The Lone Vigilante Issei – High School DxD
Hey everyone, it's me Hide Shinyama.
I managed to release this chapter under four weeks. That's an achievement.
I hope in the next semester I will do better in releasing chapters and keep it in a four week rhythm.
Here is the epilogue of the Metroid arc.
How have things turned out for all characters involved?
Find out in…
Chapter 46 – The Black Helicopter
10th of October, Saturday, 9:30 pm – Perverted Trio's apartment, Nerima Ward, Tokyo
Issei's eyes slowly opened as he groaned. He raised his head and looked around. It was evening and the sun had already set. He was in his bed inside his room… again. Was this always going to be like this after every adventure?
At the same time, the memories from a few hours earlier went through his head. He encountered the Boss of the German terrorists and the Fallen Angel known as Dohnasseek. Issei remembered fighting legions of Metroids. He remembered the Queen Metroid and the intense battle against it. He remembered defeating it and escaping. He remembered being picked up by Sanma with the Chopping Board Type 2 before falling asleep.
But then he remembered something that filled the brunette's heart with sadness.
"Tomo…" Issei whispered out his name.
Just then, light flooded into the room. The door had opened, revealing Shinyama Hide.
"Issei. You're awake. Thank goodness," Shinyama, his landlord, said with a smile.
Issei could not bring himself to respond. He just sat there and nodded. He looked downcast.
Noticing this, Shinyama knelt by his bedside.
"Are you alright?" Shinyama asked Issei with concern.
Issei remained silent for a while. And then, he looked at Shinyama with tears spilling from his eyes.
Shinyama looked at him with a bit of surprise in eyes. Then, his gaze turned serious.
"Tell me. What happened there?" Shinyama asked Issei.
Issei didn't speak but sobbed quietly. He did not seem to be in a mood to speak.
The Boosted Gear appeared on his arm with a flash and Ddraig spoke up.
[My Partner is no position to speak. Allow me to speak] Ddraig offered to Shinyama.
"Alright," Shinyama gave Ddraig his permission.
10th of October, Saturday, 9:45 pm – Perverted Trio's apartment, Nerima Ward, Tokyo
"I see…" Shinyama said and nodded after hearing Ddraig's story.
Ddraig had told Shinyama about how he and Issei had landed safely on the rooftop of Hotel Entertainment. Then, he spoke about how they eliminated all the X-parasites inside the abandoned hotel (Ddraig also mentioned the corpses of hostages and hostage-takers). After that, he elaborated on how he encountered those gunmen from the Hotel crisis and how they found the underground bunker. Ddraig explained how they fought through thick and thin to reach the surface of SR388 and all the dangers they encountered on the way. He reported about the growing relationship between Ddraig and the Metroid named by Issei as Tomo. Ddraig continued his story with how they encountered the Boss and the Fallen Angel Yuda. After that it was about Issei used various methods to kill the various Metroids. Ddraig recounted how Tomo died at the hands of the Metroid Queen, leading Issei to become filled with rage and gaining a new ability. Ddraig explained about the absorption ability and how they killed the Metroid Queen, before making it out in the nick of time back to Tokyo. Ddraig ended the story with how Sanma picked them up and brought them home.
Throughout Ddraig's narration, Shinyama didn't say a word and nodded along. Matsuda, Motohama and Sanma had also joined in and were shocked by what they heard. They had come in at the part where Issei was making his way to the surface of SR388 and were surprised that Issei had made the Metroid larva into a friend. To see Issei with reddened eyes and hearing about Tomo's death, made the concerned for Issei's wellbeing.
"Wow, I didn't know…" Matsuda remarked after Ddraig had finished his story.
"Sanma? Did you know about this?" Motohama asked the pigtailed martial artist.
"Nope," Sanma shook his head. "Ain't no way he had time to tell me much, other than the fact that the whole planet on the other side exploded. In fact, he fell asleep as soon as we got into the helicopter."
"I see…" Motohama replied with an understanding nod.
"But either way, now we know what happened. The mission was a success. Congratulations, to you guys. You helped save the planet from a pandemic of X-parasites and Metroids. You have my thanks," Shinyama congratulated the boys and stood up.
To their surprise, Shinyama gave them a polite bow, as is custom in Japan.
Matsuda, Motohama and Sanma just blushed, though they also couldn't help but feel cocky.
"Well… it's no problem…" Matsuda answered with a reddened face.
"Totally. Saving the world is our job… Ehehehe…" Motohama said with a dismissive wave of his hand, though he was also red in his face.
"Well, yeah… ya're welcome…" Sanma tried his best to hide his blush by remaining neutral (which obviously wasn't working). "…though I hope you keep your word on your end. This is my second favor to you after all…"
"It's no problem, Sanma," Shinyama replied, as he stood up straight again. "Once you do me one last favor, I will cancel the debt for the reconstruction of your dojo."
"Good," Sanma replied and left it at that.
"Issei? Are you okay, my man?" Matsuda asked his friend.
Issei nodded quietly, though it was clear that he was not feeling well.
"Do you think we should leave him some space? I would say so," Motohama suggested.
[Yes, I think so, too] Ddraig agreed.
"Well, then, you guys head out. I still have some things to say to him," Shinyama said to the boys.
The boys nodded and left Issei and Shinyama in the room.
Shinyama walked up to Issei who was still sad from Tomo's death.
"Issei…" Shinyama said to him softly. "…I'm sorry for your loss…"
Issei simply nodded, though he remained unmoving.
"Look, I know Tomo's loss is hard on you. But… let me give you this advice," Shinyama spoke to him.
Issei turned to face him, showing interest in what the landlord had to say.
"If you're going to become a hero, then you should expect more deaths, whether they be people you were supposed to save or your friends. Sometimes, you cannot save them all, even if you tried to the best of your abilities. What matters is that you did your best. What matters even more than that, is that no matter what…" Shinyama paused for a moment.
He thought about what he was going to say next and then figured out just what to say and how to say it.
"…If you give up, then you will have cheapened the lives of those you care about – living or dead. So, when you find yourself in a situation like you do now… Continue fighting, no matter what. You can't turn back the clock. You can only go forward…" Shinyama counseled Issei.
Issei said nothing. He didn't say anything. He turned his face away from Shinyama and proceeded to lay down on his bed again.
[I think you should go. My Partner here has had a long day] Ddraig advised Shinyama.
"Yes, I probably should…" Shinyama said with a sigh and left the room.
Issei was left thinking about what Shinyama said to him.
"Continue fighting…" Issei mumbled to himself on his bed. "Go forward…"
As Shinyama left the room, he was greeted by the sight of Matsuda, Motohama and Sanma waiting for him in the living room on the sofas.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Sanma asked the landlord.
"He's a strong boy. He'll recover," Shinyama answered him.
"Yeah, I mean he is Issei after all. He never gives up," Motohama said so that all may feel a bit upbeat.
"That is true," Matsuda agreed with a nod. "Though, while you're here…"
Matsuda suddenly shifted the direction of the conversation, as Shinyama looked at Matsuda.
"There are some things I don't get about that whole story. Like, why did those terrorists and Fallen Angels try to get to this planet in the first place?"
"Yeah, good point," Motohama stated. "And how did they find out about that place anyway? Heck, how do you know about it?"
Facing these questions, Shinyama decided to answer them one by one.
"First, your question, Matsuda," Shinyama started his replies. "I can imagine a whole host of reasons why they would want to go there, such as resources, minerals, safe havens, access to extraterrestrials, weapons, logistics, creatures… any of these things are valid reasons to go to a planet outside our world. Just think about how much there is on a planet. Issei and Ddraig probably just saw glimpses of it all."
"Good point. They are criminals, after all. I should have known…" Matsuda answered with satisfaction.
"As for Motohama's questions, I can't tell you about how I know about these things. Let's just say, I have my ways…" Shinyama replied cryptically.
"Can't or won't?" Motohama challenged him.
"There's a right time for you to know about these things and it's not now. Trust me on this. I told you about SR388 and its inhabitants in the right time. I will do the same on the questions you are asking, okay?" Shinyama answered firmly, trying not to raise his voice.
"If you say so…" Motohama replied despite his skepticism.
"As for your other question, well, the Fallen Angels must have been the ones who provided info on SR388 to their human partners. I cannot imagine it to be the other way around. How the Fallen Angels found out about it, I do not know," Shinyama answered as best as he could.
"I've got a question of my own," Sanma spoke up. "Issei blew up the planet with a remote, right? How can a remote pull that off?"
"Huh? You don't know?" Motohama wondered at Sanma's ignorance over the matter.
Matsuda snapped his fingers in realization. "That's right! You weren't there during the briefing. Ryuga was."
"Speaking of which. Where is he?" Matsuda wondered.
"Ryuga said he had other things to do. He went home shortly before Sanma came by shortly after Issei landed on the rooftop," Motohama answered.
"I see…" Shinyama said to himself.
Sanma and Ryuga… it seemed like they were still avoiding each other. They really didn't want to be in the same room as the other.
"But anyway, what's with the remote? I'm waitin'…" Sanma demanded from Shinyama.
"The remote control is a device that activates the propulsion sequence of a space station near the orbit of Planet SR388. Once activated, the space station is bound to head towards Planet SR388 and impact on the surface. The result is a powerful explosion strong enough to destroy the planet completely and obliterate the portal leading to that world," Shinyama explained.
Matsuda and Motohama really found this suspicious now. Even Sanma found the landlord's knowledge a bit too profound. So, even he could not help but feel something was off.
"How did you know that there was a spaceship?" Matsuda eyed Shinyama suspiciously. "I think you know too many things."
"Yeah, and how do you have a button like that? How did you know it will work?" Motohama demanded.
Shinyama raised his hand to stop them. "You will know when the time comes. I promise you."
""Really?"" Matsuda and Motohama asked Shinyama at the same time.
"Really, really…" Shinyama assured them.
Matsuda still looked at him suspiciously but decided to leave him be… for now.
Shinyama then turned his attention to Sanma.
"So, tell us… How did you infiltrate the commandos again?" Shinyama asked him.
Sanma blinked in surprise before taking a moment to recollect his memory. He pinched his forehead for a while… then he spoke.
"It was not easy getting into that hotel," Sanma explained. "I climbed in from the roof using my martial arts skills in climbing… and some very long rope tied to an anchor… I went up and got into the door to the roof. I went down the stairs and found that the cops were patrolling the place for whatever reason… I ambushed one of them while he was lookin' in one of the rooms and took his uniform. I left him lying in one of the hotel rooms. Hopefully, he's still fine. It wasn't easy putting it on, but I did it somehow. Then, I joined the others downstairs where we got into a shootout with those terrorists. It was the first time I had to use a gun…"
"Hold on! You used a gun?" Matsuda voiced in shock.
"Yep," Sanma answered with a nod. "I wasn't comfortable using it, but you get to learn the hang of it pretty fast – the basics at least. It was awful. There were deaths, injuries and explosions everywhere…"
Sanma looked a bit sad for a moment yet continued with his story.
"We advanced down the floor and headed to where the terrorists were hiding. It was gun battle after gun battle. Dismantling explosives after explosives… In the end, we got to the bunker where I knocked out the bomb disposal experts. I jumped over the bombs and got to Issei right on time. After that, the portal blew up and we hightailed out of here with yer helicopter," Sanma finished his tale while glancing at Matsuda. "Thanks for that."
Sanma gave Matsuda a thumbs up and Matsuda returned the gesture.
Sanma looked at Shinyama. "I hope the next favor won't be as extreme as this one – or worse," Sanma said with a deadpanned expression.
"Let's hope not," Shinyama replied offhandedly.
"But what about those criminals?" Matsuda asked. "So many of them were killed, but the Boss and that Fallen Angel got away. Did you see them come out of the portal?"
Sanma shook his head. "I didn't see anyone but Issei. No one else."
"Let's just hope that their loss of numbers forces them to lay low for a while," Shinyama hoped. "Yet, be on your guard. I believe this won't be the last time we hear from them – especially the Fallen Angel known as Dohnasseek."
This caused the boys to be curious. "How so?"
"They know that Issei is the Red Dragon Emperor, the Sekiryuutei, remember? Now, that they know who he is, they're going to do everything in their power to stop him. They would even kill him if needed. And if you consider the fact that Issei – and you guys, too – have killed so many of them and foiled their plans for the third time…" Shinyama ominously hinted at the conclusion.
The boys immediately understood. The implications were not good.
With that said, Shinyama headed out for the door. He turned to look at them.
"Get some rest, you guys. You're going to need it. Although you are going to face all sorts of dangers in the future, worrying about it is not going to diminish it," Shinyama said to them.
Then, he went out the door to rest for the night, leaving Matsuda, Motohama and Sanma to ponder about what the mysterious landlord just said.
10th of October, Saturday, 10:00 pm – in a hideout somewhere in Tokyo
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Japan Channel 1 live on stream. Earlier today, the latest shootout between terrorists and special commando has resulted in the police taking control of the abandoned Hotel Entertainment compound where just a week ago a group of terrorists took over the building and took hostages. Police believe that the terrorists in this incident and the one from a week before are one and the same. The total number of deaths from the special forces amount to ten and an unspecified number of injuries. Police say that they were faced with intense gunfire and explosions. Witnesses just outside the building say they saw a black helicopter fly from the cracks formed from the explosions and quakes. Investigators believe that this may belong to the terrorists, as their leaders remain on the run. Please stay tuned for more updates. In other news, the lawsuit against the heiress of the Kono family, Komachi Kono, has been dropped. Reports say that the insurance company behind the lawsuit withdrew from the suit because of threats to 'bite their heads off with the giant pet turtle'. Said company has denied this was the case while saying that they did so out of 'financial reasons'. On other news…"
Before the presenter could speak some more, the Torben turned off the television.
"We've lost so many men just for this?" Torben asked Hans, as he looked at the huge egg on the table.
"The Boss said it was valuable, so we treat it as such," Hans simply replied, as he took a sip from his can of beer.
"I can sort of understand all the stones and minerals, but this?" Torben pointed at the egg.
"I would not dismiss its value my dear lieutenant," came a voice from the side.
Hans and Torben turned to see who it was. It was the Boss, followed by Dohnasseek.
"Sir," Torben said as he and Hans stood up. "I apologize."
"It is not a problem," the Boss answered calmly. "Is the egg alright? Has anything notable happened to it?"
"None, sir," Hans answered.
"Good, then I will take it to the Grigori for research. As for the results, we will inform you as soon as we can," Dohnasseek said as he took the egg.
Dohnasseek was about to teleport away when he turned to the Boss one last time.
"My condolences to your men," Dohnasseek gave his condolences before teleporting away.
With the three Germans by themselves now, Hans said to the Boss.
"Do you really think he can be trusted?" Hans asked the Boss.
"I think he will. He still needs human agents like us to hide his race's identity from the world," the Boss assured him and Torben.
"But even so, we still made a lot of losses. So many comrades lost and all to conquer a planet, now out of reach…" Torben said gloomily.
"Yes, unfortunately," the Boss answered with a sigh. "Which is why that egg is the only thing left that can turn things around. I don't know what kind of egg it is, but I have high hopes for it."
"How do you know?" Torben asked again.
"I just do…" the Boss answered simply before walking off.
10th of October, Saturday, 10:02 pm – hallway, at the Grigori, Underworld
Dohnasseek had just arrived at the headquarters with his team waiting there for him.
"So, this is the egg?" asked one of the Fallen Angels.
"That's right," Dohnasseek replied. "If one of you would be so kind as to bring it some place safe…"
"No problem," said the male Fallen Angel and took it away. He went into a room and closed the door behind him.
"But what do we do now?" asked one of the female Fallen Angels. "We clearly cannot access the planet anymore because of what happened, so what do we do?"
"That's easy," Dohnasseek answered her and looked at them all. "I want you all to pay attention. Scout out Tokyo and find a brunette male teenage human. That boy is the host of the Red Dragon Emperor..."
"But, Dohnasseek," another Fallen Angel objected. "That fellow must have surely perished in the explosion, so why…?"
"Because there were reports of a helicopter flying out of the ground near the Hotel," Dohnasseek interrupted the Fallen Angel. "It must have come from the bunker. It was not from the police, or the news would have said so. And that helicopter most certainly did not come from us or our human partners, since we teleported our way out of there. That leaves only the Red Dragon Emperor and whoever is involved with him. I don't know how he hid that helicopter underground for so long, but it was definitely him. And that means, he is still alive."
The Fallen Angels were stunned at Dohnasseek's conclusion and said nothing in response.
"Now, that you all understand that he is alive, I hope you understand the need to scout out Tokyo and find him," Dohnasseek told them.
"""Right,""" the Fallen Angels answered in unison.
"Oh, and when you find him…" Dohnasseek added. "…Kill him."
10th of October, Saturday, 10:05 pm – with Inspector Kogoro in his apartment
"This helicopter is really giving me a headache…" the inspector said, as he lay on his bed.
He had pondered about that helicopter for a long time. He had made flowcharts, he had checked the scenes of its sightings, read the case files and seen the pictures. At this moment, he was looking through various footage of its recent sighting taken from the smartphones of onlookers.
In them, Inspector Kogoro could see that this helicopter did not have any label indicating its manufacturer. It had no known match in existing helicopter model with its gun turrets underneath. Moreover, he could see the silhouettes of the passengers inside the helicopter. He could not make out any identity since the windows were blackened to hide their identity.
Despite this… he did not get any closer to the truth.
He knew nothing about who those people were.
He knew nothing about what their plans were.
He knew nothing about their motives.
All he knew was that they were not terrorists.
How did he know? Well, the fact that they popped up out of nowhere from within the prison near Kuoh. Then it just randomly flew to Tokyo, went up and down, here and there, causing all kinds of bizarre situations. With such behavior, it was clear to the inspector that it nothing to do with the terrorists.
Those terrorists were different. They acted subtly one moment and then loudly and in great numbers in the next.
The styles between both parties were so different and in contradiction to each other that they could not be the same group of people.
But if the helicopter did not belong to the terrorists, then… who did it belong to.
Inspector Kogoro frowned and shook his head.
Oh, this was killing him.
He would like to do some more research but…
He had work tomorrow, so he had to sleep early (by his standards).
He lay down to sleep, yet had a hard time sleeping. The thoughts about that helicopter and today's incident weighed on his mind.
So many guys dead…
He had already spoken and consoled the commander and the two captains. He knew them personally and got along with them well, despite working in different departments and fields.
He promised to invite them to a drink tomorrow.
Investigating the black helicopter could wait.
10th of October, Saturday, 10:10 pm – in the student council room, Kuoh Academy, Kuoh
It was late at night. Although Devils were nocturnal creatures, some of them still preferred to sleep at night. That was especially true for Rias and Sona. However, the meeting they were going to have with Tiamat could only take place during this time, since she was quite busy as of late. And so, Rias and Sona entered the Student Council Room to see the Great Dragon King seated on a chair.
"Greetings, Tiamat-sama," Sona greeted the Dragon in human form. "I trust you have been well?"
"Yes, I have, Lady Rias, Lady Sona, though I have been busy as of late," Tiamat answered them.
Sona and Rias took a seat each and the meeting began.
"Lady Rias, your brother has informed me of what you have reported. Is it really true that you discovered the Familiar Master Zatouji in your shower?" Tiamat asked Rias.
"Yes, Tiamat-sama," Rias answered the blue Dragon. "I was going to take a shower when I found Zatouji slumped against the wall and unconscious. I took him from the bathroom and laid him on the sofa in the clubroom. He woke up and suffered no serious injuries yet could not remember anything as to how he got there or who did this to him. I called my brother, Sirzechs, and had him taken home."
"Yes, and he did not remember anything from that day at all. Or should I say, this morning," Tiamat corrected herself. "Not about the three boys that barged into my cave or the familiars they had hurt or even the wild goose chase in the Familiar Forest."
This piqued Sona's interest.
"Could you tell me how the three boys looked like?" Sona asked Tiamat.
"Of course, as though I would ever forget those humans…" Tiamat growled at the memory of the boys. "…one of them had brown hair and glasses and was relatively short. Another had short hair and was quite tall. And the third one was exceedingly strong physically and had black hair. He had a red bandana wrapped around his head and had a heavy umbrella that he uses as a weapon."
Rias and Sona looked at each other with uncertainty. Aside from the last person, the descriptions were too general as that they could identify them.
"And I forgot to mention," Tiamat added, getting the girls' attention again. "They came and departed using a black helicopter. They left using an invisible dimensional portal. I presume that is also how they came to the Underworld in the first place."
This piece of information caused Rias and Sona to widen their eyes. They looked at each other and nodded once simultaneously. There was no doubt in it in their minds.
Tiamat noticed this and tried to inquire.
"Is there something you would like to share with me?" Tiamat dared to ask them.
"Yes, Tiamat-sama," Rias answered with excitement in her tone. "We believe that we know who those three boys are."
Tiamat raised her eyebrows. "Oh? And who are they?" she asked them.
"They are three first-year students that used to attend this academy until their arrest and imprisonment last month," Sona answered this time. "Their names are Matsuda Hibiki, Motohama Todoriki and Issei Hyoudou. Issei Hyoudou should be of special interest of you. He is the current wielder of Ddraig, the Sekiryuutei."
This caused Tiamat to widen her eyes in shock. Then it turned to anger, then to contemplation. All of this took place in a span of ten seconds.
"Tiamat-sama?" Rias dared to ask her despite being frightened by her display of anger.
Tiamat remained silent for a few more seconds before speaking.
"But something doesn't add up," Tiamat said to them. "If Ddraig was there, then why could I not sense the Welsh Dragon?"
"You… could not sense him?" Sona asked of Tiamat with skepticism.
"Indeed," Tiamat replied firmly. "Are you sure that they are the three you were talking about?"
This question left them stumped. They were so sure that it was the Perverted Trio. But if Tiamat said that the host of the Red Dragon Emperor was not among them… were they wrong? But there was a black mysterious helicopter that came out of the blue doing all sorts of things. Could there really be more than one such helicopter out there?
As Rias and Sona were thinking, Tiamat snapped her fingers.
"Oh, this reminds me," Tiamat said to them as she reached into her handbag. "I made drawings of their appearances."
The two girls waited expectantly for Tiamat to produce the sketches.
Tiamat took them out and Rias and Sona inspected them.
"I was able to draw a very detailed sketch with the bandana boy since he appeared in front of my face. I only caught a glimpse of the other two from the distance, so it was harder to make a sketch of them…" Tiamat explained to the Devil princesses.
Sona checked the pictures.
She did not recognize the boy with the bandana. That she could tell immediately.
With the other two, it was more difficult since the outline of them was rather crude. They probably resembled people with discernable features, but Sona was not sure. Too bad Tiamat and the Familiar Forest did not have cameras so they could take a picture of them…
Wait a minute… That's it!
Sona immediately stood up, surprising Tiamat and Rias.
"Is it them?" Rias asked Sona hopefully.
"I don't know. The drawings are not good enough for me to make any judgement. Please excuse my rudeness, Tiamat-sama," Sona quickly apologized to Tiamat, who took no offense at this. "I ask of you to be patient with you for a minute. I will be right back."
With that Sona rushed off, leaving behind a confused Dragon King and Devil princess.
"Lady Rias, have you any idea what Lady Sona is doing?" Tiamat asked her.
"I am afraid not, Tiamat-sama," Rias answered her.
After that, they waited for Sona to return. And she did after two minutes. She came in with a huge file with student names.
"Forgive my delay, but I believe I have the solution to identify those three boys and to see if it is the same three boys we spoke of earlier," Sona explained to Tiamat.
"Oh? And what means is it?" Tiamat wanted to know.
"Simple," Sona answered and promptly took out three subfolders with the names of the Perverted Trio.
She opened them and showed Tiamat some photos of the Issei, Matsuda and Motohama.
"Tiamat-sama, do these three boys look anything like those three?" Sona asked her.
Tiamat stared at the pictures.
She glanced at Issei's photos and swiftly moved on to Matsuda's. She could tell it was not Issei who was there that day.
She looked at Matsuda's pictures and frowned.
She looked at Motohama's pictures and growled.
After Tiamat finished looking at them, she pointed at Matsuda's and Motohama's pictures.
"Now, I am sure of it. Those two were there," Tiamat said as she looked at the Devil princess and then back at the pictures. "I saw them in the helicopter as they flew that thing. It was very brief, and I only saw them at a great distance, but it definitely was them."
Bingo.
Rias and Sona smiled at each other and nodded to each other. They managed to ascertain the culprits to Zatouji's kidnapping. Solid progress was made.
"As for this one," Tiamat pointed at Issei's file. "I am fairly certain that this person was not there. And he looks very different from this fellow."
Tiamat laid the sketch of Ryuga on the table.
Rias and Sona compared the sketch of Ryuga and Issei's photos side to side. Indeed, they looked nothing alike. So, who was the bandana-wearing boy?
"Lady Sona, Lady Rias," Tiamat interrupted their thoughts. "Might I ask which one of the three is Ddraig's host?"
"It is him, Issei Hyoudou," Sona pointed at Issei's photos.
Tiamat eyed them. She glared at the photos, as though she were trying to find Ddraig in the photos.
"I see…" Tiamat said to herself before asking the Devils one more question. "Did they always have a helicopter with them?"
"No, Tiamat-sama," Sona answered her. "But we do believe that after they escaped from juvenile detention facility, they used a black helicopter when the prison mysteriously imploded. We believe they headed north to Tokyo. Ever since we have been hearing mysterious appearances and disappearances in Tokyo of what we believe is the same helicopter. So, it is safe to say that the helicopter you mentioned is the same one that is being used by those same three former students. As for how they acquired it or how they learned how to fly it, I cannot answer that."
Hearing this answer, Tiamat was satisfied.
"So… my instincts weren't wrong… even though only two of the three intruders can be identified. It is safe to say that where this black helicopter is that means Ddraig is not too far away…" Tiamat concluded in respect to today's findings.
Tiamat stood up from her chair and got ready to leave.
"Lady Sona, Lady Rias, I thank you for cooperation. It has been most helpful and productive," Tiamat thanked the two of them. "I must be off now."
"The pleasure is all ours, Tiamat-sama," Rias answered politely.
"Take care, Tiamat-sama," Sona said her goodbyes.
"Indeed. Take care. We will hear from each other again" Tiamat answered and headed out the door.
After Tiamat had gone out, Rias could not help but jump with excitement.
"This is great! Ufufufu…" Rias giggled like a little girl. "…we're getting closer to finding the Red Dragon Emperor!"
"Rias, even if we do find him. What are you going to do?" Sona calmed her down.
"Get him to join my peerage. Ufufufu…" Rias giggled again.
"Umm… no," Sona threw cold water on that idea. "Hyoudou is not going to want to join your peerage."
Rias stopped giggling and her face turned into a frown.
"And why not?" Rias demanded from Sona.
"Think about it. He probably will have learned how to use his Sacred Gear by now. He probably must have advanced his skills, too. Most likely, he even has fought a lot of supernatural beings and will naturally mistrust us to that extent," Sona reasoned with Rias.
"You sound like Issei has gotten years of experience under his belt in dealing with the supernatural," Rias remarked.
"As the holder of the Red Dragon Emperor he will attract all kinds of enemies, so naturally, he will have gained a lot of fighting experience. Moreover, he has proven to be aggressive and violent just before his expulsion. Might I remind you of the 'Blood in the Classroom Incident'?" Sona reminded Rias.
Rias froze, then nodded.
That incident where Issei beat up three girls in a violent frenzy was well-known. And if Issei was willing to do that with humans… What would he do with Devils?
"As he is now, Hyoudou is dangerous and independent-minded. He is not going to join your peerage or any peerage for that matter. What's more, is that Tiamat is looking for him and probably not for friendly reasons. If you go after Hyoudou, you might end up in the crossfire between her and Ddraig. So, it's best if you don't go recruiting him," Sona advised her friend.
Rias nodded and Sona, being satisfied, left the room, leaving Rias alone.
Rias clicked her tongue in response.
"I will get you, my dear Issei… Ufufu…" Rias giggled.
As a Devil, Rias was greedy by nature, and she could not resist the temptation of getting the user of the Boosted Gear.
"I promise you, neither Sona, nor Tiamat will get in the way between you and me. I'll see you soon… as soon as I have a solid plan…" Rias said to herself with sinister glint in her eyes.
Meanwhile with Tiamat…
Tiamat had decided to walk through the halls of the academy. If she was going to leave, she might as well look around the elite Kuoh Academy and its well-made buildings. But she also used this opportunity to think… and to plot…
Now, that she knew that Ddraig had a new host and who his new host was, all she needed to do was find him. And she had just the right clue to find him – and the other boys who intruded in the familiar forest and humiliated her.
"Ddraig, oh, Ddraig… just you wait… I will wring your neck for this… in addition to all the other deeds you have done to me in the past…" Tiamat swore ominously with a fierce grin.
10th of October, Saturday, 10:35 pm – bedroom, Trio's apartment, Nerima Ward
While Issei had already fallen asleep, Ddraig woke up startled with chills running down his spine.
[Oh, come on! Why do I keep thinking of Tiamat now of all times? This is the second time now and it just keeps getting worse! I have the harrowing sense that she is coming after me… And I hope I'm wrong…] Ddraig said to himself in a dread filled monologue.
10th of October, Saturday, 10:36 pm – somewhere in the night skies of Tokyo
It was a beautiful night outside, despite the brutal clash between the special forces and the German terrorists earlier today… despite the quakes from explosions… and despite the closely averted doom of an epidemic of Metroids and X-parasites. You could say that Tokyo is a beautiful city that stands tall in its pride as Japan's capital city.
And in this city… was a fly.
Hardly, the most noteworthy creature on earth. In fact, such a creature is only a nuisance to people and animals alike and only worth a swat.
So why focus on a fly? And why this fly in particular?
Well, to answer this question, you must know the inner thoughts of said fly.
'Tokyo, even though I have seen this place for days now, it never ceases to amaze me… Ah… I have to go there for real… Too bad though…' thought the fly. '…that when I unleash Ragnarok, that all this will turn into nothing. Ahahahaha…'
Indeed. The fly is none other than a vessel for Loki, the god of flies and trickery.
'But first, I need to find the one known as Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor. I must make him pay for my humiliation…' Loki thought of the ostracism he received from the other Gods and creatures that had been told of his last misdeed.
Freyr made sure of it. As he was already unpopular, he did not even try to clear up his name. Instead, he sought to take revenge on Issei.
But where to find him?
Well, that was going to take some time. Though, at least Loki had one clue.
The black helicopter that appeared in the news most likely had something to do with him. If he found it, he could find the Red Dragon Emperor…
10th of October, Saturday, 10:40 pm – at the Grigori, Underworld
The egg that the Boss had given to Dohnasseek was now in an enclosure designed to host creatures of all sorts. The scientists of the Grigori had made it specifically for incubation. And currently, the egg was being maintained under ideal breeding conditions.
While the egg lay there, it slowly and surely started to crack.
Little by little it cracked and then it broke.
Out of the egg emerged a fluffy white creature with bid pointy ears and a cute little tail.
It slowly opened its red eyes… and for the onlooker… it screamed "adorable".
And that was Chapter 46 of The Lone Vigilante Issei.
Now, I said last time that I would skip a month ahead to reach the Canon timeline faster, but I also wanted to do a filler chapter before that. So, stay tuned.
Now, about the chapter.
As you can see, Issei is hit hard by the death of Tomo. As though losing his parents and Sayori was not bad enough. But I also wanted him to learn that to be a hero means to never give up no matter what. It is cliché, but it is also an absolute truth out there.
Also, you may have noticed something in this chapter.
Can't guess what it is?
All right then…
Everybody is now realizing that the Chopping Board Type 2 (also known as the Black Helicopter) is linked to our heroes. That means that they're going after him the moment they hear another report about the helicopter reappearing. That also means that you're seeing things converge with each other.
And lastly, there is one more thing that is being built up here. You may have noticed the egg and the creature that emerges from it, right? That is also building up to something.
What is it building up to? Hint, if you know what that creature is, you might have an idea on where this is going.
Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, what did you think about this chapter?
Did you like it? Please read and review. I hope to hear from you.
And as always, I hope to hear from you next time.
Until then.
Hide Shinyama