CHAPTER 25
Rias, Akeno and Kiba were understandably unnerved at Koneko's warning.
All four Devils turned their attention to the club's door, waiting with bated breath the brunet's arrival.
Knowing that he made no sound when he moved, made the situation all the more unnerving.
When the door suddenly opened, their breaths were caught in their throats, their eyes were widened to the maximum with the pupils dilated in terror and the hairs on their skins stood stiffly.
They stayed motionless on their seats, despite the terror they felt at the sheer bloodlust Issei's whole being emanated, even if there was no visible evidence of it.
As if that wasn't enough, his facial expression almost made them have a heart attack.
And, if Rias wasn't so stunned, she would have sent a distress signal straight to her brother.
Issei's dark green eyes were half-lidded and his lips were set in a thin line. His whole demeanor screamed of an unnatural calmness that contradicted his bloodlust.
After finally managing to somewhat regain themselves, the Devils noticed something peculiar on his person that he had never had on him before, as far as they had seen.
On his right hand, he held a two-handed sword that seemed to be as long as one of his arms. Its seath was a plain red, the handle was tied with a red ribbon and revealed four black diamonds on each side. The ribbon seemed to be very long, considering that it was coiled around his mid-section many times. Its guard had four thin, dull gold prongs, pointing at four directions; north, south, east and west. Due to the shape of the seath, they could see that the cutting edge was curved inwards, meaning that it wasn't a double-edged sword.
This simple observation managed to snap them out of their terror.
Apart from Koneko. The girl focused her gaze on the coffee-table in a vain attempt to calm down as her insticts were running haywire.
"Ise-kun, I didn't know you had a sword of your own." Kiba found that as a solid distraction from his earlier terror as his grey eyes were glued to said distraction, voicing his great interest at the sight of the sword with his perpetually kind, yet now shaky smile.
"It's a magic sword." the brunet replied evenly, his eyes locking with the redhead's blue ones, ignoring his friend's questioning look for him to explain further.
On a sidenote, it wasn't a complete lie that his sword was magical, but the Devils didn't need to know that.
Yet.
Rias shuddered under his gaze, for reasons that elluded her, aside from the terror she was still feeling. "Ise, we don't have clearance to raid the church, yet." she informed him professionally, surprising even herself that she didn't stutter.
"How long, then." the brunet basically demanded, not even a second after the redhead finished her sentence.
Rias shifted awkwardly on her chair. She didn't know the answer to that question and didn't want to give any false information, in case he got angry with her.
"We don't know, Ise-kun. It could be in a few minutes, or it-" Akeno, who came to the redhead's rescue, much to said redhead's relief, was cut off from her surprisingly calm explanation due to the long awaited communication circle that appeared on her left ear, making all the Devils sigh in relief.
The brunette touched the circle to activate it and, while she was speaking telepathically with whoever was on the other side of the line, Rias and Kiba waited in anticipation.
Koneko found herself looking at Akeno in impatience as well.
Issei, his demeanor not changing in the slightest, waited patiently as his eyes were locked on Akeno's concentrated ones.
A few seconds later, the circle disappeared in a red flash and Akeno's expression turned serious as she looked at Rias' almost impatient one. "Rias-Buchou, according to the Grigori, who relayed this to the Archduke, the entire group at the abandoned church is considered a rogue one." she summarized her small conversation.
Rias briefly glanced at Issei in contemplation, before she returned her now serious gaze at her best friend and Queen. "What about Raynare and the nun, Asia Argento?" she asked, hoping that the answer wouldn't agitate the Sekiryuutei any further.
"They didn't specify." was Akeno's short answer.
Rias took a thoughtful look on her face as she locked gazes with the brunet.
The tension in the room grew ten-fold at the duo's stare-off, with Kiba and Akeno exchanging worried glances and Koneko trembling on her seat.
"Rias-san, as I have already told you, I'll go regardless if you and your Peerage go too or not." Issei reminded them in an even tone. "Frankly, I don't need your help. But, in case you come as well, decide in the next few seconds. I won't wait any longer." he added, his voice sounding a little stronger, in order to prove his point.
None of the Devils liked the fact that they were dismissed like mere afterthoughts, but didn't comment on it.
"Fine." Rias relented with a sigh as she stood up from her desk with a focused expression, prompting Kiba and Koneko to stand up as well as they looked at her. "Me and my Peerage will go there via teleportation." she said as she made her way to the left of the room in an elegant, yet professional manner, her entourage following her.
"Ok." Issei responded evenly as he walked towards the window, confusing the Devils. "I'll meet you there." he added as he jumped outside, not waiting to hear their response.
Rias sighed in annoyance as, with a flick of her fingers, she activated the teleportation circle. Not even a second later, they were enveloped in a crimson light, before they vanished from the ORC.
Had they paid any attention to one another, they would have seen Koneko's widened in shock eyes as she stared at Issei's general direction.
After all, the girl was shocked that the brunet vanished from her senses once he disappeared from their view, which scared her to the core.
If Issei wasn't contracted to Rias, Koneko would have advised her King against going to that church, regardless of the Archduke's orders, consequences be damned.
xXxLineBreakxXx
The Devils appeared around fifty meters away from the church.
They would have done so even closer, but there was a barrier that prevented them from that due to its holy properties.
"You're late."
All four Devils jumped in fright at they turned around to face the one that spoke in an even voice from behind them. To their further shock, they came face to face with Issei.
"How did you get here so fast?" Koneko surprised her peers that she spoke, especially since she sounded astonished.
That, however, didn't mean that they didn't want to know too. After all, it didn't take more than four seconds for the completion of the teleportation spell.
And the brunet was seemingly there before them, as inconcievable as it sounded.
Instead of answering, Issei made a show of slowly unseathing his sword. "Not now. We have company." he said, after he unseathed his sword and started to walk towards the church, bypassing the barrier as if it was never there.
His words brought the Devils back to reality and had them on high alert as they put on serious expressions and followed after him.
As they passed the barrier, they sensed two of their sworn enemies to their left. To their inner curiousity, Issei seemed to have sensed those two before they did, because he was looking up to his left. Following his gaze, they saw two female Fallen Angels standing imposingly on a branch of a tree, glaring down at them. One of them in playful smugness, the other in seriousness, albeit both held malice in their gazes.
Apart from Kalawarner, who was the one glaring down at them in seriousness, there was a young-looking girl at Koneko's height, dressed in a frilly gothic-lollita dress. She had mid-back long, blonde hair, tied in twin pig-tails on either side of her head. Unlike Koneko, though, she had a visibly decent bust. Strangely enough, she seemed to have a sweet tooth like the whitenette, if the lollipop she had in her mouth was any indication. This girl was Mittlet.
Rias was about to step forward and start an interrogation on the Fallen Angels, but she was beaten to it by her contracted magician.
"Where's Raynare and Asia-chan." Issei demanded evenly, taking a seemingly relaxed stance, that noone took notice how dangerous it really was.
"Hahahahaha~! The human believes-" Mittlet's mocking laughter was viciously cut off by a tremendous wave of pure bloodlust coming from the one she was mocking.
Said wave paralyzed everyone in a state of fear. More so because the brunet didn't even move from his spot or change expressions.
"I won't ask again, Fallen Angels." Issei warned as he raised his left arm, with his hand clenched in a fist, which pointed straight at the women on the tree.
[BOOSTED GEAR] Ddraig's booming voice announced as the well-known gauntlet engulfed most of the brunet's arm.
Both Kalawarner and Mittlet widened their eyes in shock at the development.
"This kid..." Kalawarner gulped in trepidation.
"...is the Red Dragon Emperor..." Mittlet finished in a terrified voice, her trembling indicating that it matched her voice in sentiment.
[BOOST] Ddraig's announcement made the Fallen Angel girls shiver in absolute fear, since it doubled both Issei's overall performance and the bloodlust he emitted.
The Devils were of the same mind, being internally thankful that he was their ally.
"Rias-san. Akeno-san." despite calling out at the two, Issei didn't remove his eyes from the terrified Fallen Angels. Knowing he had caught their attention "Touch the Boosted Gear." he ordered.
The four Devils blinked in surprise, before the afforementioned two stepped up and did as were told.
[BOOSTED GEAR - GIFT: TRANSFER]
At that announcement, a crimson aura appeared around the two girls, whose eyes widened in disbelief at the amount of power entering their system. Then, once it was transfered to their bodies, they felt an intense bliss, to the point they actually had an orgasm at the feeling, with their faces matching the colour of Rias' hair and they struggled to stay up-right, not to mention their outright loud and orgasmic moans when they recieved the power-up.
While Koneko and Kiba couldn't remove their eyes from the spectacle, with the Fallen Angels being overcome with confusion, Issei lowered his arm and started to walk away.
"I-Ise..." Rias called out with evident difficulty, if her ragged breathing was any indication. "Where a-are you go-going?"
"To Raynare and Asia. You and Akeno-san deal with them however you want to. I can't waste time with them. That's what they want." Issei explained, without even looking at them.
Mittlet and Kalawarner were about to express their anger at being dismissed like that, but, before they could do that-
CRACK CRACK CABOOOOOOM
-Akeno used a thunder spell, which, with the power from the brunet's Sacred Gear, was enough to instantly destroy the tree the Fallen Angels were standing on, along with them as well, in a very loud and powerfull display.
"Ufufufufu~!" Akeno giggled in delight at her spell's power, relishing in the fact that she had eradicated two Fallen Angels with said spell. "I was hoping to do that in the first place~! Yet, Ise-kun just made it easier for lil' ol' me~!"
Rias huffed in exasperation at her Queen's antics, before she motioned for everyone to follow her.
They sweatdropped when they noticed that the brunet was already at the church's entrance, which, even from their distance, they could tell that it was open.
However, they saw him turn his head slightly towards their way, as if asking 'You coming or what?'.
Kiba and Akeno, with their speed, were the first to reach Issei's sides just as he opened the door completely and stepped inside, with Rias and Koneko reaching them a second or two later.
Inside, the main area was a complete mess and the lights were off. The Devils followed the soundless brunet towards the altar.
Without breaking his stride, Issei spoke in an even tone to seemingly noone. "Unless you want to get hurt, or, worse, die, get the fuck out of here."
Koneko tensed at those words as her insticts flared, making her turn around loudly enough to draw the attention of her confused peers.
Once they all turned around, aside from Issei, who continued towards the altar, the Devils saw the maniac grin of Freed Sellzen, whose appearance put them on edge, since he carried a pistol and a light sword.
Just as the Devils were about to engage him in combat, the Stray Exorcist spoke in a deranged way with a matching smile. "Ara~~! It would be simply~ wonderful~ to slay all these Devil-chans~~, buuu~uut~ I know a lost fight when I see one~~! So~~, I'll leave to fight another day~~! Yes~, yes~! I'll leave now~! Good luck, Issei-chan~, Devil-chans~! I'll see ya another time~!"
When he finished his craziness, Freed threw a flash bomb on his feet, to obscure the Devils' senses as to where he was going.
Once the dust was clear, the Devils relaxed and turned their attention to the brunet, who had just reached the altar in an arm's length distance.
They jogged their way there, but they stopped when he motioned them to do so with his left hand, which was still sporting the Sekiryuutei's gauntlet.
Raising his sword in an obvious attempt of an overhead swing, the Devils watched in a mixture of awe, shock and amazement as its silver-ish blade turned an obsidian, shiny black.
Then, with as much nonchalance it was raised, the sword descended, making a soft, whistling sound.
Kiba was the first to ask about what happened when, suddenly, the altar crumbled to its sides. Although, right before the action was complete, the Devils were able to see that it was cleanly cut in half, revealing a flight of stairs that went downwards.
All four Devils couldn't stop the look of astonishment that came on their faces at the spectacle before them. Especially when the same thing happened to a part of the wall behind the altar a couple of seconds later.
"Unbelievable..." Kiba gulped in disbelief. "For a human to hold that much power in a single swing of their sword... Sekiryuutei or not, Ise-kun shouldn't be able to do something like this..." he muttered under his breath for his comrades to hear him.
Issei heard him too, but didn't care. He had already started descending the stairs, only one goal in his mind. Well, technically two, but with the same reason and outcome; save Raynare and Asia-chan and get out of there unharmed.
Rias shook her head to regain her barings. "Questions can wait. Ise doesn't. So, let's follow him and, if needed, help him to finish this as soon as possible." she declared seriously, taking the lead for her servants to follow, reaching the brunet quite quickly.
The flight of stairs was surprisingly long. And Dark. Although, eveyone could see clearly, despite the fact that there was no light.
When the group was reaching the end, there was a closed pair of doors in their line of sight.
Issei swang his sword in a wide X-patern a couple of meters away from the doubledoors, which seemed to be made out of some kind of strong wood. And, just like last time the brunet performed the motion, the sword was covered in the same black shiny substance.
A second and a half later, the doors collapsed inwards, cleanly cut in four pieces.
Just as they stepped inside the hidden room, an ear piercing screech stopped them in their tracks.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Issei's heart stopped as he recognised the voice behind that screech.
And, unfortunately, it wasn't Raynare's.
It appeared that he was too late.
'No... Asia-chan...'
xXxLineBreakxXx
Author's notes:
A day later than the promised date! Two chapters for you!
Anyway.
A reader pointed out Issei's angsty personality. It wasn't my intention to come out like that. It just happened as I was writing. Originally, I don't like angsty characters myself, so I can understand their frustration. So, all I got to say to the readers of similar opinion is that they must have some patience until Kokabiel's attack on Kuoh. No more spoilers on that.
When I said that the story would be slow, I wasn't joking. It's slow, mostly due to how I think the characters develop through their experiences. In turn, the arcs take slow turns because I focus on character development and the relationships between them.