And this is Part 2 of Chapter 25


Chapter 25 – Secrets Wrapped in Pain Part 2

When Issei and the others arrived at their destination, they found that they were in a wasteland of stone and sand. All around them, war was going on, with explosions here and there as the ground trembled violently. The sky was magenta, an effect of this place being within an artificial dimension.

Issei nearly doubled over as a flood of images flashed in his head. Images of corpses dotting the ground as far as the eye could see as blood and screams sailed through the air. He shook himself out of these thoughts as Asia came over to his side.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Issei nodded, steadying himself.

"So, what's the plan?" Kuroka asked.

"We find Rintilr's base. Chances are, he's keeping his hostages close by. I'm sure he knows that we're already here too, since he's been banking on us showing up." Issei surmised.

"And how do we survive the traps he's most likely to have set?" Arthur asked.

"I'm not sure myself, but we'll have to deal with it as we go along. Stay close, try to imagine different situations and solutions, and most of all, watch out for each other." Issei advised.

"Still, we need to find where it is." Arthur said.

"I believe I can help. My power is slightly prophetic. My ability, [Sainted Soul], gives me a few abilities. One of them lets me see into the future at random, but I do have some control over it. I can look into our futures and see where we'll be." Jeanne said.

"How do you know we'll find it?" Lianshi asked.

"Let's just say I've got good intuition." Jeanne smiled as she materialized her crystal orb.

As Jeanne looked into the future, the orb glowed white along with her eyes. Enveloped in a trance, she didn't seem to notice anything around her until the magic was done.

"I know where it is now, however, I could only vaguely locate it. I have no idea if there're any traps along the way." Jeanne warned.

"That's good enough for me." Issei nodded.

"Right. Let's get moving." Rias said.

Together, the two Peerages went forward to where Jeanne directed.


Miles away, waiting in a fortress, Rintilr sat in a Throne Room, patiently waiting for his prey to come to him.

Hidden in a separate room till the necessary time, Vali was chained up along with Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou. It was made of stone like a prison cell, with the only light coming from torches and the small window at the top of the wall.

"Damn these things. I can't activate my powers." Vali growled.

"Vali, is that you?"

"Mrs. Hyoudou." Vali regarded her, trying to see if she was harmed.

"What's going on? Why was our son there?" Mr. Hyoudou asked.

With a heavy heart, Vali told them the truth of everything that had happened within the past several months.

(Doctor Who Specials OST – Dream of Catastrophe. Play Song.)

"I see, so our son was doing all this while we were away…" Mrs. Hyoudou trailed off.

"What's going to happen now?" Mr. Hyoudou wondered.

They couldn't help but feel melancholic. Things looked bleak, since they remembered what had happened when Rintilr kidnapped them.

"He showed up out of nowhere and killed a bunch of people in suits with magic beams before he knocked us out. He said he had plans for us, but didn't say anything aside from that. I'm guessing he was talking about Issei when he mentioned plans." Mr. Hyoudou concluded.

"I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. If I had done better, then none of this would've happened." Vali bowed her head in apology.

Due to lacking any sort of threat potential, Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou were left unbound in this cell. They sat next to Vali and gently patted her on the head.

"It'll be okay, dear. Things will work out. If what you said is true, and all those adventures were real, then I'm sure Issei is on his way here. We just need to remain hopeful and wait." Mrs. Hyoudou gently said.

"Not only that, but you've done so much for us already. You protected our son and us wit nothing in it for you. What just happened, was just how the dice rolled for us. We've just gotta remain strong and brave through it." Mr. Hyoudou reassured her.

Vali understood now. She understood why Issei was the way he was. With parents like these, who always encouraged and inspired hope, it was hard to lose heart. Knowing the hardships that they'd been through gave things even more weight.

"You're right. Still, we can't let Issei hog all the action. We need to try and bust out of here too." Vali nodded.

(Doctor Who Specials OST – Dream of Catastrophe. End Song.)


Back in Rintilr's Throne Room, he sat, planning and waiting for all of the pieces in this game to fall into place.

"Think he'll take the bait?" Ileana asked as she sat on his lap.

"I know he will. He's sentimental. If the people he cares about are threatened, then he'll come running. Kokabiel failed to expect Bahamut's survival instincts to kick in. For that, he paid with his life. However, I've taken steps to ensure that Bahamut will become our weapon against the Alliance." Rintilr smirked.

"And what of those three?" Ileana asked.

"We'll dispose of them when necessary."

"Even our little girl?" Ileana softly asked.

Rintilr merely smirked.

"If it comes to it. For now, we will wait. We've done it for so many years already. What's a few hours?"

Suddenly, the castle shook violently.

"Rather, what're a few minutes?" Rintilr smirked.

Thanks to Lefay's magic, Jeanne's magical sight, and Kuroka's sense of smell, they were able to find Rintilr's castle.

"Are you sure it's the right place this time?" Bikou asked.

"The last two places literally blew up in our faces." Lianshi remarked.

"Oh, blah, blah, blah! Are you two helping out?" Kuroka fired back.

"Hey, at least I made the barriers. Can't say the same about Bikou." Lianshi shrugged.

The group said as they walked through the hall in the wall that Issei made.

"All of you, enough. This is the place." Arthur warned.

"How do you know that?" Akeno asked.

"I can sense a ton of presences here, mostly malicious." Arthur answered.

Issei felt it too. There were no less than 200 entities in the castle. He was sure Rintilr would throw them at the group before they got to where he was.

True to his expectations, hundreds of Devils flew from the castle along with a number of other creatures from mythology.

"This isn't going to go well." Kuroka groaned.

They were outnumbered at least 60 to 1. Issei couldn't help but simulate things in his head. The longer they spent here, the longer Rintilr could do who-knows-what to Vali and his parents. It was enraging him. To be stalled while the three most important people in his life were at the mercy of an enemy that was far from weak and had the mind of a mad sociopath. Bahamut's growing reactions weren't helping, riling him up and bolstering his feelings of rage.

Issei materialized his Sacred Gears, now completed. Spreading his metallic wings, he found that they were liked cannons as well as wings.

'Those wings are known as the [Abyssal Nexus]. Not only do they grant flight, but they have the ability to pull mana from the air and replenish your reserves. Adding to that, they function as cannons, allowing you to fire beams and mind-controlled blasts in nearly any direction that your wings are in. Not only that, but each appendage of your wings can separate and fly independently, allowing you to attack from different locations as well as against several opponents.' Rexis explained.

'Okay, and what're the drawbacks?' Issei asked.

'Every time you pull mana from the air, the amounts will become less and less with each time. Also, you can only absorb up to the amount that your body can handle. As for your, shall we saw, remote-cannons, you can only move them a set distance from yourself, depending on your control and experience. At this point, I'd say you can only move them 5 feet away and the amount of mana you can absorb will be very small. Bahamut's Sacred Gears hold a massive advantage in the fact that they function much like muscles or limbs, being quick to move and react in accordance to your will, but there are limits. And like an infant, you need to develop those muscles and parts first.' Rexis answered.

'Understood. Still no word on remembering everything in your past?' Issei asked.

'No. I'm trying to, but at this moment, your powers haven't reached equilibrium, so everything is still a bit iffy.'

Issei accepted that. He'd have to worry later since enemies were flying inbound. In a few minutes, they'd be overwhelmed. Spreading his wing, commanding them to detach his 8 self-dubbed 'satellites', Issei aimed and fired several beams all across the skies.

As much as Issei didn't like it, he was going to have to blast his way through them. Bahamut was the ultimate engine of destruction. That made him the best suited person for this. Zipping his Satellites back and forth, left and right, he obliterated the enemy with one long burst of mana, raking his attacks through the enemy forces until nothing was left.

'Don't lose yourself, Issei. Losing control of your emotions is what led to Bahamut's destruction.' Rexis warned.

Issei took that to heart but he refused to be slowed down. Taking flight, Issei's flying was wobbly at first, but he managed to adjust just enough to avoid crashing.

"Hey, do you think he's okay?" Lefay asked Arthur.

"I don't know." Arthur replied.

"He's a lot more impatient and angrier than normal. Maybe we should keep him back." Kuroka suggested.

"That'll only piss him off further. We should just keep him covered and pull him out if things get too crazy. His parents and best friend just got taken from him. I don't think he can stay calm like this. If we hold him back, it'll make him worse." Elaine denied her.

They were afraid that Issei's uncharacteristic behavior would endanger himself and everyone else. He just mowed through tons of enemy troops without care for himself or the enemy. It didn't seem like he was thinking too much of it either. The fact that he'd just grown stronger didn't help since it might've begun corrupting him or even worse, increased the chances of Bahamut's freedom.

(Doctor Who Specials OST – All in the Balance. Play Song.)

As they all flew through the castle, they forced their way through traps, with Kuroka, Elaine, and Lianshi dealing with them. While zipping through a room, they crossed a magic circle that was set to detonate. Thanks to Elaine's magical expertise, she was able to halt its detonation while Kuroka blasted a pathway out of the room as Lianshi used her sound abilities to propel everyone out.

Room after room, level after level, they blasted, ran, and dodged their way through booby traps and clusters of enemies. Yet, they did it knowing that they were getting closer and closer to their captured friend.

Issei could sense it, that powerful malice radiated from above. He would've bombed his way through the ceiling if he didn't have to worry about harming his parents and Vali. Suddenly, everyone stopped.

"Do you hear that?" Lefay asked.

"It sounds like buzzing." Rias nodded.

They turned around towards the hall where they came from. That buzzing was growing louder and louder to the point that flaps were audible.

"Go, now!" Issei yelled.

All at once, they flew to the higher levels as a cloud of insects burst into sight. Kuroka, Elaine, and Rias combined fire with the Power of Destruction to obliterate them, but their numbers didn't seem to decrease. They kept blasting away but no matter what they did, the cloud of insects kept pursuing them.

When they got to the next room, they came across a man with Devil-esque armor and a red cape. He had long brown hair covering part of his face with green eyes with a youthful face.

"Welcome, I am Shalba Beelzebub, heir to the original Beelzebub."

"Oh, great. A gloater." Kuroka groaned.

"And who's he?" Lianshi asked.

"He's the descendant of the original Beelzebub. A long time ago, the descendants and members of the old government were against changing the ways of our realm. So, they splintered off and started a civil war that they lost. Now, they're scattered across the globe and all of the realms." Arthur explained.

"And they believe it's their birthright to lead the Underworld and subjugate all others. It's old-fashioned and wasteful." Rias said as her eyes glared dangerously at Shalba.

"That's a lot of talk coming from a little girl that always hides behind her brother." Shalba retorted, preparing for battle.

Issei was only growing more and more frustrated with this. He didn't have time to handle people who wanted to cling to the past.

"Issei, you go on ahead. We'll take care of this." Arthur, Rias, Akeno, Elaine, and Jeanne stood in place.

"No, we're all going to go on together." Issei denied them.

"Sorry, but we can't afford to waste time. You know that Vali and your parents are on the line now. So, make sure you get to them ASAP." Rias shook her head.

She had a point. They didn't have time to waste. Regretfully, Issei proceeded onward with the rest of the team.

(Doctor Who Specials OST – All in the Balance. End Song.)

At long last, Issei and the others arrived at where Rintilr and Ileana had been hiding.

"Took you long enough. I was getting bored." Rintilr opened his eyes.

"Where are my parents and Vali?" Issei demanded.

"Right here." Rintilr snapped his fingers.

Materializing from a magic circle, Vali and Issei's parents appeared in chains inside cages.

"Issei!" His parents called out.

"Your feud is with me, let them go." Issei demanded.

"Why? There's nothing in it for me to just let them go because you say so." Rintilr shrugged.

Issei knew Rintilr wanted something, but he really didn't want to know what. With just words, he could fall prey to Rintilr. Then, he and the others noticed something. Vali had the tiniest magic circle in her palm behind her back. Yes, it made some sense. Vali was adept with magic and could probably find a way to break out if she worked long enough. That left it up to Issei and the others to keep Rintilr and Ileana's attention fixed upon them.

"What do you want?" He reluctantly asked.

Rintilr smirked. Issei had no collateral against him. To refuse, was to risk the deaths of Vali and Issei's parents.

"I want you to destroy every single member of the Alliance. Every angel, demon, monster, god, everyone. I want no survivors. After you've done that, you can have your parents back and we'll even let you have our daughter." Rintilr answered.

"So, you're spinning the same yarn that the others did." Issei concluded.

"Well, I guess you could say that they got it from us, even if it was a lie." Ileana nodded.

"Why, though? What good would it do to kill everyone for control of a world? Once you take it, you'll have achieved your goals and then you'll be left stagnant with nothing. No drive, no opposition, no working support, nothing. Does a wall really suit your desires?" Issei asked.

"You're the second person to give us that speech. My father did the same thing the first time around. Can't say I cared, but I'll humor you. Let me ask you something, in this world, has there ever been a definite age of peace and quiet?" Rintilr asked.

Issei didn't answer.

"Exactly. That's because every species has an innate desire for everything to be identical. Humans can't stand to be on the same level with other creatures, so they boot them down on the order of the world. Hell, they can't even stand other people who aren't of the same color, country, or social class. Take a look at the gods and angels too. They can't stand the fact that other creatures and humans won't be under their complete control and only when the faith in their religions waned, did they get the message and go into hiding. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some waiting for the day to go back into the open. So, in the spirit of all that, we will make a world where there won't be those problems." Rintilr declared.

"And yet, your wife is a human and your kind are no different." Issei pointed out.

"True, but we didn't say it would be a devil-only world. We're just making a world for like-minded people. You don't have to look the same, just think similarly where there won't be any problems. That same-species crap was to just make things work. The Khaos Brigade was just a convenient way of getting to that goal faster. Once we're done, the world that we've made will be made of people who have no care for species and can coexist, but that can only happen once the past is erased. Those who remember will taint the future that will come with their grip on the past." Rintilr said.

"You spout a lot of idealistic fantasies, but your methods scream otherwise. At this point you make little sense like a madman. The only thing that's coherent is that you abused and tricked your daughter, betrayed your family and friends, and murdered thousands for the sake of a dream that'll be built on deceit. What makes you different from the people you want dead?" Issei asked, mocking Rintilr's nonsensical babble.

"It's the fact that once we're done, the world will actually be a better place. To create such a large-scale goal, one must be strong and employ whatever methods that are viable. Time is of the essence and shouldn't be wasted, boy. What we want, is much like what Bahamut caused. He destroyed the old cosmos and in its place, rose a new one that was of less ignorance. If it were to happen again, then a wiser and stronger world would emerge, only this time, more controlled and less genocidal." Rintilr explained.

"I'd rather die than help you." Issei swore.

"You seem to misunderstand. We have no desire for you, personally. It's just that we have no choice."

Ileana hefted the Horn of Rayzwormr.

"We never cared about using it to summon that pile of bones, really. It was just a means to an end, just like you. With this horn and the massive power it controls, you will be under our control. This horn was meant to control dragons, originally and thanks to some work and observation on you, we've found a way." She explained.

"Thanks to years of research on Vali and this Horn, we've developed magic strong enough to enslave even Bahamut's host. You may not be at its original level, but with grooming, you will be strong enough to suit our goals." Rintilr said.

"Don't you dare!" Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou bellowed.

"In the end, that's all you'll ever be: a weapon. When God put Bahamut into Sacred Gears, it was because he would become a weapon for the Biblical Pantheon. In the past, your predecessors were weapons, like Gawain and Jian Long. Even now, you're a weapon, ensnared by Vali. Without someone holding your leash, you're nothing. Think on that." Ileana said.

"That's a lie!" Vali denounced.

"Is it? Should we go over it all over again? I'm starting to get bored with it, honestly." Rintilr yawned.

"Issei is no weapon. He's the most spectacular child you could ask for. He's brave, kind, patient, and always there when you need him. Even when faced with unbelievable odds, he grits his teeth, despite the terror and charges right in. He's a hero." Vali retorted.

Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou nodded proudly in agreement. Issei looked at them gratefully as he steeled himself for a fight.

"And does this hero think he can defeat us this time? This time, there're no holds barred."

Rintilr and Ileana's auras flared dangerously.

"It'll be different this time, because this time, I'm not sitting on the side and watching." Vali said.

Spreading her wings, Vali let out a burst of light, shattering the cage. She rammed into Ileana while her parents were stunned, grabbing the Horn of Rayzwormr. Using a great percentage of her power, Vali destroyed it by channeling it into the Horn.

With one violent explosion, the Horn was reduced to pieces, though at the cost of much of Vali's mana supply.

"What?!" Ileana was stunned.

"Thanks to years of studying, I'm also not bad with magic analysis. I broke down your spell formula and used Divine Dividing to weaken my chains and the cage." Vali carried Issei's parents over to safety as she levitated next to Issei.

"That's what happens when you spend so much time looking down on others that you forget to predict what they can do." Issei said.

Now, Rintilr and Ileana had no leverage over Issei and Vali.

"Very well. If you won't obey, then you will die." Ileana snapped her fingers.

From out of nowhere, barriers covered the area, sealing everyone in.

"No one leaves until you're all dead at our feet." Ileana announced.

(Kingdom Hearts 3 OST – Oscurita di Xehanort. Play Song.)

Issei and Vali immediately went into battle as the others guarded his parents from the battle. The two zipped back and forth, dodging blasts from Ileana. Rintilr rushed in, but was stopped by Issei, who grappled onto him when he used [Ricochet], yanking them away together. This gave Vali a shot at Ileana. Dashing right in her face, Vali grinded a punch into her stomach as hard as she could.

Coughing out blood, Ileana held her hand over Vali's torso, blasting her back with an orb of magic. Vali inspected the damage and saw that the orb had been shattered with a huge dent in the armor.

Ileana snapped her fingers, liquifying the stone floor around Vali, capturing her. Before she could zap her daughter with magic, Issei's [Satellites] flew in front of her, creating a barrier of mana before blasting away at the concrete.

Issei blocked a punch from Rintilr but was knocked aside with a kick to the shoulder, bashing him into a wall. Flying back up before Rintilr could stomp his face in, Issei uppercut, but missed. While his back was turned, Ileana hit him in the back with bolts of thunder right before Rintilr jabbed him in the stomach with a hand cloaked in mana. A small gash near his stomach, Issei wreathed himself in the [Abyssal Aura].

Lining up his [Satellites], Issei aimed right at Rintilr. Rushing to his side, Ileana layered hundreds of barriers together to shield him with her [Abatement] ability to weaken magic attacks.

Vali activated Divine Dividing, countering her.

"[Divide 10x]" Albion announced.

Instantly, Ileana's strength was sapped, though it wasn't enough to stop her. Issei, absorbing mana from the air, began radiating so much power that the room shook. Blue particles materialized, gathering to his wings as they and his aura grew brighter.

"[Vortex Burst]"

"[Stardust]"

All at once, 11 beams fired from Issei, 8 came from his [Satellites], 2 from his palms, and 1 from the [Abyssal Aura's] mouth.

However, with Rintilr's [Ricochet] ability, he yanked his wife and himself to the side at the last moment to avoid death. Carrying her in his arms, Rintilr jumped into the air as she fired streams of mana at Vali and Issei.

Issei was blasted full of several holes as Vali's armor was torn away. Stunned, Ileana and Rintilr moved in, aiming right for Issei. They shoved their heels into his throat and sternum, throttling him into the ground.

Before they could snap his neck, Vali swiped at them with [Division Slicer], producing a crescent wave of light-blue energy. Ileana used [Abatement] to disperse the attack as Rintilr kicked her into the ceiling. Taking this chance, Issei broke free of Ileana's foot and kneed her in the jaw.

"Well now, I'm surprised you two were able to stay up for this long." Rintilr noted.

Despite his words, Issei and Vali were already both tiring out. Having fought not too long before this as well as doing quite a lot of it while here, they were both naturally in worse shape than they should've been. Meanwhile, Ileana and Rintilr were still in adequate condition.

With this next move, everything had to end. Vali spread her wings, powering up to maximum.

"[Divide 10x] [Half Dimension]" Albion announced.

All around them, the space and size of objects and even the building began halving in size. With it, so did Ileana and Rintilr's movements. Issei wasted no time and gathered what little power he had left to fire one last [Vortex Burst].

Despite their best attempts to shield themselves, Issei's desperation made the attack fire far more quickly than before. Ileana and Rintilr were engulfed in the 12 navy beams as the castle was completely shattered by the force of the blast's ignition.

(Kingdom Hearts 3 OST – Oscurita di Xehanort. End Song.)

When the dust settled, Rintilr and Ileana were left on the ground, completely defeated. Issei couldn't help but notice that black smoke was trailing from their bodies, their eyes glowing purple.

"What…what happened?" Rintilr weakly coughed.

"Just what…" Ileana muttered, gripping her forehead.

Issei knew they had to be playing dumb. Now defeated, all they could do was beg for their lives.

"Get up." Vali walked over.

"Vali?"

"Stop pretending with me." Vali coldly snapped.

Issei couldn't help but think that something was off. Waving his hand through the black smoke, Issei realized it wasn't smoke. It was some kind of energy. It felt familiar…like…an Avitur's!

"Wait a minute, Vali…" Issei trailed off.

"What's the last thing you two remember?" He demanded

Rintilr and Ileana gazed into the distance, trying to remember.

"I think…the last memory I've got that isn't fuzzy is…when I left for a mission to suppress monsters and Stray Devils." Rintilr said.

"And I was at home, with Vali, making dinner." Ileana answered.

"Everything else is broken…fuzzy. I feel like my memory's been dipping in and out of sorts." Rintilr fumbled over his words.

Issei tried to break this down.

"Rexis, do you know how many Aviturs there are?" He asked.

"About 7. Six now, since you killed one." Rexis answered.

"Who's that?!" Vali jumped at the voice that came out of nowhere.

"I'll explain later. I'm trying to make sense of this. You and your grandparents said that your parents were loving and happy before a certain mission to suppress monsters in the Underworld. Eventually, he became cruel and abusive. After your grandparents found out, they thought they executed him, but he survived and hid along with your mother. Before, she was kind and loving, yet now, she was deceiving and cruel. Adding to that detail, your parents were giving off trails of mana that's similar to an Avitur's." Issei paced back and forth.

"Avitur's are hardly affected by any other power besides Abyssal energy, so by coming into contact with your power and Bahamut's, it must've done something. I mean, think about it, if these two were as cruel and abusive as made out to be, then why was it that Vali and your parents were left unharmed while at their mercy? All of this happened after many exchanges between you and the couple too." Rexis added.

"Issei, what are you talking about?" Vali asked.

"Vali, just humor me, here. What if your parents were never evil or lying? What if, on that fateful mission, your father went out and fought something or someone that took control of him or brainwashed him? We can't disprove nor deny this either, since there were no survivors. Your father was the only one who came back because either the others couldn't be controlled or there couldn't be survivors who'd possibly break free. Now, after some time, what if your father infected your mother by accident or someone else's machinations? What if they were going to do the same to you. Maybe that's why they were trying to develop your strength and skills. They were being controlled in order to spread that brainwashing but things didn't go as planned. Whoever did this to them, wanted to control people. Your parents were chosen for their influence. You and I were chosen for our powers." Issei hypothesized.

There was so much going on and Issei was on such a rant that Vali was trying to digest it all with difficulty.

"But…that's so outlandish. Even if that were true, what proof is there?" Vali asked.

"I've felt the power of an Avitur first-hand before and the black energy that's still fading from your parents, is exactly the same at the basic level. I think…I think an Avitur might be behind this." Issei concluded.

Vali was silent, glaring at her parents before sighing.

"Fine, we'll arrest them and figure this out after talking to my grandparents."

"That's if you get that far." A voice said.

Suddenly, a torrent of green demonic power assaulted everyone. Issei was blown to the ground as Vali shielded her parents while the others shielded Issei's parents.

"To think that the two great leaders of the Khaos Brigade would be defeated by children. I was wrong to trust in you."

Issei looked up to see that Shalba was standing in the air, glaring murderously at them all.

"Damn it! It's just one thing after another." Issei growled.

He was too exhausted to fight another big battle.

"Thanks to some help, I was able to deal with your friends. However, that's a trifle matter. What has me interested, is that someone like you, who comes from nothing, would have so much power. Not only that but a half-breed mutt was able to defeat the grandson of Lucifer. I'm curious as to what will happen if you experience stronger emotions." Shalba smirked as he glared dangerously at Issei and Vali.

Issei gasped. No, he wasn't looking at them. He was looking past them. Shalba snapped his fingers, swarming Issei with hundred of insects that stung him mercilessly with venom, dropping him to his knees. Left incapacitated, Issei tried with all his might to stop him, but fate wouldn't allow it.

Shalba amassed a terrifying amount of power into a sphere of magic, making it the size of a chopper.

"NO!"

The moment Issei recovered through his [Battle-born] regeneration, Shalba fired right at Issei's parents and the rest of the Peerages. Time slowed down for what felt like hours as Issei tried to move toward them. Then, much to his shock, Vali dove in front of them. Yet, she wasn't fast enough to stop the attack. By the time she got to them, she could only shield them with her body.

That was when everything went white.

When the light cleared, Issei was struck silent in shock. In front of him, everyone was left on the ground.

"As far as I'm aware, they're all dead." Shalba taunted.

Issei didn't even pay him any attention. He looked at them. No one's chest was rising with air. There weren't even any flinches. He went to them, trying to feel for pulses, but when he touched the wrists of his parents, there was nothing. He stared at their mangled bodies and fell into a trance. Blood pooled from their mouths as holes and gashes were across their bodies, seemingly made by the explosion. No human could survive these wounds.

Then, he laid eyes on Vali, who's armor was completely shattered. Her eyes were closed as blood trickled from her mouth and forehead, her listless body unmoving. Issei was too terrified to proceed further. Was anyone else dead? Was it just his parents?

His mind was racing thousands of miles per minute, trying to process everything. It was absolute chaos amongst his thoughts. He couldn't think straight. He even failed to notice that darkness boiling to the surface from his heart.

He began shaking as pain and loss overwhelmed him. He tried to retain his senses but it was useless.

'They're all dead.'

(Bleach: Hell Chapter OST – Incantation. Play Song.)

Those were the only words that rung in his head. His parents were dead. Vali was dead. His friends were dead. He was alone. No, that wasn't the worst of it. He failed to protect them. Despite all his talk, he failed to protect his family.

Grief and shock mixed with rage as the realization came at him full-force. Soon, all those emotion combined into hatred.

'Issei, stop! Calm down! If you do this, you might free Bahamut!' Rexis tried to warn him.

That failed. Issei was sucked into a vortex of dark emotions as his mind dwelled upon the tragedy that had just happened.

'Let them suffer. Let them die.'

'Vengeance.'

'Retribution'

'Pain'

'Power'

'Loss'

So many voices were flooding Issei's consciousness, all of them ranging from young and old voices. All of them wearing down his mind to submit to the impulse to destroy.

'The time has returned. The sentence must be delivered. Death to the strayed.' A cold, deep, booming voice commanded in Issei's head.

Issei grit his teeth as power pooled forth from that dark abyss within him. It was power that was born of rage. His body contorted as the [Abyssal Aura] shrunk to a mere outline around his body. His eyes became red as armor began protruding and plating over each other. Grotesquely, Issei's body bulged as his armor encased him, growing more and more dragon-like in appearance. His body bolstered as his organs, bones, and muscles rearranged themselves to fit this new form. Issei growled and groaned in emotional and physical agony, losing himself as seconds went by.

His limbs elongated as his neck protruded while a bladed tail of armor spiked from his back.

While Shalba watched, he felt his power rising. At first, he was as confident as could be. Now, he was trembling as he realized just how rapidly and massively Issei's powers were escalating. He had grown beyond his expectations and now, he realized that he was locked in with an insane dragon that was virtually unrivaled in times long forgotten.

Rintilr and Ileana staggered up, taking out vials of Phoenix Tears that they kept with them.

"Hurry!" He told his wife.

They ran over to Vali and the others, trickling the Tears into their mouths. They used their magic to move everyone away as they realized that Issei's aura was growing too powerful for them to safely remain close.

Issei's transformation completed as 2 more pairs of wings sprouted from his back, totaling in 6 wings. Now, Issei looked like an armored dragon that was the size of a house.

There had been so many secrets unveiled today and now, the worst one was revealed. Just like the Juggernaut Drive, which allowed the lifting of the seal on the Heavenly Dragons, so did the Calamity Catalyst.

Shalba amassed his power, bringing his full glory to bear as he fired at Issei. The transformed boy gave him the little attention that he deserved for his arrogance. Opening his maw, he obliterated Shalba with one blast that lit up the entire sky.

The shockwave aftershocks were so severe that it jarred Vali and the others awake.

"What?!" She yelped.

"Easy! You're too wounded." Ileana eased her up.

Vali was so taken aback that she didn't shirk away from her mother.

"What happened?" Vali asked.

Rintilr pointed right at Issei, who was transformed into a dragonized version of his armor. Vali gasped.

"How?!" She asked.

Then she saw the corpses of Issei's parents. The murder of his parents did this.

"When Shalba attacked and you dove in, it was as if you all had died. That despair made him snap." Rintilr said.

Vali watched as Issei roared. Despite what it sounded like, she not only heard a dragon's roar, but she literally heard Issei's roar as well. He was crying. Underneath all of that rage, there was a young man broken from grief and loss. He was crying out in rage and hate as well as crying in pain.

Thousands, literally thousands of monsters and rogue devils came flying toward Issei, intent on killing or capturing him per Shalba's dying wishes. They surrounded him like a massive cloud looming over a small village. When they assaulted him, thousands of lasers, elemental magic, arrows, spears, and projectiles sailed at him. It was an onslaught that would've done in many people of different strengths. For Issei, this was even less than a breeze.

Spreading his wings, they began absorbing the attacks, adding to his strength. Issei fired dozens of massive beams that tore across the skies and terrain. It literally split the very ground apart to the point that the empty space and sky around them was visible on the other end. Issei whirled around, slashing through the dimension with the full force of his attack, wiping out thousands of enemies in one go.

(Bleach: Hell Chapter OST – Incantation. End Song.)

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Someone cried out in disbelief.

Rizevim was here, along with Ezagyra, Odin, and Indra.

"How could this have happened?" Odin listlessly said.

Indra had a resigned look. As Issei fired indiscriminately at the air, the literal fabrics of the artificial dimension began tearing wherever the beams went. Everyone could even feel their bodies shaking and growing weak from the overwhelming feel of his aura. If this kept up, the entire artificial dimension would collapse.

"How do we stop him? How was Bahamut stopped back then?" Rintilr asked.

"Back then, an armored figure appeared out of nowhere and struck Bahamut down. God saw that it was necessary for Bahamut to continue and sealed him into Sacred Gears. I don't know who that armored entity was, but neither of them is here now. I'm afraid we can't create a strategy in time to stop Issei. Even killing him will be incredibly difficult." Indra sighed.

"NO!" Vali instinctively said.

Everyone jumped when she had that sudden outburst. Odin exhaled, racking his brain for a solution. Issei had yet to kill anyone from the Alliance and he wanted things to stay that way.

"Songs are known to calm dragons down best. However, that art is lost with humanity having forgotten how to use enchanted singing. No one knows any songs that can help either."

"That's not true…" Vali muttered.

"What?" Indra asked.

Vali looked hesitant, but she gulped her reluctance down and stood up.

"I can do it. I know a song that'll calm him down…I think."

"You think?" Rizevim asked.

Ezagyra relented and walked forward.

"It was a secret that we kept. Vali has another special ability on top of her Divine Dividing. She has the power to use enchanted singing to empower and calm her allies or weaken her enemies."

"Why did you keep that a secret from us?" Rizevim asked.

"Because I didn't want out grandchild exploited." Ezagyra fired back.

"If that is the case, then we have nothing to lose. The more time we waste, the more destruction the boy will cause. Do you know a song?" Odin asked.

Vali nodded. Dematerializing Divine Dividing, Vali composed herself. Tapping into the calming pool inside her soul, Vali began to sing.

What do your tired eyes see?

Where has your heart gone in the dark deep?

Why do those tears flood the land?

Please, release your pain and tears and return to me.

Come with me and return to bliss that felt so tall and steep.

In a time that has no sand

Be safe and warm in my tight embrace.

Come back to me and reclaim your heart and peace

Come back, my heart, my soul

As Vali sang, everyone could feel their anxiety and fears wash away as her words reached their ears. The very air that was being torn apart by Issei's chaotic rampage seemed to be pacified, ceasing their deterioration. Even Issei, who was the embodiment of destruction, didn't move. He stopped dead-frozen and merely looked at Vali, entranced.


Within Issei's mind, he was trapped within a constant vortex of dark emotions, ranging from hatred and grief to regret and despair. He tried to fly and swim out of the abyss but couldn't move. There was nobody here, nobody to hear his cries or give him help. He was doomed to drown in this sea of negativity till his end came.

Suddenly, Issei felt everything stop. The whirlpool that was holding him in a sea of emotion stopped completely as if time had stood still. Above him, Issei saw that a bright light was shining down on him. It felt so warm and soothing, unlike this cold and anguished water.

"Come back, my heart, my soul"

Those words resonated with him, lifting him away from the pit as he felt his mind return to his body, away from the darkness that he'd sunken to.


In the real world, Issei's body shrunk back to its normal form as the armor disappeared. Issei collapsed to the ground as Vali dove over and caught him.

"Thank goodness." She breathed a sigh of relief.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The battle was over. Though they all had feared the worst, it hadn't transpired. Of course, even that was uncertain. The political fallout and the effects done onto Issei were still undetermined. Even the story behind Rintilr and Ileana were still far from being solved.

For now, everyone could only return home, to the place where they could rest and make sense of this. Too much had happened already and nothing made sense. Too many lives had been lost. Too much pain had been tasted.


Woooo, boy. That is the end of that. This was originally going to be a 1-part chapter but I changed my mind and made it 2 parts since it'd have been 32 Word Pages.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the read. The next chapter will wrap up this arc and we can proceed to Arc 3. I hope you'll look forward to the next chapter and I'll see next time, hopefully sooner too.