The Lone Vigilante Issei – High School DxD
Hey everyone, it's me Hide Shinyama.
It has been five weeks now. I'm sorry for the wait, but I have been taking exams and they were tough and stressful. I don't think I did well. My life has been at a crossroad of a sort and trying to figure out what to do next has taken up a lot of my time and energy.
But I'm fine now, since I have a better idea on what to do from now on.
Anyway, we left off with Sanma and Issei hunting for the Metroid.
What is going to happen?
Find out in…
Chapter 42 – Hunting the Metroid
10th of October, Saturday, 4:00 am – somewhere in the forests of the outskirts of Tokyo
Sanma had just arrived with a knapsack on his back. He met Issei at a certain area where the trees were sparse, and the grass was tall. However, something felt off with the grass here, like every step that Sanma took felt like sand.
"Yo, Issei. Is this what ya were talking about?" Sanma asked Issei, as he looked at the ground near his feet.
"Yup. This is it," Issei said, as he touched the grass with his fingers. It disintegrated into dust. There was no mistake. The Metroid was here.
Sanma tested the chaffed grass himself with his fingers. The same result. The grass disintegrated into dust.
"So where do you think it was heading?" Issei asked Sanma.
"Not sure. But we're close. I can feel it…" Sanma said and looked around and even in the trees above.
Finding the trails was half the battle won. Now, it was all up to finding the Metroid itself. Only problem was how to find it. The Metroid larva was a creature that floated. That meant it could be hiding in the treetops and not only on the ground. Fortunately, Issei could see in the dark, so that helped him in his search. What's more, even it wasn't for his abilities, he had Sanma beside him who was an expert at finding things in the wild (he used to live on the road for much of his life).
[I for one can't sense anything here. It could be somewhere else] Ddraig stated.
"Then where do you think it is?" Issei asked Ddraig.
[I… don't know…] Ddraig replied hesitatingly.
Issei groaned. This was going to take forever…
As he and Sanma went through the forest, they remained vigilant. Sure, the Metroid probably wasn't nearby – and finding it might take a long time – but they still kept their guard up just in case.
As the trudged through the tall grass, they heard a weird noise. The sound of something creaking.
"What was that?" Issei asked, as he perked up.
"Dunno. It sounds like…" before Sanma could finish the sentence, the creaking sound became louder. And then…
"Above!" Sanma cried out, as he pointed to something above him.
Issei turned his gaze and saw it. It was a big tree falling towards them!
"MOVE!" Issei yelled, as the two boys jumped out of the way.
[BOOM!] [Rustle!]
The tree trunk crashed with foliage and all right near where they had stood.
Sanma and Issei looked and widened their eyes. If they had reacted any slower… they didn't want to think about it.
After brushing off whatever leaves were on him, Issei couldn't help but remark.
"Seriously! This mission is more dangerous than I thought! Do trees even fall over like that at random?" Issei wondered.
"Nah! The only way a tree would fall is if they were chopped down, blown over or if it's old and dead," Sanma remarked, as he looked at the fallen tree. He went around it to inspect it. "From the look of that thing, it's clear it ain't chopped down. It's not all that windy to blow it over so that leaves…"
At that moment, Sanma laid eyes on the tree trunk and noticed something.
"Whoa! Check it out!" Sanma called out to Issei. "I think I found something!"
Issei went around the tree to Sanma.
"What?" Issei wondered and tried to see what the matter was.
"The tree trunk looks like it's brittle. It's partially turned into sand," Sanma explained and pointed to the half-disintegrated tree trunk.
"Indeed. Just like with those animals and grass…" Issei remarked with a nod.
Another sign of the Metroid's presence. It seemed like it was devouring bigger targets. Devouring animals and plants were one thing. Now, it seemed like its appetite was getting bigger.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Issei noted with concern.
"Me too…" Sanma added, as he looked into the darkness of the forest and its hidden dangers. "Shinyama, ya really gave us a tough job to do… and I hope this better be worth it…"
10th of October, Saturday, 4:15 am – somewhere in the forests of the outskirts of Tokyo
As Issei and Sanma continued walking through the forest trying to find their target, they used everything in their ability to find it. They remained vigilant, using all their senses at maximum ability.
The problem with that was that one could only be at maximum vigilance for so long. Over time, both boys grew wary. On top of that, it was nighttime – when they normally should be in bed. So, of course Sanma and Issei couldn't be blamed for being tired and sleepy.
Even worse was the fact that… well… they were bored.
Sanma, deciding to destroy the spells of sleepiness and boredom, decided to start a conversation with Issei.
"Yo… Issei?" Sanma asked his friend.
"Did you find something?" Issei asked as he slowly turned his head to him with a tired expression.
"Nah, it's not about that," Sanma clarified.
"Oh…" Issei said with a tired sigh and resumed his search.
"Actually, I wanted to ask ya something. I've been thinking about it for quite some time now," Sanma said, while looking around the dark forest.
"What is it?" Issei wondered.
"Are Matsuda, Motohama and ya… really brothers?" Sanma asked Issei.
Issei froze in shock at the question. "Why… do you ask?" Issei managed to say.
"Ya three are about the same age but yer birthdays aren't the same. Logically, ya obviously ain't triplets. Ya don't call Shinyama Dad or anything but call him by his first name or Hide-san. That ain't normal behavior in a family. So… are ya three adopted or something?" Sanma wondered.
Issei was panicking inwardly, trying hard not to show it on the surface.
'Ddraig… he's on to me… I need your help right now…' Issei demanded from his dragon.
[Tell him the truth] Ddraig answered. [Or tell him that you three were adopted or something.]
"It's… umm… well…" Issei stuttered at first before taking in a deep breath. "It's like this. My bros and I were adopted by Shinyama Hide."
"I see…" Sanma replied. "…so how come ya got adopted? What happened to yer parents?"
Issei stopped. Sanma halted as well in surprise at Issei's reaction. Despite the darkness, he could see Issei showing two emotions on his face.
It was surprise at first, then it turned to grief.
"Issei?" Sanma addressed him, worried as to what was affecting him.
"It… my parents… they… left this world… about a month ago…" Issei said slowly and solemnly.
Sanma was shocked. Then nodded in understanding.
"I see… sorry to bring it up…" Sanma apologized. He wanted to end the conversation then and there, but Issei continued talking.
Sanma noticed Issei's face. He was absentminded, as he walked forward slowly. Sanma followed him from behind.
"I was helpless… completely helpless at the time," Issei continued, as he gazed into the sky. "We were going home from the theater after a long opera event..."
'Opera event? What has that got to do with their death?' Sanma wondered.
"…We… were walking into a secluded alleyway. My dad was the one who suggested to do it. He said it was a shortcut…" Issei continued speaking and then paused at the memory of what happened next. "…then… a man came to us. He had a gun in his hand and wanted to steal from us. It happened so fast, I… first he killed my mother… then my father… I would have died, too, until I awakened the Boosted Gear within me. With Ddraig's help I killed that bastard. Yet… I still lost my parents that day…"
Sanma looked at Issei with sympathy. "I'm sorry… I really am…"
Sanma had thought that Issei's parents died of illness or in an accident. But this? This was… tragic…
"And what did ya do after that?" Sanma dared to ask.
Issei stopped looking up in the sky and turned his face towards the pig-tailed martial artist.
"I… went home… I was lonely, stressed, yet also filled with a goal. A goal to protect those I love and care about. I swore to train hard and become stronger for that end. Unfortunately, Matsuda, Motohama and I… we messed up at one point and we… were sent away from home. After a lot of events, we ended up being adopted by Shinyama Hide. He's a weird guy, but he isn't too bad. He helped us a lot…" Issei explained with a faint smile.
He deliberately avoided talking about their imprisonment and what they did to deserve it. Although Issei was willing to be honest with Sanma, that didn't mean he was willing to open up about the fact that he was an escaped convict.
"Ah…" Sanma nodded. "What about Matsuda and Motohama? Are they orphans, too?" Sanma asked.
"No," Issei shook his head. "In fact, their parents are fine and well. Only… certain circumstances brought us to live in Nerima."
"Where did ya guys live previously?" Sanma asked next.
Issei gave Sanma a slight frown. Boy, that guy was asking a lot of questions. Then again, Issei was just as curious about Sanma and his life, about which Sanma was willing to talk about. It was only fair that Issei do the same to Sanma with his life.
"We lived in Kuoh. It was a nice place to live. My bros and I have lived there for pretty much our entire lives. We went to a nice school with a lot of girls with nice oppai… ehehehe…" Issei laughed with a pervy smile. "…ah… I miss that place…"
Sanma remained silent as he took it in. After all this time being friends with Issei, this was the first time Issei had ever talked so much about himself.
In fact, come to think of it, this was the first time anyone had opened up to Sanma like this. And the same, Sanma realized, could also be said about Sanma opening up to someone else like that.
He had never been this open to anyone – not even his pop or his girls or heck, even Ryuga!
Sanma stretched his arms.
"Ya know? I'm actually jealous of ya guys," Sanma yawned. "Ya actually get to be on yer own with none of yer parents telling ya what to do – aside from Shinyama that is. The way I see it this is a dream come true."
Issei frowned at that statement. Sanma saw the frown and corrected himself.
"Minus what happened to yer parents, of course…" Sanma added quickly.
"Yeah, but at the same time…" Issei said with a melancholy look. "…even though my parents could be annoying at times… those are still times that will never come back…"
Sanma looked at Issei with a bit of surprise.
'So, he's the opposite of me. He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay in his hometown," Sanma realized.
"So, Sanma?" Issei addressed him.
"Yeah?" Sanma responded.
Issei looked at him with a hint of sadness in his eyes.
"Treasure what you have now. Make the most of it. Otherwise, you will never get it back," Issei advised Sanma.
"I… understand…" Sanma said with a bit of hesitance.
It was a bit much for him to take in what Issei said, but he didn't know what else to say.
The two of them kept silent as they trudged through the grass.
The wind howled overhead. It shook the remaining autumn leaves. And then…
[Partner…] Ddraig spoke up in a warning tone.
"What?" Issei responded to Ddraig and then turned his head to see another tree falling just in time.
"MOVE!" Issei shouted.
Sanma and Issei moved out of the way just like last time, dodging the fallen tree as it smashed into the forest ground.
[BOOM!] [Rustle!]
Both of them watched in silence as the tree stopped rustling. They looked around themselves warily.
"Dang it!" Sanma cursed. "It's like that abomination of a jellyfish is laying traps for us."
"Yeah, and we still have no clue as to where it is," Issei complained.
Both of them went to check the tree for clues. Sure enough, the tree had also been drained by Metroid and had turned brittle.
"It was here all right…" Issei confirmed as he looked at the trunk.
"We need to think outside the box. We're going nowhere with what we're doing now. We need some sort of plan," Sanma suggested.
"Yeah, but what kind of plan?" Issei wondered.
"Let me think…" Sanma said and pondered.
He had an idea.
"I know. How about climbing up on one of the trees and see if we can stop it?" Sanma asked Issei.
Issei shrugged his shoulders.
"Not too bad of an idea, only… what if tree is about to fall like this one?" Issei pointed at the fallen tree.
"We'll check it out, I guess…" Sanma suggested and went up to the nearest tree. "Here let's see… this tree seems healthy enough. Why don't we give it a try? It's not as though the Metroid can kill every living tree in the forest, right?"
Seeing the reason behind Sanma's plan and his own lack of ideas, Issei decided to support his friend.
"All right. Climbing it is. But what if the Metroid notices us? What if it attacks you on the tree? What then?" Issei couldn't help but ask.
"Don't worry. I'll think of something," Sanma answered with a confident smirk.
Sanma went right to it. He hopped and climbed up the nearest branch. Then hopped to the next one and then the next, going higher and higher. He was moving around with such ease that Issei was instantly reminded of a ninja.
"Seriously, how does he do that?" Issei wondered as he saw Sanma ascend higher and higher up the tree.
[I don't know. But I'm definitely bringing in jumping training…] Ddraig said impressed.
"Oh no… please don't…" Issei groaned at the prospect of more crazy training routines from Ddraig.
Meanwhile, Sanma was climbing higher and higher until he reached the top.
At that point he realized he had one problem in his plan.
Sanma immediately headed back down, hopping down from branch to branch.
Issei wondered as to why Sanma was coming down so quickly.
Had he found something?
Issei went up to Sanma as he landed on the ground.
"And?" Issei asked of him.
"I…" Sanma started, getting Issei to tense up for what he was going to say next. "I can't see nothing. It's too dark."
Issei fell down comedically in shock.
A little while after Issei stood up, he gave Sanma the solution to his problem.
"You can use these…" Issei said and called forth his special glasses.
He fine-tuned it to give the user thermal vision.
"Use this to see in the dark. Don't change the settings on this thing and don't break it," Issei instructed Sanma, as the latter put it on.
"Ya got it," Sanma confirmed and went back up the tree, hopping from branch to branch as he went.
As Issei watched Sanma go up in silence, Ddraig spoke up.
[I've got a rough draft of our training session…] Ddraig spoke to him.
"Not now…" Issei silenced Ddraig with a glare.
[Hmph! Spoilsport…] Ddraig snidely remarked.
Sanma, meanwhile, had finally reached to the top once more and was scanning the vicinity from the treetops.
"Would ya look at that…" Sanma remarked impressed, as he saw the forest covered in cold and warm colors.
Since it was cold and largely devoid of life, all Sanma could see where mostly shades of blue with some other colors mixed in smaller amounts.
There were smaller spots of red, orange and yellow, which indicated living creatures. Sanma could see that they were squirrels and birds, all common animals in the forest. They were moving or flying about, minding their own business.
However, suddenly, Sanma noticed something about mile further from his position.
He saw a flock of birds flying away in great numbers. Other than the sight and sound of these birds, Sanma couldn't tell what was going on over there. He narrowed his eyes and focused hard on spotting whatever was causing the ruckus.
And then, he saw something move from among the treetops.
It was spherical and floated, going up into the air like he had seen jellyfish do in nature documentaries.
No doubt about it…
"Got you now, ya little punk…" Sanma said to himself.
He pulled out his smartphone and called Issei right away.
"Huh?" Issei noticed his wristwatch sound and picked it up.
"Yes?" Issei answered.
"I found the target," Sanma reported.
Issei perked up at the news. "Really? Where is it?" Issei asked.
"Down about a mile from here. It's floating around at some treetops. Follow me. I'll show ya!" Sanma said and climbed down.
Issei wondered what Sanma was doing when he landed on one of the branches below and stopped.
And then, to Issei's surprise, Sanma dashed and leaped…
…and landed on the nearest tree on all fours before hopping to the next branches.
"Seriously, how does he do that?" Issei wondered with amazement as he stood there watching him from below.
[Training, and we will start that soon] Ddraig answered him simply. [But anyway, shouldn't you be going after him?]
Issei sighed at Ddraig's remark and gave chase. As much as wanted to use the time he had to think, he had to focus. Right now, there was an enemy out there they had to deal with – and it was an unusual one, too. Even by the standards of the enemies he had encountered before, this one was different.
Issei thought back to the briefing he and Sanma had a few hours before. It was already past midnight and Issei and Sanma were both present at Shinyama's briefing he gave about the Metroid larva. It was quite interesting, actually… How the Metroid larva lived and where it had come from… how it feeds, too… though he rather would have had the briefing during the daytime.
They also talked about the environment around them along with the tools they were going to fight with. And thus, the three of them came up with a workable strategy.
Now, that the searching was over, all they had to do now was to carry out the plan.
Issei tensed and got ready for a fight even as he drew closer to the location of the target.
[Boost!] The Boosted Gear doubled Issei's power.
Issei looked around everywhere. Where was it?
Issei could see Sanma halt on one of the branches. Sanma looked up into the sky to find the Metroid but to no avail.
Issei was getting nervous. If Sanma had really spotted the Metroid, where was it hiding? Had it flown off elsewhere? Issei really didn't want to have a nasty surprise like a jump scare from behind or something.
With that in mind, Issei quickly turned behind him. Nothing.
Nevertheless, Issei remained on guard. The Metroid was a tricky creature. Catching it was going to be a dangerous task.
At that moment, Issei realized something. It was flying somewhere in the sky, right? How were they supposed to get the Metroid down to the ground to where he was?
As Issei was pondering this, he heard…
"TIMBER!" Sanma cried out to Issei.
Hearing Sanma cry out along with the sound of yet another tree falling towards him, Issei dodged and rolled out of the way.
[BOOM!] [Rustle!]
The tree had hit the ground, barely missing Issei by a few inches. Issei quickly got up and brushed the leaves off his body.
"Man, that was a close one! Just how many trees did this thing even attack?" Issei murmured to himself.
"Issei? Are ya all right?" Sanma called from where he stood on one of the trees.
"Yeah!" Issei called back. "That Metroid… I get the feeling that it's trolling us or something."
"Tell me about it!" Sanma replied back. "If this tree falling keeps going on, I'll become a professional lumberjack in no time!"
Issei couldn't help but chuckle at the joke. A lumberjack… however, Issei quickly went back to being serious.
"Any sign of it?" Issei asked of his friend.
"Nah, nothing!" Sanma replied, as he checked his surroundings.
Issei sighed. Did Sanma really spot the Metroid at this place? All that boosting for nothing…
Just then, Issei heard a peculiar sound. It came faintly to his ears, but he could hear it clearly.
"What was that?" Issei wondered out loud.
He tried to look for the origin of the weird sound. It sounded like the sound of slurping and sucking.
'Come to think of it,' Issei thought to himself. 'That sounds gross!'
Issei looked all around him. Where was this sound coming from? He used his ears to spot out the sound when he located its source.
Going around the tree, Issei saw something green attached to the trunk of the tree Sanma was standing on just two meters above the ground. Despite the darkness of the night, Issei could make out its colors clearly. Especially, the red insides of the…
Issei froze.
Then he called out to Sanma.
"I FOUND IT!" Issei cried to Sanma urgently.
"WHAT!? Where?" Sanma called back.
"IT'S ON THE TREE TRUNK YOU'RE STANDING ON!" Issei pointed out and used his finger to point its location.
"HUH? WHAT!?" Sanma called out confused.
Just before more could be said, Sanma felt the tree moving.
"OH, CRAP BASKETS!" Sanma cursed out as the tree he was standing on started to fall. "ISSEI, MOVE!"
"DANG IT, NOT AGAIN!" Issei called out and tried to move away.
The last three times, Issei had the fortune of having the tree trunk fall down towards him. As a result, Issei could simply move out of the way more quickly.
This time, however, the part of the tree that was about to hit Issei was the top of the tree with all their branches and leaves. As that part of the tree was wider than the trunk, it was harder to dodge.
"No… NO!" Issei cried out as the boughs were about to hit him.
[Partner!] Ddraig cried out.
[Boost!] The Boosted Gear doubled Issei's power just before the boughs hit him.
[BOOM!] [Rustle!]
For a moment, there was silence. Other than the sound of rustling of leaves in the wind, there was silence.
"Buah!" Sanma burst out from among the tree branches with a loud gasp for breath. "Issei? Are ya there, my man?"
"Yeah…" Issei answered and popped out of the foliage and tree branches. "…If I didn't have the Boosted Gear, who knows what would have happened?"
"Yeah… though we were really lucky or… unlucky… whichever way ya see it," Sanma commented and brushed off the leaved off his clothes and hair. "That was a close call. If I hadn't clung to dear life on that tree, I might have been dead!"
"Yeah, and all because of the Me-" Issei halted mid-sentence when he remembered what caused it.
"Where is it?" Issei asked while looking around in alarm.
"What? The Metroid?" Sanma wondered. At this, he became alert as well. "Ya said ya saw it? Where is it?"
"I saw it on the tree trunk of the tree you were standing on," Issei pointed at the tree trunk. "It was there. I saw it."
Sanma looked to where Issei was pointing. But there was nothing.
Sanma looked back at Issei. "Okay, but where is it now?" Sanma asked of Issei.
Issei couldn't give Sanma an answer until just then, a loud chirp sound was heard above them.
"ABOVE!" Sanma pointed overhead.
The Metroid larva was heading towards them and was about to latch upon Issei's head.
"MOVE!" Sanma cried out.
But Issei didn't move. Instead, he instinctively raised the arm without the Boosted Gear on him to block off the Metroid larva.
The Metroid larva latched its fangs around Issei's arm and started to suck.
[Partner!] Ddraig cried out.
"HGN!" Issei grunted, as he felt his strength leaving him.
He fell on his knees and back into the boughs. However, the Metroid clung on to him nonetheless, as though it were intent on killing Issei.
[Partner! You will die if it sucks out your energy! Boost!] Ddraig urged him.
Issei grunted and did as he was told right away.
[Boost!] Issei boosted his power.
He felt his strength return to him but felt his power drain from his body soon enough. The Metroid was relentless in sucking out Issei's life force.
"Issei!" Sanma shouted and wanted to go to him but Issei held out his hand to him.
"Don't!" Issei told him, fighting the Metroid all the while. "I've got this."
Sanma looked at him skeptically yet decided to comply and stood down.
The Metroid sucked at Issei's strength, never stopping. His arm became wrinkly and took on an unhealthy color of gray. It took everything in Issei's willpower to stay conscious.
[Boost!] Issei's strength recovered somewhat.
Yet, even so, Issei was growing weaker.
[Partner, you know its weakness, right? Are you ready?] Ddraig asked of his host.
"Yeah, let's do it," Issei answered.
And then, Issei weakly laid his hand covered with the Boosted Gear on the Alien specimen. Issei made sure to grip it tightly, so that it wouldn't flee. The Metroid didn't see any threat coming from the weakened Issei and continued draining Issei's arm. The wrinkles on his arm spread towards his shoulder. His arm was starting to grow thin. It was a terrible sight to behold.
Sanma stood there impatiently, ready to step in if things were to go south. He did his best not to, since Issei told him not to.
Sanma could trust him. He knew he could.
At that moment, the Boosted Gear glowed red and the jewel on it turned blue.
Flashback – 10th of October, Saturday, 3:10 am – Shinyama's apartment, Nerima Ward
"The Metroid – when left unchecked – can become a growing threat to the entire world. Thankfully, since this is not their home planet, they cannot evolve to the later stages such as Alpha Metroid, Gamma Metroid, Zeta Metroid, Omega Metroid and especially Queen Metroids," Shinyama explained, as he pointed at the presentation slide, which was projected on the wall.
On it, Issei and Sanma had looked at the different stages of their target, if it were to grow up. They looked at the data and gulped – especially when it came to their appearances. They looked like something out of a nightmare or a sci-fi horror movie!
Currently, the two of them were attending a mission briefing to learn all about the Metroid larva. They had learned about the world it came from, its environment and its diet. It was a fascinating briefing, though (as mentioned earlier in this chapter) they would have preferred it to be during the day.
"Since that is the case, we will skip over the later stages and come to the last part of the briefing – its natural weapons. The Metroid larva has only one weapon. And that is its fangs attached to the bottom of its body. It is similar in build to a jellyfish, but the main difference is in how it uses its appendages. A jellyfish stings its prey and then swallows it with its flexible body. The Metroid, on the other hand, latches on its prey and drains it to death, leaving only a dry husk behind. Matsuda and Motohama already told you about what happened to the Fallen Angel, right?" Shinyama reminded them.
"Yeah, they did," Issei answered with a neutral face, yet shuddered inwardly on how that would have looked like. 'Must have been pretty traumatizing, come to think of it,' Issei thought to himself.
"I have to note that jellyfish are considered apex predators in the sea. There exist few, if any, predators that can eat it and once they dominate a certain area, there is little hope of that dominance to be removed any time soon," Shinyama explained further. "The same goes for Metroids, except the difference is that jellyfish can only live in the sea. Metroids can live on land and in the air – and possibly even in the sea, too."
"Okay, but how about their weaknesses? They've got weaknesses, right?" Sanma asked impatiently.
He was already ticked off at Shinyama for calling him so late at night. He didn't feel the need to be hopelessly depressed at a looming threat either.
"All right, all right… I was coming right to it anyway. I said that they could live in any possible environment, except one. And that is in icy cold ones," Shinyama revealed.
"And why is that?" Issei asked next.
"Well, it's because…" Shinyama spoke.
Flashback end
The Metroid realized something was wrong. It stopped sucking and tried to escape. However, Issei had a tight grip on the Metroid larva, making any escape impossible.
And then, coldness came out of the Boosted Gear. The Metroid turned blue within seconds and stopped moving.
Issei collapsed from exhaustion and laid the frozen Metroid right beside him. Sanma ran up to him to tend to him.
"Are ya okay? That arm of yers looks painful," Sanma asked and commented.
He touched Issei's arm to make sure it was fine.
"*Cough* I'm fine…" Issei remarked as he coughed and panted. "*Cough* …my arm just hurts a bit but nothing too bad… and… *wheeze*… I'm a bit tired… need to catch… my breath… *cough*…"
Sanma nodded and let Issei catch his breath. After about ten seconds, Issei shakily pointed at the frozen Metroid.
"Can you… put that in the container… before it thaws? Don't want to go through all the effort of catching it again…" Issei said to Sanma.
Sanma went right to it. He opened the knapsack and took out a cylinder-shaped plastic container. Sanma then opened the lid. He used the knapsack to grasp the frozen Metroid (because it was icy cold) and carefully put it inside the container. He shut the lid over it.
"That's mission accomplished in my book," Sanma remarked.
[Indeed, it is] Ddraig affirmed.
[Reset!] The Boosted Gear sounded before Issei dismissed the Boosted Gear.
Issei raised his left arm (which wasn't injured) and Sanma raised his right. They made a high five and grinned.
"Now, all we need to do is get back to Shinyama," Issei said.
"Yeah," Sanma replied and went ahead.
But Issei stumbled as he tried to stand up. He shakily managed to find his balance.
Sanma went up to Issei right away.
"You okay?" Sanma asked Issei, as the latter leaned on him.
"Just tired… but it's not too serious," Issei answered, as he and Sanma carefully took steps forward.
[Indeed, you were lucky that you were boosting. If not, you could have died] Ddraig said.
"Yeah? Say, Ddraig. Can you help me fix my arm? It… sort of hurts," Issei said and rubbed his right arm.
[As a dragonized human you heal faster than others. So, stop complaining] Ddraig answered back.
Issei frowned at the rude response yet decided to leave it at that. He was too tired and just wanted to sleep.
After finding the ideal rhythm for their walking pace, Sanma and Issei moved faster. It was still a slow walk – and a bit too slow for their liking. Yet it didn't feel too bad, more so after having suffered through a life-and-death situation.
Speaking of the life-and-death situation.
"Say, in case that thig unfreezes… Ya sure that container can hold it?" Sanma asked Issei with a glance to the knapsack on his back.
"If Shinyama says so, why should I doubt it?" Issei answered.
Sanma still had an unsure look at the load on his back. He decided to trust Issei for now.
And so, they walked back to the city, trudging through the grass as they went.
Sanma took the special glasses off his face and gave it back to Issei.
"Here, ya can have this back," Sanma said as he gave Issei his glasses back.
"Thanks," Issei said and put it back on his face.
Just as quickly as he put it back on his face, he dismissed it.
After half a minute or so, Sanma had a question.
"Issei?" Sanma asked his friend.
"What's up?" Issei asked back.
"I remembered something. Ya said somethin' about Ryuga, Matsuda and Motohama having a different mission. What kind of mission is it?" Sanma couldn't help but wonder.
Issei shrugged his shoulders and winced the moment he did that.
"Ya okay?" Sanma asked him.
"Yeah, it's nothing…" Issei said, as he massaged his sore shoulder. "Man, this sucks! I hope it heals soon."
"Yeah. Anyway, what was yer answer?" Sanma wished to know.
"I don't know," Issei replied, as he stopped massaging. "All I know is, he told them it was something related to related to our mission."
"Huh?" Sanma voiced confused. "What does that mean?"
"Like I said, beats me," Issei repeated his ignorance.
10th of October, Saturday, 4:45 am – Familiar Forest, The Underworld
"""AAAHHHH! OOFFF!"""
Matsuda, Motohama and Ryuga fell from the sky and landed with a crash on the ground.
They grunted as they got off each other. That was when they beheld their environment.
"Where the heck is this?" Matsuda wondered as he gazed in awe at his surroundings.
"It's… it's bizarre…" Motohama added and gazed at the trees around him.
"This must be… the Underworld," Ryuga reacted with a sense of weariness and being on guard.
The three boys were currently surrounded by trees and a noticeably dark sky with hints of purple.
It gave them an eerie and ominous impression. It was as if they entered some twisted dimension – or even hell itself.
"The Underworld… never thought I'd see it in my lifetime," Matsuda admitted as he checked his surroundings.
"When were you ever expecting to see hell alive?" Motohama asked Matsuda rhetorically.
"Never mind. Can you guys, just… focus on the mission? I just want to get this over with. I'm tired…" Ryuga said.
Similar to Issei and Sanma, they, too, had been called late in the night to partake in a briefing. They, too, didn't want to be awake at this time. Yet, because Shinyama insisted…
The three of them started their briefing later than Issei and Sanma. As a result, they also started out later.
It took them about an hour to find the secret portal to the Underworld (yes, there existed such a thing) that none of the Devils, Fallen Angels or anyone else for that matter had ever known. After walking along the Arakawa River and came to the Arakawa Saiko Park, they were instructed to climb a certain tree there.
Even as the three of them wondered how Shinyama got to this piece of information, they still followed his instructions. They climbed the tree to the very top, then out of the blue a portal opened and… well, the rest is history.
"So, now that we're here… What do we do again?" Motohama wondered as he walked up to Matsuda.
"We're supposed to find some guy named Zatouji and persuade him to come with us," Matsuda replied and looked away from him.
"Well, where do we find him? How does he even look like?" Ryuga asked, still being a bit on edge because of his surroundings.
"I heard he was a middle-aged guy that thinks he is a Pokémon trainer. According to Shinyama he is a 'Familiar Master', a tamer of mythical creatures or something," Matsuda answered and folded his arms.
"Great! And how are we supposed to find someone like that?" Ryuga snarked.
"Gotta catch 'em all!" a man with a baseball hat shouted, as he leapt from some bushes.
"WHOA!" Matsuda yelled in surprise. His two friends jumped but didn't scream at the man's sudden appearance.
The man turned to look at them and was surprised to see them.
"Who are you? How did you get in here?" the man asked, his surprise turning to apprehension.
"Uhh… yeah, we're looking for a guy named Zatouji. We wanted to ask him a favor," Motohama sought to explain but Zatouji cut him off.
"Hey! You're looking for me? Why are you looking for me?" Zatouji asked suspiciously with squinted eyes.
"Oh, so you're Zatouji. Pleased to meet you. Anyway…" Motohama wanted to explain but was cut off again.
"Oh, no! I'm not doing anything for you, so go home!" Zatouji told them bluntly.
"What? Why?" Motohama asked baffled at the response.
"You're not supposed to be here! Entry is only allowed for permission from the Maous. And it doesn't look like you… wait a minute…" Zatouji stopped speaking when he eyed the three boys carefully. "You… you're humans! How did humans like you get in here!?"
Matsuda and Motohama became nervous as it became clear that the conversation was awry. Ryuga, on the other hand, was gripping his hands angrily. Still, Motohama tried to defuse tension.
"Uhh… yeah about that…" Motohama wanted to explain but Zatouji instead used a magic circle to call someone.
"Hello? Underworld security? There are intruders in the Underworld. And they are…" Zatouji said and that was when Ryuga has had enough.
Ryuga dashed forward and wanted to knock Zatouji out.
"Whoa!" Zatouji dodged it and hopped away. Now, he was running away. "They're trying to kill me! I need help! Help!"
"Get back here!" Ryuga cried out.
Matsuda and Motohama stood in a daze. They looked at each other for a moment. Then, they decided to run after Ryuga.
"You're not gonna get me!" Zatouji cried out, running and jumping as fast as he could.
"I said GET BACK HERE!" Ryuga yelled again and had the look of murder in his eyes.
Matsuda and Motohama caught up to their hotheaded friend.
"What are you doing? We were supposed to talk to him and…" Motohama said Ryuga but was cut off once again.
"That freak made it clear he didn't want to talk. He even called the cops in this place! The only solution left is to take him by force!" Ryuga replied and sped up.
"Wait! Ah… forget it…" Matsuda called out but decided to go with the flow.
They traversed through the trees and through the tall grass and soon enough encountered problems.
"ROAR!" a juvenile gray Dragon Sprite swept over their heads and had his eyes on them.
"What's that!?" Motohama cried out in worry.
"No idea! Get your weapons out!" Matsuda cried out in response.
Motohama took out his seax, while Matsuda called out the Chopping Board Type 2 in miniature form.
"Shoot it down!" Matsuda ordered Phoebe.
{Roger!} Phoebe answered and started to shoot the Dragon Sprite.
The Dragon Sprite gracefully maneuvered out of the way.
"MEOW!" a cat-like beast with a horn attacked them from the side, heading straight towards Matsuda. It jumped and wanted to bite Matsuda.
Matsuda widened his eyes in horror at the incoming threat. Thankfully, Motohama reacted quickly.
[CLANG!]
Motohama caught the beast by its jaws with the seax. He smashed the beast to the ground and stomped on it for good measure, downing it.
"Thanks!" Matsuda said to Motohama as he stopped for a moment.
"Don't mention it," Motohama replied with a V-sign.
"ROAR!" the Dragon Sprite's roar caught their attention.
The Dragon Sprite had decided to attack Motohama. The latter had his seax in front of him ready to defend himself. But that wasn't necessary.
{Open fire!} Phoebe announced and the Dragon roared out in pain of being hit, falling down the ground injured.
Motohama looked at Matsuda.
"Thanks!" Motohama said to Matsuda.
"Don't mention it," Matsuda replied with a V-sign.
(HOWL!)
(ROAR!)
(GROWL!)
A myriad of different animal sounds could be heard coming from all around them. Matsuda and Motohama could see different mythical beasts of all kinds coming towards them from the distance. They were surrounded.
"What do we do now?" Motohama asked of Matsuda.
"The only thing we can do. PHOEBE!" Matsuda called out. "Enlarge yourself!"
{Roger, captain} Phoebe answered his orders monotonously.
The chopper grew to its full size and the two boys immediately boarded it. They took off, just before the beasts managed to get to them.
"This place is like a zoo, except without the fencing," Motohama remarked upon seeing the beasts growling below them.
"More like a hunting ground. Actually, I think this is where Devils get their familiars," Matsuda remembered Shinyama's briefing.
Motohama nodded. "Where is Ryuga?"
Meanwhile with Ryuga
"I SAID GET BACK HERE!" Ryuga roared, angry as ever at the fleeing Zatouji, who was now ten meters away from him.
"NO!" Zatouji cried back terrified.
"ROAR!" a horned cat beast tried to attack Ryuga while lunging at him from the side.
"GET LOST!" Ryuga shouted and punched him in the eye. The poor cat was sent lying with a caterwaul.
Ryuga was getting closer. He was still nine meters away from Zatouji.
"BAAAAHHHH!" a blue-colored ram came to ram him with its horns from behind.
"PISS OFF!" Ryuga growled as he smashed his heavy umbrella against its head, sending it collapsing to the ground with a bleeding face.
Eight meters…
"CRAH! CRAH!" three eagle-like crows pecked Ryuga from above with their beaks.
"YOU STUPID CHICKENS!" Ryuga yelled in a fury, as he grabbed one and used it as a living hammer to smack the other ones into concussion.
The last remaining one was so dazed; he threw it away.
Seven meters…
"RRROOOOOAAAARRR!" a black bear of some kind roared while standing in his way.
"RAAAAHHHHHHH!" Ryuga roared back and tackled it, not slowing down in speed and carrying the bear with him.
"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!" the poor black bear with three eyes roared as it tried to fight Ryuga off.
But Ryuga was simply too strong.
Six meters…
"ROAAA- GRAH!" another Sprite Dragon roared but was hit by the poor three-eyed black bear, the latter of which was shoved aside by Ryuga. They both tumbled and fell, only to then lie on the ground.
"WHEEEEEEHINNNYYYY!" a unicorn with a beautiful made and a horn stood in Ryuga's way this time.
"DIE!" Ryuga cried out and grabbed the unicorn's horn. He simultaneously knee-kicked it in the face, jumped on its side as it fell, sending the poor beast smashing into the ground with a painful impact.
Five meters…
"What is he? None of the familiars can hurt him. Is he really human?" Zatouji looked at the scene behind him with shock and fear. "I hope the Undines can stop him!"
Zatouji came to a lake. He whistled. Immediately, a buff humanoid female figure emerged out of the lake. Zatouji got on it and made his getaway. Other Undines with a similar build emerged as well and were ready to fight Ryuga.
"HISSSSS!"
Even a huge water snake emerged just to fight him.
"DON'T YOU DARE STOP ME!" Ryuga yelled as he leapt at the nearest Undine.
It tried to grab his leg but Ryuga stepped on its head, then jumped to the next Undine and then the next.
Finally, Ryuga jumped towards the water snake. The water snake used the surrounding water to attack him but Ryuga used his umbrella to catch a strong updraft which made the water snake miss its attacks. Ryuga flew towards the water snake and landed on its head.
"HISSSSS!" the water snake hissed as it tried to shake Ryuga off him but Ryuga was faster.
He jumped from one part of its lengthy body to the next. Then he used his umbrella again to float towards Zatouji, who was heading towards the shore.
"Oh, no… please… no…" Zatouji moaned as he saw Ryuga fly in towards him with his umbrella (like Mary Poppins except with an angry glare).
Zatouji jumped off the Undine and unto the shore.
Unfortunately for Ryuga, Zatouji had a head-start, since Ryuga could only glide at a certain speed. What's more, there were a bunch of angry beasts of all kinds waiting for him on the lake shore. They were dragons, apes, wolves, cat beasts, unicorns, slimes, etc… All of them had one thing in common. They were not looking happy.
"ANYONE WHO GETS IN MY WAY CAN DIE!" Ryuga threatened them all and dropped down on the nearest wolf.
The wolf was instantly flattened and let out a painful yelp.
Ryuga immediately took out two more wolves with a kick and sent them flying towards a Cerberus, the latter of which was knocked unconscious. Its fall squashed some slimes and some cat beasts.
"Who's next…?" Ryuga breathed threateningly, as he eyed the enemies around him.
The animals, while somewhat intimidated, did not back down.
"This guy is a maniac! I've got to search for help! I can only rely on her…" Zatouji said as he fled towards a certain cave.
After a minute or two later…
"Where the heck, are you!" Ryuga shouted into the cave. "If you don't come out right now, I'll beat you within an inch of your life!"
Ryuga's threats echoed in the cave. But no one answered.
Ryuga had just beaten up a number of creatures at the lakeside (meaning that the creatures Ryuga fought earlier in this chapter don't count). They are listed as follows:
Nineteen wolves, six three-eyed bears, two Cerberus, three kelpies, twenty slimes, ten eagle-sized crows, twenty-three cat beasts, two Undines, five Sprite Dragons, eight ape-like creatures, five unicorns, six talking moles, thirteen large snakes, twelve bats and fourteen owls.
He beat them up ruthlessly and efficiently, showing them no mercy because of angry he was. And why? Because he wanted to sleep! And get the job over with, too! But of course, fate had to throw more hurdles in the way. Hence, Ryuga did what he was always did when he was angry.
Destroy everything.
And that was exactly what he did.
He came out of that fight looking like he had been zapped and with a few scratches here. Other than that he was fine.
Now, all that was left was that wannabe Pokémon Trainer.
Ryuga shivered. The cave felt cold. What was in there anyway?
And then he heard a thump.
Then another.
Then more followed.
'That sounds like footsteps…' Ryuga noticed. He went on guard.
Out of the cave emerged a huge blue dragon. Unlike the Dragon Sprites from before, this one was bigger. And for whatever reason, it screamed danger. Its angry face was one such reason.
Ryuga backed away in fear, trying his best not to flee. He still needed to catch Zatouji.
[Who dares to disturb my sleep?] the blue dragon demanded of Ryuga. The dragon spoke in a feminine voice, implying it was female.
Ryuga said nothing. He shivered, this time of fear, while trying to keep his fear in check.
He realized that unlike the beasts from before, this one he could not beat.
Seeing that Ryuga didn't answer, the female dragon asked again.
[I said who dares to disturb my sleep?] the dragon asked again with a menacing tone.
Ryuga tried to speak but the fear of the creature in front of him prevented him from doing so. And then Zatouji stepped out from the cave with a triumphant smirk.
"What do you say now? Are you gonna surrender? Face it! You're no might for the awesome Chaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat. An irony, considering Karma is involved," Zatouji noted with his arms crossed.
[I will deal with your behavior later, Zatouji! Disturbing my sleep for an intruder like this is beneath me!] Tiamat snapped at Zatouji, as she faced him, who flinched back in fear.
'Now's my chance!' Ryuga thought to himself, as he saw Zatouji now five meters in front of him and distracted by Tiamat. With Tiamat distracted by Zatouji, there was no better opportunity.
He threw forward his umbrella like a javelin.
[Now… who…?] Before Tiamat could finish the sentence...
"AUGH!" Zatouji cried as he was hit in the face by the weight of the umbrella. He fell backward, moaning in pain.
This caught Tiamat off guard but before she realized it, Ryuga was gone. She looked all around for him, only to notice Ryuga fleeing with Zatouji on his shoulder and his umbrella as well.
[STOP!] Tiamat shouted at the fleeing Ryuga.
"What a day I'm having… and it's still not even day yet!" Ryuga complained loudly.
[Come back HERE!] Tiamat could be heard shouting, followed by the sound of…
"OH, CRAP!" Ryuga cried out as he saw the incoming blue flames heading towards him.
Ryuga moved out of the way just in time before the flames incinerated all the trees in its path to ashes.
Ryuga looked at the knocked out Zatouji with a frown.
"And it's all because of you…" he glowered at the middle-aged man. But he didn't respond.
Then, more ominous sounds could be heard from behind. Ryuga looked behind him and saw Tiamat taking flight.
[You won't escape me!] Tiamat shouted with murder in her eyes.
Oh, the irony of it all… It was Ryuga who first chased somebody with a fiery temper. Now, he was the one being chased with an equally fiery temper. Only difference was that this fiery pursuer wanted to literally burn him!
[COME BACK OR YOU WILL DIE!] Tiamat breathed out another fiery blast at Ryuga.
It was heading right towards him!
"I'll never get out of this alive! This was a friggin' suicide mission!" Ryuga complained as he ran back towards the lake. "Unless something miraculous happens…"
Just then, the sound of something else was heard in the sky. But this one was mechanical.
Ryuga looked into the sky and saw the Chopping Board Type 2. And Matsuda and Motohama were in it.
"Follow us!" Matsuda cried out as he and Motohama pointed in a certain direction.
Ryuga barely dodged the flame, which passed by him harmlessly and swept over the lake.
Ryuga did as he was instructed, while the chopper moved in the same direction and closed the distance between them.
Running alongside the lake with the Chopping Board Type 2 being close enough for him, Motohama opened the door.
"JUMP!" Motohama shouted.
Ryuga dashed, picked up speed and jumped with Zatouji on his shoulders unto the helicopter.
Zatouji was dropped off on one of the back seats, while Ryuga took a seat right next to him.
"Thanks, guys. I thought I was toast!" Ryuga breathed out a sigh in relief.
"No problem, man!" Matsuda said as he gave a finger salute from the cockpit.
"But we're not out of danger yet…" Motohama said grimly, as he hinted at the pursuing Tiamat.
[YOU DARE IGNORE ME!] Tiamat roared and blew another blast of blue fire from behind.
"TO THE RIGHT!" Motohama urged Matsuda.
Matsuda did so. They barely dodged the flame by a hairbreadth. The flame hit a part of the forest and started another fire, sending multiple creatures fleeing.
"Umm… any ideas where the portal is back to our world?" Ryuga asked worried.
"I don't know…" "Me neither…" Motohama and Matsuda answered respectively with worried looks.
{Target is less than five hundred meters ahead!} Phoebe answered.
"Really? Wait, how did you know tha-?" Matsuda wanted to ask but another fiery blast headed their way.
[WHOOSH!]
The flames licked the hind rotor of the chopper and the main body, damaging it in some places. The boys felt the heat but luckily were protected by the chopper's walls.
{Mayday! Mayday! Tail rotor has been damaged. An emergency landing is highly suggested} Phoebe warned Matsuda.
"We're doomed! We're not gonna make it!" Motohama despaired.
"Not on my watch!" Matsuda answered and pressed forward with the highest speed possible.
The helicopter picked up speed and flew forward as fast as it could.
{Three hundred meters. Two hundred meters} Phoebe said monotonously.
"Come on, come on, come on!" Ryuga muttered, while alternating his glance between looking forward towards the goal and backward at the fast-approaching dragon.
{One hundred meters} Phoebe said monotonously.
[GO BURN!] Tiamat took in a deep breath and fired her most intense flames towards them.
"No, no, no…" Motohama muttered, as he saw the flames rushing towards them.
Matsuda felt tempted to dodge but with the goal this close, it was either all or nothing!
"COWABUNGA!" Matsuda shouted nonsensically, as he pressed forward.
{You have arrived} Phoebe announced.
The Chopping Board Type 2 had barely made it through the portal, disappearing in a flash.
[WHOOSH!]
The flames barely touched the chopper, as it disappeared.
Tiamat widened her eyes in surprise at this. She halted mid-air.
[That can't be! Where did they go!?] Tiamat looked at where the helicopter had been bewildered.
10th of October, Saturday, 4:51 am – Arakawa Saiko Park, near Toda, Metropolitan Tokyo
The Chopping Board Type 2 seemingly flew out of a tree. Thankfully, nobody was there as the boys flew under a highway bridge and into the sky.
"YIPEEE! WE DID IT!" Matsuda shouted jubilantly.
"We made it! Thank goodness, we're safe…" Motohama said relieved.
"Yeah, that was really close…" Ryuga wiped the sweat off his brow. "So, what now?"
"Now, we head back. Make sure to bring this guy back to the apartment," Matsuda pointed at the unconscious Zatouji.
"What will happen, then?" Ryuga asked next.
"I don't know," Matsuda replied with the shake of his head. "We'll just have to wait and see."
They proceeded to land someplace secluded and brought back the unconscious Familiar Master to Shinyama, who had long awaited him. Now, that he had the Familiar Master and the Metroid larva, it was his turn now.
10th of October, Saturday, 5:07 am – back at the Familiar Forest, The Underworld
The Devil peerage had just arrived at the scene.
What they saw sickened them.
They found wolves and cat beasts bleeding from their heads and their teeth punched out. Some were still well enough to sit up and lick their wounds. Others were barely even breathing.
The unicorns and kelpies were covered in bruises, having been beaten black and blue, lying on the ground in the dirt. It was terrible seeing those proud beasts groaning and crying for help.
The Cerberus were whimpering in pain because of the broken bones and bruises. They lay there bleeding. It was a pitiful sight to see the ferocious beasts like that.
The bears had been punched black and blue in the face. On top of that, some of them had their jaws dislocated. The ones that were lucky were licking their wounds, while others just lay there unconscious.
The apes and monkeys were punched and had injuries all over their bodies. Some had been found further afield from the other animals. It looked like they were thrown or punched into the distance.
The Sprite Dragons looked like they were wrestled to the ground and stomped upon. They had bruises and wounds coming from their heads, necks, and wings. Some of them had an eye gouged out. They, too, lay there trying to recover from their injuries.
The moles and snakes looked like they were either stomped upon or were slapped around. They looked more dead than alive, which was a miracle.
The worst of them all were the varying birds. They were the only ones who had suffered deaths. Most of them lay there mangled with their feathers torn or their limbs broken. For them, it was an irreparable loss, meaning many of their chicks would starve to death without their parents.
The most fortunate of the beasts were the slimes. They were the only ones that needed no medical attention.
Why? Because they were slimes. That's why.
The response of the Devil peerage and their King was one and the same.
Outrage and anger.
While the peerage members tended to the wounded familiar beasts, their leader spoke to Tiamat a bit further away.
"Who did this, Tiamat-sama?" asked the Peerage King to Tiamat, who had now taken the form of a woman with blue hair.
"They were three human infiltrators," Tiamat explained with a sour expression. "They somehow entered the Familiar Forest and have kidnapped the Familiar Master Zatouji."
"And why did they do that?" the Devil asked her.
"I do not know," Tiamat answered with a shrug. "All I know is that they chased him all the way to my cave, hurting all the creatures on the way and escaping soon afterwards."
"Where did they escape to?" the Peerage King demanded.
"I'm not sure. They had a helicopter with them and disappeared with it into thin air. Wherever they went to, it is safe to say they went to the Human World," Tiamat stated.
"Then, what are we waiting for?" the Devil, a tall muscular man, asked.
"I'm afraid that even I wouldn't know where to find them. Besides, they probably have long made it over the hills, so going over there now would be a waste of time," Tiamat explained.
The Peerage King gripped his fists angrily. Was there nothing they could do?
"However," Tiamat spoke up. "I can give you an image on how one of them looked like."
"You can?" the Devil asked in surprise.
"Of course," Tiamat replied and summoned a paper and a pen with magic. "This is how the perpetrator looks like."
She drew the image and an accurate picture of Ryuga was made.
"So, this is how the villain looks like…" the Peerage King mumbled to himself. "…mark my words, I will find Zatouji and make them pay…"
"I am surprised about your passion to avenge them," Tiamat said to him. "Why is that?"
"It reminds me of my youth. I used to be beaten and bullied for no other reason than for petty spite. Seeing these beasts hurt like that reminds me of it all," the Devil admitted.
"Ah, yes. I remember," Tiamat said. "The Devil born without any affinity for magic would end up becoming a rising star among the young Devils. As expected of you, Sairaorg Bael."
The Devil known as Sairaorg nodded and turned around to face his comrades who were tending the wounded beasts.
"Indeed. I will never let them get away with it. Never," Sairaorg declared to her firmly.
Tiamat watched as Sairaorg walked away from her and towards his peerage members.
Tiamat pondered at the events that happened. And as she thought about it, she couldn't help but think about something.
"Why on earth do I have this unfounded feeling that Ddraig has something to do with this…?" Tiamat said to herself.
10th of October, Saturday, 5:12 am – Trio's apartment, Nerima
Issei, Matsuda and Motohama were all sound asleep in their room.
Ryuga had also decided to stay the night over because of how late it was. He slept on the couch.
Sanma, despite being tired as well, decided to head home. He and Ryuga still weren't on good terms with each other and neither of them wanted to remain in each other's presence.
The only one awake was Ddraig.
He shuddered for some reason and had this thought in mind.
[Why am I thinking of Tiamat now of all times?] Ddraig asked himself while feeling unsettled.
10th of October, Saturday, 5:46 am – Shinyama's apartment, Nerima
"Ugh… Where am I…?" Zatouji woke up groggily.
He tried to move but then realized he was bound in chains and seated on a chair.
"What is this?" Zatouji became more panicked. "What's going on?"
"That's easy," said a voice from the shadows. "Familiar Master Zatouji, I have brought you here for a favor."
"Favor!?" Zatouji spat out. "No way! I'm not doing anything for you! Especially not after what you people have done to me!"
"Oh, I'm afraid you will," the voice said and stepped out of the shadows, revealing to be Shinyama. "And you're not leaving until you do."
"Make me!" Zatouji said defiantly.
"All right. I know about your expertise with familiars, as well as making contracts between Devils and familiars. You specialize in doing this service for Devils. However, I know that you know how to do it for humans as well. I roughly know that the ritual is the same, but the magic formula is different. So, tell me. What is the formula to bind a familiar to a human master?" Shinyama asked him.
"Screw you!" Zatouji insulted.
Shinyama sighed. "Very well. It looks like I don't have any choice…"
Shinyama went up to him and used his fingers to jab Zatouji at a certain place at the side of his forehead.
"Hokuto Shinken Ougi: Ko Ma Ken! (北斗神拳奥義 - 講真拳 - Fist of the North Star Secret Technique - Speak The Truth Fist!)" Shinyama announced as he carried out the attack.
He then removed his fingers from Zatouji's head.
"OW! What was that for?" Zatouji demanded angrily, as he sought to rub his head in pain, were it not for the restraints.
"Tell me what the formula is to bind familiars to a human," Shinyama repeated.
"Screw you! I'm not telling you…" Zatouji repeated his defiance but then he automatically started to speak monotonously.
"It's done by using a similar magical formula to the ones that Devils use, they are… Wait!" Zatouji stopped speaking upon realizing that something was wrong.
"Why did I say that? Why am I talking about it?" he asked horrified.
"The human body has 708 different pressure points. You may be a Devil, but your build is similar, even if there are plenty other differences that separate you from them. I pressed a pressure point that will make you speak whatever I want you to speak about. And you will do it even against your will. Now, continue…" Shinyama told Zatouji.
"I… the formula is… ugh… it is… SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Zatouji screamed in the dead of night, hoping that someone could hear him.
However, it was of no use. The room they were in was soundproof.
Ten minutes later…
"Now, that I've got that out of my way… All that is left is to wait until Issei wakes up. Then we can start with the ceremony…" Shinyama spoke to himself. "Can't blame him. Heck, I can't blame any of those boys. They're all tired."
Taking a drink from a cup, Shinyama looked at the unconscious Familiar Master.
"Sorry, I had to do this. But don't worry. I pressed a Pressure Point that makes you forget about everything that has happened in the past 24 hours. Don't worry. I'll drop you at Kuoh Academy. The Sitri and Gremory Princesses will send you back home," Shinyama assured Zatouji but he didn't answer.
Shinyama looked at the container with the Metroid larva in it.
The Metroid was finally moving again, however, it remained imprisoned. Shinyama looked at it with interest.
"Once, that is over, we can move on to the second phase…" Shinyama switched his phone on and checked the news.
In it, he saw the Hotel Entertainment Building with the headlines "Potential Cleaning Operation by Police."
And that was Chapter 42 of The Lone Vigilante Issei.
In relation to the previous chapter, I realized that Sanma had been doing much opening up to Issei. Hence why I focused on Issei doing the same to Sanma. Consider this an extension to the discussions they have had before.
Also, the Metroid has been caught. It will play a major role in the near future. Honestly, when I wrote this chapter, I was hoping to make the fight against the Metroid longer. Then I realized that I didn't want to drag out for too long. That is why I ended up writing the fight scene in the length that it now is.
The Zatouji chase sequence in the Underworld and its aftermath was arguably the part I had the most fun writing (possibly in this entire story). The chapter with the daily life at Furinkan Vocational School is my next best one.
The previous chapter was the one I felt the most passion in writing but that's another issue.
I never even expected to come up with the chase scene until the day before it got published. I thought hard on what kind of mission I wanted Matsuda, Motohama and Ryuga to go through and was surprised when I came up with this. It was kind of funny, though surprisingly brutal. It must be my inner sadism and delight to see some chaos.
Speaking of chaos, with what happened, the Devils are going to be in an uproar. Tiamat is especially ticked off and we all know that ticking off one of the Five Great Dragon Kings is never a good idea. Expect a lot more drama to come up.
Now, as to why I had to resort to kidnapping Zatouji…
Hey, I just wanted to invite him, not kidnap him! It just so happened that Zatouji was too stubborn for his own good. But in the end, it was all for the greater good. Thankfully, I had some knowledge of a martial art that uses pressure points to do my bidding.
As I mentioned earlier in the chapter, he won't be able to tattle tell anyone about this since I took his memories. The Devil Princesses will be quite in for a shock. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces…
And what do I have in mind now that I have the Metroid and the knowledge about familiar contracts for humans for Zatouji? Well, you'll see soon…
What did you think about the chapter? Did you enjoy it?
Please, read and review, I'd like to hear from you.
And as always, I hope to see you next time.
Until then.
Hide Shinyama