Hello everyone! Sorry it took so long to update, but this is a super long chapter and I've been busy with school! I never thought that I would finish this chapter before the end of the year, but I'm glad I did. Though I can't finish my promise of finishing this arc before the end of the year due to school and other stuff.
Note: The poll of Raynare's life will end by next chapter. So if you haven't voted, vote now! Right now her death poll, is slowly going up though it would be a long shot if her death vote could catch up with her being spare (Which is 75%)
I also did some changes on Grasping for Power Pt 1 and 2. For Pt 1 I put Valerie's actually age and appearance in the story and change the effect of Boost Hyperdrive and made it more powerful than before. You can read that in Pt 1 of this chapter.
Also no one except for Sixth, fully remembers Issei. The text say for a moment! A moment! They won't remember him at all when he sees him again, except for Irina and Akeno were his childhood friends and also the nightmare they had of him.
I don't know this story, if I did, then Issei would've gotten laid a long time ago.
Life 09: The Grasp for Power Pt 3
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Huh? Isn't that the smoke alarm? Why do I smell smoke?
I, Rias, opened my eyes and noticed a huge fire right on my bed. I jumped out of bed as fast as I can and quickly put the fire with some water magic. When the fire died out, I see my eight pawn evil pieces emitting red and white static. Did the fire start because of them? Looks like I need to send my pieces back to Beelzebub-sama to check again.
I sighed in grief and rest on my chair that was near my desk. I checked the time on my digital clock that stood on top of my desk. It's pretty late and its hours before the sun will rise. I felt like that nightmare lasted forever.
Yes, that nightmare of…of…
Huh? Why? Why can't I remember his name? Just for a minute ago? I called him the man who I love just a second ago in my dream. Why? I want to remember his name so badly. His name is that the tip of my tongue, yet I can't say nor think of it.
As I panicked over the name of that young man, four magic circles appeared with the Gremory insignia in the center. Did my family decided to visit me without an advance notice? No, it was my cute little servants. Why did they-
When they all appeared in my room, they all looked restless, as if they just had a nightmare. They all had dreary red eyes and drippy noses just like myself.
"Bouchou," Gasper, my first bishop, cried my name. "I had… a nightmare…"
"Me…too." Koneko murmured depressedly.
"I as well." Kiba admitted.
"Looks like we all had nightmares." Akeno stated listless. Out of everyone here, she looked depress the most.
I'm also feeling melancholy myself because of the nightmare I just had. I got off my chair and spread my arm outs.
"Come," I said with tears streaming down my face while trying to hold my smile. "Looks like we need to find closure."
All of my beloved servants ran into my arms and we all huddle together, seeking comfort from one another. We cried out hearts out from the scary dreams we all experienced. Though I was able to find closure with my servant, I have a big empty gap in within my heart.
I, Asia, screamed myself awake after having a terrible nightmare. Seconds after I woken from my sleep, I started to cry uncontrollably.
That man…I felt like I knew that man…I want to heal him… I want to be right next to him… I want to stay by his side for the rest of my life…
"Ise-kun!" My colleague, Irina Shidou, blurted out abruptly in the middle of the night.
I, Xenovia, woke up the second she called that boy's name and began to sob. I got off my bed and got on to Irina.
"Irina, are you alright?" I asked. I wasn't sure what the else to her. I was never good with comforting others.
"he's dead! he's dead! Our lord took him away from this world without giving him a chance to repent himself!" Irina sobbed in hysteria that I couldn't comprehend. Irina rammed her head into my stomach and clutched my shirt tightly.
"Who's dead? And what are you talking about?" I asked.
"M-My ch-childhood f-friend!" Irina stuttered tearily. "H-He's dead. A-And I'm scared. What if h-he didn't go with our lord? He was torture you know! I failed as a Christian. I chose him over my lord and my lord punished me by taking his life from this world!"
Odd… I had a familiar dream just like that. There was a man in my dream who was also tortured. I watched helplessly and I remembered he called my name.
I didn't know what to do at that point. My eyes were getting watery too. Was it because of the sobbing atmosphere Irina is doing or what? The more I thought about that man in my dream I just had, the teary my eyes get. Soon I start to break down in tears with Irina and bury my face on top of her head.
"Ravel…what's wrong?" My Onii-sama asked the second he barged into my room.
I, Ravel, am crying on top of my bed after experiencing a terrible dream. I can't stop crying. I can't…
"Ravel?" My Onii-sama worried, sat next to me on my bed. He put his arm on my shoulders and buried my head to his chest.
"He's...dead." I sobbed.
"Who's dead?" Onii-sama inquired.
"I-I… can't remember…" I admitted regrettably. "B-But I witness…him…die…"
"It's going to be alright." My Onii-sama assured me, stroking my back gently. "It was a dream. It was a dream." he reminded me.
It was a dream, however… it was realistic to me.
I, Rossweisse, woke up with red bloodshot eyes. Oddly enough I was crying and it's not for not having a boyfriend. I was crying out of grief as in losing a comrade. But why…? Was it the dream I had?
"Gugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
A beast like roar echoes within the dark abyss. I, Issei, ran either way despite the fact I have nowhere to go. I'm being chased. I don't know why I'm not facing this mysterious beast, but I rather not know.
The creature wasn't far behind in its pursuit for me. I heard the sound of its wings spreading out. The mysterious beast glided over me and landed in front of me. I stop dead in my tracks when it stood right in front of me. I felt a cold chill went down my spine when the monster began to breathe viciously.
My body wouldn't respond to me. This intense pressure…it was more overwhelming than Samael's. It had an evil intent directly at me and only me. But why…?
A light… A green light came from a jew in the middle of its chest… I-I… became…appalled…when…I-I saw… a better look on… the creature.
It had purple and black clad armor shaped like my Boosted Gear Scale Mail, but with a vicious aspect to it. My throat went dry when the mask slowly dissolved. I became horrified the moment I saw the face behind the mask. It was none other than… me!
The light on my doppelgänger's gem soon faded out and everything became dark again.
A miraculous thing happen after everything became dark once more.
I opened my eyes…
"Oww…" I groaned the moment I open my eyes. My vision started out blurry at first, but I was able to see perfectly.
"Where am I?" I asked, noticing the unfamiliar decorated ceiling . I'm lying on a comfortable king size bed in my birthday suit. I slowly lifted my upper body. I turn my head to see the spacious fancy room I was in. How did I manage to get here…?
[Partner…]
Ddraig!? Is that you? What happen? Where are we? And why am I nude? I had a pair of shorts before the modification! Hey wait! Why are you do you sound so exhausted?
[That isn't important now partner…The main thing is that you survive the ki modification.]
That's right! I survive the modification thanks to my-senpais! They…They sacrifice themselves for me…I stood there helpless and blind… I couldn't do anything… I-I…
[Don't cry partner…] Ddraig sighed. [They wouldn't like that you know…]
I know that Ddraig, but still…!
I closed my eyes and entered back into the white realm within the Boosted Gear. When I arrive, all the tables and chairs that use to here were all gone.
-Except for one table and two chairs left. I recognize one of the two chairs belong to me and there something on the table too! A box! There's a small black box the size the ones that contain a proposing ring. Ddraig, do you know anything about this?
[This is weird… indeed. There only should have been… one chair in this realm. Yet… there's two… and there's… a gift too…what is in it…?]
Ddraig? Are you alright? You don't sound fine.
[Don't worry…about it.] He assured me. [Just open the box.]
I did what my partner told me to do. I opened the box and a crimson light appeared within the box. It was so bright that I had to close my eyes. When I reopen them, I was back into the spacious bedroom.
What happen?
[I don't know…] Ddraig grunted. [Let's explore… the place.]
Before I get to move, the door opened up and a stood a maid and a cute one as well. She had beautiful shoulder length auburn hair and lovely hazel eyes. Her had a nice light-skin tone and buxom figure! Oh…! Her Oppai are lovely as well! And's about my age as well.
"Ara, you're finally awake." She smiled cheerfully.
She walked into the room as I covered myself with a blanket. Hey why am I covering myself? I already lost my privilege of become a bridegroom…*Sob* twice.
She had something in her hands and placed it on top of my bed. It was a set of fresh pair of clean clothes.
"Please wear these set of clothes that my master as prepare for you." She insisted politely. "As you're done getting dress, I'll take you where my master and the rest of guests are. I'll be standing outside of your room waiting till your done dressing."
She did a quick bow before leaving the room and closed the door. I am a bit confuse on what just happened. What did she meant her "master" and "guest"? Are she implying that there more people here in this strange place as well?
I grabbed the set of clothes that she placed on the bed and dressed myself quickly as I could. I wasn't aware of the type of clothes the mysterious maid gave to me till I look into the mirror. It was my Kuoh Academy uniform…
I would be lying to myself if I didn't believe that this uniform was the same uniform that I wore during my time in Kuoh Academy. I know its uncanny, but I believe-no I know this is my uniform. But how did this maid on her hands on this? Properly her "master" knows something about this.
"Are you done yet?" the maid asked through the door.
"Yeah!" I yelled. I headed towards the door, and opened it. The maid stood firmly in the hallway.
"Are you ready to meet my master?" she inquired.
I nodded my head. "Of course. Please lead the way."
"Understood." She bowed again and walked to the right and I followed her.
As I walked, I thought of something.
"Um excuse-"
"If you don't mind, please hold your questions till you talk to my master." She cut me off. "It was my master who brought you here and he wants to talk to you. I'm just here to following orders."
"Ah…alright." I said awkwardly. How did she knew I was about to ask her a question.
As we walked towards the maid's master, I looked at the hallway. It was very fancy like. I see very expensive decorations and paintings hang on the hallway. There were even some painting I recognized.
The maid took notice of this and stopped in front one particular painting. It was half-length portrait of a young woman. It was a well-known famous one and I recognize this portrait as well.
"The Mona Lisa." The maid said the name of the portrait.
"Is this the original one?" I asked. I couldn't help but to ask. Something about this portrait making think its the real one, but it couldn't be the actually one. Could it?
"Yup." The maid replied as if it was nothing. "The and only. Painted by Leonardo da Vinci himself."
"Say what now?" I asked with a shock expression on my face.
"You heard me. It's the real one." Again, she's speaking so casually that I couldn't close my open jaw.
"B-But shouldn't the real one be in France?" I inquired her.
"Oh that's a replica." The maid wave her hand and giggled. "My master can get a bit greedy at times. You might consider my master committed thievery to gain this masterpiece. Everything here is the original artworks that my master stole."
"But why?" I asked.
"Ask my master." the maid replied normally, leaving my to awkwardly smile.
We continued to move forward till we arrive to a flight of stairs. We walked straight down the stairs and stopped in the entrance to the dining hall.
"My master and the rest of the guests are right through that door." the maid advised me. She step aside from the entrance.
I swallowed all my saliva before walking into the dining hall. After walking through the entrance, I saw the dining room table. It was a large and fancy, similar to the one the Gremory's had, but a bit more gothic. The dining hall even had an extensive looking chandelier too! If you look closely, the crystals appeared realistic diamonds! I believe they are diamonds! And the candles are also real too! I can see the flames!
"Ise." I averted my eyes to one of the guest who were all seated in the far back of the dining table. It was none other than Ophis who was eating soup.
"Ophis!" I exclaimed. Ophis wasn't alone neither. I also see Sensei and Vali with her too! Both of them were eating fancy meals as well.
Sensei turned towards me and looked shock at my appearance."Issei…! That uniform..." he awed . "Why are you-"
"I shock as you are," I respond grimly. "I don't know how did the host was able to get either."
"Maybe the host will shed some light for us." Vali said, looking back to the dining hall's entrance.
The rest of all looked back and heard footsteps heading this way. A young man walked into the dining hall. He wore a white fancy suit with a matching top hat and carried a white fancy cane. His body is slim and dark skin. He had snowy white hair and bright golden eyes.
"Hello." He greeted with a bored look on his face. "It's an honor to meet you all. I'm Father Time."
"Father Time?" Sensei rose up from his seat with his eyes narrow in surprise. "But that's impossible! You shouldn't-"
"I shouldn't exist?" The man claiming Father Time smiled creepy as he took his seat on the other side of the table, that was near the entrance. "Well of course I exist my dear Governor. If I didn't exist, then I wouldn't be able to bring you here for a very important meeting."
Very important meeting? I didn't like the sound of that.
"Sensei, whose Father Time?" I asked when I looked back at him.
"He's someone who considered as a real myth." Sensei explained. "There is no official records of his actually existence within the records all the mythical world. Many believe that Father Time never existed in the first place. And he isn't only one. There even multiple mythical figures and creatures whose existence haven't been official discovered."
"So there even some mythical beings that aren't even real?" I asked.
"Properly." Sensei shrugged. "We don't have proof that they do or do not exist."
Oh I see now. So there a mythical creatures could be no more than a real myth than.
"What the Governor said is true," Father Time agreed with a nod. "There are many us that haven't reveal ourselves to the world yet and there some of us that don't even exist. And there some that exist but the world don't know about."
I remembered the fight against the Evil-God Loki when Father said that. He -the Chichigami- gave divine protection to me and lend me his power when I deliver the last blow to Loki.
"Oh? The host of the Sekiryuutei is in deep thought." Father Time pointed out when he looked at me. "Are you perchance thinking of Chichigami?"
"Well-wait!" I exclaimed. "How do you know of the Chichigami?"
Father Time gave a light chuckle and made a grin that didn't show much of his pearl white teeth. "Of course I know about the Chichigami. Do you know who you're talking to? I know everything about you Hyoudou Issei. I know everything about your life, the life of the Governor, the life of Vali-" the moment Father Time said his name, Vali became tense with a scowl on his face and Father's grin widen creepily,"and of course little Ophis."
"So you know by fact all of us are from the future right?" Sensei sighed, taking back his seat.
"Of course." Father told us. "I've observed you and every being in this universe since dawn of time itself."
So he's that old huh? But he has the age of a young man. Did he use magic to change his appearance or was he always had look so young.
"Since the birth of time, I've been able to see the past, future, and present of very being." Father continued. He leaned forward and place on elbow on the table and rested his face on his fist, which connected to the elbow that was resting on the table. He closed before he continued.
"But lately I can't see the future as much as I use to." he confessed bitterly, leaving the rest of us shocked and causing to shoot bullets of sweat across my face. "And the reason to this was a disturbance within the system of time itself."
He reopened his eyes and gave Ophis and me a cold chilling glare. Is it or did the temperature in the living room dropped like crazy?
"And the disturbance was none other than the two of you: the Infinite Dragon God and the Ouroboros, Ophis, and this generation's Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei ." Father clarified darkly.
The ground began to shake violently. The walls of the dining room began to distort. A black substance began oozing from the walls, and devouring the wall themselves. Now the black substance began to spread over the floors, and in matter of seconds it the entire dining room was cover by pure darkness. Being surround in jet black darkness reminded me of my dream I just had with my doppelgänger in the purple and black scale mail.
"And there's more." Father added as his cane was levitating sideways in front of him. He grabbed on to the lower part of the cane and the cane's shape began to change. The white cane turned black and its length grew twice as long. The handle part of the cain turned into long curved shape blade. The cane itself transform into a dangerous black scythe.
"You created something that shouldn't exist." He continued, leaving me puzzled.
What did he meant by "created something that shouldn't exist." Did Ophis and I did made something when we time traveled back to the past? Is it another rebound effect that Ophis wasn't aware of or something?
"You should've stayed put Hyoudou Issei." Father informed with a killing intent look on his face. "If you just stay put, then everything would've fine. But what you guys did…the balance of universe is now…"
What is he blabbering about? The balance of the universe? Did we do something bad to the universe.
"Punishment…Yes, a punishment should've be in order." Father Time began to grinned darkly, twirling his scythe and hit the bottom of his weapon on the floor of darkness.
A magic circle appeared within the bottom of the rest of us. When it began to glow, I couldn't move my body at all! Sensei and the rest also petrified as well! What spell did Father Time use on us?
"Don't take this personally." Father said as he slowly approached me. "I don't hate you, Hyoudou Issei, but I can't forgive you either. Because of what you and Ophis did… it shouldn't go unpunished."
Now Father Time is now standing in front of me, giving me a look of disgust. He twirled his scythe single-handed. He stopped and place both hands on his scythe and raised it up high, ready to swing it directly at me.
"Stop!" A voice shouted right before Father could swing his scythe at me. It was Ophis, who broke free from Father's spell by using her powers. She ran and came in between Father and I.
"If your going to punished something, then punish me!" Ophis insisted boldly, shielding me with her own body, arms widen out. "It was me who used a time traveling spell. It was because of my selfishness that the universe unbalance. I only wanted to save my first friend."
Ophis…You really have gone a long way since you started to live with me.
"Oh I already know you should also punished." Father acknowledged with irritation in his tone. "But if you insist, I'll punish you first!"
Father tapped Ophis on top of her head with the bottom part of his scythe.
"Ara? Is that it?" Ophis asked when she rubbed her head. "What did you do?"
"I put a spell on you that prevents you from casting another time traveling spell." Father explained. He he raised his head back up and look at me."Now then, where were we?"
Father shoved Ophis side without moving laying a finger on her. All he did was wave his hand and Ophis moved aside and hit the ground! What did he do? Use telekinesis?
"For punishment of time traveling, Hyoudou Issei, I, Father Time cast you the most deadliest curse that no man or woman can burden with!" Father spinned his scythe in his hands and thrust the tip of the blade directly at in my chest.
Uwah…! It hurts! It hurt so much! Oh wait… Something isn't right. It barely hurt at all. No, wait I don't feel anything at all. Then why am I over reacting?
Father Time draw the blade of the scythe out of my chest. The magic circle beneath me and the rest vanished and I drop on to my knees.
"Issei!" Sensei rushed over to me while Vali ran to Ophis, who was still on the ground.
"Are you okay, Ophis?" Vali asked.
"I'm fine." Ophis assured him.
"Issei, are you alright?" Sensei questioned me, examining my body for anything suspicious.
"I… I really don't know." I answered truthfully with a lifeless expression on my face. "My body is perfectly fine, but something isn't wrong." I turned my head to Father Time. "What did you do to me?"
"I gave you a curse that no man nor woman couldn't bear." Father repeated as his scythe transformed back into white cane.
"But I don't feel anything." I told him listlessly while getting back up.
Father Time smirked shadily. "Oh really?" he asked in a suspicious tone. "Tell Sekiryuutei, what's the name of the woman who you love the most?"
"What are you talking about?" I questioned dubiously. "You already know who the name of the woman who I love. The name of the woman I love is…" My mouth is wide open, but no words escape my lips. "The name of the woman who I love is…"
I couldn't say Rias' name in that sentence. But why?
"Rias, I…" I was able to say her name this time, but this time… I can't say… "Rias… I… I…"
Why? Why can't I…
"Rias…to me… she's… she's…" I'm sounding like a broken recorder player.
Why can't I say how I feel about her?!
I looked back at Father Time, who started to sneer at my misfortune. "So what do you think of your punishment? Cruel, no?"
"Father Time, what the blazes did you do to Ise!" Sensei exclaimed furiously. "What kind of curse did you put on him? Why can't he express his feelings for Rias?"
"It's the curse. Well what I did isn't really a curse per say." Father confessed as he walked towards us. "Instead I seal away something precious that Issei wouldn't be able to burden with."
So when he said the most deadliest curse that no man or woman can burden with, did he meant this? His curse is exactly what is he said, no man nor woman could burden with. And I wouldn't burden with this curse, can I?
I, Vali Lucifer, couldn't bare to see my rival, Hyoudou Issei, in this heartbroken state. That man, Father Time, place a curse on my rival. A curse that prevents him from confessing his feelings to the woman who he loves, Rias Gremory. As his rival, I also greatly upset about this curse as well.
It's become of Rias Gremory that my rival is getting stronger. She's the source of his inspiration to get stronger, though Albion and I bit disturbed with the power up that my rival's receiving from her breast.
"Remove it…" Hyoudou Issei began to shave hysterically. His eyes are being cover by his bangs and he's clenching hands. The red aura of the Sekiryuutei surround hims. Don't tell me he's gonna to-
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]
[Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker!]
The red clad armor of the Issei's Boosted appeared and charged straight towards Father Time. I quickly activated my Balance Breaker simultaneously as Issei's and charged towards him. I pinned him before he could lay a finger on Father Time and trying to hold this idiot down.
"Let me go, Vali!" Issei barked, struggling to get me off from him. "That bastard has to pay for placing this curse on me! This has nothing to do with you! "
"I know I have nothing to do with this, but you shouldn't act so rash about this!" I argued calmly. "Do you even know who you're facing with? Are you trying to make this situation worse?"
"Oh what do you know!" Issei exclaimed. "You don't know the pain of not able to tell the ones you love "I love you"!"
That last sentence struck my heart greatly. "Shut up!" I snapped back loudly."Do you think I never thought about stuff like that! Of course I do! I still regret this through this day! At least you still have "all" the people you love!"
I began to panted after screaming my lungs out while Issei became shocked on my sudden outburst. I never screamed like that for over a long time now. The last time I screamed like that was…that night…
Vali… I never seen this side of him before. He's usually so calmed and composed, but what I just now witness…
"To see a devil to have sentimental feelings. Oh how things truly change over time." Father remarked with arrogant smile over his face.
That man is getting on my last nerves.
"Father Time," Sensei spoke this time after clearing his throat, "can't you remove the curse you place on Ise? Or at least give him at least one harsher one?"
"Why should I do that?" Father asked, uninterested with Sensei's request. "I see no reason to change it. Hyoudou Issei vandalised the most precious thing to me, so I have the right to return the favor to him."
"But don't you know how significant the bond between these two are?" Sensei inquired.
"So?" Father asked again. "I seen multiple relationships just like the one Hyoudou Issei and his fiancé have."
Fiance? When was I engaged? "What fiancé. I don't remember proposing to any girl."
Father Time widen his eyes in pure surprised in what at my honest confession. He quickly covered his mouth, trying to contain his laughter. What? How is this so funny?
"God, how can someone so dumb like you became this generation's Sekiryuutei?" Father Time couldn't contain his laughter and released it all out at once maniacally. He calmed down after a minute or so after catching his breath and looked back at me.
"Alright I'll tell you. Hyoudou Issei, you betrothed to Rias Gremory ever since the engagement ceremony you guys had in the ruins." Father Time revealed.
The ceremony that I had with Rias in the mountains along with the Yondai-Maou and Grayifa-san? S-So that ceremony…! Man, why am I so slow when it comes to things like these? Now everything make sense. Why everyone in the Gremory clan were so persistent on me to call them my in-laws and why many servant refer me as "Waka."
Ha… The Gremory clan are really impatient people when it comes to stuff like this.
"Though now I wonder how the relationship between the two of you well go now if you can't confess your feelings to her."
Grr… That's right. I need to get this curse remove. If I can't this blasted curse remove… then Rias will-
An imagine of Rias crying came into my mind. No… Not again! There no way I'm going to allow myself to see the woman who I love suffer like that again!
I focused all of my thoughts into my right arm and the red gauntlet turned white with the two emerald-green gems turn sapphire blue. Vali took noticed of this, but before he can do anything to stop me, I jabbed him with my right hand and used the power that my senpais sacrificed themselves for me to use.
[Divide!]
A white aura surrounded Vali's armor as his half of his strength depleted. While that happened, I felt extra power surged within my body along a coat white aura.
I quickly shoved Vali off of me and dashed towards Father Time.
"Halt, Chichiryuutei! Please stop!" A familiar voice pleaded as I was half way there to give Father Time a piece of my mind.
I did what the voice asked me to do. I stopped myself roughly that I almosted tripped half way. I look where the voice called me and I saw… Rias?!
Yes, no lie. There a woman who have an uncanny appearance of Rias wearing a white fancy dress and a woman behind her who looks like Akeno! And she's wearing a black kimono as well!
When Father Time took noticed of these women's appearances, he made a sound his tongue. "What are you doing here, Chichigami?"
D-Did he just say call the Rias look a like Chichigami?
"I'm here to put a stop to this." the Chichigami said firmly. "There no way I'm allowing you to take away the special between the Chichiryuutei and Switch Princess."
W-W-Wait? How does the Chichigami know about those taboo nicknames of Rias and I!
"Ufufufu, it's been a while Chichigami." The Akeno look a like spoke up to me so casual as if she knew me.
"D-do I know you?" I stuttered between my words.
"Oh that rights." The Akeno look a like place a side of her fist on top of her hand when she realized what's going on. "When the first time we met, I did have a different voice back then. No wonder you didn't recognize me."
Um, I seriously don't know what's going on.
"It's me, the seirei that gave you divine protection from Chichigami during your fight against Evil-God Loki."
"Eh?" I'm so confuse now! I don't know what to believe in anymore!
"I know you're very confused, but don't worry. We are here to help." The seirei assured me.
"You're going to help me? But why? Wait, the main question is how do you still remember me?"
"It's because of this realm." Chichigami explained. "It wasn't affected to the time traveling spell casted by Ophis unlike the other realm due being a "special" realm where Father, myself, my seirei, and other mythical creatures live in. This realm is the reason the three of us know about you."
I still don't understand what the Chichigami was saying, but I'm glad these two to remember me at least. There was a question that bothered me when I look at the Chichigami and the seirei.
"Oh why are you two took forms of Akeno and Rias?"
"Oh I thought it would be a good idea to approach you face to face if took form of someone who you're greatly comfortable talking to." The seirei explained with Akeno's bright smile.
"Don't worry my beloved Chichiryuutei, for your great love breasts, I'm gladly help you remove the dastardly curse place on you!" the Chichigami exclaimed keenly, pointing her finger directly at a bored Father Time. "Now Father Time, remove the curse! We won't take no for an answer."
"No," Father Time respond blandly.
"Oh well, we tried."
You gotta be kidding me! The Chichigami is giving up so easily!
"Um, can I but in?" Sensei offered awkwardly with his right hand up.
Yes please! I beg of you!
Father gestured his hand at Sensei to speak.
"How about a compromise?" Sensei suggested.
"Oh, a compromise, eh. Go on, I'm listening." Father said, taking interest in what Sensei is going to say, rubbing his hand with his hand.
"You said that Ise and Ophis were responsible for ruining the system of space and time, but how about we "fix" it."
"Impossible. Do you think I've already tried fixing the-" Father stopped abruptly as if he sensed something that we didn't detect.
There was a large magic circle behind Father Time and a huge mechanical clock materialized right beneath it. Father gaped when he stared at the clock.
"No way..." He muttered quietly in shock.
"What is it?" Chichigami asked, looking over Father's shoulder. Her eyes widen and took a step after seeing the clock.
When I look at the clock, I see nothing. It appears everyone else, excluding the seirei, were the same as me when they saw the clock. This is making me ponder on what these two saw at the clock.
The magic circle soon vanished along with the colossus clock. Father looked back at Sensei and coughed before he spoke. "Alright, I'll agree to your terms."
! Father changed his time! What exactly did he change his mind? No, the most important question is what did Father and Chichigami saw in that clock.
"However, there is no way to actually "fix" the system itself." Father continued. "The damage to the system is unrepairable, but the split of the universe will "reconnect"."
Reconnect? What does he mean reconnect?
"Father, what do you mean by "reconnect"?" Sensei asked.
"Let me show you." Father tabbed the dark ground. "Let me show the world today."
The darkness vanquished and the environment all of us appeared was a... town. It's none other than my hometown where Rias and the others are! We're in the middle of a street where people are crossing and minding their own business on a clear sunny day! They walking straight at us as if they can't see us. I became startled when one of them walked pass us like a ghost.
"This is merely an illusion," Father said, "of the universe that you all traveled to today."
Father tapped the ground with his cane again and the scenery of the town drastically changed. The buildings looked old and rusted, and there some that appeared to collapsed. The streets were badly damaged and have multiple cracks. Everything that was a living plant dried up and crumpled and the sky has dark clouds with sound of thunder, but not a single raindrop has fallen. The town was a complete ghost town.
"And this is also the current today of the universe that you abandon."
! When Father Time said it, gun shots were heard nearby. Everyone turned to their right side and saw men wearing military combat uniform and firing machine guns directed at top of a skyscraper building, where-!
"Gugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" A familiar screeched echoed through the sky.
A humanoid silhouette soared off from the rooftop and into the sky. Sunlight shined through the dark, thick clouds, directly at the figure. What appear within the sunlight was a man wearing purple and black clad armor with matching pair of dragon wings and have a green gem within the center of the chest! I recognized him! He's my doppelgänger I met from my nightmare! But why is he there?
"Oh, you recognize him then?" Father asked as my doppelgänger glided down with great speed, straight at the soldiers firing at him. By the tone of his voice, he knows something that I don't. My doppelgänger pulled out a sword with its blade replace by a green light took shape of the blade itself. He place both hands on the sword and left the blade up in the air. He hurled his green bladed sword into the head of one of the soldiers that was close him. When the blade made contact with the soldier's head... a flashing white light appeared.
When the light died out, everyone was back to the dining room, sitting on their respective sits. Sensei, Ophis, Vali, and I were the only ones baffled on what we just saw.
Is that what Ophis and I created? But how? Was it when we traveled back in time or something? Is this what Father Time meant by the universe split into two? I still can't comprehend it. Father said that the both illusions are happening on the same time, but how?
"When reconnection happens, you'll meet him." Father added, taking a sip of tea after telling us that.
I feeling edgy when he said that. I'm really going to meet him in the future?
Father rang a bell and the maid from before walked in with a tray with a pure golden pocket watch on top. The maid gave the pocket watch to Father was doing something to it. Was he setting time on it or something? He put the watch back on the tray and gesture his hand directly at me. The maid nodded and headed my way.
"Take the watch." Father offered me when the maid stood right in front of me, giving me the golden watch. "Keep it with you. I set a countdown on it when "reconnection" will happen."
I took the watch from the maid and opened it. The inside was a plane ticking clock, but in the center there is a digital numbers that represent hours, minutes, and seconds counting down.
"Father Time, what exactly do you want us to do when "reconnection" happens?" Sensei asked while I examined the clock. "So we can remove the curse off from Ise."
"Well it's not what I want, but how you guys handle the situation." Father replied vaguely. "If you guys handle the situation very well, I'll remove the curse, but if you handle it poorly, then I won't remove the curse."
So Father wants us how we prepare and settle with "reconnection" then? If we do a good job on it, then the curse will be gone, but if we do a horrible job, then...
"Now then I'll take my leave." Father Time got up and headed out the dining room. He stopped at the entranced. "Though I can't much of the future that will become, allow me foretell each and everyone's future before I go."
Oh? Is he going to give us some last-minute advice?
"To Governor Azazel," Father began, turning back around, "whatever you do, do not put the "you know what" in the "you know who," if you do you'll start World War III."
"Oh really?" Sensei asked, sounding back to his old self. "Fuu~... Thanks for the advice. I keep that in mind."
Hey, hey, hey! What are those two talking about? I'm a bit perplexed on Sensei's inventions. Father, how about you place a curse on Sensei too. He's as responsible like Ophis and I.
"You should be thankful for be able to traveled back in time Vali Lucifer," Father now said it to Vali.
"Oh? Why's that?" Vali asked, interested in what Father going to say.
"I believe-wait, no. I know that you'll meet "him" again in the near future when "reconnection" happens." Father said, emphasising on the word "him."
Him? Who is he referring to?
"Huh, that's good to know." Vali said, narrowing his eyes and smiled bitterly at Father's time word.
"And for the Dragon God."
Oh? I wonder what Father is going to tell Ophis now.
"You overdid the time traveling spell." Father grimace distasteful. "There are more rebound effects you are unaware of."
Ophis cocks her head. "What do you mean?"
"You'll understand down the road."
Father now looked at me and lifted his hand with four of his fingers up and his thumb hidden from by his palm. "For you young Hyoudou Issei, I got four things I have to say to you before I go."
Four things?
"First off, when "reconnection" happens, you'll face a greater threat far worse than Khaos Brigade." Father began.
! A greater threat than the Khaos Brigade. When I thought of that, I think back to my doppelgänger in that purple clad armor similar to my scale mail. Burr... I'm giving a chill down my spin.
"Second: is the effects of the curse." Ah great... it's the last thing I need to hear from this man. "You already know that you can't proclaim your feelings to Rias Gremory, but there's more to it than that. You can't indirectly confess your emotions to Rias Gremory to a certain degree. Those around you are also affected by the curse too. They can't help you either because that will be indirectly telling how you feel about her."
So that's how the curse is going to be? Geez, I need to find a way to convey my feelings to Rias before...
"…..To you, 'what' am I…?"
The image of emotionless, shaking Rias, naked with me in the sauna popped into my mind. No, never again. I don't want witness seeing Rias in that state again. I will find away to remove this curse and confess my feelings to Rias if it the last thing I do.
"You can't also write "I love You" or anything like in pen or paper." Father continued to babble more on the curse.
Apparently I can confess to Rias indirectly to certain extent, but it won't do any help at all. I can't tell Rias nor the others that I can't confess my feelings because of the curse itself. I can tell others about the curse by saying that I can't confess my feelings to the "woman who I love," though I can't tell who this woman is. If I try to hard to verbally confess my feelings to Rias, then the curse will automatically leave me hanging. My body itself is also unaffected by the curse, so body language is also an option to convey my feelings to Rias after all. Those around me around are also affected by the curse as well. They can't help at all by telling Rias how I feel about her or show much evidence I do love her. Well it's not like I need anyone's help to tell how Rias how I feel about her. That alone is my job to do.
"When "reconnection" happens, you'll face more powerful enemies that are far greater than you have fought up till now." Father moved on to the third prediction.
! Wait, why am I not that shock to hear that? I've faced a lot of strong foes up till now, I should have seen this coming, yet I still do take Father's words into consideration.
"But be warned Sekiryuutei, these foes are nothing to compare to the Khaos Brigade." Father added before going on to the last prediction. "And for the fourth and final prediction. There was another curse that's been place on you."
! Another curse! But how? Father continued.
"Yes, this curse has been place on you ever since the time you traveled back in time." Father explained more details about this unknown curse. "I won't say much about this curse, but I'll give you this piece of little of information. Consider this curse as another Juggernaut Drive. Also don't just consider this curse a 'curse'; also treat it as a blessing as well."
Treat this as a blessing as well? Is it another sacred gear? Does it involve the Dividing Gear per chance. No wait, he said I've been curse by the time I traveled back in time.
"Now then, I'll be going. Take the teleportation circle to go back to your dimension." Father said, now leaving to room.
The rest of us got off our seats and headed to the teleportation circle that was place in the left corner of the dining room. Before we step foot on it, the Chichigami and her seirei stopped us before we go.
"Chichiryuutei, before you go, let me give you a present." Chichigami said it with a smile.
"A present for what?" I asked with a question mark on top of my head.
"Well consider this for all the sanctification you gave me about the fondness you have with breast, especially with Rias Gremory's breast." Chichigami said it with a giggled. Oh... don't say it like that in Rias' body.
[Goooon...] Ddraig weep dreadfully. Sorry old pal, I'll take responsible as always. I can also sense Albion weeping as well. I can tell from Vali's expression.
"Here's your gift." A magic circle appeared on the Chichigami's hand. What was summoned by the circle was none other than a... toy sailing ship! It has a different form and design to airships and aeroplanes, but it looked like one of those ships which appear in a fantasy RPG.
"…W..What is this thing that looks like a radio-controlled toy?"
Yes, it seems like a radio-controlled device and has lots of detail, but I can only think of this as a toy. But the sailing ship starts to move by itself in the air! And it seem that the Chichigami isn't using magic or demonic power to control it either. Rather, it's moving on its own!
"No, that's a Skithblathnir!" Sensei stated, looking amazed at the toy sailing ship.
"He's right." The Chichigami nodded in acknowledgement. "
This is a flying, magical sailing ship spoken of in the Norse world called Skithblathnir. It is also called a living sailing ship. It is a masterpiece created by the Ívaldi tribe who also created the Mjölnir for Thor. This is one of the boats. I obtained this under certain requirements. You know it's quite rare? After all there are only a countable number of them in this world."
A living airship! Amazing! So there are also things like this! The magical sailing ship which came from Norse mythology!
"It's still a small sailing ship, and it's like a toy. This thing is famous for evolving into different things by using the aura of its master as its source. How about it? Don't you want to take this as your familiar?" The Chichigami offered.
-!
I also became shocked at the unexpected offer. I, make this my familiar?
"F…Familiar…..you say? This….sailing ship?" I already have Kuroka as my familiar, is it possible to have another?
"You know you can have more than one familiar." Sensei said as if he was reading my mind.
I can have m-more than one familiar! T-Then its possible I can get the Sura-taro and Shokushumaru in the future then?
"Ara, ara, the Chichiryuutei is thinking of something naught." The seirei pointed out in Akeno's cheerful Onee-sama mode. "That's so typical of him."
Oh? Am I making a perverted face then?
"So are you going to take or not?" Chichigami asked, ignoring the fact I might be in my lewd mode now.
"I….If I'm allowed to take it, then yes please! After all, the more the merrier, right?" I said, gladly taking the Skithlathnir from the Chichigami's hand. "So will this turn into a huge airship when it grows?"
"Yes, it would. Also the appearance after its growth will depend on its master's aura and their imagination. With you who is the Sekiryuutei taking in unexpected growth and imagination, it might turn into a plane which hasn't existed until now." Chichigami explained.
The seirei started to giggle when she said this. "More like, you can use it for that. The story is you can make it into a flying harem palace. You are aiming to make a harem, right? Then you will need a harem palace. So that is where this comes in. With how you use it, you can make it into your flying harem palace. How is it? Are you excited?"
-! A flying harem palace!? So there are things like that!? I never saw it like that! Rather, I didn't even imagine it like that! That's right! If I'm aiming to become a Harem King, then I will have to prepare a harem palace! And if it's a flying harem palace, that'll be the best!
"Fufufu, putting the palace aside, it will also become a good thing for transporting in the future. Even in this state, it can still fly while carrying you, who is its master." Chichigami added with a light laugh. When the Chichigami calmed down, she place a hand on my shoulder. "And don't worry about the curse Father place on you. I will try to consult with him more about remove it. You shouldn't worry too much about it, okay?"
Ah~ The way that the Chichigami is speaking to me so concern and warming like Rias.
Sensei began to cough as he spoke. "Excuse me, but there something I want to ask." He said it awkwardly to the Chichigami.
"Oh? What is it?" Chichigami asked curiously.
"Well I wanted to ask this to Father Time, but before the Time system got bugged, shouldn't Father Time be aware of Ophis casting a time traveling spell?" Sensei asked while rubbing the back of his neck. "Couldn't he, you know, prevent it from happening or something?"
!? What Sensei just said made me wonder. If Father Time could still see the future, couldn't he prevent Ophis from casting the spell in the first place?
The Chichigami closed her eyes and sighed before replying back. "You have a point Governor, Father should have been aware of the time traveling spell casted by the Ouroboros, but it wasn't written within the original timeline."
!?
"What Father Time told me about in the original timeline, the Chichiryuutei and the Ouroboros should've been rescued by the Great Red himself and the Chichiryuutei was going to receive a new body from the flesh of the Great Red and along with the help of the Ouroboros." the Chichigami revealed, leaving everyone baffled and confused. "But for some reason there was an error within the Great Clock that Father and I were unaware of before the Ouroboros cast the spell."
"An error?"
"Yes, an error." Chichigami nodded in agreement. "We're unsure who or what done it, but we know one thing, it was no one's fault."
"But why-"
"Father didn't mean to place the curse on you." the Chichigami interrupted me before I can ask my question. "Right now Father is in a lost and confuse state ever since the time traveling spell happens. He never foresaw the error within the Great Clock or the Ouroboros casting the spell that cause the universe to "split." Father is a good person with a frivolous personality. I know he's gone overboard, but he'll turn his self around soon enough to his old self and remove the curse."
I hope what the Chichigami said was true. For now I need to have faith within the Chichigami's word.
"But what about the curse?" Vali brought it up. "Father said about another curse place on Issei. Do you know anything about that."
"Sadly I don't." The Chichigami said with a sad look on her face. "I wasn't aware of this other "curse" till Father pointed it out. Though I admit I sense something odd about you Chichiryuutei when I saw you."
So the Chichigami doesn't know anything about this new curse either huh? Well looks like we have no choice to wait to see what this other curse of mine will appear.
"Now then I bid you all farewell." The Chichigami and her seirei elegantly bowed at us and was about to leave till she looked at Vali. "And young Hakuryuukou, I have something important message from an old friend of mine."
"A message?" Vali asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Yes, my old friend and rival, the Shirigami wants to give you his blessing to you." the Chichigami answered as if it was nothing.
...
Vali looked speechless from what the Chichigami just said. The white wings of the vanishing dragon popped out of Vali's back.
[The shirigami...?] Albion asked, completely shock and devastated to heard the name from the Chichigami just spoke of.
[Albion, snapped out of it!" Ddraig cried as the Boosted Gear materialized on my left hand.
[Is this what your everyday life like Ddraig?] Albion asked as he's on the verge to burst into tears.
[Yes, Albion.] Ddraig sniffed, also on the verge to burst out into tears. [It's terrible isn't it?]
[Oh... how did we end up like this?] Albion began weep uncontrollably. [When did we became the laughing stocks of the world?]
[It's all my baka partner fault! If he weren't a sukebe, then we wouldn't end up like this!] Ddraig sobbed, accusing me as their problem of grief.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't put the blame all on me!" I retorted angrily, even though it was all my fault.
"Well it is technical your fault." Vali agreed with a bitter smile.
"Hey your responsible as me!" I argued. "If it weren't for you telling the old geezer about your fetish of butts, then Albion wouldn't be in this state!"
"...!" Vali gave me a rare, stunned reaction. "How dare-wait... you're right. I also caused this..."
Oh no! Vali became depress as well! His eyes became lifeless as he had a weak smile. "I also caused this... Why did I open my mouth to that perverted old man? Why?"
Vali snapped out of it! This isn't the time to be in state like that!
[Oh Albion, I'm sorry that my baka partner put you in this state.] Ddraig apologized sobbingly.
[Oh Ddraig, I'm sorry that you live through this everday.] Albion apologized back tearfully.
[Let's not fight again.] Ddraig suggested.
[Yeah, let's not fight and go through this together!]
! Did these two just forgave each other right now?
Everyone here became stunned on what just occurred! Did these two made up all because my perverseness? I don't know I don't know if I should be happy about this or not due to the reason these two forgave each other.
"Um, we'll be going now." The Chichigami said it awkwardly with a sweat drop appearing from the side of the . "We'll meet again in the near future. So please take care."
Not even the god of breast is able to stand the sight of these pitiful two dragons!
"Oh..." I groaned.
I slowly opened my eyes to see a familiar ceiling. Hey, isn't this my room within the Youkai mansion?
I heard the noise of my side door opening with a the hallway lights entering the room. I tilt my head over to the direction of the hallway lights with the noise of a bowl full of water crashing down in the process.
"I-Ise-sama!" a recognizable voice cried my name.
I slowly lifted my upper body up. Ah... My body aches. It hurts to move.
"Ise-sama!" the owner of the recognizable voice ran straight towards me and pinned me back to the ground. "You're alive! You're alive!"
Yumi...? Yeah, it's her. She's currently on top of me, crying in joy that I'm awake. Huh, it's like a Deja Vu. Asia did the same thing to me when I woke up after our rating game against Raiser.
Sounds of multiple people heading this way could be heard from the hallway. Soon Kunou, Yasaka-san, Valerie, and Ophis walked into my room and turned on the lights.
"Sekiryuutei-sama, you're awake!" Yasaka-san exclaimed in relief.
"Ise!" Kunou cried as she grabbed any free part of me.
"Ah Ise-sama, your body!" Valerie gasped when she saw my body.
"My body?" I asked, unsure what Valerie is talking about.
"It changed." Ophis answered.
"Huh?"
I politely asked Kunou and Yumi to get off to me to see what Ophis and Valerie were talking about. I got up from the ground and turn to the mirror in my room and gaped in surprise at my appearance. My body... it changed! My skin tone... it's a bit paler than before! My hair... it's now greyish black! And my eyes... my two eyes... they no longer have the same color! My left eye is emerald-green.! And-And my right eye is sapphire blue! But how?
[It's because of the Ki Modification.]
Ddraig? You sound exhausted like last... Wait a minute.
"Ise-sama?" Yumi asked, sensing something isn't right with me.
I quickly check over my futon and removed the blanket.
It's there! The golden pocket watch was there! The same pocket watch that Father Time gave me... Then that dream I had was real then! The curse! Meeting the Chichigami and Father Time, plus reuniting with the Seirei! Reconnection! Everything that happen in that dream was real!
Wait, I remembered now! After Ddraig and Albion made up, we all went back to our dimension!
"What's that?" Kunou wasn't referring to the pocket watch when she asked that. Next to the pocket watch was a crimson stone that was shape as a... heart? It's a heart right?
I picked it up and examined it.
[It's... the thing... that was... in the box in the white realm.]
! So it was just like last time with Elsha and Belzard then. When I turned the stone around, there was a small note attach to it.
"Give it to the woman who's most precious to you." I read out loud.
"Is there something wrong Sekiryuutei-sama?" Yasaka-san asked concernedly.
"Where's Sensei and Vali?" I asked.
"They're with our guests." Yasaka-san informed me. "They all want to see you."
New guests? Who's here?
I walked alongside with Yasaka-san and the rest of the girls. I was given word from Yasaka-san about what happen after with Ki Modification. Apparently everyone is alright after the ritual became a success. Everyone is waiting me in the living room and they all informed about my encounter with Father Time. And since Ophis is already awake before I am, Sensei and Vali should have woken up a long time before I was. Apparently I was asleep for weeks after the ritual ended. I wonder if anything happened during my time of sleep.
As we walked down the hallway, I noticed something floating our direction. It was the toy sailing ship that the Chichigami gave me! The Skithblathnir! When it spotted me, it when in circles around me. I caught it in my hands and look at it.
"Ah that appeared after the modification." Yasaka-san noted. "We didn't know what to do with it, so we let it fly around the mansion."
"Oh is that so?" I asked.
After that I let go of my new familiar and allow to roam free flying into hallways of the mansion. We continued our walked to the destination, where Sensei and the rest are.
We soon arrived to the living room, where everyone waited for us. I saw Sensei, Vali, Bikou, Kuroka, and the First Gen. sitting down and discussing among themselves.
Bikou was the first one to notice my presence.
"Hey, it's the Oppai Dragon!" Bikou called me by that name!
! But how does Bikou know that name!
"You're surprise that Bikou called by that name, Sekiryuutei-chin?" Kuroka asked in a way that makes me very suspicious of her.
I looked back at Sensei and Vali, who seem the know the reason these two are acting a bit weird.
"They all remembered." Sensei responded.
"They all remembered?" I repeated, confused. What do they remember?
"Yup," Bikou said cheerfully. "I recognized you, my time within the Khaos Brigade, Switch Princess, and my best pal the Ketsuryuukou!"
"Bikou, please stop," Vali said, sounding a bit disturbed from the taboo nickname of his. "You're going to make Albion cry."
I looked back at Sensei with a bewildered look on her face. "But how?"
"It must have been because of the explosion that everyone got caught in after we inserted." The First Gen. guessed before Sensei has a chance to reply. "And I may say, your body also went through some modification as well."
"Oh yeah..." I chuckled nervously. "My body have gone through a modification."
"So let's see it." Kuroka insisted, implying that she wants to see my Dividing Gear.
"Oh, yeah sure." I said. I made a superhero pose and raised my right arm in the air. "Come forth, Dividing Gear!" I chanted loudly.
My right forearm became consumed my a blue flame for a moment, and soon enough the white gauntlet of the White Emperor Dragon appeared.
"It... It worked!" I exclaimed in astonishment of the sight of my new gauntlet. I quickly summoned my Boosted Gear and show them to everyone.
"Congratulations," Vali said. "You gone through hell and back for the power of the Hakuryuukou. How does it feel?"
"It feel greats." I said with an edgy smile. Though I already had summoned the Dividing Gear when we met Father Time, I never had the time to let the feeling of having the power of the Hakuryuukou settled in. I'm still feeling that goosebump feeling just for summoning it.
"Huh?" I asked when the Dividing Gear started to glow in a white all of the sudden. All the light gathered into a orb on top of my bare palm. The gauntlet is no longer there and the light vanished, leaving a... small white egg? It's about the size of a lizard's egg!
"Dragon's egg." Ophis blurted out when she sees the egg.
"A dragon's egg?" I asked. "What happened to my Dividing Gear?"
The egg soon began to shake! It's hatching! A head...! A bady white dragon's head popped out from the shaking egg.
"Oh my gosh..." Yumi awed at the sight of the newborn dragon coming out of its shell. Actually everyone is awing at the sight of this newborn dragon coming out of my hands.
"Camera! where's my camera?" Yasaka-san asked emotionally.
"Grrwha!" the white baby dragon in my palm roared out cutely. The size of this white dragon is so small it the size of a baby lizard.
[! Ise, this baby dragon...! It's a baby Hakuryuukou!] Ddraig stated.
! A baby Hakuryuukou! The Divine Dividing appeared on Vali's back.
[It is another Hakuryuukou!] Albion said, shock to see the appearance of a new Hakuryuukou. [ I can sense my powers within that dragon. Was this dragon born from the Ki modification?]
"I... I guess." I shrugged, unsure how this dragon came to be.
[Well... everything seem to turn out alright... I guess...] Ddraig said tiredly.
Ddraig? Are you alright? You seem very exhausted.
[You must have used a lot of your strength to help your partner during the modification] Albion said, noticing Ddraig's fatigue.
[Yeah... I did.] Ddraig yawned. [I did too many... things to help my Partner... Forgive me Albion... but you have to go through this... suffering alone... Partner... I'm going to lose conscious soon...]
….W-What do you mean! What's happening! Why didn't you tell me!? Then the conversation between you and Albion just before is…. A farewell…..? You are lying! You are joking right!? Wait! Hold on a second!
[…Don't worry… I will make sure you can use the Boosted Gear even without me…. That's why I'm glad I was able to see you alive….at the end…..]
Ddraig's voice starts to get cut off even more, and his voice is becoming small and weak.
"Wait! …..I still…..I still can't do anything without you!"
[You can…. You have…..your…..comrades…. …..I am…..no longer…needed…]
His words are getting cut off! No! This is too much! I need you! You are my partner! Let's stay together forever! We are a Sekiryuutei together! We had been….doing stuff together! At school! At home! Against Kokabiel! My first encounter with Vali! During the camp at the mountains during the summer! Against the Sitri group! Against Loki! Even at Kyoto…..! The match against Bael…. And these last few years we spent together! Don't leave just yet! I already lost my Senpais and this accursed spell cast by Father Time, I don't want to lose you too!
My tears aren't stopping. I have so many tears running from eyes and I even have snot coming down from my nose. The things that are coming to my head are the memories I had with Ddraig…and I couldn't do anything about it.
For you to die because of Ki modification….I don't want that! Ddraig then says it clearly to me.
[My partner. Ise. Thank you. –It was fun…]
"Ddraig….? Hey…..answer me…. Hey…Partner….."
It's not fair that you call me by my name at the end! That's not fair! Say it to me properly! Call me Ise again! I beg you! This is…..not….
My jewel doesn't answer me even when I talk to it. …..So he won't talk to me ever again…..? While I was thinking such a thing, a sound comes into my ears.
[…..Gugoooooooooooooooo]
A snore.
…..Huh? A snore? He's sleeping…?
"Ddraig is exhausted because he used his powers in the Ki modification ritual. He's sleeping."
There is someone who touches my gauntlet gently.
-It's Ophis. It seems like she's standing to my left without me noticing.
"…Ophis? Wait, Ddraig is just sleeping!?"
T-This bastard! He's just taking a nap! Shit! He made me worry so much!
"You... You idiot." I sighed in grief. I passed the newborn Hakuryuukou to Ophis and hugged my gauntlet. Geez, Ddraig... You gave me such a fright. I thought I was going to lose you forever. But for right now I'm relieved. Please take your time and rest.
"But if Ddraig sleeps, wouldn't Hyoudou Issei wouldn't be able to access balance breaker then?" Vali brought it up.
! I never thought of that! Will can I still access balance breaker if Ddraig asleep then?
Sensei cleared his throat before responding. "By looking on the condition of Ddraig is in, Issei is least likely to access the power of the balance breaker and most of his Sekiryuutei powers."
! That means I can't enter Balance Breaker if Ddraig asleep. I'm basically useless now!
"You seem rather edgy now that you no longer have much access you to your Boosted Gear now, don't ya?" A new voice entered the living room.
?!
I turned around and saw none other than... Sairaorg! And there is his lion, Regulus Nemea next to him! But why are these two here?
"Ise, these two are sixth." Vali explained, standing next to Sairaorg. "When the modification was over, I had this weird dream. In this dream I saw everyone that was close to your heart and per chance in that dream I saw Sairaorg awaken. As soon I woke up, I went to search for him and brought here."
No way! Sairaorg is sixth! We haven't found who is fifth yet!
"I heard from the Hakuryuukou and Governor Anazel about what happen to you after the modification and now I just witnessed what happen to your partner, the Sekiryuutei. It's a real shame too. I was hoping to spare with you with Regulus here." Sairaorg said, petting his lion next to him.
Really Sairaorg? I don't even have access to my full powers at all...
"Kitty," Ophis said when she looked at the quiet lion.
Hey, hey! Ophis that is not a kitty! Doesn't matter how you look at it! It's a full-grown lion! Don't look at it as if it was something cute!
Sairaorg walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "Is it true Ise? You can't say confess your love the woman who you love?" he asked me seriously.
"Ah..." I said, adverting my eyes shamefully away from Sairaorg. "I... I lost everything after the modification..." My body began to shiver hysterically and my voice on the verge to crack and burst into tears. "My past Senpais sacrifice after the modification... Father Time punished me for time travelling... I can't... I just can't... tell how I feel... about Rias anymore... and now Ddraig is a sleep for a long time... I'm so useless now... I don't know what I'm going to do know how I'm going to face Rias when it's time for me to confess to her. "
"..." Sairaorg stayed silent for a moment and looked at the Yasaka-san. "Yasaka-san, if I may ask, can you get me and my friend here a cup of coffee?"
!? Yasaka-san nodded her head and asked on the servants near by to get us some.
"Sairaorg?" I asked, unsure what's going on.
"Remember what I told back then in the hospital room? I would gladly listen to your story and cheer you up with some coffee." Saiarorg smiled. "Plus Issei, this isn't the end."
"He's right." the First Gen. acknowledged. "This is only the beginning for you. So what you can't access much of your Sekiryuutei powers? All you have to do is make up the power you lost with something else."
"Make it up?" I asked.
"Issei, remember what my mother use to tell me when I was a lad?" Sairaorg asked. "She said this, "Even if you don't have demonic-power, you still have your fine body. If you think you are lacking something, cover the thing you are lacking with something else! It can be brute strength, it can be intelligence, it can be speed, so make up for it! No matter what other people say, you are the son of the house of Bael. Even if you don't have demonic-power, even if you don't have the power of destruction.
I starting to see what Sairaorg and the First Gen. is trying to say. I looked back at Ophis, who somehow got on top of the lion! Hey get off from there! And how the hell did you get on top of there so fast!
"Kitty," she said it with sparkling eyes. That's not a kitty.
"Ha, looks like the Infinite took a liking to Regulus, huh?" Sairaorg laughed heartily.
As I try to ignore the fact that Ophis is on top of Regulus, I think back to the baby Hakuryuukou that hatch from the egg created by the Dividing Gear that Ophis has in her hands.
"Your absolutely right Sairaorg, I really do lack many things now since I now lost Ddraig, but now I'm going to make up!" I declared confidently. "Since now I have access to the Hakuryuukou power, I'm going to learn how to use its power properly! Note only that, I also have the Ascalon and the Excalibur Nightmare to work with, and I also have material arts! And I properly can remove this curse on my own!"
Everyone became puzzle on my last sentence.
"Can't I use the power of Lancelot's Ring of Dispel?" I asked. "It has the power to dispel enchantment. It could remove spells and curse of my choosing, right?"
Sensei said this while scratching the back of his neck. "Well it's not impossible, but the only way you can do that if you can master the ring and its impossible for the current you for the low magic you have."
That's true. I still do lack in the magic department. That means I need to increase it as well.
"But we also have to worry about the other curse that already been place on Issei for the last few years." Vali reminded us.
That's right. Father Time did mention about this other curse I have place on me.
"Ise, did anything strange happen to you after the first few days after you traveled back in time per chance?" Sensei asked.
"No... I don't think so. All I remember is that I meet up with Ophis and played with Irina and on the second day, Ophis gave me Lancelot's ring." I told him.
"The ring... could it be possible..." Sensei started to murmured something serious. "No... I doubt it. But... no we don't have enough evidence that the ring and "it" are connected in someway..."
"What's wrong Sensei?" I asked.
"Oh... its nothing." Sensei said. "But again, you need to improve you magic greatly and start expanding the use of the Ring of Dispel if you want to remove that curse. And since you no longer have much access to Ddraig's power, looks like we'll be improving both your magic and mental mind."
My mental mind? Ah yes, tactics and strategies... I did ask Yasaka-san about those things and we somewhat focus on them, though it wasn't that much. And there also my studies of the Underworld, the living style of the social high-class, and other mythologies that I know about too... I hope my poor brain of my mine can take in all this knowledge.
"Nya, can I offer a suggestion?" Kuroka, who was lying all over one of the couches, asked with her hand raise up.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Maybe you should learn some Senjutsu." Kuroka offered.
!
"Learn Senjutsu?" I asked just to clarify what she said.
Kuroka nodded. "Yeah, because Sekiryuutei-chin is the Oppai Dragon, I can see you have many use of it. Do you want to see some?"
? I'm actually kind interested in what Kuroka is saying. I nodded my head and watch her do the type of Senjutsu that will benefit from me.
"Alright, but I need a volunteer first. Valerie-chan, Yumi-chan, won't you mind aiding me?" Kuroka requested the two girls that I rescued.
The girls were hesitant at first, but agreed to it and each of them stood one side of Kuroka respectively.
"Now watch," Kuroka ordered as she pokes both girls at the same time. After the girls got poked, they immediately fell to their knees and began to shake frantically.
"Oh...Oh no~!" both girls moaned! What did Kuroka do to them! Both their cheeks are turning into ten different shades of red and they started to pant uncontrollable. They seem put their hands inbetween the legs.
"I can't hold it!" Yumi cried.
"Me either!" Valerie panted.
"AAAHHHH~!" both girls screamed.
My noise gushed out blood as both girls wet themselves right in front of us!
"Well? What do you think?" Kuroka asked, ignoring the fact she purposely mortified these girls in front of everyone.
"Haha, good one Kuroka!" Bikou laughed hysterically.
"Valerie, Yumi!" I cried as I rushed to the girls aid. I quickly put my arms around them and brought them close. "Are you alright."
"I'm... wet..." Yumi sniffed.
"I'm g-going to k-k-kill that cat the first chance I g-get." Valerie stuttered angrily, glaring down at Kuroka with cold eyes fill with hatred. "Even if it's the last thing I do!"
"That wasn't a good thing to do!" I berated at Kuroka when I look back at her with narrowed eyes.
"Nya, so what? Weren't you turn by it?" she asked indifferently.
I... I... I would admit, I was a bit turn by it, but there no way I'm going to tell that to everyone, especially to Valerie and Yumi.
"You know I can read your aura, Nya," Kuroka sneered devilishly. "By the look at it, you were definitely turned by it."
I have no comment, so I adverted my eyes away from Kuroka and thegirls under my arms.
"So do want to learn Senjutsu, or don't you?" Kuroka continue to ask.
"I think you should take her offer on it, young Sekiryuutei." the First Gen. said.
"Really?" I asked, surprise to hear that from the First Gen. himself.
"Absolutely." The First Gen. nodded. "I think you can benefit from that."
"Yeah I also think you benefit from this too." Even Sensei agree to this.
"But why?" I asked.
"Unless you want to use the Oppai beam and shrink Rias' breast to recharge you strengh and to cause Ddraig more stress, then I greatly think learning some Senjutsu won't hurt that much." Sensei explained us.
Ah Rias's breast. That's right... I don't want to experience her beautiful breast shrinking again. Plus is there Ddraig's health too. I wonder if Kuroka knows any other lewd Senjutsu tricks like that too? Wait, I shouldn't be thinking about stuff like that right now! But learning Senjutsu won't hurt right...?
"Kuroka... please teach me some Senjutsu... please?" I asked her weakly without looking direct eye contact with her.
"Sure, why not." Kuroka shrugged as if it was nothing. "But you should know it would take a mortal like you years to learn some of the basics."
"I don't mind." I said.
"Well looks like everything turned out fine." Sairaorg remarked. "Well everything but the curse I mean."
Yeah he's right. I still have the curse on me, but I'll put my faith on the Chichigami to help me remove it and improve my magic and learn to use the Ring of Dispel properly too if I'm going to remove this curse too.
Looks like my real training just begun.
A lot... and I mean a lot of stuff just happen this chapter and a lot of you must been wondering WTF just happen? If you haven't seen the spoilers of volume 16, you must be wondering why did Albion and Ddraig forgave each other "AFTER" Issei gone through hell in the modification. Well if you keep up with my author note, then you might know why.
Yes, the man who place the curse on Hyoudou Issei, is Father Time! Yup, the System that Father talked about is screwed when Ophis and Issei traveled back in time and now he only has clairvoyance (psychological definition) and can see only a small glimse of the future time to time, but nothing at all. And its now up to the Chichigami to help Issei to remove the curse that Father has placed on him.
About the second curse that Issei have... I won't say much, but this curse just been foreshadow and how Issei receive this is somewhere in the past text of the story. You'll see this curse soon when we reach to the canon soon enough.
You all must be wondering about "Reconnection" is it going to be part of this story? I can't say, but remember what I told you a long time ago that I was planning a sequel and the sequel will involve Reconnection and you guys just saw a prequel of it.
And how the WFT did First Gen. and the other remember Issei? Well that simple, that will be fully explain in next chapter when Fifth's debuts.
Also Issei will learn Senjutsu! Why? I got the idea when I saw Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero and thought, Issei should use Senjutsu the way Akatsuki Ousawa does. And he will also get training from Sairaorg too!
You know after this chapter, I suspect that this story is going to be number 1 in reviews too.
In the next and final chapter of this arc: Two years later... New abilities of Issei's modified body... Hero's... Kouh Academy Field Trip... Training... Fifth...
Next time in A Second Chance: Battlefield in Kyoto
Issei: No way! You're-