As an apology for not updating "Fatherhood" this past week accept this chapter as an early present. I think I'll be doing updates on Sunday for this fic, so be on the lookout everybody! Issei's longinus will be revealed soon, so stay tuned everyone.
One month. It felt like such a long time. It should have dragged on glacially slow, but in reality it had been little more than a blur. From the moment he had awoken it had been EMTs, hospitals, cops, and then, when he recounted what happened, psychologists and a priest. It was the same thing no matter what though. They all thought he was crazy.
Issei Hyoudou drifted through the halls like a ghost. He felt weightless, his mind a fog. It was as if this whole reality was just a dream he would wake up from any moment now. But the nightmares and the sleepless nights continually reminded him that this was no illusion. People stared at him as he passed, but no longer did they see one of the Perverted Trio. No, now it was nothing but pity and sympathy. He hadn't even had the energy to so much as open a lewd magazine let alone engage in any peeping.
Instead he spent his days going over that moment. What he had seen. He wasn't crazy, he knew what he saw. How could he have hallucinated something so vivid? An "animal attack" is how they all wrote it off. No explanation for what kind of animal, how it got into the middle of town, or where it went after killing his friends. It was like everyone was trying to cover it up. He had been sent to counseling and bounced between psychologists who insisted on drugging him up with pills.
Issei wandered into the lunch room and took an empty seat, robotically consuming the lunch his mother packed him. There was no one to sit next to him and tell him dirty jokes or talk about the newest porn movie. He felt alone for the first time in forever. He could see how they looked at him, the students, like he was some basket case. Some escaped asylum detainee who needed to be recommitted. Issei tried to explain to them, tried to tell them what he had seen. No one believed him, and he felt he was going insane.
Surrounded by people, yet totally alone.
As the teenaged boy brought a piece of food to his lips his fingers scuffed the growing stubble. When was the last time he shaved? It took him a moment to put the pieces together. It had been back at the hospital. After being let out he had just sorta… wandered back home. His parents had tried speaking to him, tried being empathetic, but nothing helped. Food had no taste, jokes carried no humor.
"Excuse me, Issei?" a charming voice intoned from above him.
Oh, someone was there, he realized dimly. Glancing up with bloodshot eyes, Issei realized who was talking to him. It was the Kiba Yuuto, the golden boy of Kuoh Academy and the wet dream of every chick in a five hundred foot radius. Once upon time he and his friends had despised the pretty boy for his luck with women. Now, he was just a painful reminder of the old times.
"Yes?" Issei sighed.
"I had heard about what happened-"
Please, don't say "I'm sorry". I can't stand any more apologies or pitiful looks, he braced himself for what came next but was surprised by what the young man whispered.
"My president, Rias Gremory, wished to speak to you about what happened to your friends, Matsuda and Motohama."
For the briefest second he felt a spark of hope, but it was quashed as he realized what the boy was getting at. "What, so I can be some sideshow attraction? Thanks, but no thanks. I have no interest in regaling you with stories of monsters."
"That isn't quite what I'm asking, Issei. Rather, we wish to help give you some resolution."
Kiba smiled beatifically and extended a hand. Hesitantly, Issei reached and grabbed it only to recoil as a shock went through his arm. It was though he had just touched a live wire, minus the pain. Stunned, Issei looked at the gallant blonde and realized what had happened. It was like before, the feeling when he caught Rias staring, when that cat had been looking at him, and when that thing trapped them.
"You're one of them," he breathed.
Again, he smiled. Issei's blood ran cold and he tensed up. Were they planning to kill him too? It was strange, though the feeling of touching Kiba was similar to when they met that creature it was… less pronounced? More docile? It was different, but foundationally the same. Like how a ripple and a tsunami were both technically waves. It didn't feel malignant, at the very least. But that didn't mean he could trust this… thing, whatever it was.
But this could be his one shot to prove he wasn't crazy! Matsuda and Motohama gave their lives so that he could survive, and he didn't want to spend his life acting like a whipped dog. If he could avenge them, if he could make sure that never happened to anyone else, shouldn't he? Wasn't it his responsibility?
Warily, Issei stood and nodded.
"Excellent," he clapped his hands together. "We have some free time before lunch ends, how about we go speak to her now, hm?"
"Right."
The cafeteria patrons watched the two young men leave, both of them about as diametrically opposed as two people could get. He was sure that if this had happened before he would've been the subject of no end of scorn from Kiba's fanclub and admirers. The guy was a major league hottie according to just about every girl in school. Some dudes just get all the genetic luck, it seemed.
Issei followed his newfound, kinda creepy friend through the halls towards the second level stairs. The Occult Research Club was located in one of the more isolated wings of the building, if Issei remembered correctly. He never pegged Mr. Perfect for being a part of such a dismal club, but now it was obvious there was something more going on. Some sort of satanic cult? A coven of witches? Were witches even a thing? Issei's head spun with so many questions and possibilities that he didn't notice Irina until he always ran into her.
Things were… not good between them, to say the least.
She was the first person he confided in, thinking she would hear him out. To his surprise she stonewalled him. Retreating into her "bible study" - which seemed to grow more frequent as the weeks passed - and basically told him he was being crazy. It was a wound that had still not healed.
"O-Oh Issei, and-" she paused as she locked eyes with Kiba. For a brief moment a dark shadow passed over her normally cheery face.
"Irina, good to see you," Kiba nodded respectfully. "I was just going to show Issei the clubroom."
"Why is that?"
"Rias thought that he could use some friends during this trying time, and since you two don't seem to hang out that often we thought it would be fine."
The blonde girl bristled at the thinly-veiled barb. Few things managed to actually nettle his childhood friend, but Issei could tell this did. It went deeper than a simple spat over friendship though. Irina glared at the man like he had just undermined her on a big project or something. Annoyance, betrayal, anger, all of it mixed together for the briefest of moments before she hid it. Irina turned back to Issei and spoke with restrained calm.
"Issei, head back to the cafeteria. We can eat lunch together."
"What's going on!?" he demanded to know.
She shook her head. "It's not important right now."
"I think it's very important, actually," Kiba cut, an eyebrow raised. "Issei can make his own decisions."
"Stay out of this, Yuuto."
"Why? He's right, I can make my own decisions! I don't need to listen to you!"
Irina appeared stunned for a moment before shaking her head. "It's not that, you don't understand-"
"I don't! But I want to understand. What do you even care? This doesn't concern you!"
"Yes it does!" she insisted angrily. "It's you who it shouldn't concern! Look, what happened to Matsuda and Motohama was terrible."
"Don't. Don't bring them into this like you suddenly have something to say."
The words were a slap in the face to her. He could tell he wounded her, and took the smallest amount of sadistic pride in it. If she knew something about this, about what really happened to them, he didn't want to hear it. She had pulled away when he needed help, and had gaslit him when he needed answers. Frankly, he wanted nothing to do with her at the moment.
Kiba stepped in between them. "I think passions are raised at the moment. It's perfectly understandable, but you two should remain calm and sort this out at a more appropriate place and time."
"It's whatever. Are we going to see Rias or not?" Issei shook his head.
Kiba nodded and motioned for him to follow. As he passed by Irina he felt a hand grab his sleeve. He barely restrained a sigh, but said nothing and waited. It took his friend a minute to speak up, but she eventually did.
"Issei," she began, voice soft. "I know you're angry with me. I get that I probably deserve it. But, please, as my friend, as my best friend, have some faith in me. Don't go talk to Rias, please. If you trust me, then trust that I'll explain everything. I'll answer all your questions."
Issei grit his teeth and weighed his options. Kiba, to his credit, didn't intervene or say anything and just waited patiently. What the blonde man was insinuating called to him, the prospect of finding out what was happening, but could he afford to spurn a friend? His only friend? Irina had been with him for nearly a decade, they had grown up together. Surely that was worth more than some random guy he'd known for ten minutes. Slowly, Issei squeezed her hand twice and turned to Kiba and shook his head one last time.
The young man nodded with a polite smile and acquiesced. Silently, Issei walked back to the lunchroom to try and gather his thoughts. Getting jerked around like this was exhausting, and all he wanted to do was go home and sleep. Maybe he could fake feeling ill and head home early for the day. It wasn't as though he was going to be able to pay attention to the lessons.
0-0-0-0
Irina watched her best friend go with a mix of trepidation, regret, and anger. The lattermost emotion, however, was primarily reserved for her fellow blonde. Kiba stood there with that same serene smile on his face as he waited for her to speak. It was bad enough that they had fucked up and somehow were getting a slap on the wrist for it, but to drag Issei into it? That was the final straw.
"Take me to Rias," she ordered him.
"Of course, I think she'll want an explanation as to why Issei isn't with me anyhow."
He was good at passive-aggressive remarks, she'd give him that. The church follower being led by a demon should've been humorous, but the irony was lost on her. The Occult Research Club was a drab and dreary place, by design no doubt. It wouldn't do to have random people accidentally stumbling into devil business after all. Even so, they could have stood to get a few more lights. The interior was shaded, the curtains having been closed, so that long and warped shadows painted the walls. Behind an antique desk sat the club president, one Rias Gremoy.
Irina would have known who she was by the hair alone. There weren't many devils who had that kind of blood red hair. There were whispers throughout the church of the Devil King Lucifer's younger sister; who would have guessed that she lived in such an unassuming town? Or rather, it had been an unassuming town. The stray devil that had slinked its way into town was crafty enough to get away thrice and escape from her holy sword.
It burned to have to involve her kind, but this was primarily her responsibility in the first place. They had agreed to rules to avoid any undue bloodshed, and they failed.
"Oh, Kiba, did Issei decline?" Rias began with false curiosity.
"Not quite, President, we were on our way to see you when Irina caught us at the stairs. She was quite insistent on sending him back to the cafeteria."
"Oh dear," Akeno Himejima, the club's vice president, intoned.
"Enough of this," Irina hissed venomously. "It was one thing for you all to drop the ball so badly, but we had deals. Even beyond what the church said, I told you to leave my friends alone."
Rias Gremory leaned back and studied the exorcist carefully. Only after she had thought out her response did she speak. "Given the circumstances, I made a judgement call. I thought after how miserable he had become you wouldn't have minded us talking to him. In fact, I thought you had already told him."
I can see where Kiba gets it from, Irina gritted her teeth. "That's not the same, and you know it. I kept him out of this whole thing for years because I thought he'd be happier. Now two of my friends are dead and he's a shell of himself. You were so adamant on this town being yours, but you can't even catch one stray devil!?"
"Abella is an extraordinarily powerful stray. She decimated the pursuit squad that was sent after her and is an expert in stealth magic. You can't squarely put the blame on us."
"Not to mention the fact that you had her right before you and didn't kill her," Akeno added.
Irina's neck burned, but she couldn't deny it. The woman, that thing, was not an ordinary stray. She had the skills and power of a High-class devil and the knowledge on how to use it. Even the Excalibur Mimic hadn't been enough to fully kill her. She was wounded though, and the lack of any further bodies proved she was still recuperating. The church wasn't offering backup at the moment due to politics, which meant she didn't have the resources necessary to take care of it on her own.
"Matsuda and Motohama might've been perverts but they were good people. They deserved better than that…"
Rias sighed. "We've already talked about this, and you still have my sympathies. I understand how this must be for you, but we are doing everything in our power to find Abella and kill her. I couldn't call myself the next Heir to the House of Gremory if I let such a vile beast go."
"If anything, we'd want to request your help and expertise. You're a competent exorcist and the wielder of one of the pieces of Excalibur. Your aid would be invaluable."
The blonde girl knew, rationally, they were being truthful. Rias Gremory was many things, a devil among them, but she wasn't lazy or an idiot. If it had been in her power to annihilate the stray demon it would have been done a long time ago. The fact of it was that they both shared the blame for how everything turned out. Moreover, a Devil-Church alliance was rare and tenuous enough that she didn't dare do anything to break, much less incite the wrath of one of the Great Satans. Her hands were tied.
"You'll have it, but you leave Issei out of this. What did you even expect to tell him?"
"The truth, Irina. Issei is hurting, and it's plain to see that he's starting to go crazy. No one believes him, and those in the know are forced to treat him like he's insane. It's getting to him, you of all people can see that," Rias's voice was sympathetic.
Irina bit her lip, but nodded. "I know, but… but this wasn't the life I wanted for him. I was supposed to take this burden so he could live a carefree existence."
"Alas, I'm afraid we can never go back to that. The only thing we can do now is offer him closure before it tears him apart. He's reaching a breaking point, and once he hits it he's liable to do something ill-advised. What will you do if he goes after Abella himself?"
He'd die, and it would kill her inside. There was no one she loved more in this world than IsseI Hyoudou, her best friend. The same boy who had turned into a young man who chased around women's skirts. They had been inseparable, like twins, for almost a decade. In that time, she could wholeheartedly say she loved him. In spite of his flaws, his odd quirks, and his perversion she saw the undeniable good in him. That sensitivity that drove him to protect the weak.
To lose that would be too much. She couldn't let it happen.
"I will speak to him," she clenched her fists as she swallowed the bitter defeat. "I'll tell him everything I know. You're… you're right, he deserves to know."
She heard a sigh as the young devil heiress stood from behind her desk and made her way over to Irina. Gently, she put a hand on the girl's shoulder and spoke with a softness in her voice. "I understand that you care about him, I do, but he needs your help right now. I can think of no one else who's in a better position to give him that help. We'll leave him alone as you asked, but promise me that you'll let him make his own decisions."
"What if they're stupid, or reckless?"
"People need to have the freedom to make those choices, Irina. You can advise, you can help, but in the end it's up to them. Do you think my mother was overly thrilled when I left home to go study at a human school?"
The exorcist snorted, but acquiesced that she was right. Issei deserved the truth after everything he's been through. She just needed to find the right way to put it.
0-0-0-0
Sunlight streamed through the open window of Issei's room. Irina had promised that she would explain, and she had. He just didn't expect it to be so much. His childhood friend sipped her tea slightly nervously as he digested the information. All of it sounded like something out of a comic book rather than reality, but given everything that's happened…
"So, what attacked us was a devil?"
"Yes."
"And our town is run by the Devil King's sister," she nodded and he sighed. "Alright, that's crazy as hell. No pun intended. I mean gods, devils, angels, and you're like some magic bible warrior?"
"An exorcist," she supplied.
He stood up. "But that doesn't make sense. If this is supposed to be Rias's problem then why didn't she take care of it!?"
"Because she can't, not entirely. The stray that attacked you is extremely powerful and consumed her master to gain their power. To match it directly Rias would need to use her entire peerage."
"Which is?"
"It's like how devils get their servants and stuff. It's complicated but I don't think it'll come up," she waved a hand. "The bigger issue is what you're going to do now."
He slumped down onto his bed, defeated. What was he going to do now? Irina had explained everything to him, but that didn't mean he could do anything about it. According to her, this "Abella" monster could kick his ass and wear him like a coat without even trying. There was no way he could beat her if the Devil King's sister couldn't. Even so, he was tired of feeling helpless, hopeless. There had to be something he could do!
"W-What about you, Irina? You have that holy sword or whatever, can't you give me one or something?"
She sighed. "It's not that easy, Issei. Holy sword wielders aren't trained; they're born. I have a compatibility with them because my father was a Holy sword wielder as well. However you don't, or else you would have noticed the swords in my house a long time ago."
"Then what about those Sacred Gear things? Can't I get one of those?"
The blonde exorcist chewed her lip for a moment and mulled it over. It was certainly possible given the rampant supernatural attention her friend seemed to accrue, but wouldn't it have activated when they were attacked? If that couldn't draw out a Sacred Gear she wasn't sure what could. No, it was far likelier that Issei was just a normal person with rotten luck.
"Again, they're not generally taken or found. Most people are born with them. Sorry Issei, but if you had one you likely would know by now."
"Damn it!" he shouted, smashing his hand into the wall. Posters and pictures shook, and one even fell as Irina flinched.
Of course I'm still so useless. Why did I think anything different? He grit his teeth as tears stung at his eyes. One month of trying to swallow his guilt just to find out he couldn't have done anything from the beginning. He wasn't sure if that made things easier or harder.
Irina could see the pain this was causing him, but her hands were almost completely tied. If the church even found out she had told him all this she could get in trouble, let alone if she tried to bring him along anywhere. Still, Issei was her best friend and it wasn't right to just leave him in the lurch. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out a solution and quickly began to reach one very grim solution. It would be idiotic, dangerous, and there'd be virtually no guarantee it would succeed at all. Worse, it could very well cost Issei his life.
But was that better than living as a shell of his former self?
After a moment of silent introspection, Irina spoke. "There are some people I could introduce you to."
Issei perked up, hope glinting in his eyes, but she was sure to stem that tide. She raised a hand to stop him from saying anything and explained more.
"They're a group that's been trying to get into the town for awhile. Good people, heroes actually, but Rias's hold is ironclad. I can't go against her wishes or start problems, but I can steer you towards them. But, Issei, you need to be really sure about this. These guys are the genuine article, the type of heroes you see in myths. Many, if not all of them, have Sacred Gears, Holy swords, magical artifacts, whatever. You might not even survive their training if they even offer it to you."
It was his turn to be gobsmacked. Never in his life had he heard his friend act so serious. Irina, who was never without a smile on her face or a bible passage to encourage, stared him down from across the small bedroom. In that moment, she was a warrior, an exorcist, not some teenage girl. He swallowed and thought for the briefest of moments before he spoke.
"I understand, but I have to try. For Matsuda, and for Motohama. They gave their lives to protect mine, and I don't want to spend it cowering in fear or wallowing in self-pity. I need to live for them, and achieve our lifelong ambition of becoming the Harem King!" He cried imperiously, punching a fist into the air.
It was the first sign of the old Issei Irina had seen in a long while. And, in the moment, it was enough to ease her doubts. She stood from the chair and walked over to her friend as he glanced at her curiously. Unheeded, she pulled him into a tight hug and spoke quietly.
"Okay, I'll do my best. But please, Issei, promise me you won't do anything stupid. If it gets to be too much, promise me you'll pull yourself out."
He stood silently for a moment before he returned the hug. "Hey, don't worry about me, Iri. I'm still the same old Issei, and I always pull through alright? Can't day before I finally manage to kiss my virgin status goodbye!"
She snorted into his shoulder and nodded tearily. In the back of her mind she had always dreaded and anticipated this moment. The day she could finally be fully honest with him, she just wished it had been under better circumstances. But at least now they could move forward together.
She had to make some calls.
0-0-0-0
"Irina, this looks like a place I'd go to get molested or killed. Or molested and killed," Issei observed as they stood outside a dreary warehouse one town over.
In the dark of the night, there was no one around. The building was off the beaten path and laid behind a curtain of trees and dirt roads. Irina could admit that her friend had an excellent point. This was sketchy, but beggars couldn't be choosers. It was a miracle from God that the Hero Faction even bothered to return her message. Then again, maybe they were as desperate as she was.
Irina wore her exorcist outfit, a leather one piece designed for function over form underneath a long cloak. At her side, Excalibur Mimic sat patiently, waiting to be drawn. She hoped it would be enough if things went south during this negotiation. The two walked down the path towards the warehouse on full alert, ready and waiting for anything to go wrong. To her surprise, nothing did. There was no ambush or trap waiting for them as they crossed over the property line and through the doors of the warehouse. Instead, what greeted them was the derelict and weathered interior of what had at one time been a sugar refining facility. Most of the machinery was old and rusted, but the lights were still working.
Across the factory floor was a metal staircase leading up to what Issei could only assume was the manager's office and the second level. The lights were on up there and he could see the vague forms of people moving about. He took a step forward but was stopped when Irina placed a hand in front of him. One of the figures in the office stepped out and onto the balcony that oversaw the first floor. He was a wiry young man, older than Issei but just barely scratching college age. He had wavy brown hair, wire rim glasses, and some sort of long red cloak overtop a Gakuren.
Is this who we're supposed to be meeting? He looks like if a librarian went LARPing for a day, Issei observed him, unimpressed.
"So nice for you to join us," his tone was faux polite. "I assume this is him?"
"Who's this dick?" Issei whispered to Irina.
"His name is Georg, some kind of big wig for the Hero Faction. Be nice, Issei, this guy doesn't mess around," she warned him in turn before addressing the man. "Yes, he is!"
"I didn't think such a loyal dog of the church would dare go behind the back of her superiors. Got tired of sucking up to demons?"
What a douchebag, Issei thought, but he held his tongue as the man descended the stairs. He could see other figures watching them from above, four in all that he could see. Georg walked up to them and gave him a once over. It was obvious from the way he sniffed that he wasn't impressed.
"You, what is your name?" he pointed at Issei.
"Issei, Issei Hyoudou."
"And why are you here?"
"Because…" he glanced at Irina who nodded. "Because a stray devil murdered my friends. They died to protect me, and… and I want to make up for it!"
Issei could sense a sudden change of body language in one of the figures above. A young man in a long black coat stepped up to the railing, virtually radiating outrage. Whether or not it was aimed at him, Issei didn't know. He had their attention at least. Georg watched him evenly before quirking an eyebrow at Irina.
"Its name is Abella, some kind of high-class devil servant. Apparently even Rias and her peerage can't contain it on their own."
George tsked. "She's getting sloppy, that's good to know. But you know merely being angry and grief-stricken does not mean you have a chance at beating her."
"I know that! Why do you think we're here in this sex dungeon of yours?"
Georg frowned at him, and he felt a sharp pain in his side as Irina pinched him. With an easy smile and a slightly nervous laugh she waved her hand. "Don't listen to him, he's an idiot. B-But we really do… need your help. I can't train him without my superiors catching on and asking questions."
"Which would be quite the rabbit hole, hm?"
"Right. But you guys need an 'in' to Kuoh, as well as some kind of advantage over Rias. She already had her eye on my friend, but didn't act on it until recently."
"Yes," Georg stepped closer to Issei, almost putting his face in his. "I sense an odd sort of wavelength from your friend. Unique, but nebulous. Malleable."
"Uh, is that good?"
"It's interesting, which is likely why the Gremory woman had her eye on you. It's also probably the reason why this Abella managed to find you."
It was his fault? He blinked and stepped back as if shoved. He had been the cause of his friends' deaths? Georg continued unabated. "I can understand why you brought him here, but what can he offer us? With no Sacred Gear, training, or really anything he'd just be a meat shield."
"You can train him, can't you?"
"Assuming he has something to give in return."
"That's-"
"My life!" Issei interrupted suddenly. "I'll give everything. My life, my time, all of it. I just want to avenge my friends, please! Even if I die killing her, I don't want to be helpless anymore! I'm tired of being on the sidelines, stuck and forced to watch other people do everything! I want to be able to fight!"
"Oh Issei…" Irina's voice was heartbroken.
Georg regarded him for a moment before sighing. "Emotions are not a substitute for skill or potential. I can appreciate the passion, but you'd be too far outclassed by the people in this room alone."
"Can't... there has to be something, please," he pleaded in turn.
Georg opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off as someone above interrupted.
"I say let him join!"
Issei looked up to see the black coated man standing at the edge of the stairs. His face was all hard lines and scars, like someone had taken a straight razor to his face. He wasn't old, but the stress lines and stubble added another five years to his expression. He descended the steps slowly, speaking all the while.
"I can understand where he's coming from, but he didn't get a Sacred Gear. That has to suck hard," he spat off to the side. "I wouldn't feel right letting someone with that kind of passion go without giving them a chance."
"Beaufort," Georg sighed. "This isn't a matter of fairness. He literally has nothing to offer. His magical talent isn't anything special, nor is his physique exemplary."
"Hey, I could get on that P-90x shit. You don't know me man…"
"Beaufort" made it to the bottom of the stairs and approached the group. In the light Issei got a better look at his features. Red hair, green eyes, he very clearly wasn't Japanese. Despite the scars, Issei didn't peg him as being older than twenty-five. He stood maybe an inch or two shorter, but carried himself with a certain swagger. And when he looked at Issei, he could see a certain understanding in his eyes. That need to prove oneself.
The red haired man flicked a finger and a single white flame appeared at its tip. "Hell, even I wasn't all that when I first arrived. Folk around here believed in me, and I became stronger because of them. Besides, ain't the boss always looking for people to sign up?"
His voice had a certain drawl to it, languid and drawn out. Georg considered the man's reasoning before turning back to Issei and, then, turning to Irina. "Does your friend have any compatibility with Holy Swords?"
"Not Holy Swords, but we're unsure on Demon Swords or anything of the like."
Georg turned on his heel and stepped away from them. Over his shoulder, Issei could see light bloom in the man's hands as what looked to be a magic circle appeared. The robed man spoke in hushed towns into the light for nearly ten minutes, going back and forth with someone on the other end. Occasionally he would turn back to look at Issei with calculating eyes before redoubling his furious discussion. By the time nearly twenty minutes had passed, the communication circle or whatever it was disappeared.
"Who was that?" Irina asked him.
"Nobody you need to concern yourselves about. Regardless, I've reached a consensus. Issei Hyoudou, you claimed you were ready to lay down your life for a shot at killing Abella, yes?"
"I am," he nodded resolutely.
"Good, because you might just get your wish. We have a singular artifact that we have not found a suitable user for. Given your unique magic signature, perhaps you can harness it. Be warned, though, this carries the very real chance of a messy death."
Anxiety ate at the pit of his stomach. He glanced at Irina out of the corner of his eye. She didn't say anything, but her hand snaked into his and squeezed twice. Their old "secret handshake" they had done when they were kids. It helped lessen the doubts in his mind. Issei took a deep breath, and turned back to Georg with a confident smile.
"Let's do it!"