And now, we've approached the beginning of Issei's long journey around the world in 80 days…wait…
Anyways, I wanted to say thank you for all the support. I read all of the reviews from Chapter 44-47 and I'm very appreciative of what everyone has told me. I'm glad that the chapters touched your emotions, as that was the goal. It gladdens me to see that I've still got it.
Now, to clear some things up and to recap. It has been a while since this information was brought up.
1. The Evil Pieces: As I stated in a chapter dialogue (Chapter 9), Evil Pieces no longer convert people into Devils in this story because it was functioning as a slave device. As for how Issei was able to remove them, it was simply because he asked Ajuka to do it, since he was their inventor. He'd surely have ways to take them out. Also, he didn't need them to stay alive. If that were the case, he wouldn't have to worry about his lifespan, either. They were merely a way to save him via a healing process that would only work on the very first use. It's like how Issei didn't get healed after Rias put the Evil Pieces back into him in the Canon Light Novels. After Issei was healed in this story, via Evil Pieces, it was done. He was healed and didn't need it after that. He only stayed as a Pawn to Vali because of his growing relationships with the Lucifer Family.
2. Issei was fully aware of everything he did and their impact. He didn't do anything without thinking it through and if things surprised him, like Kuisha's interest, then he came up with a new solution. Everything he'd planned, set up, did, and what would follow was all accounted for. He knew that his departure would hurt the people he left behind, hence why he knew Vali would be crying after he left and why he left the letters. To quote the 12th Doctor from Doctor Who "Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones, but you still have to choose". Issei knew that no matter what, the path ahead in his life would lead to pain, for himself and others. But, one path would hurt less than the other. Fate dealt him a bad hand and he could only play with the cards he had. No cards up his sleeve, no cards under the table, no new hand. He had to make do with what he had and there was no way to do anything else.
3. Issei's determination was NOT weakening. He was worrying about whether or not he'd have to change his plans and reroute things. For example, in Chapter 43: Possession, Issei fell silent at the end of the chapter because Vali said she wouldn't know what to do without him. He fell silent because he could feel that Vali was developing feelings for him. He'd lived through several incarnations and he knew that Vali was on the path for that. I didn't write it into the dialogue, because I didn't want to extend things for too much longer. At that time, Issei would've thought of ways to detract Vali's growing affections for him and divert them to Sairaorg.
Also, in Chapter 46, Issei was indeed very touched by Arthur and Elaine wanting him to be the primary godfather. However, his resolve wasn't crumbling. Not once has Issei ever wavered in his mission to improve the happiness of those around him before leaving to hunt the Aviturs. At that specific moment, Issei was merely regretting the fact that he had to lie to them. He was just sad that he couldn't be there to fulfill his promise. Even so, he still felt sad and regretful at times, but that doesn't mean that his resolve weakened at any point. He had his reservations and regrets but, in the end, he was going to go through with his plans no matter what. Issei's resolve hasn't weakened. But I won't promise it'll stay that way or change.
I just wanted to clarify all of that. Now, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Arc 4: Fare Thee Well
Chapter 48: The Hunt Begins
Issei's Lifespan: 11 Months
The next morning after Issei's departure, everyone was still dealing with the aftermath.
(SID – Rain. Play Song.)
Izalana was often out to help develop the institution being built in the Underworld for trade and cultural diversity. Bikou wasn't joking around and laughing like usual. Kuroka was actually doing housework. Lefay would stare blankly at her work, not doing anything. Arthur would dive into renovating his and Elaine's area of the manor. Elaine would continue to help out the maids and butlers despite no longer being a maid. Lianshi would go out on jobs for contracts. Rizevim and Ezgyra would return to working with politics. Ileana and Rintilr were trying to rebuild their lives via connections and government work. Lastly, Vali had shut herself in her room, ruminating on what had happened.
Even though everyone wasn't happy about what Issei did, everyone was doing what they could. It wasn't like Issei was going to be away forever and it wasn't as if he'd died. Some of them were working to make Issei proud the next time he saw them. They wanted to live up to the expectations he'd lain so that he'd be amazed when he returned. Others were still hurt that he'd kept such a huge secret from everyone, not even dropping a single hint. It hit everyone to the core, but the situation wasn't truly sad. They knew they'd see him again one day soon. This was just a temporary goodbye.
Vali, however, was a different story. Her mood hadn't improved one bit since last night. She had come home just before dawn, her eyes finally running dry. After a long, bleak shower, she changed and laid down on her bed. She listened to the pouring rain outside, feeling the cold chill emanating into her room. It all just served to make her feel worse.
It had finally hit her just how much she depended on Issei now. Before she'd met him, she was alright, despite not being overly energetic. Yet, ever since she'd met Issei, she felt her outgoingness grow, her happiness being nearly constant. Her self-esteem was no longer an issue. She no longer had to wear a mask of constant strength and self-reservation. She could be exactly who she wanted to be anywhere now. As long as Issei was with her, she didn't care.
She felt like such a fool. The person who gave meaning to her life had just packed up and left without a word to her. If only she'd seen the signs before it was too late.
If she had realized her real feelings sooner, could she have persuaded him to take her with him? Could she have persuaded him to stay? Could she have conveyed just how madly in love she was with him? Vali's heart quaked as the pain of regret kept attacking her chest.
Just then, the door was knocked.
"Vali? Are you awake?" Ileana's voice came.
"Yeah, I am." Vali croaked.
Her eyes were puffy and red after so much crying. Her throat was also sore from the sobs. She wasn't exactly eager for anyone to see her like this. Yet, with Issei gone, she didn't exactly care anymore.
Ileana entered the room, closing the door behind her.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" She asked gently.
Vali's downcast and teary expression answered for her. It worried Ileana to see her daughter like this. Her hair was unkempt, her clothes sloppily thrown on. Most of all, the vigor that she had in her eyes was weak, now filled with mostly tears and regret.
"I miss him." Vali said, flatly.
In the presence of her mother, it was hard to hide and pretend. Her mask wasn't coming on.
"I know, sweetheart. We all miss him too." Ileana sat next to her and gently hugged her.
It was something she used to do to soothe her when Vali was a child. Only this time, it wasn't working much.
"He didn't say a thing to me or anyone. He kept acting like usual, smiling, dancing, joking…I should've realized something was wrong." Vali muttered.
Ileana understood what Vali was going through. To others and to the normal mind, someone going away for a while wasn't exactly something to be depressed about. However, it was a different story if that person was the love of someone's life. Ileana could feel it in her bones that Issei was the one for Vali. He was her soul mate; she was sure of it.
For him to disappear all of a sudden just when she realized her feelings must've been devastating. She had probably been preparing to let him know how she felt when she got back. Only for all of that enthusiasm and excitement to turn into shock and regret.
"He wanted everyone to be happier. He wanted everyone to laugh and smile. He wanted everyone to try and look forward to the future. I think he was just trying to give everyone a helping hand before it was time for him to go. Besides, it's not the end of the world. He might come back when he's done with his business. It's only a temporary departure. I know we'll see him again. If there's one thing we all know about Issei, it's that he's always trying to protect the people he cares about. He'll always come back, even if for just a moment." Ileana said reassuringly.
Ileana had a point. Issei wasn't going to be gone forever. If Vali knew anything about him, he'd come back after he was done with his mission. And yet…she couldn't shake that feeling off her gut, a feeling that she couldn't understand.
(SID – Rain. End Song.)
"Are you sure that was the best idea?" Rexis asked.
"Yes, it was the best of my options. Besides...I left her an indirect message in my old room." Issei sighed.
He was currently sitting in a ship that he'd commissioned from Ajuka, the Vestige. A silver and navy airship that would accommodate his every need for the entirety of his hunt. Issei had asked for the ship to be his reward for winning the Rating Game between the Young Devils. It had taken a while and was done in secret, but Ajuka didn't seem to openly mind. Not only that, but he'd also asked Ajuka, the creator of the Evil Pieces, to remove the 8 Pawns from his body. After Issei gave the same story that he gave to Vali and the others, Ajuka reluctantly agreed. He made sure not to speak the truth, but he knew that Ajuka hadn't completely bought his story.
Regardless, it had been difficult, but he managed to get it down. The Evil Pieces were only used on him for the one-time healing effect it bestowed on each recipient. Now that there was no need for him to stick around, nor was he ailed by wounds, he had them taken out. Besides, it was illegal to keep someone's Evil Pieces and go rogue. That was how Stray Devils came to be.
He knew that his departure would hurt the others, but it was the better of the two options he had. Leave and disappear from their minds over time or die in front of them and scar them for life. Sometimes life was horrific and gives only painful decisions. However, a decision still needed to be made for daily life to continue.
Looking at the time, Issei decided it was time to make another log. The reason why Issei had this ship made wasn't only to just get him from place to place. It would serve as an eternal aid to his future incarnations. Thus, he named it "Vestige", a testament to show that Issei Hyoudou was a real person.
Sitting in front of a recorder, Issei began his log.
(Doctor Who OST – A Lot of Life Behind Us. Play Song.)
"Today is September 1st, 20XX. My name is Issei Hyoudou. It is the 14th day of my journey to find the 7 Aviturs. My mission is to find and kill each of them to end the Cycle that's existed between Bahamut and the Aviturs since the First Calamity." Issei cleared his throat.
"I am the 7500th incarnation of Bahamut's Hosts. Now, some information is needed. The Host of Bahamut is someone who carries the soul of Bahamut, who is bonded to his own soul. To start, before this galaxy that you and I live in, there was a galaxy before it. It was basically the same back then as it is now, except with a difference in the development of societies and the daily life of the world's inhabitants. In that first galaxy, there existed a guardian of sorts, named Bahamut. Bahamut was an ancient dragon born from the Abyss at some unknown point in time in the original galaxy. At some point, Bahamut left on a far-off mission. During that time, a war erupted between the mythologies of the world took place. It became known as the Cataclysm War. It was caused mainly due to hubris, xenophobia, and an inability to understand and willingness to coexist. Due to the war that encompassed the original galaxy, which took many innocent lives, Bahamut flew into a mad rage after he returned. You see, Bahamut was the protector of the original galaxy, and so when he saw so many people die from the arrogance and petty wars between gods, demons, angels, beasts, and other mythical beings along with humans, he finally snapped. He destroyed everything and everyone. This event was known as the First Calamity. During the end of Bahamut's rampage, some unknown entity, most likely the Abyss, intervened. It destroyed Bahamut and during that moment, God of the Bible seized Bahamut's soul and split him into 5 pieces: The Abyssal Core, The Abyssal Fury, The Abyssal Arsenal, The Abyssal Echoes, and The Abyssal Nexus. These pieces comprise the Sacred Gear Armory known as the Calamity Catalyst. However, before the Calamity Catalyst could be put into the Sacred Gear System, the Abyss took it away. It was then bonded to one soul who would bear the Abyssal Core for eternity after the galaxy was recreated. Whenever that Host died, they would reincarnate, with Bahamut staying with them. That means you, my future incarnation." Issei paused after that.
He could only hope that it was his future incarnation that found this and not anyone else. It would be a genuine nightmare if anyone else were to find this information.
"Now, on to the point of Cycles. Cycles are the lifespans that each Host of Bahamut has. Bahamut has 7 mortal enemies known as Aviturs, creatures of the Void. The Void is a well of negativity and mysteries that parallel the Abyss but is more sinister in nature. It spawned the Aviturs, who're rampant creatures that embody one element which are: fire, water, wind, lightning, earth, light, and shadow. They appeared in the original galaxy and went on destructive rampages alongside the pantheons in the Cataclysm War. Nobody knows exactly how or why they came to be. They were one of the main reasons as to why Bahamut went on a rampage since they were the ones who caused the most damage to all life. After the original galaxy's destruction, they have appeared in this new galaxy. Thus, the Cycles began. Aviturs would stir after they'd regained enough strength to move and a Host of Bahamut would appear to destroy one or some of them. That would end a cycle because a human body can only handle a certain amount of strain and it takes 7 Aviturs to completely subjugate the world to their unknown purpose. I still don't know how they came here or how they may have survived." As Issei spoke, he typed in information.
"You see, a Cycle is characterized by fate, largely. All of this is only based on observations, of course, and memory, but I believe a Cycle repeats once at least one Avitur is killed and the Host of Bahamut dies. The Cycle resets and everything goes back to Square One. I don't know how or why this happens. Again, this is purely hypothetical, but based on my memories of my past selves, after the death of one or more of the 7 Aviturs, all of their activities stopped until all seven were alive again and a Host of Bahamut was born. In the past, the signs of their activities were waved off as nature's phenomenons. That is actually not always true. Volcanic Eruptions, such as Mt. St. Helens eruption was an act of the Fire Avitur's activity, as an example. Thus, it's my conclusion that all 7 Aviturs must be awake at the same time and their order of awakening is random. They slumber after each death so that they can reaccumulate their strength so that they'll be strong enough to destroy all pantheons and all living things in one fell swoop instantaneously." Issei sighed as he remembered the First Calamity.
"The reason why I've chosen to record all of this is in the hope that you, one of my future incarnations is able to use this information to one day finally end the Cycles and free all of us from this life. At the least, I want you to know what you're up against." Issei finished as he ended his first log.
(Doctor Who OST – A Lot of Life Behind Us. End Song.)
Just then, a beeping started playing. He brought up another monitor and studied the map displayed.
"So, after numerous reports, it looks like the closest one is the fire one, right in Mount Tambora." Issei read out his maps and notes, the first of them from a newspaper.
"Mount Tambora's greatest eruption since 1815?" He read an article.
Within the past day, Mount Tambora, which currently held the record for most destructive volcanic eruption in history from 1815, was showing signs of causing the same level of damage again, if not worse.
Traveling within Indonesia, Issei had been using Bahamut to act as a radar for himself. The Abyssal Dragon would always react heavily to the presence of any Avitur or anything carrying their essence. By applying his mana to the magic radar that Ajuka made for him, he'd be able to find them with less effort. Issei knew that anything strenuous could shorten his lifespan nowadays.
Aviturs were linked with nature's elements, so if his radar was pointing him towards Indonesia and his studies were true, then he needed to go there. He had to start somewhere.
As he'd feared, Tambora was preparing to erupt. He could feel the very faint constant hum of vibrations on the ground. Normal humans and radars would never notice. He, on the other hand, with his supernatural senses, could feel the incoming horror. Even more so, Bahamut's rage was stirring in his heart. He could feel the familiar, unintentional negativity bubbling inside him, alerting him to the presence of an Avitur. Like a haunting echo, the ground was lightly tapping, like it was trying to move but couldn't. But soon…soon it would. Issei spent hours surveying the area, hoping to form an escape plan and a battle plan. However, it meant nothing to him when compared to the number of innocent lives that were in danger.
Issei had to get everyone out of here. There had to be a way to evacuate everyone from this place. He wanted to terminate the Avitur if it was here, but he couldn't do it if there was going to be so much collateral damage.
"Rexis, is there any way to get everyone out of here or to get the Avitur away?" Issei asked.
"I have a few ideas. I know an ancient spell. It causes organized panic and was often used by my military to help force evacuations. If you can synthesize the spell and give everyone an idea of where to go, then you might be able to get everyone out of here without being exposed." Rexis answered.
"What do I need?" Issei asked.
"You've got everything you need on this ship. The problem is the synthesizing and the time. Along with the spell, you need to brew the potion needed to spread the effects and make it last long enough. There's a limited range for the spell, so you'll have to plant several of them. If you don't synthesize the potion right, it'll be completely useless." Rexis said.
Issei growled. There wasn't enough time for this. He didn't know when the Avitur would awake. Even worse, he had no idea how long before the eruption would occur and kill all the people here.
"Let's hurry." Issei rushed back to his ship.
Opening a compartment of herbs and ingredients he'd packed and bought for the journey, he started brewing and synthesizing what he needed for the spell. He rushed as quickly as he could. He was no genius alchemist or mage but he knew that this would work if he did it accordingly to the knowledge of his past selves.
There was one town that was close to the volcano's magma range with several other locations being in danger of the predicted collateral damage. Issei wasn't sure of how much he could do alone, but he had to try.
He knew others would ask why he didn't ask for help from friends or gods, but he had to be honest…he didn't trust any of them with this matter. It was because of religious wars and dogmatic views that caused the destruction of the original galaxy. It's because of hidden agendas that darker parts of free will that led to all of this happening. Even in this modern time, Issei knew that many hadn't changed. Some would see him as a threat and find a reason to try and kill him. Others wanted him as a weapon. Others were simply scared of him. As for the Aviturs, he could already tell that others had agendas for them. It was a flaw amongst many deities to desire control and dominance. Kronos and Zeus were prime examples. At the end of the day, he knew that the only person that he could completely trust was himself.
Even his friends were out of the question. They would die if they fought the Aviturs and become targets. He didn't want that for any of them. The whole reason he did all of this was so that he'd be the only casualty.
Just then, Issei felt a strange surge around him. Turning around, he saw light shimmering and swirling together to form the image of someone he wasn't quite familiar with.
It was a woman with light brown skin. She had golden-hazel eyes with dark brown hair tied up into a bun. A gold crown was upon her head with a gold and blue dress adorning her.
"I am Sunan Ambu, a goddess of these lands. Who are you?" The goddess asked.
"My name is Issei Hyoudou." Issei answered.
Sunan Ambu raised a brow.
"I see. Tales of your exploits have reached even my ears. Tell me, what is your purpose here?" She asked as she glanced at the potions he was making.
"Soon, there will be a fatal volcanic eruption that will destroy this island and the islands surrounding it. I am merely trying to get everyone out of here." Issei said.
Sunan Ambu raised a brow.
"You don't know a single person here and yet you want to save all of them?" Sunan asked.
"Yes." Issei said without hesitation.
"Is that truly all? I have seen many humans do charitable deeds, only to reveal their innate sinister nature. You must want something." Sunan Ambu said.
"I don't. I just want to save these people." Issei honestly said.
Even so, he didn't want to say much else.
Sunan Ambu merely gave him a knowing look. She could see closer to his real intentions.
"It's apparent to me that you're not telling the whole truth. Do not forget that I am a goddess. More so, I am the mother goddess of the Sundanese and I take care of the home. However, the powers at work will burn the home completely. As much as I want to try, not even I can destroy the creature that lurks within Mount Tambora." Sunan Ambu looked at Issei.
"I will help you. I am not so petty as to place my pride over the lives of my people. Not only that, but I remember the first incarnation of this galaxy. I remember the beasts that ravaged it. My people's lives matter more to me than the land that they live on. Homes can be rebuilt but lives can never be reclaimed." Sunan Ambu said.
Issei replied gratefully.
"Thank you."
"I will cast a spell to make my people leave the islands. Then, you can battle the creature without worry of collateral damage. Just make sure that you win." Sunan Ambu said.
"Why are you helping me?" Issei asked.
"We may be strangers, but not all immortals are like how they used to be. Even deities can change." Sunan Ambu replied.
Issei felt like that was more of a reply to Bahamut, rather than him. It was as if she wanted him to be aware that things weren't the same as before. It was as if she'd hoped that Bahamut's rage would lessen.
Aside from the snap of her fingers, Issei saw no other apparent signs of any magic at work. He then looked down at the town and found that countless boats had materialized from thin air, with all of the animals, insects, and humans rushing to the boats. There was no chaos, no screams, no questions. It was as if everyone was enchanted to survive.
Issei breathed a sigh of relief as every single living organism was evacuated.
He turned to Mount Tambora, clenching his fist. The battle could now begin.
The trembling was growing stronger now, becoming apparent vibrations. Thin trails of smoke rose from the mouth of the volcano. Issei felt dread rapidly creep up his spine. The smoke grew thicker and thicker as the trembling of the earth became more violent. Issei could feel the sweat of his human survival instincts coming down his face.
He had intended to attack before the Avitur could awaken, but that was no longer viable.
Ultimately, the situation's escalation jumped. Magma, gases, and vapor boiled and swelled to the crater of the volcano. The entire island began trembling as an earthquake at magnitude 7 came. Buildings fell apart and crashed to the ground, the earth split, and hills formed as mountains fell. Then, just when the power of nature wasn't more apparent, Mount Tambora began spewing more and more ash and gas.
"It's coming." Rexis said.
A shockwave roared from the crater of Mount Tambora in the form of a Plinian Eruption. Ash clouds blotted out the sky and were as black as the pulverized stone that made it. Lightning crackled as pellets of burning hot ash soaked in flame came rushing down from the sky like rain. The booming shockwave kept resounding in Issei's ears as he watched.
Chunks of stone and lava began raining down from the volcano as the blackened sky was dyed orange by the light of flames. Lava continued to spew from the mouth of Mount Tambora. However, Issei saw what was truly exiting. Mount Tambora burst apart as fire, stone, lava, and ash went farther and higher than ever before. The resulting shockwave blasted everything away from its surroundings as the sea was pushed away, whilst being lit aflame at the same time.
"It's here." Issei said.
Rising from the shattered volcano was a massive creature. It had glowing green eyes and its body was scaly with black stone armoring its orange scales. It had a maw of sharp teeth with two arms and legs and a tail. Spikes of fiery stone protruded from its back as its entire body glowed orange with Void energy.
"That's it. The Fire Avitur, Azriga. Its body radiates fatal heat at all times and it can breathe fire and manipulate magma. Not even your armor is invulnerable to its flames. Be on your toes." Rexis warned.
Issei jumped into the air.
"Balance Break! Calamity Bringer!"
(Shadow of the Colossus OST – A Despair-Filled Farewell. Play Song.)
Manifesting the main form of his Balance Breaker, Issei flew straight at the Avitur.
"[Cosmic Crisis]" A rain of mana spheres rained down at Azriga.
Exploding upon contact, the Avitur spun around, swiping its tail at him. Rearing its head, it blasted him with a massive stream of fire. Blocking with a barrier, Issei was stunned by how intense its attack was. He tried to push back but was left at a stalemate. It swept him aside with its tail, knocking him into a mountain, shattering it. Issei shot out, firing a beam of mana at the creature, knocking it off the mountainside it was standing on.
Firing another beam, he formed a crater where Azriga's feet was to land. Instead, it stomped its foot, causing a geyser of fire to erupt from under him. Blocking with another barrier, Issei detached the [Satellites] from his wings, firing them from all around the creature as they flew around. Creating a giant sword in his hands that size of himself, Issei slashed a wave of mana at it. Azriga retaliated with a stomp of its feet and a burst of inferno from its mouth, creating a wall of fire.
It jumped into the air and lunged at him. Thrusting a spear forward, Issei used all of his strength to push it back. For moments, the two clashed as Azriga continued to breathe fire at him, torching the land below.
With one burst of mana, Issei knocked it back only for it to smash him into the lava with its foot.
Issei groaned and howled in pain as the fire and magma swallowed him. Despite his armor protecting him, he could feel the Void's power imbued into the lava. With a flap of his wings, Issei blew the magma away.
Forming ice magic in his hands and imbuing it with Abyssal energy, he fired at the Avitur. It howled in pain, thrashing around. In its fit of agony, it smashed apart mountains, shattering them to pieces. It stomped its clawed feet into the ground, breaking it apart, nearly completely. It breathed fire around like a berserk flamethrower, dousing the sea and island in red flames.
Issei gathered more mana into his hands, blasting it continuously. Azriga turned toward him. Gathering all of the fire from around itself, it opened its mouth. This time, instead of an orange glow, it was red as orange electricity surged around its spikes and mouth.
"Shit!" Issei grit his teeth.
"Calamity Catalyst – Fortress Maker!"
Surrounding himself with shields and reforming his armor to a bulkier form, Issei readied himself. Layering as many barriers as he could, he felt the Avitur's attack hit him.
The sky turned red as smoke spewed from Azriga's mouth. It paused for one moment as it then breathed a beam of flames that obliterated everything around it. The moment the beam touched the clouds around Issei, they exploded, shooting him into the sky.
Issei tried to keep his defenses up but the destructive power of the Avitur was proving to be even more than he remembered. The shields around him cracked and shattered as the barrier surrounding him was broken.
He tried to form more shields but the constantly exploding ash clouds around him kept bursting. No matter what he did, the explosions refused to stop. Forming water in his hands and adding abyssal energy to it, he formed a bubble around himself, knowing his shields were done for. When the explosions and fire touched the bubble, they sizzled, dancing back and forth but were unable to destroy it.
Issei could feel the steam hissing and bubbling around him, cooking him. He needed to think of a way to kill this thing and fast.
Snapped back to attention, Azriga lunged at him again, attempting to bite down on him. Issei pushed back, jumping out of its mouth and stabbing its snout with a spear. Overloading it with mana, it exploded, causing the Avitur to howl in pain. It swung around, slapping him into a burning mountain. Issei could feel his bones breaking and bruises forming as he struggled to get back up.
He looked up as he could feel the ground-trembling steps of the Avitur. All round, the fire and magma began to boil and swirl as the Avitur's presence roused it even more. It was as if its very presence affected the element.
Issei shout out of the melting mountain and into the sky. Gathering his mana, he spread his wings and began absorbing extra particles from the air.
"[Cosmic Crisis]"
This time, the homing spheres were even larger than before. The spheres blasted the Avitur back toward the coast. Issei gathered more and more of his mana before detaching his [Satellites] and aiming them straight at Azriga.
Using all of his stored-up mana, he blasted it backwards with dozens of beams.
"[Vacuum Burst]"
Pushing it back with all his strength, Issei throttled it back into the sea.
"Yes!" Issei triumphantly said as he flew to the ground and dipped his hands into the water.
Thanks to months of practice, Issei had gained some skill with applying Abyssal Energy. Pooling into the ocean and swirling it around Azriga, he tried to use all of its weaknesses against it. Water to fight fire and the Abyss to fight the Void. Azriga thrashed around, screaming and roaring in agony as its supernatural flames were doused by navy waters. Issei submerged it with his control over his Abyss powers.
Issei was shocked at how strong the Avitur still was. Despite not being resurrected at full power, the Avitur was still able to cause so much destruction. He pooled more of his abyssal energy into the water, submerging it as it choked and writhed in agony. Using all of his strength, he began destroying the Avitur with pure Abyssal Energy.
Issei began to feel his muscles contract and cramp as strength began leaving him. He was pushing himself even harder than before. Just like the time he used Abyssal Energy to kill the Earth Avitur, the same pain and exhaustion was overcoming him.
Issei struggled to continue the process but persevered, using the last of his strength to big one final push. He blasted the Fire Avitur with Abyssal Energy, destroying it completely as the navy energy dissipated where the Fire Avitur once was.
(Shadow of the Colossus OST – A Despair-Filled Farewell. End Song.)
Exhausted, Issei barely had the strength to return to his ship. When he did, he immediately felt the effects of straining his powers crash into him. He jolted in agony and recoiled in pain as his body locked up. He stifled the urge to yell in pain as he also felt the effects of his [Battle-Born] regeneration.
He felt his cuts stitch up, his bruises heal, and his bones reassembling. Issei coughed and wheezed blood as his consciousness became fuzzy. His head grew light and dizzy as the bout of suffering plagued him for 15 minutes.
After the episode ended, Issei was left panting on the floor of his ship.
"To think I've got 6 more to go." He panted to himself.
Dispelling his armor, Issei removed countless pieces of shrapnel from his body. He had bruises all across his body and gashes along his arms and legs. He also had some burns from where the cloth on his armor was burned away. Thankfully, this Avitur wasn't as much of a problem as the Earth Avitur. He wasn't sure if it was because he'd gotten stronger or the Fire Avitur had less time to incubate. Regardless, he had to immediately get started with hunting the next Avitur.
"Rexis, how much time did I spend?" Issei asked.
"You sustained significant wounds, spent a lot of mana, strained it even further with Abyssal Energy, and you also got hurt with Void energy. To boot, your Balance Breaker was engaged at full power, so I have to say that you spent a month of your remaining life." Rexis solemnly said.
One month from just one battle?
"Remember, the difficulty of facing an Avitur is much higher than anything you've ever dealt with before. You're lucky things went the way they did this time. Next time, you might not be so fortunate." Rexis explained.
"I see." Issei sighed.
He got up as he started mapping out the next plan and destination. He had 10 months now, he'd better hurry if this was the rate things were going.
Vali and the others had gathered outside a warehouse for a quick execution mission. A creature had been spotted in Kuoh devouring roaming passersby.
"I'll deal with it alone. You all surround the warehouse and make sure there's no witnesses and no escape." Vali ordered.
"On it." Izalana smirked.
The moment the warehouse was surrounded, Vali entered.
Jumping down from the ceiling was a Stray Devil that had the form of a 6-armed creature with spiked bones protruding from its limbs as well as a splitting jaw. It no longer had any capacity to talk. Instead, it eyed Vali like a meal, like a rabid beast only focusing on its next meal.
"By order of the Devil High Council and the Four Satans, I sentence you to death." Vali declared.
Spreading her wings, she snapped her fingers, enacting [Stardust]. Shimmering light-blue particles manifested before exploding. Smoke fogged her view as Vali waited for it to clear, gathering mana in her hands.
Suddenly, the Stray Devil lunged forward at her.
"Now, Issei!" Vali ordered.
She paused and gasped at her blunder. In her brief pause, the Stray Devil reached over with its sharp claws. Still keeping some of her wits about her, Vali vaporized it with a simple beam of demonic energy before it could touch her.
'It's a good thing you still had some of your wits about you. That Stray would've struck you if you'd been a few seconds slower.' Albion reprimanded her.
'Sorry.' Vali apologized.
After returning home, Vali decided to cook dinner to get her mind off things. As she stirred the stew she was making, her mind trailed off.
'Where's Issei right now? What's he doing? Is he alright?' Her mind shot off into a multitude of questions. There were so many firing around in her head that she had no idea what the original question was.
"Vali, the stew's burning!" Lefay pointed out.
"Huh?" Vali jumped as she rushed to save it.
Rizevim, Ezagyra, Ileana, and Rintilr watched from the doorway.
"I didn't think she'd get this bad." Rizevim said.
"Are you sure? She looks like she's just lost in thought. It doesn't seem that bad to me." Rintilr said.
"The men of the Lucifer Line have a tendency to not notice the trouble of a woman's heart." Ileana glared at him.
"Vali's hiding it, but she's not okay at all. She might even be lying to herself too. She's been acting like she's okay, but I can tell she's torn apart by Issei's departure. Her confusion with Sairaorg was nothing compared to this." Ezagyra said.
"When Issei left, he clearly took most of Vali with him." Rizevim sighed.
"Should we go look for him?" Rintilr asked.
"No, that would be going too far. I feel that forcing Issei away from his own desires and life goals is wrong. True, it's for Vali, but everyone is entitled to their own happiness." Rizevim said.
After dinner was over and Vali retired to her room. She read books, studied, and did what-not to pass the time. Suddenly, a knock came at her door.
When she calmly opened it, her peerage was waiting.
"What's up?" She asked as everyone entered.
"Vali, what's wrong?" Kuroka asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.
It wasn't a matter of Kuroka wanting to know what was wrong. Everybody already knew that. It was a matter of her wanting Vali to come clean.
"What do you mean?" Vali coyly said.
"You don't have to put on the act." Bikou gently said.
"I'm not putting on an act. I'm merely behaving like normal." Vali smiled.
"No, you're not." Arthur said.
"Ever since Issei left, you haven't been the same. It's been two weeks and we've been watching you. When you cook, the food tastes strange. When you work, you get distracted. When you smile, it looks force. You barely laugh now. Vali, it's clear to all of us that you're not okay." Lefay said.
"I'm telling you all, I'm just fine. I'm just tired." Vali sighed.
"Then why can't you look us in the eye when you say that?" Izalana asked.
Vali bit her lip. She knew it was pointless to hide anything. She hated lying, after all.
"This is about Issei, isn't it?" Elaine asked.
"Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?!" Vali cried out.
Everyone bucked up and watched as she emptied her feelings. The open mention of him was the catalyst for her outburst.
"What am I supposed to do?! This isn't right! Nothing feels right! Nothing's right without Issei here!" Vali sobbed.
It was shocking that it only took one question to break the wall Vali had put up. It had become common knowledge for the Lucifer Household that Vali was in love with Issei, madly so. They had even taken to avoiding mentioning his name until now.
"I close my eyes and I see his smile. I listen to my surroundings and I just remember his laugh. I can't stop thinking about him. My heart screams and hurts whenever I think about him. When I remember that he's not here, I just want to give up and go look for him. I can't stand it! It just feels so wrong that he's not here with me! Is it so wrong that I want my own secrets?! After all, everyone keeps me away from theirs! Even Issei…even he wouldn't tell me his secrets! In the end, he left without saying a thing to me…" Vali huffed and choked as she tried to wipe her tears in vain.
She sunk to her knees, unable to stop herself or her emotions. Kuroka walked over and embraced her. None of the others said anything. They only listened as Vali emptied out her suppressed thoughts and emotions. Sometimes, that was the best thing to do as a friend. Listen as someone released all their tension and pain.
As Vali let out all of her suppressed emotions, she could feel rationality come back to her mind.
"Even though I want to drop everything and go find him…it won't do anything. It'd be selfish. Issei has spent so much time helping everyone. To force him back home or to force myself into his company would only ruin it all. I want to honor what Issei wants. Instead…I'll…" Vali wasn't sure of what she would do.
Ever since Issei left, she just couldn't think straight.
"I'll try to keep this home happy and warm until he returns." She decided.
She fought her instincts and decided to do what she felt was most honorable towards Issei. She would respect what he wanted to do. If she truly loved him, she'd respect what he wanted as well, not what she wanted only. That was what people in love do, right?
(Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix OST – Xion Theme. Play Song.)
Despite saying all that, however, Vali couldn't help but still long for Issei. She found herself subconsciously going into his room. It was mostly barren, with all his belonging taken with him. All that was left were the tables, shelves, and bed that were there before.
Vali could still feel his presence here. The laughter, the hope, the optimism, and the courage that characterized him seemed to have become palpable here.
She brushed her hands along his table and desk, as if trying to connect to him, wherever he was. Just then, she noticed something as she slightly nudged a drawer in his desk. Opening, it, she found a small navy book.
"He must've forgotten this…" Vali muttered.
She opened the book and began reading its contents.
It's been at least 6 months since I've come to the Lucifer Home. It's been the best 6 months of my life. There's never a single boring day here. I love everyone here. They've become like family to me. I grew up a lonely kid, with parents that were always away from home to make sure I had a future. Even now, I haven't forgotten a single one of their lessons. I'll admit, it was something I'd always been afraid of, since with a crazy world full of magic, gods, demons, and beasts, I wasn't sure I'd always stay who I am, who I was. When fighting or going through arduous times, you tend to forget and lose things. Even worse, with so many past incarnations swimming around in my mind, all their memories, my memories, have sunk back in. It was a bit rough at first. I would say things that I, Issei Hyouhou, wouldn't normally say. Sometimes, I would slip into speaking Cantonese, give the wrong name, and get lost in memories. However, after some time, everything subsided.
It's kinda cliché to be writing all this down, but I guess I needed a filter. Normally, I don't take to recording my inner thoughts, but I guess I wanted to find some sort of way to be remembered. As the Host of Bahamut, it's easy to be forgotten when we all look the same and sound the same.
I can only hope that in this life, I can make some sort of difference. It's been sad for me, sometimes. I'll remember people from my past lives and come to terms with the fact that they're no longer here. The people that I've loved in my past lives are gone or reincarnated. It kind of puts a hole in my heart. Even so, I know I'll probably see them again, whether it be in this lifetime or another. The people that you love aren't always gone. Sometimes, if you feel and concentrate, you can feel their well wishes and spirit with you.
Vali closed her eyes as she mulled over these thoughts. She should've paid better attention to him. Rather than just simply worrying, she should've actually reached out and persisted. Perhaps she could've done something to alleviate the baggage he'd had on his shoulders.
However, it was too late for all that. Issei was off traveling somewhere else, with no signs of an impending return. Vali then decided for real this time. She took his inner thoughts to heart as she held the book to her chest. She'd live as best as she could until Issei returned. She wouldn't put his work to waste nor would she stay depressed, as it wouldn't help anyone or herself. She'd do as Issei always advised to her in private. Learn from the pain of the past and present and use it to look forward to tomorrow.
(Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix OST – Xion Theme. End Song.)
And that's the end of this chapter. Honestly, at this point, my gut is telling me to get to work on my other stories. I've been ignoring them for too long now…But even when I say that, I always end up working on this story again.
I've sworn that I'll never reboot another story after this one, so I guess I've got a lot of work to do.
Anyways, stay safe, to everyone who reads this message. I've already said my piece in the Author's Notes in Chapter 44, so I won't repeat myself. Regardless, I hope everyone's doing well and I'll see you next time.
