And welcome to the 6th part of the 6-Chapter update. I hope your feels are ready cus, I'm gonna try to squash them into jelly...if I haven't already.


Arc 5: Advent Memories

Chapter 53: Home at Last

Immediately after Issei had been mysteriously revived by unknown powers, he was rushed to help. Issei had been taken to the best medical care at the embassy hospital where the best care was available.

In a massive white building with countless crests and flags waving in the air, Issei was kept in a maximum-security medical ward. After what had happened, there was no doubts that Issei would be attacked in his vulnerable state.

"How is he?!" Vali ran over to Azazel, clutching his jacket for desperate information.

"I don't know…He's stabilized. His wounds have healed, His bones snapped back into place and reattached. His organs have regenerated from the holes and ruptures. His muscles are piecing themselves back together. His body is doing fine now, but there's something else that's going on." Azazel removed his surgical gloves.

"Is it bad?" Ezagyra asked.

"I don't know. Something's happening to Issei's body on the atomic level. His body is regenerating but, in the process, his genetic makeup has changed. He no longer has the human gene in his DNA. It's changed into something else entirely. That gene doesn't exist in anything else that's ever been come across in this world. I-I-It's like he's evolving. The way things are now, Issei can no longer be classified as human. After some predictions and simulations, he'll be stronger and more resilient than when he was human. Also, he's…I don't know…As far as I know, he might evolve into something totally different." Azazel was baffled, a first, as he paced around.

"Azazel, is it harmful to him?" Rizevim asked again.

"That's the thing. His evolution isn't showing any malignant signs. If anything, it's doing wonders for him. But we just don't know enough to say for sure. Whatever it was that brought him back to life, changed him. We won't find anything out if we don't investigate the cause unless Issei knows about this. I mean, the most it could do to him is mess with his head. Since his body is working overtime to regenerate and improve his body, his psyche is also taking a beating from all the stress. Whatever is happening, it must've had to do with that blue light we all saw." Azazel sighed.

"Before…that energy, I'm sure we all still remember it."

(Naruto Shippuden OST – Hyouhaku/Wandering. Play Song.)

Everyone turned around to see that Sun Wukong, Vishnu, and even Buddha, himself were there. Everyone bowed respectfully.

"I'd know that energy signature anywhere. I could feel down to my very core, that primordial reverence, that power. It had to have been the Abyss." Buddha said.

"The Abyss? But, I thought it was impartial." Azazel muttered.

"Bahamut is a creation of the Abyss. Issei plays host to Bahamut. Bahamut is the sworn enemy of the Aviturs, creatures of the Void, the polar opposite to the Abyss. It seems to me that Issei and the Aviturs are playing their roles in the proxy war between the Abyss and the Void. The Abyss and the Void cannot clash directly, as it would result in the loss of existence itself. Not only that, but either of the primordial forces could perish. Thus, proxy wars must have been waged to further the purpose of either side. I've been giving it some thought since that boy crashed into the party last night. He knew more than he let on and he clearly had bad blood towards the Aviturs. It makes sense now." Sun Wukong said.

"But instead of allowing him to reincarnate, why did the Abyss bring Issei back to life?" Bikou asked.

Sun Wukong only sighed.

"The Aviturs have never assumed humanoid form before. It seemed to me that they were stronger this time, if Issei was acting in such a way. Do not forget. When he last fought the Avitur of Earth in its beastly form, Issei hadn't even gained all of the pieces of the Calamity Catalyst. True, the Earth Avitur was weaker, but that doesn't change the fact that Issei shouldn't have posed a threat. He showed no evident fear in his first clash, and yet, Issei was frantic in having everyone evacuate." Sun Wukong took a seat.

"The war between the Abyss and the Void was left undisturbed, for fear of repercussions. We deities had sworn to this. While we are above mortals and most creatures, the Abyss and the Void are farther above us, them being directly linked to the powers of life, death, time, and fate. In the few conflicts that I was aware, no side had an edge over the other. It raises the concern that perhaps, both sides are increasing the power they give their soldiers. Thus, that would explain why Issei was revived. Instead of a constant cycle of reincarnation to whittle away at the enemy's strength, the Abyss wanted Issei to be stronger to create a definitive end." Vishnu followed up.

"But why not release Bahamut directly, then?" Ezagyra asked.

"Perhaps that would be too much. When Bahamut went mad, none of us could stop him. We were able to put up a fight but when he didn't hold back, we were unable to make much of a difference. Bahamut would defeat the Aviturs once and for all, but what then? There would be nothing to stop the mad Wyrm from razing this galaxy for a second time after the Aviturs are gone." Sun Wukong scoffed.

"So, rather than go all out, the Abyss wanted to keep using Issei instead of letting him go free." Vali said as she watched Issei from behind the glass window.

She grit her teeth in frustration.

"Who are we to question the whims of fate? I feel that this game reaches beyond us. We are only smaller pieces in this game. But I do want to find out why and how it'll end." Buddha calmly said.

"But, did Issei defeat the Aviturs?" Kuroka asked.

"No, I do not think so. If that were the case, then I do not believe that Issei would've been revived. Something must require him to live." Buddha said.

There were so many questions but so little answers, let alone information.

"This cycle is most vexing. Not even us, deities, and divine beings could see into the future concerning this boy and the events to come. Something stopped our visions. This has never happened before." Vishnu mused.

"Indeed. In the past, we were made aware of a few battles between Bahamut's Hosts and the Aviturs. Yet…not this time. The winds have changed." Buddha sighed.

"However, the storm has passed for now. The boy lived and the Beasts will not return for quite some time. We should rejoice but keep our guards up as well. Do not let these questions sully the relief it has brought you." Sun Wukong walked over and put a gentle hand on Vali's shoulder.

"You're right."

Vishnu, Buddha, and Sun Wukong walked down the hall, conversing.

"That girl…something's odd. She has traces of the Songstress of Serenity in her soul but why is it that it's not like before? What happened to her?" Vishnu mused.

"I don't know. That was the problem that always plagued us. The Abyss and the Void are resuming their war but we are not allowed to see who is truly a part of it or why this war is happening. We're caught in the crossfire and we don't know why." Sun Wukong said grimly.

(Naruto Shippuden OST – Hyouhaku/Wandering. End Song.)


After a few hours, more and more people came to visit. The most impactful, was Jeanne. The moment Jeanne arrived, she got on her knees and bowed her head in apology.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"What do you mean? You didn't do anything." Vali said, trying to get her to stand up.

Jeanne didn't budge. Kiba even knelt alongside her to share in whatever punishment.

"What're you talking about?" Kuroka asked, almost sounding a bit dangerous.

"I'm the reason Issei went off on his journey." Jeanne looked downcast.

"Explain from the beginning." Rizevim calmly prompted.

"When we first met at my shop in England, I held Issei up." Jeanne started.

"So that's why he was late." Vali muttered to herself.

"I stopped him because my powers to tell fate gave me a feeling. I felt that he was important. So, I tried to divulge his future. I felt that it was important for everyone. So, I thought that I needed to tell him what would happen. I told him that when the bell tolled 16 times, he would die. I was the reason he eventually got on this path." Jeanne recounted.

"So, it was just cause-and-effect. Jeanne, this isn't your fault. Issei decided to make this decision all on his own. You just gave him another piece of information that he needed to make that choice. I understand how you feel. When someone dies and you were connected to it, you tend to blame yourself or find a reason to do it. Don't do that. Your hands are clean and you were only trying to help him." Ezagyra gently raised her back up.

"I'm so sorry." Jeanne said quietly.

"It's alright. Issei's back with us now. However…we don't know what'll happen after this. We can only get the real answers once he wakes up." Rizevim said.

That was when the staff came in for more examinations and checks on Issei's health.

"I must ask that everyone clears out, please." The Doctor opened the door.

There was no room for arguments. Vali wanted to fight tooth and nail to stay in here but she knew better than to cause drama. Vali sat in the hallway, contemplating.

'I was so stupid. Everything makes sense now. There were so many clues and I was too absorbed in myself to see it.' Vali groaned in mortified shame and guilt.

'It wasn't your fault, either. Issei knew about a lot of things in advance and didn't say a word. You shouldn't blame yourself for things that never even reached your realm of thought. Issei even went the extra miles to ensure nobody found out. If you think about it…everything since the Rating Games was all according to Issei's long plan. I don't think he expected to have come out of this alive so he tried to make sure there were no regrets.' Albion responded.

'All those times he tried to get Sairaorg and me together. All the help he was giving everyone. His carefree attitude. His larger-than-life behavior. His constant nosiness…If only I'd worked harder and paid attention to him, he wouldn't have gone through it all.' Vali clutched her head.

'Vali, there are some things that we just can't stop. There are some things that we just can't control. There are some things that happen without our knowledge. Yes, there are things we ignore but if we were never even aware, then it's unfair to ourselves to find fault unless we had a real hand in it. I don't blame Issei for what he did. I thought it was noble. However, he chose to sneak around and do things alone. That had nothing to do with you because it was a secret that was known only to him. The best you can do is be there for him now. Stop moping and help him make up for lost time.' Albion softly chided her.

'You're right…I really need to get myself back together. I guess I'm just not the same when he's not around.' Vali chuckled at herself.

'Love makes you crazy. Now, it's been a week. You should get some rest. If you're going to confess your feelings for him, then you don't want to do it looking like tumbleweed.' Albion snorted.

'Right…' Vali nodded.


Returning home, Vali sat down on the couch and immediately collapsed. She had gone through 7 straight days without sleep. When she awoke, she found that the others had come home. What was even more surprising was that everyone closely connected to Issei was here. Even Sairaorg was here.

"Where was everybody?" Vali asked.

"We went to go get dinner. Also, Susanoo, Izanagi, and Amaterasu were kind enough to drop off something really important." Ezagyra have her boxes of takeout.

"Well, we found the ship that Issei had been using to get around the world. Ajuka gave us the Black Box to the Vestige." Rizevim held up the cube.

"Why are we intruding on it?" Ileana scolded her father-in-law.

"We need to find answers. Maybe Issei said and did some stuff." Rexis plainly answered.

"Emphasis on 'did'." Bikou chuckled.

Everyone gave him disapproving looks.

"Sorry." He cleared his throat.

"Did?" Vali paused on that.

"I'm sure he was perfectly chaste. When the guy gets absorbed in work, he doesn't think of anything else." Sairaorg said.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Rizevim pointed at a literal mountain of paperwork.

"What's all this?!" Kuroka gasped.

"Paperwork that Issei left behind and didn't do. He took a mountain load of jobs before he left. That explains how he got so much money to fund everything. It's also probably how he managed to fund his trip around the world. So much stuff is coming in now."

Vali plucked a book of services and resulting payments to Issei.

"Sounds like him. I was always wondering how he'd racked up so much money." Rizevim sighed.

"Enough of that stuff. Let's find out what he was really up to." Ezagyra activated the Black Box to the Vestige.

A projection of Issei appeared and began relaying the events that had happened till his last set of recordings. The entire history of Bahamut had been conveyed and Issei's decisions made according to them.

Everyone was shocked to realize just how far this all went. After hearing Issei's stories about Bahamut, they got to his personal logs. That was where the rail pain came in.

(Transformers: Age of Extinction OST – Tessa. Play Song.)

"Personal log: Log 12. Today is September 12th, 20XX. I've managed to kill the Earth, Fire, and Wind Aviturs. Despite these deeds, I've begun to wonder. How much longer do I have? How much longer till my body gives out? I can barely do anything without dying even faster now. I was told that I had 16 months at the start of this mess and Jeanne told me I'd die after 16 bell tolls, so I honestly have no real idea anymore. It's harrowing. Often, I'm wondering just how much of me is left. But I guess I can't complain. I've already done my personal stuff. All that's left is to get out there and keep hunting." Issei paused, as if lost in thought.

"I managed to do everything I wanted. I did my best to help out as much as I could with the others. Managed to help Arthur and Elaine get back together. Helped Bikou, Lianshi, and Kuroka think about their polygamy issues. Got Lefay and Embern to be more confident. Helped Izalana see the outside world unburdened by missions. Also got Sairaorg and Vali to the point where they've figured out how they feel. If my plans were right…they're probably together by now. Though, to be honest, I know it was wrong. I mean, I played both sides. I helped Sairaorg and pretended to know nothing with Vali. I help Vali and pretended to know nothing about Sairaorg."

They'd been hoodwinked. Vali wanted to walk away but forced herself to continue watching all of his logs.

"Today is September 13th, 20XX. Just got up. Had another nightmare. This is the 12th day in a row that I've had it. Dreamt that everyone I knew was living happy lives while I was just a rotting corpse in some ditch. Wouldn't be the first time. Maybe it was a memory, rather than a nightmare. I've been drawn and quartered, crucified, hung, dismembered, poisoned, melted, exploded, bled out, stabbed, eaten alive, crushed, fell, and died so many ways that someone would have to invent a new way. I guess that's just natural. It's not like I didn't know this would happen. After all, I'm only human. Everyone else is either a devil, superhuman, an angel, a deity, or a mystical creature. One life to me is an hour to them, I guess. Still, talking about this sort of stuff helps, even if it's just to a camera. It's not like I can talk to anyone since there's not really much point since I'm gonna die again soon." Issei sighed, his face covered in sweat.

'Stop.' Vali said in her head.

"The only real solace I've got is that I'll be dead soon, so I personally won't have to deal with it for much longer. Death isn't always bad when it's sticks for a while. We'll all die someday, yes, even immortals, though I'm just a regular mortal. Even then, it's not much comfort." Issei shrugged.

'Issei, stop.' Vali muttered in her head.

She felt her heart squeezing in pain as she heard Issei accept his inevitable doom, albeit, it was in such a way that it was clear he wasn't completely alright now.

"Today is October 16th, 20XX. Saw a happy family festival today. I got bored staying on the ship doing research and decided to get some fresh air. Gotta admit, I was a little jealous. Kinda wish my parents were still alive. Still, it comforts me to know that I'll see them again soon. Sometimes, I think about what I'll tell them. I wonder how they'll react, for the very brief moments I'll be dead before I reincarnate. They'll probably get worried that I did so much crazy stuff. But they'll settle down. They're understanding. Guess I'll have to disappoint them that our family line ended with me. I was never able to get the girl and any other girl isn't interested. I'll never find a wife and have kids like how they encouraged. Can't say I had time for it and the only woman that I've ever loved is gonna be with my best friend at this point." Issei's hologram recording reclined in his seat as he chuckled.

Vali and Sairaorg flinched.

"It really does hurt. It's no joke when I say that watching Vali and Sairaorg be together slowly helped kill me on the inside. Don't get me wrong, I did it on purpose, so I knew what I was getting into. I'm actually very happy for them and I'm proud. They deserve all of that happiness, considering all that they've endured. It's just that I thought the pain of remembering my past lives and the pain of my parents' deaths would be the worst. I was wrong. I was honestly kinda dumb but that's my fault. I won't be your typical guy and blame other people for my love life not working out. After all, I only realized how much I loved Vali when it was clear that she had feelings for Sairarog. Not only that, but the day I was gonna confess was the day of the Rating Games. That's when I found out I had 16 months to live. So, that was a bust." Issei sighed while shrugging.

Vali's jaw dropped as she clutched at her aching heart. Issei had loved her for that long?!

"Still, back to the focus, I've got a lot to tell the spirts of my dead parents. That's only if they're still in the afterlife, though. They might've gone ahead already, so I guess I'll be alone. Again." Issei chuckled derisively.

Vali knew that he was playing it off, but he was probably crying on the inside.

"All those spasms of pain I've been feeling are an effect of using my powers. They always come at random and hurt like hell. It sucked to learn that those pain attacks weren't a product of my body adjusting to my powers. It was my body telling me that I was dying. Still, it's too late to regret. Sadly, I can't help but try to imagine what my life would be like if none of this had progressed to this point. Honestly, I'd have liked to get married. I've always wanted a wife and kids in the future. Maybe 2 or 4 kids, boy and girl in equal measure. I'd prefer it if the first child was girl. Older sisters tend to be motherly and look after the younger siblings. Given who I am and the powers I have, I'd have to be a little realistic and imagine that she'd help my wife and her little siblings after I die in that fantasy. I'd like to even have a nice home in the suburbs and work an honest job helping people." Issei had a sad look on his face in the recording.

"As for where exactly, I'd like to live in the Lucifer Mansion with my family. Me, the kids, and Vali-." Issei stopped himself. He started chuckling as he slapped himself on the forehead.

"Well, that's creepy. Every time I imagine living a happy life with a wife and kids, Vali's always popping into my head as the mother of my kids and being my wife. Then again, I guess it's just wishful thinking. I mean, aside from our first lives together as our original incarnations, we've always been star-crossed lovers. We'd meet, get close together, but we'd never gotten together. She'd like another guy and I'd die in a ditch somewhere after a fight with an Avitur. I've grown to accept it now. It's just my fate as the Host of Bahamut. I actually prefer it this way. That way, she's safe and far away from harm. I don't think I'd ever forgive myself if anyone else died because of me. Since Vali's the Songstress of Serenity, the person who's supposed to calm the rage of Bahamut, it's unavoidable that we meet. Even so, I'd rather she be safe and happy, in love with someone else who'll treat her the best. That's also why I never confessed my love for her." Issei made a sputtering noise as he stopped himself from zoning out again.

"I was dying and had 16 months left to live at the time. I wasn't going to do that to her. It's unfair. Even if she had any reason to reciprocate, mind you, Sairaorg's honestly a better choice." Issei gave a stern look and finger at the camera.

"Even if she had reciprocated my feelings, we'd have a relationship for 16 months or even less. Then, I'd be dead. She'd be left alone to either grieve or blame herself. Knowing Vali in this lifetime, I'm sure that would be her main reaction. I'm not bragging since it's not a reason to brag, but I've developed an expertise in loneliness. Gotta tell ya, it's not fun. People say they wanna be left alone, but they really don't want that since they don't understand what the realistic version is like. Trust me, imagine coming home every day and all that's waiting for you is a cold and dark place. Nobody there to greet you. Nobody there to help you. When you're sad, you've got no shoulder to cry on. Nobody will listen when you complain. When you're happy, there's nobody there to share the moment with you. When you're hungry, you cook only for yourself and sometimes, you don't even have the heart for such a basic survival skill. When you're in need, you won't expect anybody to come running. You'll have no one and worst of all, no one will remember you and when you die, it'll be complete destruction because not even your memory will live on. Bottom line: being alone sucks. You shouldn't ever want that unless you're kinda broken like me. All those 'kids' think that being alone is great but it's not. And I use 'kids' liberally because they can be any age but they've got the emotional maturity of a baby spoon." Issei groaned.

Vali dropped her glass, feeling her heart tear itself apart.

"I-I…" She whimpered, barely louder than a squeak.

"Still, that's also one of the reasons why I kept the truth from her. I don't want to be in a relationship with her in this or any lifetime if it's because of a reincarnating obligation. If, in some fantasy world, we ever get together, which will never happen, I'd prefer it if it was because of who I am. Even then, I often ask who I am." Issei laughed as his recording looked to the side.

"Oh, would you look at the time of this recording. Sorry about that, my future incarnation. You've been listening to me rant for half an hour now." He sheepishly smiled.

"I guess that's because today is my final log. I had a lot of nonsense to ramble about. It's my last chance, after all. I'm going off to fight the Shadow Avitur, who happens to be the final Avitur. Even though that little fruit elixir I got in Africa helped me…I get the feeling that I'm not going to make it out of this alive. Knowing my luck, I'll be dead by the end of this. Still, if you find these personal logs, then just delete em'. They're all corny and cheesy and altogether, nauseating. I honestly don't even know why I started doing personal logs. Maybe it's because I needed some kind of outlet. Imagine how bad the people I know will feel if they find this." Issei pursed his lips as he stared off into space.

He then returned his attention to the camera. He then snapped back to look at it as if he had an epiphany.

"Okay, I think I've got a reason for all these logs, other than to not go crazy and to also tell you about the story of Bahamut and the Aviturs. Um, I guess I wanted to teach you something. I don't know who you are, or rather, I don't know what my next reincarnation will be like. So, I guess, I had some stuff to say to you to be food for thought before I bite the dust and dig my spot 6-feet underground, wherever that is. Just…just think about all I've said. When I was in your shoes, I had nobody to help me aside from the voice of one of my past incarnations, one of your past incarnations. I don't want that for you. Hopefully, I was finally able to make a difference and help you out. I don't know if I'll succeed and end the Reincarnation Cycle or if I'll fail and the next person to see these is my future incarnation. In the end, I just wanted to make sure that my future self or anyone, if the line of Bahamt failed, deal with the Aviturs. So, don't screw up like I did if I did screw up. Succeed where I failed. And hopefully, I'll be the last Host to live this kind of life, to live with this kind of burden. I don't want anyone else living with this kind of baggage." Issei pointed and wagged his finger at the camera, with a jovial smile stuck to his face.

"Still, I don't have any regrets. The people I love are safe for now, they're making the most of their lives, and I honestly feel like they'll be perfectly okay without me. It's still just a gut feeling, but…It's not like they needed me, anyways. After all, I was only there to give a little push. That is the one thing that I consider my crowning achievement. I know that what I did won't last forever, if for very long, but I know that I did the best I could. At the end of the day, that's all we can do, no matter what each of us have experienced or who and what we are. If I can't be the man that fulfilled his dreams, I'd be honored to be the man that helped the people he cared about. Take care of yourself and the people that you love. Money, fame, food, and power are nothing compared to the people we love. Nothing is more important than the people that you love. And if the people that I care about ever see these logs then know that I'm sorry but this had to happen. Also, remember these 3 words: I Love you." Issei smiled at the camera, almost as if at peace as the final log ended and the screen stopped for the final time.

Vali was silent, her bangs overshadowing her gaunt face.

"I'll be in my room." Vali stood up and walked away.

She walked, no, trembled to her room. She shuddered violently as she closed the door behind her, muting the room so that no one would hear what came next.

She toppled over to the ground, losing all strength in her legs. Albion felt terrible for the poor girl. Just as soon as she started going back to normal, whenever she picked herself back up, something came along and smashed all her determination into pieces. And it was with a weapon that always worked on Vali. Something always destroyed Vali's sense of self and composure.

That was Vali's greatest weakness, after all. It was her guilt and tendency to blame herself when something went wrong. From the scars of her childhood, she'd been inflicted wounds that convinced her that she was at fault due to her father's Avitur-possessed abuse.

"Ugh…Uhahahahaha! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Vali wailed in guilt as she lay crying on the floor.

She clutched at her heart as the entire collection of Issei's video logs slammed into her mind. Now that she knew how he really felt. Now that she saw what he went through and heard what he really thought of himself and his situation, it utterly destroyed her.

'He was in so much pain! He was so lonely! He was so scared! And no one was there for him! Even though he was always there for other people, no one was there for him!' Vali screamed in despair in her head.

Albion didn't say anything. He couldn't even find a way to process any of this and put it into words. He could only stay in silence.

'He gave up everything for everyone and no one said thank you. No one said I love you. No one bothered to check if he was okay. No one tried to see past that perfect mask of his. I FAILED HIM!' Vali went into a fetal position as she clutched at her heart.

The guilt of professing her crush on Sairaorg to his face. The guilt of pushing her problems into his lap. The guilt of not having the sense to understand their connection. Everything came crashing down on her, threatening to smother her with shame.

"I'm sorry, Issei. I'm so sorry…" She weakly sobbed, having lost any shred of control over herself.

(Transformers: Age of Extinction OST – Tessa. End Song.)

After a few hours…Vali managed to settle down, having lost all her strength processing everything, connecting the dots. She took the time to finally see the gigantic picture that Issei had always been looking at. She finally understood why he did everything he did. It was insane. What sort of person would drop everything about themselves and not think just a tiny bit about being selfish? Issei thought he didn't measure up in comparison to others. It was the other way around. Who could measure up to Issei?


When she felt better and regained some sense of her rationality, Vali went downstairs with a bag packed with clothes and essentials.

"Here. You can't go on an empty stomach." Ileana handed her some food and drink.

"Thanks, Mom." Vali nodded gratefully.

Everyone gave her that look.

'Go on. Go and have alone time with him.'

Vali walked out the door, intent on getting started with her promise.

"I'll be there soon, Issei." She said.


While Issei was recuperating in his hospital bed, it was as if he wasn't even in this world. He was in his mindscape, far from the influence of others.

"So…we got really lucky." Rexis said.

Issei looked around. It was no longer a swirling navy vortex. In his own personal mind, it was simply a green plain dotted with trees over a hill that gave a grand view of the sea.

"So, what's going on?" Issei asked, sitting down on the hill where his past self was.

"Got a second chance. Your body is rebuilding itself, becoming stronger and better than ever before. Your lifespan is the most important thing." Rexis said.

"Still 16 months?" Issei guessed.

"No, quite the opposite. Thanks to your evolution, your lifespan is right up there with Vali and the others. You'll have a life expectancy for countless years. Also, your body is becoming strong enough that you'll never have to worry about the burden of using Bahamut's power again. You're free." Rexis smiled.

"What about you guys?" Issei asked.

"Same as usual. Me and the other sleeping personas will be here, waiting if you need help." Rexis gave Issei a pat on the shoulder.

"Think they'll kill me?" Issei asked.

"Who?" Rexis asked.

"Vali and the others. If things are working out, then…I'm sure they know the whole truth by now. I forgot to turn on the Vestige's autopilot. It was supposed to set down somewhere hidden and wait for my next reincarnation." Issei recalled, facepalming.

"You'll be fine. They're most likely very angry and they might bruise you up for lying, but you'll be okay. They love you too much to just send you back to the afterlife." Rexis chuckled.

Issei laughed as he stared into the horizon.

"So…where to go from here?" He asked himself.

"You live." Rexis answered.

"What?" Issei asked.

"You've spent your time from the moment you found out you were dying, trying to help the lives around you. I say you finally start thinking about what you want for yourself now that you've got a clean slate. No more putting yourself down. No more thinking about what to do to help others and not yourself. No more hunting. No more immersing yourself into your duties. For now, just think about what you want to do. Emphasis on 'want', not need." Rexis nudged him.

Issei returned his gaze back at the horizon. To be frank, he was starting to feel funny. Ever since his mind became conscious of this inner world, he felt like he was falling apart and getting put back together. It was like Legos being taken apart and then put back together differently, trying to make the ideal shape. It was getting harder to think, to remember. Still, he brushed it off. It was probably nothing.

"What do I want now?" He asked himself.

"Maybe you should start by making up with the people you love. If they saw your personal logs, then it's no joke, I'm dead serious, if they're beating themselves up. The thought of your lonely death is probably eating away at them. You'd better go do your thing again and play motivational speaker." Rexis said.

Issei groaned and scoffed at himself.

"That's right. Ugh…I didn't think I'd make it this far." He facepalmed.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do. Even so, don't worry. We did make it this far, after all. We'll do as we always did. We'll do our best." Rexis reassuringly said.

"That's just like us. Looks like you're gonna be stuck with me for a long time, Partner." Issei patted Rexis on the shoulder.

The two boys laughed before a white light began shining in the distance.

"What's that?" Issei asked.

It felt warm, alluring. It was unlike any light he'd ever felt before. Rexis' smile slowly faded before a look of wariness crept across his face.

"Hey, Rexis, I feel kind of…weird…" Issei wobbled.

"Don't tell me your evolution's showing side-effects."

"It's getting hard to think." Issei sunk to his knees.

"I knew it. The process is starting to go awry. Your minds getting jumbled up since your soul is all over the place and your body's trying to compensate." Rexis cursed.

Issei could only stare at the increasingly bright white light as it got closer.

"Issei! Get back!"

Before he could save his current incarnation, Issei was enveloped in the white light.


Outside, back in reality, Issei was faced with a new predicament. By Issei's bedside was someone entirely new.

She had long white hair and ice-blue eyes that were like a winter sky. Her figure was lithe and slender, with some muscle. Her beauty was like a goddess's, nay, even greater, with a bountiful bosom that matched Vali's own. With one look at her, one could mistake her as Vali's sister, maybe even Vali, herself, from a distance. This young woman wore a sleeveless white dress that reached her knees. Over it, she wore a black jacket and on her feet were black boots.

"It's been so long, Ardjis, no…Issei." The Woman lovingly looked at Issei, gently caressing his face.

"Let me take you away from this horrible place. These people…all they did was use you and they never once paid attention to you pain, did they?" The Woman tearfully said.

"But that'll all change now. I'm going to take you away somewhere safe now, my beloved Issei." The Woman gently kissed Issei's forehead.

A magic circle appeared underneath her and Issei, growing brighter.

Suddenly, the door opened to reveal Vali. The moment they saw each other, both of their instincts kicked in. They immediately went in for the attack. The woman in white reacted first, blasting Vali out the room with a burst of cyan light.

Vali ripped herself off the wall but it was too late. In a flash of light, Issei and the mysterious lady disappeared

"ISSEI!" Vali screamed into the night.

Just as he was back with her, Issei was ripped out of her grasp once again.

When Issei awoke, he was in an unknown place. The room he was in felt kind of futuristic. He was in a white bed with blue sheets. Dressers and desks were all around him. A balcony led outside, leaving enough room for a table for view enjoyment. Outside was a perfect beach, ripe with wildlife and tranquility.

Issei tried to get out of bed but could barely move for the first few moments. He removed his covers before standing up. He felt jolts erupt throughout his body as he limped towards the balcony. He looked at his arms and found that there were no scars there.

"Odd…I should be in worse shape than this." Issei said to himself.

"Ah, you shouldn't be up and about yet." A worried voice came over.

Issei turned around and saw that a young woman had come to guide him back to bed.

"Adelaide?!" He paused.

No, this wasn't Adelaide. It couldn't be. Adelaide had blonde hair. This young lady had white hair. She looked like…

"Aria…." Issei gasped.

This time, the use of that name had a whole new meaning.

"Sit down and I'll explain everything, Issei. No…Ardjis…" Adelaide gently sat him down.

"What's going on?" Issei asked.

"I'm sure you can guess already, but I'm the reincarnation of Aria." Adelaide said.

"But that doesn't make sense. I know…I think…was there?" Issei stood up.

Why was it so hard to think right now? Why was his head drawing blanks.

"I know and I'll explain that part too. No, I'll show you the truth. The whole truth." Adelaide walked over, gently putting her hands on his forehead.

Issei gasped as images flowed into his head as he was lost to visions of the past.


The entire time I was writing this chapter, I was thinking to myself: "How am I gonna make them cry?"

My favorite part about writing this chapter was Issei's log. It was where I let myself get carried away. I plugged myself into Issei's head and just let my fingers do whatever they wanted on the keyboard. It also helped show how he felt whilst alone with what the effects of prolonged loneliness did to him. It let me show his initial hesitations yet strengthened convictions. It also let me show how he came to terms with everything on a final note. That and I got to make the characters cry again. Don't know why I like doing that...

And yeah, I know it was a lot of ranting from a certain POV, but I just couldn't help it. There was dialogue that I hadn't used and kept it stored in my head so I thought this was the perfect chance to get it out there.