Chapter Three: Terms
SLURP! In a dimly lit room a young, beautiful, crimson haired girl sat on a large maroon sofa sipping from a class of tea. Behind her stood three fellow teenagers. A short girl with white hair and an indifferent expression, a tall blonde boy with a handsome, shining smile that seemed to radiate all the light in the room and finally in between the other two stood a beautiful but timid looking blonde girl that seemed to be shaking.
Across the room from those four sat Issei who was making a rather interesting face, a mixture of utter confusion and anger, in his current state he couldn't so much as speak.
"Tea?" Another young woman, a dark haired girl with a friendly smile and an almost ridiculously sized chest asked as she presented Issei with a cup identical to the one that the woman sitting across from him had been sipping from but Issei couldn't bring himself to answer and after a few awkward minutes she eventually placed the cup on the boys lap and rejoined the group on the other side of the room.
SLURP! CLING! The crimson haired girl put the cup down on the table and front of her before shooting Issei a confident look. "So, Issei hyoudou. You're pretty famous right now you know? Your falling out with Riser has been all over the news."
"It's not nice to kidnap people." Issei interrupted with a growling voice and an angry glare.
"Maybe so but it was imperative I met with you." She responded. "You may be wondering just why I brought you here?"
"You can't just teleport people from their houses." Issei's angry demeanor remained as he refused to let the subject change.
"Lets begin with introductions." The girl stood up and extended a hand out to Issei. "My name is Rias Gremory. It's nice to meet you."
Issei didn't return a hand, he remained seated and sour. "I have a phone, a manager and a number of social media accounts where you could reach me. Or you could've sent a NORMAL letter…."
Rias seeing that things were not developing in her favor, dropped back to her seat and proceed to drop the formalities. "Well I did try to reach you. When I called your manager's office they said you were taking a break and wouldn't be available for a year and when that fell through I sent you three separate emails."
A bead of sweat formed on Issei's forehead before he quickly pulled out his phone and opened his email and sure enough among the dozens of unanswered emails were three that were in fact addressed to a Rias Gremory. "Well who checks email anyway…" Issei muttered as he scrolled further down his unanswered email archive.
"Anyway, I couldn't risk waiting for your response. I hope you can forgive me." Rias bowed her head before continuing. "You see I…" Before she could finish something clicked in Issei's mind.
"Wait….." Issei muttered, interrupting Rias. "That seal from the letter… I can't get it out of my head….. It's a big time devil house I'm sure…. G….. G something…. Something with a G….." As Issei fiddled with the puzzle in his head he took a closer look at his host and took particular notice of her vibrant red hair. "Gremory?… The Gremory girl?... Oh shit you're that Gremory girl…" Issei muttered aloud getting Rias to lower her head as he hit the nail on the head with his deduction. "Oh shit… I'm so sorry…." Issei apologized but he soon pieced together exactly why he'd been brought there."Ohh…."
"So you must've figured out huh? Well…" Before Rias could finish Issei stood up off the couch and pulled out his wallet, he opened it and pulled out a thin white card with a magic circle drawn on it, a teleportation card. Rias' eyes widened as she saw Issei hold up the card, indicating his intention to exit. "Wait!" She called out, nearly leaping off the couch as she tried to stop him from leaving. "At least hear me out."
"No point." Issei brushed her off as he threw down his card and creating a glowing magic circle on the floor of the poorly lit room. "I already know what you're gonna say. You challenged Riser to a rating game so you wouldn't have to marry the jerk but you're lacking pieces and experience and Riser's a pro. I'm experienced not only in the game itself but the way Riser and his team fight and you figure I'm pissed off at him enough to wanna kick his ass for you but I'm not gonna do it so it doesn't matter." Before Issei could step into his circle the short, white haired girl rushed over and spread her arms out between Issei and his get away, getting the free pawn to roll his eyes.
"What are you saying you don't wanna kick Riser's ass?" Rias argued back.
"Of course I do." Issei admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. "What you don't seem to understand is that if Riser is playing regardless of what you choose to call it, this is a real rating game and I have a professional image and reputation to uphold. I can't sign up with just to fight the guy especially if it means breaking off an engagement between two high class devils that those old timers are so proud of. I'm sick of seeing people talking about me, acting like they know me, every time I turn on the TV, I don't need to dig my hole any deeper."
"So you're just gonna let them get away with bad-mouthing you? You're going to let Riser get away with disrespecting you? I thought you were supposed to be a warrior? What about honor, doesn't that mean anything to you?" Rias argued back.
"Pfff Honor?" Issei scoffed. "C'mon kids, you don't really believe in that do you? There is no honor in the real world, not for devils anyway. We're all out for ourselves, were selfish beings by nature isn't that right? Just wait, in the real world everyone is gonna try to take advantage of you. Though, I'm willing to bet that if you do end up having to marry Riser, you're not gonna have to wait very long." With Rias now silenced Issei turned back to his magic circle which was still being blocked by the white haired girl. Issei put a firm hand on the girl's shoulder but when he tried to move her out of the way he found her surprisingly sturdy. "Huh?... Whatever." Issei reached for his wallet to retrieve another teleportation card but he found it missing. "What?"
"Looking for this?" The dark haired girl called out as she held up Issei's missing wallet. She then removed the teleportation cards and set the ablaze with a bit of magic, all while smiling maliciously.
"We have extra teleportation cards you could use to get home." Rias pointed out as she sat back down on her couch and crossed her legs smuggly. "But first we're gonna have a real dialogue, I'm not just gonna let you brush me off."
"Hmmmm." Issei muttered and a flash of red light suddenly bursted off from his left arm as his crimson gauntlet appeared. "I don't like to get violent unless I'm being paid but like I said earlier I don't see a point in talking so I don't think I'll be sticking around." Issei pointed his crimson gauntlet at Rias and a small red energy ball formed in his palm.
The other members of Rias' peerage quickly took battle positions and the second the dark haired girl dropped Issei's wallet in defense of her king, Issei changed the direction of his arm and aimed his blast for the wall behind Rias before firing. KABOOM! Issei blasted a huge hole in the wall and opened the room to the outside world. Then a pair of massive bat wings sprouted from his back and Issei took off into the night air but not before retrieving his fallen wallet on the way out.
Rias and the rest of her peerage stood speechless as Issei disappeared into the night before Rias managed to compose herself. "Don't just stand there! We need to go find him!" She commanded.
"Right!" Her whole peerage agreed as they, one after another, began to chase Issei out through the hole he made in the wall but before the timid blonde girl could leave Rias placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Look Asia, I doubt this guy would actually hurt any of us but I don't like the idea of sending a new devil like you out into a potentially dangerous situation." Rias pulled out a teleportation card and handed it to the blonde devil. "If you see him then I want you to teleport back here immediately and then find a way to contact me or Akeno, You got it?" Asia nodded. "Good now get out there, we can't let this guy get away."
(Elsewhere with Issei)
As soon as Issei felt he was far enough away from Rias and her devil's he landed in the middle of the town he found himself in and threw up the hood of his hoodie in an attempt to blend in. Issei looked up at the night sky and quickly took notice of the night sky, particularly the moon and stars. His eyes then drifted to a street sign as he took notice of the writing. 'Well looks like I'm on earth and in japan no less. Talk about luck, can't think of a better place for a japanese guy to try to blend in. It's been a while since I've been on earth too, maybe I can put off going back to the underworld for a little bit. Maybe check out Paris…' Issei then noticed a man walking by wearing a medical mask over his mouth and nose. 'Oh yeah I forgot… Nevermind, I think I'd rather be back in hell.'
As Issei continued down the almost empty streets things began to click in his mind before he came across a sign that read "Kuoh Train Station. Next half kilometer." Isse couldn't believe his eyes. "Kuoh? No way…." Issei muttered as his thoughts ran wild. 'How am I in Kuoh? When did this place become Gremory territory? It had to have been after….' Issei quickly shook his head as he created a new train of thought. 'If I'm home could that mean my parents?... More importantly if I am home that means!'
KLING! The doorbell clanged as Issei exited a storefront restaurant holding a cup full of steaming soup and noodles that he carefully sipped at. "Four years later and the best ramen in the world can still only be found in this craphole of a city, good thing it's a 24/hour shop."
With ramen now in hand, Issei happily continued his way down the near barren Kuoh sidewalks until he came to a complete stop in front of an empty alleyway. "No way…" Issei muttered as he walked through the alleyway, studying every single brick until he came across a sizable, spider web of cracks in the wall and put his hand onto the splintered brick. "No way… This is the place...:"
(Flashback, five years ago)
SNIFF! SNIFF! A young Issei dressed in a dirty sweatshirt sat down in the dark alleyway as he wrapped his arms around his legs and buried his face between his legs to hide his sobbing. One of his arms was wrapped heavily in white bandages. "I wanna go home!" The young boy cried. Meanwhile, three shadows began to tower over the boy.
"HIC! Well well well… HIC! Look what we got here." A large bald man with a round protruding beer gut, wearing a messy grey jacket and carrying a half empty bottle of booze, glared down at the teary eyed boy. "Some punk, crybaby, kid is in our spot. What do you suppose I do to him?" He began to smack his hand with his bottle like it was club.
"Yeah, we need to teach the newby who runs the streets here, right boss." Another one of the older men, a man shaped almost thumb-like, began egging on the alcohol wielding man meanwhile the third and largest man remained silent.
"I agree! Time for this kid's spanking!" The drunken man declared as he brought the bottle down on Issei before SMASH! The bottle shattered into a million pieces and its contents spilled all over the boy. "What the?" The bald man examined what was left of his bottle and he looked down at Issei to see that the boy had thrown up his bandaged arm to block and the now soaked bandages turned translucent and began to slowly fall off to reveal a strange, red, metal-like material.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Issei shrieked as he buried his fist into the old man's beer gut, the force of his punch knocking off the remainder of his beer soaked bandages, revealing a smaller, younger version of his gauntlet as the old man was sent flying into some nearby trash cans.
"BOSS?!" The thumb looking goon called out before turning his attention to Issei and pulling out a switchblade. "Stupid punk! I'm gonna get you!"
Issei caught the man's arm midswing with his crimson claw and flung his attacker into the chest of the other, silent thug. Knocking them both unconscious. With that confrontation seemingly dealt with, Issei buried his crimson arm into his hoodie pocket and turned to exit the alleyway but he didn't seem to notice as the Bee Bellied man pulled himself from the pile of trash.
"Uh Waahhh…" The man groaned as he stumbled back to his feet, then he looked over to see both of his henchmen unconscious before looking back at the retreating Issei and muttering. "Monster…" He quickly began to dig into his back pocket before pulling out a silver snub nose revolver and pointing it at the boys back. "DIE FREAK!"
Issei turned back just in time to hear the ]click back of the hammer but as the bald man moved his finger to the trigger a ball of glowing green light dug itself into his side and knocked him over causing him to fire his bullet into the brick wall the lined the left side of the alley. As the man fell to his knees, the ball of green energy flew back down the alley until it returned to the hand of a girl too far away for Issei to make out all of her particular features. The only things that managed to stand out from that distance was the fact that she was a girl, he could tell because she wore a bodysuit that did little to hide her femine figure, as well as her long, flowing, emerald hair.
(End of flashback)
Issei dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a single, emerald colored pawn piece and as the memories and emotions flooded his mind tears began to flow out from his eyes and landed on the shining green chess piece. "SNIFF! SNIFF!" Issei wiped his face before turning to leave the alley but the second he lifted his face up he came face to face with the Blonde girl from Rias' peerage.
"Umm… Are you alright?" The girl asked, Immediately noticing Issei's teary eyes and puffy red cheeks. Issei silently took a step backwards before his line of sight drifted to the teleportation card in the blonde girl's hand. "Hey it's alright to be sad… Rias told us all about you. She said you grew up here in Kuoh and your former master was in charge of the territory before she…" Before she could finish her thought Issei shot the girl a deathly glare the quickly silenced her.
Issei spread his massive bat wings and flapped them with enough force to create a whirlwind that knocked Asia on her butt and caused her to throw the teleportation card up in the air which Issei managed to reach out and grab all in one smooth movement. Issei didn't speak, he merely glared at the fallen new devil as he began to poor magic power into the card that changed the circle that had previously been drawn on it. He then threw it down and stepped into the portal and vanished.
(A few days later, Astaroth Domain, underworld)
Issei stood alone in front of a single lonely grave in the middle of the massive Astaroth family cemetery. The gravestone read "Dahlia Astaroth" and when Issei's eyes scanned over the name he couldn't help but wince, rather he turned his head away, refusing to face the stone. Issei pulled out his emerald pawn piece and began to fiddle with it. 'I'm sorry… I haven't visited in awhile… It's just… If you really could see the way I've been acting, you'd understand… There's no way I could face you… You see… I've…." Issei quickly got choked up and he could no longer manage to speak. Just like when he was a child Issei sat down and buried his face between his knees in order to hide his tears.
"Issei…" A familiar voice called out to the sobbing boy and he looked up to see Rias Gremory standing there with a bouquet of roses. Issei quickly wiped his tears away as he stood up. "I met her once you know? My brother and her brother are good friends and she came over for a play date once, when I was really little. We didn't really get along, I liked girly things like tea parties and that stuff and all she wanted to do was play in the dirt and wrestle." Issei gritted his teeth as Rias continued her story. "I was there at her funeral too. I saw you there but you didn't want to talk to anyone. I heard she had fourteen different engagements and she ended each and everyone of them by challenging her suitors to a fight one on one. She was so strong, I wish I could be like her but I can't. Riser is stronger than me but still. I can't marry that man!" Rias began to tear up as well as her pent up frustration came to a boil. "Please Issei, I need your help."
Issei put a shoulder on rias' shoulder to comfort the girl but his mind was made up, or so he thought. "Rias I really am sorry but I already told you I can't help you…" The second the words left his tongue, memories flooded back.
(Flashback)
Issei and the emerald haired girl sat together on top of a building roof. Each of them with a cup of ramen from Issei's favorite shop. The two kids remained silent before Issei eventually spoke up. "Why did you help me?..." The boy grunted.
"Why?" The girl looked over at the boy in confusion, her eyes sparkling purple. Issei couldn't help but marvel at how the she seemed to glow in front of him but he soon grew self conscious and turned his newly crimson face the opposite direction. "I don't know what you mean? I helped you because you needed help. That's what strong people do."
(End of flashback)
Issei turned on a swivel and looked back at his old masters grave. 'How could I forget?...' Issei dropped to his knees in front of the headstone. "I'm sorry…." He sobbed. "Don't worry…. I'll make it right!... I promise!..." Issei then turned and grabbed Rias by her hands, making her drop the floors as he continued. "PLEASE!... Let me help you!"
(End/ Authors notes)
Now in this chapter I made a reference to the covid-19 pandemic. That was just a joke to make sure this story is dated, I don't plan to warp my story around the strangeness of the world we find ourselves in, so please excuse this little lapse in continuity. Till nex time, BYE!