searched his, an action of desperation as she continued to find how the Sirzechs she fell in love with was vanishing and turning into this… monster.
"I'm here to talk about your plan." Grayfia stated as she walked forward but the grip on her shoulder tightened, earning a groan as she felt his fingers digging into her skin.
"I do not need your input on that." He growled out as his eyes turned dark before he realised what he had done, immediately releasing Grayfia.
"Shit. I'm sorry." He reached out to grab her but Grayfia flinched from his touch and he looked down horrified to see that his fingers had turned dark.
He grabbed his gloves and slipped them, his heart lurching as a wave of nausea hit him in the head and he collapsed onto the floor.
"Tell me this instant what is going on Sirzechs." Grayfia was at his side immediately, her heart aching at how pitiful he looked at this state.
Sirzechs looked up before he sat himself down on the floor, his breath heavy as he unbuttoned his shirt.
At the lower side of his abdomen, a pulsing wound could be seen. A wound that was as dark as the night sky looming over the underworld.
"H-how?" Grayfia questioned as she moved to inspect the wound but Sirzechs stopped her.
"The Power of destruction isn't stable, there are times where it can't control itself and consumes the user too." Sirzechs snorted as his breaths slowed down.
"Then Rias and your mother..?" Sirzechs shook his head, explaining that they had not reached that level of mastery where their magic had a mind on its own.
"It's up to those two dragons, I have to push them to become leaders I can entrust my position to." Sirzechs sighed as he stood up with the support of Grayfia.
"You won't achieve anything if you continue on with that stupid plan of yours, you idiot." Grayfia shook her head, resting it on his shoulder, "please listen to me."
Sirzechs looked at her, his eyes closed as he leaned into her touch,"I'm sorry... I've been so foolish, thinking that I could do everything on my own and now we're in this mess."
They slumped down into a tangle of legs and hands as their bodies leaned into each other.
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
Their heartbeats resonated with each other as they looked at each others in the eyes, a trace of how they were on the battlefield.
"I will fix this mess." Sirzechs said as he brought Grayfia's head to his chest and they closed their eyes, leaving reality behind for the short time they had.
See y'all next time :)