Chapter Fifteen - The battle to come
"Their curse unleashes an almost mythical amount of misfortune upon the bearer's life. The rage produced is then said to consume the bearer's very being, resulting in a way for them to find each other again so that their battle may continue. The problem is that these battles bring about practically irreparable casualties for all the parties unlucky enough to get caught within the cross-fire."
"And so that is why you hunt down the inheritors so adamantly."
"Precisely. We are tasked with detaining them by any means possible, even if it should mean murdering them outright."
"So then why did you never approach him?"
"I was much too skeptical about the whole matter. My superiors all assured me that he'd inherited the Red Dragon, but he didn't exhibit any of the usual character traits that are a staple of such inheritors. Where others were arrogant, he's humble. Where others were furious, he's depressed. He doesn't even exhibit the mindset. I mean, what does he even strive to be?"
The two of them look over to Rias who had been silently listening to the conversation without partaking in it.
"Rias," says Sona, "you spent an entire day with him practically. I know I'm the last person who should be asking you this, but what did he tell you? You told me he spoke to you about his dream. What's his goal in life?"
Rias looks down at the floor. "He…"
"He wants to become a public speaker. He wants to inspire others with his words," rings out a voice from the opposite side.
The three of them look over to Aika.
"I see. Just as I suspected. Even his ambitions are nothing noteworthy."
"But what about the curse you were speaking of?" asks Sona. "You said it brings great misfortune upon the bearer's life. What's known about his past?"
"I don't know much. My superiors sent me on this mission at least one month ago. I was to either neutralize him or report back. But there wasn't anything to report on. And how was I supposed to neutralize a boy who wasn't even a troublemaker, much less a threat to supernatural beings?"
"So you just had to take their word for it."
"And nothing else. All right, we're here."
"What?" they all say.
"We haven't even been walking for a minute," responds Aika.
"I'm afraid you'll find that time works much more differently in here. But there's no time to explain. Quickly!"
With this said, she tears open another rift and they all step through.
…*...*...*...
Crossing the line, the sand starts dripping as the two of them rush the Fallen Angel.
"Charging at me like wild bulls? Come now, Hyoudou! Don't tell me a boy as bright as you is that predictable!" he says, laughing at the two boys.
He spreads his wings and prepares to blow them away.
"Shiina, now!" screams Issei.
Shiina pulls out one of his brass knuckles and expertly launches them at Dohnaseek's face, making him duck down in response in response.
"Sly, little bastard," he thinks.
But his period of mental execration is cut slight by the sight of Shiina appearing suddenly in front of him. In a split second does his reaction muster and, notably, a bit flustered, he flaps his wings to send himself back flying. But so hastily does he flap his wings that he underestimates the strength in his feathered extremities and falls. Shiina slips, stretching his arm out to try and grab onto any part of Dohnaseek, but is met by the cruel grey mistress known as hard asphalt. Issei, staunch and steady in his determination, lunges toward Dohnaseek who is now flat on the ground.
"I don't think so!" he says, and using the momentum from the flap of his wings, he raises his legs, rolls backward, and lands on his feet, much farther away from Issei then before. With no time to lose, he takes to the skies with Issei following close behind.
"I'm not letting you get away that easily!"
And in a forceful bound, he succeeds in grabbing onto one of Dohnaseek's ankles just before he's able to completely escape his reach.
"Why you persistent little. Get off!"
He tries to shake his leg as best he can, but soon finds that Issei isn't quite as scrawny as he might seem at first glance. He flaps his wings harder, hoping the force might make his grip loosen; but to no avail. He feels the tight, burning, and painful sensation around his ankle begin to dig deeper as Issei drives even his nails into his skin through the fabric of his pant leg. Dohnaseek immediately stops flapping his wings, instead flapping upward, launching himself toward the ground, hoping to drive his shoe into Issei's eye. But Issei, bracing himself for the fall, lands on his feet. Dohnaseek lifts his free leg and prepares to kick Issei down.
"Off with you, you little bastard!"
But before his blow can connect, he feels another hand wrap around his other ankle.
"Not so fast, asshole. Don't forget dat I'm still here."
Mustering all their strength, they pull him down and succeed in laying him flat on the ground, but before he hits the asphalt, he throws the notebook upward. Spread out on the floor, he takes a deep breath and launches the notebook even higher.
"Damn it!" yells Shiina. "Quick, cover his mouf wit' sumfin'!"
Issei takes off his jacket and prepares to try and hold it over Dohnaseek's mouth as Shiina holds down his other ankle. Issei grips the sleeves and as soon as he tries to put it over Dohnaseek, he finds himself lifted into the air. Letting out a yell of surprise, his feet leave the ground and his arms raise. His eyes widening, Dohnaseek comes to realize the mistake he's just made.
"No!" he yells.
"Hyoudou! Grab it!"
Issei, knowing he can't let go of either sleeve, times his swing and, "there it goes, Shiina! Catch it! Don't worry about me! I'll hold him down!"
Shiina lets go of Dohnaseek's ankles and makes a break for it. Issei lets go of one of the sleeves and immediately starts to plummet toward Dohnaseek. But once again, he proves his dexterity by moving out of the way at the last moment. Issei tries to cushion his fall as best he can, but is jolted strong by the impact.
"I won't make the same mistake again," says Dohnaseek, and he blows Issei away with a flap of his wings before he can recover. With no time to lose, he takes to the skies. In the blink of an eye, he's directly above Shiina. One more time, using another flap of his wings, he pushes him down to the asphalt. Knees bent, he refuses to stop moving. He reaches out, arm extended, and his fingertips can almost touch the cover; but before he knows it, his hand's crushed under the weight of someone's heel.
"Whether it's a blessing or a dream, you'll fight with us all the same," he says as he picks up the notebook. "But I can't help but to think you're still missing the po…"
His speech stops as the weight of someone's body lands over his shoulders. A pair of arms wraps around his neck and a pair of legs around his torso. His breath is cut short as he's immediately bent backwards as an enraged Issei yells at him.
"Give it! GIVE IT!" he screams at the top of his lungs as Dohnaseek flails about, trying to release himself from the young boy's grip. He tries to bend his wings inward toward his spine to knock him off, but soon finds that angel wings just don't really bend that way. He collapses onto one knee.
"What is this strength that courses through this brat's veins?" he thinks to himself. "If I throw it, I lose. I'll have to break my promise and use my hands. It's the only…"
"Issei!"
"Dohnaseek!"
"Boss!"
The three of them look off to the side to find a band of familiar faces.
"So it was you!" yells an all too familiar voice. Rias steps forward and begins walking toward Dohnaseek, paying no attention to anything else. Her eyes begin to glow red, a black and crimson aura starts to dance around her, her wings spread and even her tail sprouts from her tail bone, coming out from under her skirt.
"I'll forgive a human," she says, "but there'll be no mercy for the likes of you!"
She launches herself toward Dohnaseek without a second thought, her arm becoming engulfed in a deep, blood-red fire. Issei prepares to jump off, but notices in the corner of his eye the crack of a sinister grin on Dohnaseek's face. Rias nears and prepares to drive her fist into the fallen one's face when his arm shoots up, notebook in hand.
"Rias! NO!" yells Issei.
"STOP!" screams Seiji as he jumps forward, trying to save the book. But her rage has already consumed her. The next few seconds seem to pass by slowly as Issei witnesses the sparks fly from the cardboard cover. The crackle of the inferno shredding through each individual page echoes throughout the deepest parts of his ears. His body jets forward to try and save what he can, but he can only watch as the back cover begins to glow a bright orange and then gives way to her flaming punch. Dohnaseek ducks even more, the knuckles driving themselves into Issei's jaw as he's sent flying into a nearby tree. His face burns and his body stretches against the trunk like a wet rag doll. A final scream of pain leaves his body as he rebounds off the bark and lands back down over the rigid roots. Her eyes lose their red tone and the flames dissipate as it dawns on her what she's just done. Her eyes widen, she grabs her head, and falls to her knees. Shiina rolls on the ground, blowing upon his palm as he just barely grazed the flames, but still felt the heat.
"Boss, you all right?" asks Sakaki as the two of them run over to him.
"I'm fine, you bozos," he answers them. "Dat ain't da problem here. How's Hyoudou?"
The two of them look over to Hyoudou, who somehow found enough strength to limp on over back toward them.
"Issei…" says Rias. "I… I didn't…"
But his eyes only fall toward the cinders and ashes which now stain the asphalt. His bangs cover his eyes, but it can still be seen how the tears flow down his burnt cheeks. He falls to his knees over the ashes and begins hold them in his hands. Silence is all that follows from him. Sona and Aika try to walk toward them but Yuuma puts her arms out in front of them.
"Don't. Right now, whatever you do, do not get any closer."
"But…"
"It's too late, Kiryuu," says Yuuma. "I know you want to go and console him, but believe me when I tell you that that isn't Hyoudou anymore. Stay here and don't get any closer."
Yuuma then looks over to Dohnaseek.
"Are you happy now?" she yells at him. "Are you satisfied with what you've done?"
"Oh, don't worry. I will be."
"Rias, get out of there!" yells Sona. "I think I know what's going on! Come back here now!"
But her words fall on deaf ears. Rias makes herself over to Issei's side and takes him into her embrace, nestling his head under her chin. Suddenly, without a word, a deep and dark laughter begins to emanate from Issei. A laugh like nothing ever heard before.
"It's already begun," says Yuuma. "There's no turning back now."
"Issei?" asks Rias. "Are...you okay?"
She moves one of his bangs out of the way so she can see his face; and all she finds is a glowing, green, reptilian eye. Her eyes widen.
"Issei? Wha-wha…?"
« Pardonnez-moi, votre Altesse ; mais je crains que l'on ait déjà endormi votre cher poète. » (Forgive me, Your Highness; but I'm afraid Your dear poet has already been put to sleep.)
Rias immediately lets go of him and rises back to her feet.
[Song: VOICE by Cloud]
Issei stands up and reveals the empty space where his mouth and nose are supposed to be.
"I have no mouth," he says, his voice ringing throughout the entire area, "and I must SCREAM!" he yells out as the empty space tears open to reveal a set of serrated teeth and smoking nostrils. A green flame begins to wrap around his arms, legs, head, waist, chest, and back. As they dissipate, they reveal his new limbs. Red, dragon-like arms and legs, red horns, a tail, wings, and an enormous green jewel over his chest. Shiina, Sakaki, and Daichi all get up and away from Issei.
"Yes! YES!" exclaims Dohnaseek. "After so many years, the wait at last is over!"
His glowing green eyes fall upon Dohnaseek and an overpowering chill engulfs his spine, paralyzing him where he stands. Issei disappears, teleporting behind Dohnaseek's back. His claws dig into the roots of his wings and with one pull of his arms:
"AAAHHH!"
His wings are wrenched out from his back. He throws them to the side and proceeds to grab him by the back of his neck, choking him with such force that it seems like his eyes are going to pop out. He launches the wingless angel into the sky, inhales deeply and bathes him in an emerald inferno. Not even a corpse falls as the flames fade to reveal a clear atmosphere.
"It's the Red Dragon," says Yuuma to Sona and Aika. "But his possession of Hyoudou is incomplete. His soul has not completely succumbed to the dragon's rage. We must act quickly. Shitori, I know of a way to save him and seal the dragon again, but it won't be easy."
"What do we need to do?"
"In the past, it took all three factions to seal away the Heavenly Dragons; but I'm afraid there aren't any angels who can help us. But that's why you're here," she says as she turns over to Aika. "Whereas we're born into a faction and can only count upon that faction's power, humans can become magicians and learn a much wider array of techniques than any supernatural being could hope to."
Aika looks over to Issei.
"I've never even believed in magic before, much less used it. But if this is the only way to save him, I'll do it."
"Count us in as well," replies Shiina, as he and his friends appear by their side.
"Umm, us?" asks Sakaki as he look over to Daichi.
"We're turning over a new leaf, boys," says Shiina. "We ain't da bad guys no more. Hyoudou's goin' frough some real tough shit right now. We're gonna get'm out of it."
"Thank you," says one last voice. "I thank you all."
They all turn around and find Rias who's in tears.
"I didn't mean to…"
"Hey," responds Shiina. "Believe you me, we all do stupid shit when we're mad and in love. But right now, while dere's still a chance to save him, we do what we gotta do."
All of them turn over to see Issei walking toward them and brace themselves for the battle to come.
Wow, it has been a looong time since I've uploaded. How has everyone been doing? Virtual classes have been awful, but thanks to Semana Santa here in [insert name of South American country] I've finally gotten enough free time to write this chapter. I feel like everything is finally building up and it's pretty cool. What do you guys think of my making the protagonist the ultimate bad guy (even though indirectly) at the end here? Will this be the end of Issei Hyoudou? Will our heroes be able to save his soul? Hopefully I can answer that question for you all soon enough. If any of you have any questions about the story, don't be shy and shoot me a PM. There are plenty of readers who can vouch for me and tell you that I love interacting with fans.
As for the insert song, it's the Japanese OP to the first season of Yu-Gi-Oh! That's the card game, not Season Zero. I chose it because I feel the lyrics capture Issei's emotions in that moment.
I also hope I've put a lot of you on edge as to how everything is going to turn out. I've thought this climax through more times than I can count and I'm certain I'm going to give this first arc an ending that's quite unexpected, yet will open up this fan series to so many more possibilities than I could've originally imagined.
I'll see you all soon in the next chapter and please, stay safe and stay inside. I haven't come down with anything, I wish you all the same.
