Alright, it's been about a month since my last update. Sorry, but I've been busy with school and work since I'm close to finishing my associate's degree. However, during that time, I've also been thinking things over, like how I want my stories to turn out.
Lately, I've been thinking about my Fire Emblem stories and Final Fantasy XV story and the plots I want to give them. I also have a future project that I want to work on, but still working out the small details and what I want to exactly happen.
Also, I've read everyone's responses to the question I asked in Chapter 38. Thank you to everyone that responded. With all that taken into account, it's helped me understand what you all liked and disliked and which parts of my writing need further improvement.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 39: Cold Boogey
Issei's Lifespan: 15 months
Day 16
"Alright, yesterday was delayed but that will not be the case today." Issei declared.
"What do you plan to do?" Sairaorg asked.
"We're going to make you do as we planned. We're going to shock Vali and force her to remake her image of you. Either she's going to gain a new and improved perspective of you or we're going to make her realize just how important you are to her life. This time it'll be in full swing instead of the small tastes we've been dishing out." Issei said, pacing around with his arms behind his back.
Issei decided that changing Sairaorg's personality and looks wasn't the way to go. Vali wasn't shallow, so it wouldn't have done anything. Instead, he decided to make a new pattern on the fly for today.
"So, what's the plan, then?" Sairaorg asked.
"Don't worry, I've already got that planned." Issei smirked.
"And what're you going to make me do?" Sairaorg inquired.
"Ignore her all day. Don't see her. Don't look at her. Don't register anything involved with her. Be distant with her." Issei flatly explained.
"What?! How'll that be possible?"
"I'll take care of it. You just go around the island and make sure that Vali isn't where you are. If you do see her, then behave like an edgy teenager." Issei patted him on the shoulder.
"This doesn't make sense. Shouldn't we be spending more time together?" Sairaorg asked.
"Not exactly, no. In this situation, we're going to destroy the flow we've built up, as intended. Tell me, what's the first thing you do when you get to the lobby?" Issei asked.
"I have breakfast with Vali." Sairaorg said.
"And how many days have you been doing that?" Issei asked.
"Since we got here."
"Exactly. If you've gotten into this routine, then surely Vali has as well. She's the first one you look for and you're the first one she looks for. It's a routine that you're comfortable with doing everyday now. So, when we don't do that and break the routine, it'll disorient Vali. She'll get confused and even worried because what she's grown accustomed to is gone. Even better, the one she does the routine with is gone. So, she'll try to fill that void or bring the routine back. She'll try to find you and see what's wrong."
"But it'll upset her and cause her unnecessary stress. Besides, what if it means nothing to her?"
"That's also been accounted for. If the reasoning you give her is minor and she had such a major reaction, don't you think it'll make her realize just how strongly she feels about you? It'll wake her up and help her realize that things aren't so miniscule after all. Repetition is a powerful tool. We're going to keep pushing this into her face until she has an epiphany." Issei explained before standing up.
"Now, go and do something the whole day. I'll let you know if she's close by. Remember, don't let her see you at all today. It just has to be her alone, so you don't have to worry about going somewhere completely far away." Issei explained.
"Right." Sairaorg nodded.
And just like that, the two went in different directions.
Issei made sure to tail Sairaorg, making sure that Vali wasn't too close and so that he didn't wander into her vicinity.
'But aren't you concerned that they'll catch onto you? What if Vali finds out?' Rexis asked.
'If that ever happens, then they can split up. If they really do love each other by that point, then I'm certain they'll continue with the relationship, even if I orchestrated the beginning. I just want them to have no regrets.' Issei replied.
'You really are something else.' Rexis scoffed.
They both saw the flaws in the plan, but they had come too far to call this off.
Issei kept a close eye on Vali from afar while making sure that Sairaorg stayed in the vicinity.
"So, any idea where Sairaorg went?" Kuroka asked, teasing Vali.
"Nope. He didn't meet up for breakfast this morning, either." Vali said.
"Well, let's find out." Corianna tried to contact him.
No responses came.
"Weird. He always responds." Kuisha noted.
"Where's Issei?" Vali asked, looking around.
"He didn't come down to breakfast, either. Think those two wackos are out doing something?" Kuroka wondered.
"Maybe. I'll call him." Vali took out her phone.
"Y'ello?" Issei picked up.
"Hey, where are you?" Vali asked.
"I'm just shopping right now. What's up?"
"We were wondering where you and Sairaorg went since neither of you showed up for breakfast." Vali stated.
"No idea where Sairaorg went. He just said he was going out. You might find him if you go looking. If not, then just call him." Issei said.
"He didn't pick up." Vali sadly replied.
"Then he's probably busy. Don't worry I'm sure he's around here somewhere." Issei shrugged.
Contrary to his words, Issei was keeping his eyes on both parties. After hanging up on Vali, Issei called Sairaorg.
"Alright, time for you to appear. Vali's with the others by the shopping district. Walk by them. Stay close enough for them to see you but not too close."
"Got it." Sairaorg walked through the street cross from the others.
"Ah, there he is." Kuroka pointed at him.
Vali snapped to look where she was pointing.
"Sairaorg!" Vali waved, calling out to him.
When he didn't react, she felt a bit disappointed. He normally always responded to her, no matter how far he was. Sairaorg kept walking, ignoring her.
"Well, that was rude." Kuroka huffed.
"Maybe he didn't hear us." Vali hypothesized.
"He'd better. Look at how much time you spent getting ready for him." Kuroka said.
True to her word, Vali had tried out a new outfit and wore her hair in a side ponytail.
"It's fine. We'll just catch up to him." Vali shook her head.
Issei cursed.
"Damn it! They're gonna follow you, lose them!" He whispered.
Sairaorg speed-walked away to another part of the town. Issei walked over to the girls to give Sairaorg time to leave their vicinity.
"Found him, yet?" Issei asked.
"Yeah, I waved at him and he didn't even react." Vali recounted.
"That doesn't sound like him." Issei feigned surprise.
'You'd best pray they never find out about your schemes.' Rexis chortled.
"Well, I think I saw him going somewhere else when I came over. Let's go check."
For at least 2 hours, Issei led them on a wild goose chase. During that time, he saw that Vali was getting more and more irritated. She pursed her lips more. Her brows were often furrowed. She also crossed her arms and tapped either her foot or finger.
He decided that it was enough and had their second encounter happen.
"Ah, there he is!" Issei pointed at Sairaorg, who was window-shopping.
"Run!" Issei said, though he meant it for Sairaorg, and not Vali.
Immediately, Sairaorg turned and started walking in the other direction.
"There he goes again." Vali grumbled.
"After him." Issei ran forward.
Intentionally (reluctantly), Issei tripped, bringing the others down with him as they toppled on top of his back.
"Run as fast as you can." Issei got up.
Taking the lead, Issei followed Sairaorg through an alleyway. Once again, he (intentionally) tripped, knocking over cans, bottles, crates, and trash, causing the others to slip and fall behind him.
"Hurry up!" Issei ironically said.
Issei tipped over a garbage can behind him, causing Vali to trip onto the ground.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Issei said, feigning innocence while deliberately interfering with the girls.
He then threw a bag of cardboard behind, pretending it was an accident.
"Please forgive me." Issei sarcastically said to himself.
He snagged his arm on a clothesline, causing Kuroka's face to land into his jacket and fall over. Lefay swiped her wand through the air, clearing all the trash out the way.
With great reluctance, Issei flopped backward, landing with his back on top of her.
"What. Is. Wrong. With. You?!" Kuroka yelled.
While she looked at him, Issei was getting up right in front of her. She made the mistake of keeping her mouth open. Completely out of his control, Issei let loose a fart. Now, being a cat, Kuroka's nose was far more sensitive than most others. She froze, her eyes slowly bugging as she processed what just happened.
"NYAAAAAGH!" Kuroka sputtered and gagged.
Izalana balked before she laughed at the sudden occurrence.
"I can't believe you farted into her mouth." She nearly doubled over, cackling.
"It was an accident!" This time, Issei ran for real.
Ultimately, after having failed to catch Sairaorg, they decided to let Sairaorg have his space.
"That's it. I need a shower." Kuroka grumbled.
"Same." The others said.
Issei didn't say a word. He was the reason why they were all dirty, after all.
Later that afternoon, Vali sighed as they walked down a sidewalk.
"What's wrong?" Issei asked.
"Nothing much." She shook her head.
"Come on, I know you better than that. What's got you so down? Is it because you haven't seen Sairaorg the whole day?" Issei asked.
Vali froze. Instead of becoming the usual blushing mess, she instead seemed more…retrospective.
"Honestly, that too, but I feel like it's something else." Vali mumbled.
"What?" Issei asked, not hearing her.
"Nothing. Let's just get back to the resort." Vali shook her head.
Later that evening, Sairaorg returned, having spent the entire day alone.
"So, how was your day?" Issei asked.
"Uneventful. However, I got time to think to myself, about various things." Sairaorg sat down at the pier Issei was at.
The two peered into the horizon, illuminated by the moonlight.
"So, think that you two are getting closer?" Issei asked.
"What was Vali like today?" Sairaorg asked.
"Downtrodden, upset. It's all going according to plan." Issei said.
He felt bad for doing this, but in the long run, he was sure this was something that needed to happen. Even if Sairaorg and Vali didn't stay together, he wanted them to at least try and work things out.
"I see." Sairaorg nodded.
"So, what did you think about?" Issei asked.
"The future. These past few days have helped me open up my mind and my eyes. I've decided that once I get back home, I'll take my mom somewhere nice and reconnect with some of my family members, the ones that didn't get strong-armed into hating us, at least. To be frank, I kind of want things to wrap up before then." Sairaorg said.
"I understand. I'll adjust the plan, then." Issei nodded.
Sairaorg reclined into his chair.
"Thank you, Issei."
"For what?"
"For agreeing to help me with all this. It was selfish of me."
"It was my choice. Besides, it was me who started this. I just ended up convincing you." Issei folded his arms.
"Still, I'm not the most emotionally intelligent person. It means a lot that you're willing to go this far to help me and everyone else."
"It's my honor." Issei nodded.
Soon enough, everyone came out of their rooms to eat dinner.
"What on Earth have you been doing?" Kuisha came stomping over.
"What do you mean?" Sairaorg retreated.
"You've been avoiding us all day!" Kuisha glared.
"What're you talking about?" Sairaorg played dumb.
"Don't pretend. As soon as we enter your vicinity or call out to you, you just walk off and disappear!" Vali seethed.
"I swear, I was genuinely busy today. I had clients all over the place today, so I wasn't really all together." Sairaorg backed up even more.
He looked at Issei for help.
"Look, all that matters is that Sairaorg made it back safe and sound. Besides, he might even be dating a girl or cruising around for someone special. Who knows? Unless one of you is dating him, then I don't think there's any reason to interrogate him." Issei shrugged.
Issei had a point and he knew it. He also said all of that to stir the pot, intent on making sure Vali got hooked on the thought.
Vali fell silent again. Ideas were such dangerous things.
After everyone retired to their rooms, Issei decided to continue his diabolical planning. He laid down in bed, thinking of what to have Sairaorg and Vali do next. He also reflected on their current relationship.
At the moment, they were closer than before but not at the point that they'd openly date. Before, it was friendly banter and casual conversation. Now, they were blushing in each other's presence and openly worried about the other, reacting almost instantly. That didn't mean there wasn't hope, though. They actively and regularly spent time together, laughing, eating, and talking almost the entire time they were together here. It was Issei's plan to go to the beach again and to visit the amusement park one last time before they had to leave in 3 days.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door.
"Come in." Issei said, sitting up.
It was Vali, wearing a long black shirt with black shorts. Even in casual clothes, she was gorgeous.
"What's up?" Issei asked.
"I wanted to talk. Is it okay if I come in?" Vali asked.
She sounded worried, maybe stressed, heck, he didn't blame her. They sat on the sofas across from each other.
"Why do you have such a room to yourself?" Vali asked.
The room was big, intended for at least 2 people, though there was only one bed. Honestly, if just one piece of furniture was removed, you could hear echoes.
A lot of the others had agreed to share rooms for the sake of practicality and some fun. Issei, however, had opted to room by himself. He was many things, a third-wheel, he was not.
"Oh, I was the odd number out, so I roomed by myself." Issei smiled victoriously.
"Kinda lonely, don't you think?" Vali asked listlessly.
That immediately deflated the humorous atmosphere Issei tried to perpetuate.
"Eh, I'm used to it. I grew up alone, so this isn't anything new." Issei shrugged.
"I've been meaning to ask you about that." Vali looked him dead in the eyes.
Issei almost flinched with how piercing and direct her gaze was. It was as if she was trying to dig into his mind and read his soul. Even worse, he began wondering to himself. Did she know? Had she figured him out?
'Damn it. I was hoping nobody would stay on that.' Issei cursed.
"About what?"
"What did you mean by dying alone? What did you mean when you said that when you were dead, that was it?" Vali asked, referring to when he spoke to her family.
"When I said that, it was because I don't think I'll be having any spouses or children. It's just not my style. I love family and its concept, but as for myself, I don't think that'll be the case. You see how reckless I am and how random I can be. I'll do one thing for one moment and then disappear the next moment. Can't say that sort of personality or lifestyle will be fit for anyone. Besides, love and romance isn't something I want for myself. As things are, I'd rather stay on the path of adventure." Issei said.
"That's sad…that's way too sad, Issei." Vali said, her tone quiet.
"What makes you say that?" Issei asked.
"Nobody should be used to being alone. It's so painful." Vali said.
"It is, but sometimes, that's just how the dice rolls. It just depends on what you do with your choices that're given to you and if you can find a new one." Issei admitted.
"And what'll you do when it's the end and you're alone?" Vali asked.
"Then I'll make as many choices as I can that I won't regret." Issei simply responded.
Vali went silent. She looked deep in thought, conflicted.
"Issei, I need your help."
"With what?"
"I need your help with Sairaorg. I want to know what it is that I feel for him." Vali said.
"Tell me the story. Give me a starting point." Issei instantly agreed.
"I'll summarize it. It started when we were kids, like you know. Sairaorg always stood up for me. He watched out for me when we were training. He was always there when Rias and Sona were busy. He encouraged me and even promised to protect me." Vali laughed lightly at that.
"He was always trying to help me with whatever he could. He never let others badmouth me either. He was the guy you could always trust to have your back." Vali then looked at Issei.
"He reminds me of you a lot. You two are more similar than you think." Vali chuckled.
"Let's focus on him." Issei urged.
"At first, he was a great childhood friend. Now, I'm not so sure. I feel like my image of him is changing and I want to find out what it'll be. I want to know how this'll end. That's why, I want your help now, Issei. You're the only person that I feel that I can trust to help me." Vali pleaded.
This was the ultimate opportunity to set up the finale of this long game.
"I'm more than happy to help you. Now, tell me, how do you feel when you're near him."
"When he's close by, my heart slows, like it's going to stop. It hurts. A lot. I can't describe it." Vali clutched at her chest.
"Well, that's one of the signs of love. When you're in love, your heart always tightens and hurts when you're close to the target of your affections. I think you're on the cusp of determining how you feel. But, you need some more pushes to fully understand where your heart stands." Issei said.
"What do you think I should do?" Vali asked.
"Give me at least one week, girl. One week and I'll have that boy drooling over you like he's a fountain." Issei chuckled.
'I seriously cannot believe your luck right now. You've gotten the worst hand in the entire world and now your cards just turned into wild cards.' Rexis sounded as if his jaw dropped.
'They might as well have.' Issei smirked.
Starting tomorrow, Issei was going to make everything go into full swing.
"So, with that out of the way, let's talk some more, Issei." Vali said, her expression brightening.
"About what?" Issei asked.
"You never did tell us what you wished for. Was it something secret?" Vali inquired.
Issei was getting a bit suspicious of Vali. Lately, she'd been trying to find out more and more about what he might've or wanted to wish for.
"Well, no, I just haven't decided yet." Issei shook his head.
"Is it something you can't tell me?" Vali looked hurt.
Issei cursed. It was hard for him to hide when he was lying to her since she knew him so well. Just by looking him in the eye, she could divulge something from him. She'd poke at the walls he put up because she knew he was hiding something but didn't want to give away that she was on to him.
"It's not that, Vali. I'm just unsure of what I want."
"Then, how about you start thinking about yourself and what you want, instead of just focusing on what everyone else wants and needs. You deserve to be a little selfish too, Issei. You can't just do all this and not think about where you'll end up when all is said and done." Vali chuckled lightly.
Issei couldn't help but smile reflexively.
"Ever since I've known you, you've put others ahead of yourself. When we first met, you were kinda quiet, but I could see how nice you could be. Ufufufu, I remember when Kiryuu would try to harass and prank everyone and you'd try to stop her." Vali giggled.
"Hey, I failed once. I wasn't going to fail again." Issei nodded.
"Well, things worked out. We found out the whole scheme against you and eventually, you ended up here. Now, I think it's time that you get to live how you want to live. There's nothing to hold you back anymore. I want you to be happy and free. So, promise me something…" Vali put her hand over his.
"Promise me that you'll think about what you want. Also, swear to me that you won't hide anything. If I'm your friend, then you need to rely on me when you need help. You can't do everything on your own. I'll respect your privacy, so I won't keep hounding you, that's why I want you to know this." Vali gently smiled.
Issei nodded in gratitude.
"Alright. I promise, I'll call on you when I need you." Issei nodded.
"Good. Considering how stubborn you are, you tend to get swept away with your own flow and forget things. When I see you disappear and run all over the place trying to help everyone, it scares me, Issei. You push yourself so hard but give yourself no credit or rest. I don't want you to burn out and I don't want to lose you." Vali said, her voice low and concerned.
It didn't help that Vali always repeated this to him, making things even harder for him to let go.
"I'll be fine, Vali. I promise, no matter what happens, I'll always be with you. I'll always come back to you." Issei lied.
It was terrible to lie, but to comfort her, he had to. For him, lies were the only thing that kept him going right now.
"So, I heard you got on a ride with Sairaorg. It was exciting, from what I heard." Issei chuckled.
Vali blushed a little.
"It was…eventful." She turned away
"Good. Then we can get started on planning tomorrow out." Issei took out some pencil and paper.
"Already?"
"Yep. We've got 3 days left at the resort. We need them to count." Issei pointed at her.
"What do you plan to do?" Vali asked.
"Well, Sairaorg has the emotional savviness of a teaspoon. You've gotta get direct if you're gonna let him know how you feel. First, you want to dazzle him. You ended up doing that at the Karaoke bar." Issei wrote that note down.
"How'd you know that?" Vali asked.
"Because, he had a gobsmacked, jaw-dropped, wide-eyed look of surprise on his face. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was very charmed by you." Issei noted.
"Which leads me to my second step: spend more time with him."
"Don't we do that enough, already?" Vali asked.
"Yeah, but it's too friendly. You've gotta get aggressive and really make it clear to him that you want him. You're being too passive. Seriously, watching you two is like watching a sink fill a cup one drop at a time. I am seriously dying watching you two move around each other so slowly. It's like a teen drama. Well, it is a real teen-drama but minus the teen pregnancies and family dysfunction." Issei shook his head.
"Now, physical contact is very effective in romance. When you decide to consummate your relationship, that'll be the climax, literally and figuratively." Issei said.
"Issei!" Vali cried out in embarrassment.
Her face turned beet-red as steam seemed to hiss from her head.
"So, we're going to have you spend more intimate time with him and physically touch him. I know those eyes have been looking at his abs." Issei chuckled.
That earned him a pillow to the face. When Issei put the pillow down, Vali reached over and pulled his cheeks.
"Alright, I'm sorry. I'll stop teasing you." Issei pleaded.
"You'd better." Vali grumbled.
"Now, that's the first part of our plan. After you've accomplished it, we'll get to work on the next phase. So, technically, we just need 3-5 days." Issei rubbed his cheeks.
Vali nodded as she got up to leave.
"Thank you, Issei. I really do appreciate it. Hopefully, by the end of this, I'll finally be able to say it all."
"My pleasure." Issei smiled.
When the door closed, Issei was left pondering to himself.
"So…she clearly likes him now. A lot. I remember how she'd refuse my help back then and just hide from the truth. I'm glad those days are done." Issei laughed at himself.
"I guess my time here is almost over. Half a month and I'm done." Issei looked at the moonlit sky outside.
The next morning, Issei was going to have his first meeting be with Vali.
"Alright, we've got a lot of work to do. Within these next few days, we're going to weaponize everything to make Sairaorg see you in true light." Issei started writing on a whiteboard.
Vali had a bad feeling about this but figured that she'd go along with it. If it brought her closer to the conclusion, then she'd do it.
"And what's the plan?" Vali asked.
"I'm a massive fool." Vali muttered.
Everyone was out having fun at the boardwalk again, just relaxing and enjoying each other's company.
"Trust me, it'll work."
The gang were standing in line for an ice cream shop, waiting in the blistering-hot sun. Everyone was wearing their swimsuits and trunks again, allowing eye-candy to flock everyone's sights.
"But why do I need to wear this." Vali grumbled.
"It's exactly as I said, girl. We're going to weaponize everything. That includes that chest and rear and appearance. Men can be extremely weak to a woman's beauty, as shallow as that might sound." Issei pointed out.
"So, you're saying I'm beautiful?" Vali teased.
That earned her a light chop on the head.
"Focus. We're trying to charm Sairaorg here." Issei glared at her.
Vali was wearing a smaller, slightly more revealing swimsuit, exposing parts of the sides of her chest and a tighter bottom to her black bikini.
"Yeah, but I look like an easy lady." Vali groaned.
Without a doubt, men were plastering their eyes to her figure, unable to turn away.
"Relax, I've got that covered."
Issei flared his aura, scaring everyone away with a primordial sense of fear. He took a glance at Sairaorg. True to his expectations, Sairaorg was also having a hard time unable to tear his eyes off Vali.
"And what's the purpose of today?" Vali asked.
"Simply, we're going to make his senses go crazy for you." Issei explained.
'Isn't this repetitive?' Rexis asked.
'Kind of. Not really. This time, we're going to have Sairaorg be the recipient. With Vali, we had her get confused and took advantage of that confusion to make her think. Now, she's desperate and wants to get rid of the confusion and emotional turmoil that she's feeling. Thus, we're going to synchronize the plans. I'm going to have Sairaorg become more receptive of her approaches while I have Vali become more emotionally attached." Issei concluded.
'And how will you do that?'
'We'll keep at things as we have till now. The greatest nurturing factor for love is time. After enough time passes, I'll let the two take the reins.' Issei answered.
"Alright, you should be more aggressive. Talk to him directly, give him no chance to get away." Issei advised as he walked away.
"Where're you going?" Vali asked.
"Well, it's awkward being here while you do it. Besides, we can't let anyone see or hear me talking to you." Issei shrugged.
Vali took a deep breath. She walked up to Sairaorg, who was staring at the menu.
"Think of what you wanted?" Vali asked.
She felt so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl up in shame. The fact that her bikini was a bit more revealing than before just made her so self-conscious. At the same time, Issei gave directions to Sairaorg.
"Don't respond. Ignore her."
Sairaorg bit his cheek to stop himself from reacting to her. Vali groaned in frustration.
"Don't stop. Keep trying to get his attention. Heck, lean forward a little. Show him a bit of the goods and make him uneasy." Issei said to Vali.
When Vali did that, she showed some of her cleavage, making Sairaorg blush.
"Sairaorg?" Vali asked again.
"N-Nothing. I was just thinking about stuff." Sairaorg finally cracked.
"What kind of stuff?" Vali asked.
"The melon flavor." Sairaorg muttered.
He choked when he realized what he let slip.
"Melon flavor?" Vali looked at him with an arched brow.
"Y-Yeah, the watermelon flavor." Sairaorg cleared his throat.
"Tease him, keeping poking at his composure." Issei said to Vali.
"So, you like melons?" Vali asked.
"Kind of." Sairaorg lied.
"Idiot." Issei quipped at him.
"A-Anyways, what do you plan to do today?" Sairaorg asked.
"Well, I was just going to spend time at the beach and maybe go into town later." Vali said.
Issei facepalmed, slamming his head into a tree too. Vali had just escalated his workload by a massive ton.
'Ugh, these two will be the literal death of me.' Issei sighed.
This wasn't part of the plan.
Later that night, Issei had gotten a new idea, thanks to Vali throwing him under the bus with more work. He was going to have Sairaorg and Vali get jealous of each other. He gathered everyone that night, ready to enact the next part of his plan.
"Alright, show of hands, has anybody here gone clubbing?" Issei asked.
Only Vali, Izalana, Sairaorg, Arthur, Bikou, Kuroka, Kuisha, and Corianna raised their hands out of the Young Devils.
"Well, as it so happens, there's a club opening tonight for Young Devils, owned by a Devil. I think it'd be a nice experience to get to know the night-life. Who's in?" Issei raised a hand.
Vali and Sairaorg raised their hands, mostly because they knew what Issei was up to. When they noticed that the other was volunteering (reluctantly), they smiled at each other, not knowing this was all orchestrated.
"Excellent. Let's make an appointment for 7:00 pm at the Star Spiral."
Issei seriously despised himself for devising this, but he decided that he'd speed things up as much as he safely could. Thus, he would weaponize jealousy.
Everyone showed up at the nightclub, all dressed for the occasion. Vali was wearing a loose black shirt with an exposed shoulder and black pants with leather shoes. She wore light makeup and silver earrings and had her hear in a ponytail.
Sairaorg was dressed in a purple button-up shirt with cream pants and brown shoes.
Issei gave them leeway to dress however they wanted, although, he did advise them to show off a little. Vali literally couldn't stop her cleavage from showing while Sairaorg kept a few of his buttons undone to hint at his muscular body.
"Shall we go in?" He said.
The adults decided to let them do as they pleased since no one was stupid enough to do anything crazy and could easily take care of themselves.
The club was pretty well-lit. The owner said it was a precaution in case any nefarious teens showed up and to make sure that he could keep a good eye on everything. That was partly the reason why Issei chose this place. Also, he didn't sell alcohol at all, conforming to human laws. To add to that, there were even bouncers and security to keep anyone from doing anything crazy.
"So, what do you do at a club?" Asia asked.
"At adult clubs, you drink and dance with strangers or friends or lovers. Here, at the underage clubs, you just dance, joke, and let loose. However, if a boy or girl comes up to you and starts touching and groping, then you should retaliate or step away. So, that leads me to ground rules. Don't let anyone touch your chest or nethers. Don't accept drinks from strangers unless it came from the bartenders, themselves. Don't go with anyone who tries to take you somewhere else. Don't let them near your face. Don't let them lick you. Don't give them your social security number. Don't give them your phone. No means no, if they only accept 'yes' then slap them. Most of all, keeps your pants zipped." Issei warned, glaring like a dragon/dad.
Soon enough, everyone split up into smaller groups. Issei took this chance to get out of sight.
"You two have the night to yourselves. Let loose and have fun. Just remember the ground-rules." Issei said.
"Right." The two said in unison.
(Assassin's Creed II OST – Ezio's Family. Play Song.)
Issei walked over to the bar. It was nice that the Club made non-alcoholic versions of drinks. He never liked the taste of alcohol anyways. Also, he needed a pick-me-up. He'd literally spent the last several days with little-to-no sleep.
"One Frozen Monkey, please." Issei said.
"Caffeine at this time of night?" The Bartender asked.
"Need to keep my energy up. Playing Dad to the others." Issei chuckled jokingly.
"You mean that giant party you rolled in with?" The Bartender eyed the split group.
"Yep. Organized the shebang, so gotta be responsible." Issei said as he kept glancing at each group.
After the Bartender passed him the Frozen Monkey, Issei took a small sip, wanting it to last a while. When he looked around at each group, he saw that there was an appointed bouncer for each. Allowed to relax a bit, Issei looked at Sairaorg and Vali.
They were sipping drinks and laughing. He even noticed that Vali would put a hand on Sairaorg's arm or torso, gently pushing him in reaction to his jokes. On their own, Issei saw that Sairaorg and Vali were more relaxed, mellowing with the atmosphere. At times, he wondered if he was even necessary in the equation. Honestly, he didn't think so, but he felt the need to make sure things worked out. It was odd. Issei found himself finding things more difficult to leave things to others these days. Was it because he was dying that he wanted to see everything to the end? Or was he just growing paranoid?
In the past many months, he'd changed so much that he was hardly the same person since his adventure began.
Issei took a break from his thoughts and looked up and saw that Vali and Sairaorg had moved to the dance floor. Both of them were dancing. Albeit, they were both a bit clumsy with this more fast-paced and free-style dancing, but the fun wasn't diminished. Issei chuckled at their antics.
Yet, despite all that fun…it hurt terribly to watch them have fun together, their bond growing. Issei had long resolved himself to the fact that his relationship with Vali would never go past being friends. He was just her best friend, nothing more. Now, watching Sairaorg, who was becoming something akin of a great friend and maybe even brother, was going to take the place he'd wanted. Still, for Sairaorg to be the one was something he couldn't be more approving of.
Issei kept drinking anything he could order while thinking and monitoring the group. At this point, everyone who came along had gotten on the dance floor, except for him. He never liked dancing anyways. It was at that point that trouble brewed. With everyone scattered, nobody was operating the role of bouncer.
Still, in each other's hands, they were safe, something he took solace in.
Then, he saw Vali alone, with some random guy dancing with her. He kept eyeing them, feeling jealousy and irritation welling in the pits of his chest. He hated this. For someone to be this close to Vali, physically, and her guard lowered for fun. This guy wasn't Sairaorg, so his stamp of approval wasn't earned. Issei knew that there were boundaries, however, so he respected Vali's space. He wasn't going to act like some insecure guy who had to attack any other person that got close to the person of his affections.
He looked at Sairaorg, who spotted Vali dancing. A frown formed on his face but he kept himself reined in. His teeth were grinding and his movements stiffened, but that was all Issei needed to know. Sairaorg was jealous. He could tell with just the look in his eyes. Issei, himself, also had the same look.
Issei returned to his fifth drink of cold coffee.
"Hello there." A woman's voice reached his ears.
Issei turned to see who it was. She had had long black hair and brown eyes. Her skin was pale like cream and she had a healthy amount of makeup on. She wore a black skirt with a red sleeveless shirt and leather boots. Honestly, she was very attractive in Issei's opinion but she wasn't in the unearthly league of Vali.
"Evening." Issei responded.
"Say, would you happen to know who that guy is over there?" The girl asked, pointing at Sairaorg.
'Well, considering how terrible your luck has been, I guess some things have to go right.' Rexis snorted.
"Why do you ask?" Issei inquired.
"I saw you all walk in here together and figured you knew him." The young lady shrugged.
Since Sairaorg had tasted jealousy, it was Vali's turn.
"Yeah, he's my friend, Sairaorg." Issei nodded.
"Is he single?"
"Yep. As it so happens, he's dancing alone right now. You might wanna go talk to him." Issei answered.
"I'll take your advice, thanks."
Issei eyed her as she walked up to Sairaorg, the two of them exchanged words before they started dancing.
At first, things were alright before she started dancing against him, her back to him. Sairaorg started blushing before he eventually rolled with it. Issei chuckled when he saw that Vali noticed them. She looked shocked, her mouth slightly agape as she almost stopped moving. She bit her lip as she forced herself to look away, an upset look on her face.
With the rocks beginning to fall, Issei knew things would start taking off. Jealousy opened eyes far faster than time together could. When something is in danger, you gain a greater sense of worry and care.
Issei put some money on the counter before calling it a night. He decided to leave early, not telling anyone. Even he needed time to himself.
He took a stroll by the beach, thinking to himself and just losing himself in the beauty of the starlit night. It was so peaceful and serene. He heard the waves brushing against each other, the gentle night's breeze soothing his skin. He wondered how many more nights like this would he get to have. He took in a deep breath, taking in the sea breeze.
(Assassin's Creed II OST – Ezio's Family. End Song.)
He eventually found himself going towards the jungled area of the resort.
Suddenly, he stopped. He felt something. It was strange but familiar at the same time. It was foreboding. He heard crackling, turning toward the water. It was freezing over. Behind him, he heard water dripping, the sound growing more frequent by the second. Issei manifested the Calamity Catalyst, readying for a fight.
(God of War 2018 OST – The River Pass. Play Song.)
Suddenly, the water came to life around him, forming into creatures of water that numbered in the dozens. Skeletons froze as water became flesh and bone became ice. They quickly formed blades of ice and water from their limbs as their eyes glowed yellow.
Issei ducked, crafting a sword from the [Abyssal Arsenal]. Shattering one creature, Issei stepped back as he dodged another attack. With a mighty punch, he shattered another. Putting his sword behind him, he blocked an attack as he whirled around, cutting away at the monsters around him.
Just then, tendrils of water wrapped around his limbs, holding him still. Issei tried to wrestle free but the tendrils were too strong. Freezing the tendrils with magic, Issei wrenched free. With his fist covered in mana, he punched the ground, obliterating the incoming new wave.
'Avoid using as much of your energy and Sacred Gear powers as possible. Most of all, avoid using your Balance Breaker. Conserve your life force.' Rexis reminded him.
Issei ducked as a blade of water swiped at him from a pool nearby. Distracted, a sea serpent came slithering out of the ocean. It had webbed fins of red with glowing yellow eyes. It's mouth had 4 rows of teeth on the top and the bottom of its mouth. It eyed him before trying to eat him.
What bothered Issei was the fact that this attack was completely silent. Something or someone was deliberately trying to assassinate him. The Sea Serpent opened its mouth, hissing a cloud of mist and vapor at him.
Creating a metal shield, Issei looked to the side and saw that the mist was bubbling everything it touched, causing miniature vibrating explosions. Issei jumped out of the way before landing on its back and stabbing it with a spear made from his armored gauntlets.
The Serpent reared its head around, lunging at him. Jumping out the way at the last second, Issei landed back on the beach before slashing a wave of mana at it. Opening its mouth again, it blasted the wave with its bubble breath.
Taking the chance, Issei flew into its mouth, lacerating it with as many slashes as he could before tearing his way out. With a giant hole cared out the back of its head, the sea serpent collapsed into the sea.
Issei landed back on the ground before turning to look at the sea.
'The waves seem done, but…' Rexis stopped.
'Something else is coming.' Issei finished.
He readied himself as the mist in the area intensified. It became so thick that Issei looked like he was standing in a cloud. The air grew chilly as Issei tried to guess what was coming. His answer came as a distant thudding grew louder and louder.
The ground started to tremble every few seconds before it became more frequent. Then…it stopped. Issei felt his sense of danger kick in as something came at him from above. Somersaulting out the way, Issei dodged a massive fist of ice. Not even thinking twice, Issei jumped onto the massive arm, running up the body of a creature revealed to be a Jotun of ice.
'A Jotun? Here?' Rexis was baffled.
Issei looked at the Norse giant of ice. It had a towering body of at least 10 feet, orange eyes, a bearded face, fangs, and a fleshed form with icicles sticking out of it.
"Something's not right." Issei said.
The Jotun pounded its fist into the ground, creating a river of icicles that followed Issei. Throughout the exchange, Issei could tell that something was off indefinitely.
'I sense it too. This energy, it's like Avitur energy.' Rexis said.
(God of War 2018 OST – River Pass. End Song.)
Back at the club, everyone was having a good time, except for Vali. She and some of the other girls had stopped dancing, taking a short break.
"What's wrong, Vali?" Rias asked.
"Nothing." Vali shook her head, looking innocent.
"Don't play that card. Something's got you in a huff. Halfway onto the dancefloor, you were already looking upset." Kuroka teased.
"I wasn't upset." Vali retorted.
"Who was that girl cozying up to Sairaorg?" Corianna asked.
"No idea. She walked right up to Sairaorg and they talked before dancing." Sona replied.
"Things got intense." Rias chuckled, glancing at Vali, who refused to react.
"Now that I think about it, I think I saw her talk to Issei before she walked up to Sairaorg." Asia noted.
"Think she did the classic move? Ask the friends before going for the target?" Izalana wondered.
"Maybe, but clearly, it didn't work out." Corianna said.
As of now, Sairaorg was without the girl's company, sitting at a table with the guys, laughing and talking.
"Now that I think about it, where'd Issei go?" Vali asked.
"Wasn't he at the bar?" Izalana said.
Looking around, Issei was nowhere to be seen.
"He didn't say a thing to anyone?" Vali asked.
"Nope."
Vali walked over to the Bartender.
"Excuse me, have you seen our friend? He had brown hair and wore a navy shirt and black pants. He walked in with us." Vali asked.
"Oh, him? He stayed up here before paying for his drinks and left. It was about an hour ago, I think." The Bartender answered.
Vali was a bit disappointed. Issei just up and left without a word, leaving her to worry.
"Let's call him." Lefay suggested.
"Right. I've got a bad feeling about this." Vali nodded.
When Lefay tried, she failed to connect, technologically and magically.
"Nothing. Just static with both methods." Lefay shook her head.
"Stay here. I'll go find him." Vali said, walking out.
(God of War 2018 OST – Daudi Kaupmadr. Play Song.)
Issei dodged left and right as the Jotun charged. Blocking a fist with his incredible strength, Issei jumped up, kneeing the giant in its face. Grabbing hold of the back of its head, he smashed it back down onto the ground. The Jotun bellowed before Issei punched it in the face with a mana-enhanced fist.
It grabbed him, throttling him to the ground before punching him savagely. Issei groaned in pain but found it bearable. Compared to the Earth Avitur, its attacks were nothing. Finally, he caught its spiked fist with his left hand. To his shock, its aura-wreathed hand cracked his gauntlet, its fragments tearing into his flesh.
Issei formed a spear in his right hand, skewering the Jotun's arm. It reared its fist back in pain before stomping on him. Catching its foot, Issei had just enough strength to lift it off him before gaining some distance.
'This is wrong. This is a regular Jotun and it's way too strong for that standard. Something's enhanced it.' Rexis noted.
'Whatever the case, it needs to go down.'
Before he could attack, dozens of creatures jumped out the sea, rushing at Issei all over again. Issei formed twin swords from his gauntlets, charging. He was like a cyclone, tearing and cutting his way through the brittle bones of ice and water. Dodging blades and claws, Issei's movements were then restricted by tendrils of water that froze into ice. All around him, the puddles of water had formed tendrils and chains to bind him, forcing him still.
The Jotun took this opportunity to stampede, ramming into him and grabbing him with its massive hands and flail him around onto the frozen ground. Issei felt his back bruise and his head spin as it collided with frozen sand.
With a small burst of mana, Issei freed himself from the Jotun's hands. He whirled around, blazing the area with navy fire to evaporate and melt the water around him. The creatures were left with no other mediums to attack, allowing Issei to finish the fight.
Wreathing himself in a navy aura, Issei rushed forward. The Jotun slammed its fist into the ground, creating a shockwave of ice and snow. Issei jumped out the way, chaining its arm with his Sacred Gear before stabbing it with his sword. Running up its body, Issei cleaved his way up before jumping into the air. The Jotun turned, punching the sword out of his hand with the edge of its barely-missed fist. Issei, deprived of a weapon, poured his power into his hands. With an enhanced punch, he bashed it in the temple, dizzying the creature. With one more punch to the head, Issei sent it to its knees before obliterating it with a blast of mana.
Issei landed back on the ground, breathing a bit heavily.
(God of War 2018 OST – Daudi Kaupmadr. End Song.)
'Which entity would want to kill you?' Rexis wondered.
'Probably dozens, since everyone's scared of Bahamut.' Issei panted.
'Jotuns are from the Norse Lands. If Thrym, the King of the Jotuns, wanted you dead, he wouldn't send one Jotun after you. Bigger powers are at work here.' Rexis explained.
'It had to have been an Avitur.' Issei concluded.
He could never forget the energy signature of an Avitur.
He looked around and saw that the barrier isolating him was disappearing as well, allowing others to notice the area now. Thankfully, no one was nearby while the fight happened.
Returning to his hotel room, Issei had changed into new clothes and was about to head back into town.
'Shouldn't you raise your guard and sit tight?' Rexis asked.
'That wouldn't accomplish a thing. The enemy probably already knows where I am, so hiding here wouldn't do a thing. Besides…I can't sense anything anymore. I think we're safe for now.' Issei responded.
'Perhaps but stay on your guard.' Rexis warned.
As a precaution, Issei placed spells and barriers around the area. He wasn't on the level of Lefay and Corianna with magic, but he was still capable. After about an hour, Issei left the hotel, only to be confronted by a very upset Vali.
Issei nearly jumped out his bones.
"Geh!"
"Geh, indeed." Vali grumbled.
Thanks to his regeneration, Issei had no wounds left and his clothes were newly replaced, so he wasn't worried about her catching on. The last thing he wanted was anyone worrying about him. Up till this point, Issei had done his damndest to keep everything a secret. Vali, Arthur, Ezagyra, and Izalana weren't dumb nor easily fooled, so he had to exert all of his mental capacity to keep things under wraps.
"Where on earth did you go?" Vali asked.
"I had to change cus my clothes got dirty. I ended up getting some drinks spilled on me when some teens got too heated making out." Issei nervously chuckled.
Vali glared at him.
"At least tell us before you do something like that." She sighed.
"I see no reason to tell you about anything that I do or my secrets." Issei said, icily.
The way he said it was so detached and cold that it was undoubtedly meant to be hurtful.
Vali visibly recoiled and flinched when he said that in that tone. She looked absolutely flabbergasted by his sudden coldness. His words hurt but his tone hurt even more. Issei, himself, was stunned with his behavior.
In one brief moment, Issei felt the cold rage and insanity of Bahamut bleed onto him, influencing his thoughts and words. An action that he regretted for failing to control.
"I-I'm sorry, Vali. I didn't mean that." Issei stammered, desperately trying to rectify his reckless words.
She bit her lip as her frown turned sad.
"N-No, you're right. You've got the right to your own privacy. I'm sorry for always trying to keep tabs on you." Vali shook her head, though she was visibly hurt.
She turned around and walked away, heading back to the club.
Issei tried to go after her but stopped when he realized that she was no longer in the mood to talk to him. His hands shook in frustration with himself and Bahamut.
"Goddamn it…what's going wrong with me?" He growled to himself with grit teeth.
And so, drama has re-entered the scenario. I decided that I wanted to stir the pot much more aggressively this time. Also, I'm probably going to extend this arc further to add more development and well-grounded foundations to the future events of the story. The glaring problem that I had with the original "Heroic Calamity" was that there was such little development for relationships and the other characters that weren't Issei and Vali. So, I've been taking steps to rectify that ever since I planned the reboot of "The Heroic Calamity".
Also, there was a lack of conflict or drama between Issei and Vali, so I decided to make it happen now. It also gives me a chance to work with drama again since I haven't had main characters clash since "The Grim Herald", which is still my favorite DxD story.
Anyways, enough rambling from me. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you next time.
