The Lone Vigilante Issei – High School DxD

Hey everyone, it's me Hide Shinyama.

So, here we are at the last chapter of the Gullinbursti Arc.

Issei has finally beaten the golden boar in an epic battle. He fought tooth and nail, but even though he had been severely drained from the fight, a mysterious man saved him in the nick of time.

That man turned out to be the God Freyr and the boar, as it turns out, is none other than his steed Gullinbursti (the namesake of this arc). From here on, Freyr explains everything leading up to this moment.

I would also like to note a correction from my last chapter. I said that Gullinbursti was formed by Eitri, one of the sons of Ivaldi. The part about him being a son of Ivaldi turned out to be false, since the names of the sons of Eitri remain unknown.

Anyway, what is Freyr's story? Well…

Find out in…

Chapter 21 – Gullinbursti Arc, Part 5

15th September, Saturday, 6:05 pm – in a clearing in the forest

The sun had partially set and the night sky was fast approaching. Yet, within the forest clearing nobody had any intentions of sleeping. For right now, Issei was listening intently at what the man – revealing to be none other than the god Freyr – had to say.

Issei had planned to hear everything then and now, had it not been for Matsuda and Motohama, who were calling out to Issei, asking him to get him out (for they were still stuck in the black gooey mess with all the other boars).

He got them out with the help of Freyr and his sword, which managed to slice the black gooey mass of them with ease (The boys had to admit, that thing did look pretty cool!).

After getting them out, the three boys sat down on the ground (for they were tired) and asked Freyr to tell them his story.

Clearing his throat, Freyr began to speak.

"I suppose I should it start from the beginning – about how Gullinbursti came to be. Gullinbursti, my unfortunately disloyal steed and familiar, was forged many years ago by the dwarf Eitri. Now, Eitri is a naturally skilled craftsman and smith – one of the best and finest craftsman and smiths in Scandinavia. However, there were others who doubted his skills, such as the god Loki," Freyr frowned to himself upon mentioning Loki's name. It was clearly obvious Freyr did not like him.

"You mean the Norse god of trickery!? He exists!?" Motohama interrupted with shock.

Matsuda, Ddraig and Issei immediately shushed him for his interruption, but Freyr didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, so you've heard of him?" Freyr said with a hint of surprise. "Then I presume you know just what kind of person he is."

Everybody nodded and kept quiet, not intending to interrupt Freyr's tale.

"As I was saying, Loki doubted Eitri's skills and made a bet – with his own head in line – with Eitri's brother Brokkr. Loki bet that Eitri would not be able to create items similar to the sons of Ivaldi, such as Gungnir, the spear of the god Odin, and Skidbladnir, my familiar boat, and the golden hair of the goddess Sif, whose hair had been shaved off by that knave Loki," Freyr frowned again in irritation at Loki's actions.

"Umm… the sons of Ivaldi?" Matsuda asked, taking advantage of the pause in Freyr's speech.

"The sons of Ivaldi are master-craftsmen, similar to Eitri, perhaps even better," Freyr explained. "But back to what I was saying… Brokkr agreed to the challenge, told Eitri about his bet and went to work together with him immediately. After several days they were done. The result of which were Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor, Draupnir, the ring of Odin and finally my familiar – the golden boar Gullinbursti."

"Say, umm… How did those dwarves make a boar through smithery?" Issei asked. "I mean, when I fought it, it didn't feel like metal or anything… more like flesh and bone."

"Oh that? That was because Eitri threw in the fur coat of an ordinary boar unto the anvil, before forging it," Freyr answered. "But do not ask me how else they managed to forge him, for I am no craftsman and do not know about such things."

The boys just nodded and let Freyr continue.

"When I was called to view the fruits of Eitri's work, I was astounded. For I had never seen anything like Gullinbursti in its design and goldenness before. It was forged by fire and iron and at the same time, it also seemed so… natural… I was delighted when I found out that Eitri and Brokkr had intended to give Gullinbursti to me. So, I bought him for a generous price and made my way home. For many years I fed him, nurtured him and trained him to be my chariot-pulling steed in gold. He may not have been the most noble animal, but he was a fine beast nonetheless. But more than that, I treated him as if he were my own son. Oh, those were wonderful times…" Freyr said with a happy look on his face, as he remembered back.

This didn't last long, as Freyr's smile vanished upon making a deep sigh. "Unfortunately, despite my efforts, Gullinbursti eventually grew distant… In fact, as time went by, Gullinbursti would sometimes behave erratically."

"Erratically?" Issei asked Freyr.

"Yes, there were times, he would refuse to obey my orders. Sometimes, he would mope around, instead of pulling my chariot or vandalize my house from time to time," Freyr explained, as he massaged his forehead with his fingers in fatigue.

Matsuda, Motohama and Issei gulped. They had been on the receiving end of that boar's rampages for one day. How horrifying would such rampages "from time to time" be like – at home no less?

"But that wasn't the end of it," Freyr continued, continuing his forehead massage with his palms. "Whenever, I would be eating a meal involving pork, whether it be in a private setting or a feast, Gullinbursti would fly into a temper tantrum and spoil everything."

"Oh, man…" Motohama groaned at the very imagination of something like that. Freyr really had to go through a lot, if he managed to endure Gullinbursti for this long.

Freyr then sighed, before continuing. "I tried my best to discipline him, rein him in and make him a better familiar, but it was all useless. Gullinbursti was incorrigible and always seemed to have a red glow in his eyes whenever he was about to go on a rampage. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but after several months, I started to realize that something was wrong. I went to Eitri and Brokkr and told them about Gullinbursti's behavior. I also asked them about any possible errors… flaws in their craftsmanship. They assured me that their craftsmanship was flawless and that everything had gone perfectly… well… although…"

"Although what?" Matsuda asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well… They mentioned something about a gadfly repeatedly biting Brokkr, while he was working. While he was blowing on the fire to forge Mjolnir, the gadfly even bit his eye. Brokkr instinctively stopped his blowing for a moment and in the end, the handle ended up shorter than it should have been. But they assured me that nothing had happened to Gullinbursti during that time. In fact, by the time Gullinbursti was forged, he was well-behaved piglet. No ill-mannered behavior at all," Freyr elaborated.

"Huh…" Issei simply remarked, as he looked to the ground and stroked his chin in thought. He seemed to be in deep thought about what Freyr had said, but Freyr gave Issei no heed and continued on.

"While I was talking with them, one of my servants entered with an urgent message. Gullinbursti, whom I have left at home had broken out of its pen. I went back with haste only to find out that my servant had said the truth. I searched everywhere for him. I asked all the gods in Scandinavia for his whereabouts, but none of them knew. I went southward to ask of the Greek and Roman pantheons, but alas… nothing. After a few weeks, I heard of a rumor of what seemed to be Gullinbursti moving all across Eurasia towards the east. I followed and eventually came to your country where I met deities of the Shinto faction…"

"Shinto faction? As in Susanoo and Amaterasu? They exist?" Issei interrupted Freyr.

Freyr raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me you didn't know?"

[Unfortunately, my host and his friends here were raised to be atheists. There was no way they would know that supernatural beings of any kind would exist] Ddraig told Freyr.

Freyr silently shook his head. Why were people nowadays like this? But he decided that this was a topic for another time and continued where he had left off.

"As I was saying… The Shinto deities told me that some of their own had encountered Gullinbursti and tried to catch it, only for him to elude them. It turned out that all this had happened a few days ago and that he was heading towards Devil territory near Kuoh. So, I went to Kuoh, told the governors of Kuoh, Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri, about my story and asked them to let me find Gullinbursti in their territory. They were skeptical at first, but in the end they granted me permission. I searched this forest high and low until I the sound of your fighting reached my ears. I saw you…" Freyr pointed at Issei. "...fighting Gullinbursti with your bare hands. I have to say, I am impressed holding out like that on your own against Gullinbursti. That requires a lot of strength, endurance and skill, something that even experienced warriors of my own household would be pressed to match," Freyr praised Issei.

Issei blushed at the compliment. "Th-thanks…" he stuttered.

"No, no… I am the one to thank you, Master Hyoudou," Freyr insisted with a smile.

"Umm… We also helped, you know?" Matsuda interrupted politely.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for us, Issei would have been dead a long time ago," Motohama added.

Freyr turned his face to them surprised, then to Issei who nodded at their statement.

"I see… Then I thank you both as well… umm…" Freyr trailed off.

It was then that Matsuda and Motohama realized that they forgot to introduce themselves.

"I'm Matsuda Hibiki!" Matsuda blurted out.

"And I'm Motohama Todoriki! Pleased to meet you, sir!" Motohama added just as quickly.

"The pleasure is all mine, dear lads," Freyr answered politely. "I'm sorry that my familiar put you through all this effort."

"No problem. It was a good workout, wasn't it?" Motohama looked at Matsuda and Issei expectantly.

Matsuda looked at Motohama, as if he went bonkers and Issei just frowned at him. Clearly they did not have the same opinion. After fighting nearly to the death, what did one expect?

Issei's mind then wandered off from Motohama's attempts at flattery and was thinking about what Freyr said about the bet between Loki and Brokkr.

"Umm… Lord Freyr?" Issei addressed the deity.

"No need to be so formal, call me Freyr. What is it?" Freyr asked Issei.

"Well, you mentioned something about a bet between Loki and… that dwarf, I forgot his name… Anyway, he made those items successfully, right? What happened to Loki – the loser of the bet?" Issei asked.

Freyr was taken aback for a moment, before his face turned into a frown.

"Oh… that…" Freyr replied sourly, as the memory of that day surfaced in his head. "After Brokkr presented the items in front of a jury of gods, they deemed Brokkr the winner of the bet. But unfortunately, Loki found a loophole in his bet. Instead of having his head chopped off as required, he told them that he only promised to give him his head, but not any part of his neck. And seeing how head and neck are so intertwined together, it was impossible to take off his head. In the end, the gods decided to merely have his lips sewn together by the sons of Ivaldi as punishment for his deceptive wordplay."

"Pfff… sewn together…" Motohama giggled.

"Must have hurt… pfff…" Matsuda added, while holding his laughter in.

Issei also couldn't help but laugh at the image of a god having to sit through the torment of having his lips sewn together and trying his best to speak.

Freyr had to chuckle for a bit, as the memory of that particular part of the day came to mind.

"I'll admit that was funny… Although that cur deserved worse…" Freyr's face had darkened with loathing for the trickster god.

Issei and the others couldn't help but stop their laughter, as they winced at Freyr's sour face.

Freyr only stopped his glowering when he saw the intimidated looks on the trio's faces. "I'm sorry. I… just exhibited unwanted behavior, didn't I?" he asked.

"It's OK… It's OK…" Issei assured him.

Issei made a mental note not to talk too much about Loki in front of Freyr's presence. Loki truly was a tricky god, just as he was dangerous.

That was when Issei remembered something about what Freyr said earlier. Upon thinking about the subject matter in mind with his hand stroking his chin, Issei linked it with everything he knew about Loki and the events that had happened. The bet… the making of the items… the nature of the items themselves… and Gullinbursti's rampage…

'Of course…' Issei's eyes widened in realization, as he linked these facts together. 'It all makes sense…'

Everyone noticed Issei had practically frozen with surprise.

"Master Hyoudou? Are you alright?" Freyr asked Issei with concern.

"Issei?" Matsuda said next, as he waved a hand in front of his face.

"Issei?" Motohama said, as he carefully laid his hand on his shoulder.

[Partner? Is something the matter?] Ddraig asked.

It was then that Issei got out of his quasi-frozen state and looked at Motohama.

"What? Did something happen?" Issei asked confused. Before Motohama could speak, Ddraig did so.

[You were standing there completely unresponsive. Is something wrong?] Ddraig asked again.

Issei shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong, Ddraig…" Issei replied.

Matsuda and Motohama let out a sigh in relief, as the latter moved his hand of Issei's shoulder and backed away.

Issei turned to face Freyr with a serious look on his face, which caught the latter by surprise.

"Tell me something. Does Loki have a grudge on Thor?" Issei asked Freyr.

Freyr looked at Issei with uncertainty as to what his intentions were. But nodded nonetheless.

"Well, yes. That is a well-known fact. He has always been jealous Thor for being his father's favorite. Why the question?" Freyr asked with raised eyebrows.

"And can Loki turn into anyone and anything whenever he wants to?" Issei asked again, ignoring Freyr's own questioning.

Freyr nodded. "Well, yes... But what has that got to do with anything?"

"I'm getting to it. Did Loki know beforehand about what the dwarves were going to make?" Issei asked a third time.

"No, though I wouldn't be surprised, if he found out sooner or later. He is quite crafty and has spies everywhere," Freyr answered.

Issei moved on. "And the last question: Does Loki have anything else to gain other than keeping his head, if those items these dwarves made… go out of control?"

At this question, Freyr went silent.

"Issei, what are you doing?" Matsuda asked him.

"Yeah, why all the random questions?" Motohama questioned his friend.

[Partner? Can you tell us what is going on?] Ddraig demanded.

"I'll get to that, but first, let's hear the answer to my question," Issei told everyone, getting everybody to focus on Freyr.

As Matsuda, Motohama and Issei turned to Freyr, they could see that he seemed to be deep in thought about what Issei had said and was facing the ground. Nobody said a word, as they decided to wait for Freyr to finish his thoughts.

Then Freyr lifted his head to face them.

"Yes…" Freyr began quietly. "Yes… Now that I think of it, he does have an interest in subverting the quality of the items made by Eitri and Brokkr. It would make them look bad… make them lose face among their companions and the gods…"

Frey looked at Issei with a face filled with realization. "Do you mean to say that Loki…?"

Issei gave him a firm smile and nodded. "Exactly."

"What are you guys talking about?" Motohama asked Issei.

"Yeah, tell us!" Matsuda insisted.

"Guys, I just figured something out…" Issei explained. "…Everything that Freyr told us about all the way to what has happened up till now… It's all connected…"

Matsuda and Motohama looked at their friend confused.

"I'm not sure I understand…" Matsuda said.

"Perhaps I need to explain. Here's what happened…" Issei started his explanation.


Issei's explanation:

"Loki and that dwarf… umm… Brokkr… made a bet, betting that Brokkr's brother wouldn't be able to make high-quality items worthy of a god…"

"But Loki probably figured out one way or the other that whatever they were making was going to be a success. So he sought a way to derail their work…"

"When he found out that Thor's hammer was going to be made, he was more determined than ever to hinder their work…"

"This is why, Loki disguised himself as a fly…"

"Before you ask, yes, that fly – the same one that was bothering the dwarf brothers at their work. That was him..."

"He bit Brokkr over and over again until he managed to achieve some results. The handle of Thor's famous hammer was shortened. Probably not short enough to make it unusable, but shortened nonetheless..."

"But it wasn't enough…"

"The items were created and the gods decided to give Brokkr the win. Loki managed to weasel his way out of his bet through word-play, though that didn't save him from being humiliated by the gods…"

"From here on out it's just me speculating. I'm not sure, if all this is true or not, but everything I say here is just a theory…"

"Loki, being filled with rage at the memory of his humiliation and seeing Thor getting such a cool weapon, was plotting his revenge. Doing harm upon the dwarves who made the items was too straightforward and would have obviously made him the main suspect, so he decided on something subtler…"

"He probably reasoned that even if he lost the contest, he could still win the bet…"

"How? Why by doing as much damage to the sacred items as possible. There was a problem though… By the time, the contest had ended, they were already in the hands of their new owners…"

"The hammer was with Thor and to face Thor and do something to his hammer at this point was too risky- even for someone like Loki. Besides, he already managed to shorten the hammer's handle, so that was something, even if it wasn't good enough to degrade its usefulness… I would, if I were in his shoes anyway…"

"The ring of Odin… well… I don't think I need to explain why facing Odin, his father is an even worse idea…"

"That leaves only Gullinbursti, Freyr's familiar. Not only was Freyr probably weaker than Thor and Odin (no offense to you, Freyr!) but Gullinbursti was vulnerable as well. Unlike a ring or a hammer, you can't carry a boar on you at all times. And if the boar is in a pen, then what are the odds of being caught? Probably not as high as the other options, right?"

"I'm not sure how Loki did it, whether it be through hypnosis or magic or whatever… he managed to make Gullinbursti disobedient and go on a rampage… In fact, I dare say that I would not be surprised, if he was the one who let out Gullinbursti when Freyr went to talk to the dwarf brothers that day…"

"And who knows? Maybe Loki is spreading rumors about the dwarf brothers' faulty creations and ultimately 'winning' the bet so to speak…"

"*Sigh* You really do have a reason to hate him. Right, Freyr? I know I would…"


After Issei had finished his explanation. Matsuda and Motohama stood there in awe at what they had just heard. Freyr on the other hand was seething with rage. He couldn't believe that Loki would go this far just for a pathetic grudge against Eitri and Brokkr. He swore to himself that once he saw Loki himself, he would throw a punch at his face.

"That… actually made a lot of sense…" Motohama remarked impressed.

"Yeah, the way you said it made you sound like a detective…" Matsuda complimented.

Issei looked at them in surprise, before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ehehe… Oh, it's nothing…" Issei laughed nervously, trying to play it down.

[But Partner] Ddraig argued. [While what you said was plausible, we don't have any proof that it was Loki who did all these things.]

"Yeah, unfortunately, you are right…" Issei admitted. "But hey! At least it was worth considering. Right, Freyr?" he turned to the deity in question, only to be taken aback by a rather angry god, directing his anger not at them, but at a certain prankster god.

"Umm… Freyr?" Issei addressed him.

This shook Freyr out of his thoughts and paid attention to Issei.

"I'm sorry. I was deep in thought. Could you say that again?" Freyr asked.

"Umm… well I was talking about my theory and what I thought may have happened and… uh… you didn't seem very happy just now…" Issei remarked cautiously in order not to anger him.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I wasn't angry at you. Don't worry. I was more or less angry about what Loki has been doing behind our back. That knave! When I get my hands on him, he'll be wishing it was Thor and Odin coming after him!" Freyr said with indignation.

"Yeah, but – like Ddraig said – we don't exactly have proof on him…" Matsuda started, but Freyr waved him off.

"No matter. I shall find the evidence myself, as soon as I and Gullinbursti return home to Scandinavia. And even if I don't, I shall nevertheless put forward a warning to the other gods about Loki's acts of mischief. You need not concern yourself any more with this matter anymore. You have helped me plenty by stopping Gullinbursti and giving me a possible theory of what might have happened. And for that I, Freyr, the god of virility, prosperity, sunshine and fair weather, am in your debt," Freyr gave the boys a polite bow.

Issei, Matsuda and Motohama were shocked that a god would show them so much respect and stood there, unsure on what to do or say.

After Freyr finished his bow, he stood up straight again. "As a reward for your efforts, I can enhance your weaponry. If that should be impossible, I can give you new ones or even give you other gifts."

"R-r-really!?" Issei voiced incredulously.

"W-wow… I don't know what to say…" Matsuda followed with a stutter.

"What kind of weapons and gifts!?" Motohama asked excited.

"Well, that we shall see. But first, show me your weaponry," Freyr asked them.

The boys nodded and activated their gifts – well Matsuda tried to, but he couldn't for the helicopter hadn't fully been restored yet.

Freyr first went over to Motohama to inspect his gift, the glue gloves.

"What do these gloves do?" Freyr asked.

"Umm… they create dark energy or matter, which is all sticky. I can create cubes and when I throw them, they explode and make anybody caught in them stuck. Like those boars over there," Motohama pointed at the numerous boars who were still stuck in the black goo. By now some of them had already freed themselves from their gooey predicament and have quietly trotted off into the forest. It was only a matter of time, before the rest of them would, too, having had enough of fighting the human trio.

Freyr turned to look at where Motohama was pointing at. "I see…" he remarked, before turning his face to Motohama again.

"Impressive. A good gift you have there. Unfortunately, I cannot enhance it, for I know not what I could improve on this device," Freyr said, shaking his head sadly.

Motohama looked disappointed for a moment, but what Freyr said a moment afterwards lifted up his mood.

"What I can do, is gift you with this," Freyr took out an item from his belt and handed it to Motohama.

As Motohama laid his eyes on it, he widened his eyes.

The item he had received was a short-sword. It seemed to be about 30 cm long from the bottom of the grip to the tip of the sword. Moreover, its blade was made of fine steel and was single-edged. Its handle was made of wood.

Overall, not too impressive of a weapon, but still a formidably dangerous weapon nonetheless.

Seeing, Motohama's unsure reaction, Freyr decided to elaborate more about it.

"This is a seax, a type of short-sword commonly used in my country. It may not be much, but do not let its simple appearance fool you. This particular seax is made by Eitri and Brokkr, who made sure that it is strong and sturdy. They made sure to magically enforce it, thus making it not only stay sharp and practically unbreakable, but also enable you to see in the dark," Freyr explained.

"See in the dark? How?" Motohama inquired.

"By willing it. You just have to will it," Freyr answered. "Also, I presume this is your first time using it, am I right?"

Motohama nodded, before Freyr continued.

"When you practice using it, be very careful. This is no training sword and with its caliber you can actually hurt someone, if you're not careful. I recommend you find a suitable swordsman who can train you, before you actually use it. Once you do, you'll be able to fight foes at close range, should the need arise. Do you understand," Freyr asked of Motohama.

Motohama nodded again. Of course, he was no fool, so naturally he would follow his advice. He still had one question, however.

"Are you really sure you want to give away such a good sword? I mean, you said yourself that it was good and…" Motohama asked, but Freyr answered before he could finish.

"It is no problem," Freyr answered him with a wave of his hand. "Eitri and Brokkr can easily make me a new one. It's not a problem. Also, take this sheath," Freyr threw Motohama a sheath for the short-sword.

"Thanks…" Motohama simply said, as he tried to figure out how to put the seax into the sheath.

"Good. Now moving on…" Freyr said, as he moved on to Matsuda. "What is your gift?"

"Well… It's a helicopter that can shrink and grow at will. I heard it can shoot bullets and drop bombs. We three can fit in there, though it sucks that we don't necessarily sit comfortably in it. And umm…" Matsuda was about to continue, but Freyr stopped him.

"Speak no more. I shall see for myself what needs to be done. Could you summon it for me?" Freyr asked of Matsuda.

Matsuda chuckled awkwardly. "Well, here's the thing. It still needs to reload for another… uh…" he stopped to look at his watch. "…Uh… Two hours at most, before I can summon it out."

"No matter. I can find out all I need to know about it. Hold on… Could you stretch your device out to me please?" Freyr asked Matsuda. The latter stretched his arm and Freyr laid a hand on Matsuda's watch.

Freyr concentrated and after a few seconds a light came from Matsuda's watch, illuminating the clearing. Then the light vanished and Matsuda opened his eyes. To his surprise nothing had changed. Matsuda was about to ask Freyr, but the latter simply smiled.

"You'll find out what I have done, once you summon it," Freyr said, as he moved on to Issei.

"Now, what is your gift – other than your Sacred Gear that is?" Freyr asked Issei.

This confused Issei. "Huh? What's wrong with the Boosted Gear?" Issei asked.

"Well, nothing is wrong with it, Rather, it is just that altering Sacred Gears for better or for worse are beyond my capabilities, especially for one such as the Boosted Gear," Freyr replied.

Ddraig couldn't help but feel smug after hearing this.

[Indeed, that is true] Ddraig said.

Issei didn't like it when Ddraig butted into the conversation, but decided to leave it be.

"But back to the issue. What is your gift and what does it do?" Freyr asked again.

"Well, my gift is this," Issei answered, as he adjusted his special glasses. "These glasses enable me to see things in all different kinds of filters, like heat-vision for example. There are many more that I haven't checked out yet, but… you get the idea. Heck, now that I think about it, I can even detect Wi-fi on this thing! Who knows…? Maybe I can surf on the internet? Provided, if I can connect…"

Freyr nodded and put a hand under his chin to think about what to do. After a while, he removed his hand from under his chin and answered.

"I'm afraid, I can't enhance your gift either…" Freyr began, leading Issei to be disappointed as well.

"But why?" Issei asked.

"It is as with Motohama's gift. I know not what to enhance it with or even if there is anything to improve on at all... So, I'm not sure what I can give you..." After having said that Freyr went deep into thought.

It took him twenty seconds to figure out what to give him. Issei, on the other hand waited rather impatiently at what Freyr would say.

"I've got it! Red Dragon Emperor. Tell me, can the Boosted Gear absorb items?" Freyr asked Ddraig.

[Yes, it can. Why do you ask?] Ddraig asked.

"What? What do you have in mind?" Issei asked Freyr.

"Oh, you'll see," Freyr replied. He held out his hand towards Issei and a bright light emitted from it.

The light blinded him and when the light had diminished…

"Whoa! Wh-what is this?" Issei asked surprised, as he nearly let the blue orb drop.

In his hands was a cold light-blue orb about the size of a baseball. It was solid and looked and felt like ceramic, except that the essence on the inside was moving. Also, it was cold as ice, which is why Issei almost dropped it in the first place. The temptation to put it on the ground still remained because of how cold it was.

"This is an ice orb from the cold snowy North. It is meant for practical uses such as freezing frozen food or cooling injuries. However, it can also be used for freezing water in small measures. I decided to give you this, seeing it would be a wonderful addition to your Boosted Gear. With it you can use it anytime you want along with your Boosted Gear, doing all the things I mentioned earlier. Please note that you won't be able to use it to launch any ice-attacks with it. For that, you would need a larger, stronger ice-orb," Freyr explained.

Issei looked at Freyr and Ddraig confused. "I thought you said you couldn't add anything to the Boosted Gear," Issei spoke confused.

[I forgot about this particular aspect…] Ddraig admitted embarrassingly, causing Issei to facepalm.

"While, I just made an educated guess after hearing all the rumors about the Boosted Gear and figured its absorption ability was one of them," Freyr said delighted. "Now, absorb it."

Issei looked at the ice orb with uncertainty. He took it with one hand and right before he had it touch the Boosted Gear, he asked Ddraig one more question.

"Say, Ddraig? You're a fire-based dragon. Wouldn't it harm you, if you got something ice-based inside the Boosted Gear?" Issei asked Ddraig with concern.

[Ice-based items may not be my element, but it would do more than a mere ice-orb of this size to do some serious harm to someone like me] Ddraig replied confidently.

Issei nodded and put the ice-orb on the Boosted Gear…

A light flashed and the ice-orb was gone!

"Where did it go?" issei asked, as he looked around.

[It's in the Boosted Gear, Partner] Ddraig told Issei. [The absorption succeeded.]

Issei pumped his fist in the air in jubilation and proceeded to test his new ability.

He put the Boosted Gear gauntlet on the grassy floor… and sure enough, the grass was covered in frost and spread around him in a slowly expanding circle.

"Cool… That's a really neat gift you gave me, Freyr!" Issei exclaimed excited.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Freyr said with a smile.

Matsuda, Motohama and Issei immediately got into a conversation about their presents from Freyr.

Freyr couldn't help but watch on, as they spoke with fascination on how cool their gifts were. He was the god of virility, prosperity, sunshine and fair weather after all. He may not have been as generous as Santa Claus during Christmas, but he was working all year round, establishing all the beforementioned virtues in Northern Europe as well as he could.

And that alone made him happy.

Seeing how everybody had received their gifts, Freyr made an announcement.

"Now, that is settled it is about time I should go. Gullinbursti needs to be inspected and Loki must be dealt with," Freyr said, getting everybody's attention. "But before I go, I want to give you all, but especially you Master Hyoudou, one final advice."

Issei stood straightened upon hearing his surname.

Freyr cleared his throat, before telling them his words of wisdom.

"As you go on through life and through trials and battles, it is important you know this: Always remember each other. Do not always think about protecting each other all by yourselves, but use the gifts and abilities you have to your advantage. Together you are strong."

After saying these things, Freyr turned around and whistled loudly.

A few seconds later, the perverted quartet saw something coming towards them. It looked like… a flying tiny boat? On a closer look, it seemed to be like a miniature dragon boat with a sail.

Freyr introduced them to his familiar. "This is my flying ship familiar, Skidbladnir, the one I mentioned to you earlier. Normally, I keep it folded in my pocket, only this time I had it patrol the vicinity to look for Gullinbursti. Unlike Gullinbursti, this one has never acted up, so I'm grateful for it for that. It even follows my every order hesitatingly. Now then, grow!"

And to everyone's surprise, Skidbladnir did, growing to about the size of a car. Matsuda couldn't help but compare it to his helicopter, the Chopping Board Type 1. He also couldn't help but wonder what kind of functions this ship had.

"Now, then…" Freyr walked over to where Gullinbursti was. It was still wounded, but at least it wasn't in as much pain as before. Nevertheless, it had no intention of moving. Instead, it looked at its master defiantly.

"Gullinbursti, shrink now and let me pick or I shall give the boys permission to do whatever they want with you," Freyr threatened the golden boar with as little menace as possible.

Gullinbursti looked at Freyr angrily, but decided to relent. He shrunk and within a second it was the size of a piglet.

"Seriously!?" Matsuda yelled in disbelief.

"You mean this is its true form!?" Motohama added in disbelief, as well.

[Indeed, Partner. Probably why Freyr kept him as a pet in the first place] Ddraig concluded.

Freyr carefully picked Gullinbursti up and laid it on his shoulders. Then he went up the boat and laid him down. It was then that the boat started to ascend and was ready to fly back to Scandinavia. Freyr looked at the boys one last time.

"I hope to see you soon. I trust, you can take care of yourselves from here on out?" Freyr asked them.

"Yeah! No problem!" Issei called out.

"Besides, we don't need to wait that long! All we need to do is wait till Matsuda's helicopter is ready and then we're off!" Motohama called out.

"Thanks for everything!" Matsuda waved him goodbye.

Freyr laughed heartily. "No, I am the one to thank you! If ever you come to Sweden – to my home – I shall welcome you with a feast like you've never seen before! Farewell! And Godspeed!"

With that, he turned around and set his flight westward to his home, the ship Skidbladnir flew away.

The three boys waved until they could see him no more. Then… they fell to the ground in exhaustion…

"Man, I don't know why, but… I'm all pooped for some reason…" Matsuda remarked.

"Me too… Must because of everything we've been today…" Motohama guessed.

"That all happened today? It felt like… several days…" Issei commented tiredly.

The three boys just lay there in silence in the grass.

After a few minutes, Matsuda looked at Issei.

"Tell me something… What was that… earlier?" Matsuda asked Issei.

"What was what?" Issei asked back confused.

"Your Boosted Gear," Matsuda pointed at the new Boosted gear on Issei's arm. "What happened?"

"Oh… that…" Isssei said. "Well… I was fighting that boar… I ended up in… uh… slow-motion mode and had lost much of my power for a moment. Then I saw you almost get run over by the horde of pigs… I snapped… I tried everything in my power to boost my power beyond my limit and then… I reached it…"

"Reached what?" Motohama asked.

[Dragon Booster! Second Liberation!] Ddraig answered this time. [It is the next stage of the Boosted Gear that enables its host to do Gift Transfer. Gift Transfer allows its user to transfer power unto anyone the user desires and strengthen its target, in this case it was you, Motohama.]

"Me…?" Motohama voiced incredulously.

[Yes. You remember how your black goo cubes grew to such humungous sizes? That was the effect of Gift Transfer] Ddraig finished.

Matsuda and Motohama were both shocked and impressed. Issei had gotten this much powerful? Just how much stronger could Issei become? They could shiver at what might be possible. But their fatigue got the better of them and were about to fall asleep. It had been a long day after all.

"Guys?" Issei spoke up. "I feel kind of tired…"

"Me too…" Matsuda added.

"Me three…" Motohama piped in.

The three of them looked up into the sky. It was getting really dark and they could see the stars up in the sky, twinkling beautifully.

It was also starting to get cold and the three boys were starting to shiver. Which is why, Matsuda and Motohama wrapped themselves with their fur-coats to keep themselves warm.

Issei, on the other hand, couldn't help but grumble and shiver at their selfishness. He was about to protest, but then remembered what Freyr told them earlier and decided now was the best time to say it.

"Guys? Guys?" Issei called out repeatedly. His two friends reacted by turning around to look at him. "Remember what Freyr said about us sticking together?" he asked them, while gesturing them that he was cold.

They nodded tiredly and scooted closer to their friend, understanding what he was getting at.

As a result, they huddled together. Matsuda and Motohama even arranged it so that Issei could be covered by their blankets. It was still chilly, but at least Issei felt warmer.

"So, what do we do next?" Issei asked Matsuda and Motohama.

Matsuda and Motohama shrugged their shoulders.

"I don't know. I would have suggested we wait till 8 pm or so when the helicopter is ready to go, but somehow…" Matsuda yawned, before continuing. "…I just want to have a reeeaaaaally good sleep for a few hours."

"Me too…" Motohama affirmed, as he yawned as well. "…I suppose we should head out first thing in the morning, right?"

Matsuda shook his head. "Somehow I don't think so. What if we set out in the morning and land at noon right in the middle of Tokyo? That sounds like too much attention-grabbing headlines to me. Not to mention, how are we supposed to land anyway?"

"Umm… outside the city maybe?" Motohama suggested.

Issei and Matsuda thought for a while, but then shook their heads.

"Nah, too risky. We could still get seen," Issei said.

"Then what do you suggest?" Motohama asked.

"I'd say we get up at..." Issei looked for the alarm setting on his watch and then adjusted it accordingly. "…4:30 am. Then we get up and get the helicopter going. That way we can land some place near Tokyo, before anybody it's dawn and then get approach there on foot," Issei elaborated on his plan.

Matsuda and Motohama gave him a blank stare, but didn't find any problem with Issei's plan and just decided to go with it.

"OK, good enough… Now, nap-time… zzzz…" Motohama fell fast asleep.

"Yeah… the sooner we get out of this stinking forest, the better… I mean camping out here is fun and all… but not if you're chased by boars… and bigger boars… all while fighting for your life… I… just want a bed… and… zzzz…" Matsuda's monologue was cut off, as he fell asleep as well.

"Good night, Matsuda… Good night, Motohama… Good night, Ddraig…" Issei whispered to them all.

[Good night to you, Partner. You did well today. You've got a long day tomorrow. And there's so much ahead of you] Ddraig whispered back.

"Yeah… Good… night…" Issei replied, as fatigue overtook him. In a flash, the Boosted Gear was dismissed.

What a day it has been… First crash-landing… then setting up camp… then hunting and killing for food… then learning how to skin boars… then running for your lives… fighting for your lives… getting an upgrade… and finally meeting a god and solving a mystery… Was this what life was going to be for him… for them all… from now on?

Whatever the case, Issei knew one thing, before he drifted off to sleep between his two best friends on the grassy floor of the forest clearing.

All of this… was just the beginning…


And that was Chapter 21 of The Lone Vigilante Issei.

Boy, oh boy! Have I been busy lately (largely because of video games), but at last I managed to get this chapter done!

I've even been writing on the next chapter and what is to come.

Also, I didn't originally plan to write this much in this chapter, yet I came up with this idea to throw in this mystery element into the chapter. It was especially convenient considering that Issei was supposed to become a vigilante in this story, which in turn involves detective work of some kind. What better opportunity than use this chapter as a foretaste of what is to come?

Granted, I have no idea how well I would be able to write mysteries, but we'll see when the time comes. I hope it turns out well…

Now, I do realize that in the canon, Issei eventually gets Skidbladnir, the flying ship familiar, and calls it Ryuuteimaru. I don't know if that will be the case here. Perhaps if I do, I might give him a similar ship, since this Skidbladnir is clearly Freyr's and will remain that way.

As for the Nordic mythology and their affairs… for now, I won't be dealing much with them. I might elaborate a bit more on what is to happen in my Epilogue to the Gullinbursti Arc. Consider this an introduction of events that are to come sometime in the future.

In the meantime, what did you think of this chapter?

I would like to hear from you? Please read and review.

And I hope to see you in the Epilogue of the Gullinbursti Arc.

Until then.

Hide Shinyama