Chapter 59: Who We Are Inside
(A Quiet Place OST – It Hears You. Play Song.)
Whilst Issei was away, Adelaide was deep in sleep. Sadly, that was where she was most vulnerable. In her dreams, the place that should've been hers, it wasn't. The dreamscape belonged to another.
Adelaide had grown to fear sleeping but she no longer had the strength to fight it off.
In her mind, which was a dark purple swirl of howling winds, Adelaide felt trapped.
"He's missing." A voice said.
"What?" Adeladie asked.
"Issei's gone. He left." The Voice elaborated.
Adelaide felt panic growing in her.
"And here you are, all alone." The Voice sadly said.
"Stop it." Adelaide said.
"You're trapped here, all alone with me. There's no one to save you, no one to help you. You're knight in shining armor has abandoned you. He's not coming back." The Voice taunted her, masking its cruelty with a sad voice.
"Stop it." Adelaide demanded.
"All alone, with no one to go to, no one to come back to you. Your parents were murdered. Your baby brother was murdered. Your grandparents were murdered. Your aunt and uncle died from sickness. The rest of your family doesn't want you. You're alone. You'll always be alone. That's what you get after all. You let Issei Hyoudou die alone so many times." The Voice whispered to her.
"STOP IT!" Adelaide snapped.
"Get out of my head!" She roared at the Voice.
"Too bad. I'm not going anywhere. The only person who could save you is gone. Your precious Issei will not come back now that he'll figure out the truth. He's going to figure it out sooner or later. Then again, you didn't have the gall to tell him the truth. It's over, Adelaide. Without Aria, you're nothing to him. You have no history with him. You're going to be left all alone and the whole world will turn on you. You're going to be hunted down and slaughtered." The Voice chuckled as Adelaide was swallowed by the darkness of her nightmare.
"AAAAAAAHHH!" Adelaide woke up screaming, covered in sweat.
She panted, desperately trying to piece herself back together. She trembled violently, any warmth in her body gone as fear wracked her to the core. She gulped as she looked around.
"Issei?" Adelaide called out.
No response.
"Issei?" Adelaide called out again.
She rose up from her spot on the couch, walking toward his bedroom was. She paused. She didn't want to open it. She was terrified of what the Voice had said to her. She didn't want to open the door and find that the bed was empty. Even so, she had to find out. She forced herself to open it.
Just as expected, Issei's bed was vacant.
Adelaide felt herself lose all feeling in her legs, barely able to stand.
"No…no…no. No. No. No. He's gone." Her voice cracked as she took in and processed what happened.
Had Vali's words worked on Issei? Had he remembered? Did he hate her? Did he loathe her? No, anything but that.
Adelaide felt herself go to war with herself yet again. A part of her wanted to go out there and find him. Another part of herself was shutting down as simulations and possibilities raced across her brain.
Adelaide began to pant as she realized what was going to happen now. She was going to be trapped with that Voice forever till her dying days. That cold and cruel voice that taunted her with painful memories and venomous thoughts. She'd spent a while battling it already but now, there was no light to keep her sane and together.
Adelaide slumped to her knees, trembling, in fear of when that Voice would come back again.
"I'm so scared. I don't want to be alone. I'm so tired of being alone. I don't know who I am anymore. I don't know what to do anymore. Please, help me, Issei!" Adelaide tearfully cried.
She felt herself breaking. It alarmed her to see what she had become without Issei. A day without him after spending a significant amount of time being intimate made it impossible to imagine life without him. Adelaide began to shake violently as her mind started to picture her ending days without him. She just couldn't do it.
He'd always encouraged her to keep going, to keep that bright optimism in her alive, to never give up.
She then realized that if Issei had returned to Vali, then that meant all those deaths that Issei had experienced in past lives were going to happen all over again. He'd be betrayed or left to die all over again. He'd die alone, despairing over his fate. She had tasted the emotions that he'd felt at each death and it broke her. It scared and pained her to realize that that was a possibility again in this life.
Tears began to trickle down her face. She had no idea what to do anymore. Her heart was tearing itself into millions of pieces as fear began hammering away at her willpower. Well, what was left of it, anyways.
(A Quiet Place OST – It Hears You. End Song.)
When Issei returned home, he found that the entire house was eerily quiet.
"Adelaide?" Issei called out.
There was no response. He began frantically searching each room until he stopped at the room he'd slept in.
He found her on the ground sitting in a fetal position, her head on her knees.
It hurt to see her so shaken, crying in silence, all alone.
"Adelaide, what happened?" Issei said.
His voice was finally close enough to bring her out of her mind. She snapped up to look at him, her eyes widening in shock.
"Issei?" She breathed out, almost as if delirious.
"What happened to you?" Issei rushed over, kneeling in front of her.
Adelaide dove forward, wrapping him in a crushing embrace in the blink of an eye, quite literally. She began to cry, sobbing as she finally broke down.
"It's okay. I promised you, didn't I? I'll always come back to you." Issei returned the embrace.
He was increasingly worried. What was so traumatic that she was clinging onto him for dear life? He almost felt her nails dig into his clothes as he felt her heartbeat racing over his chest.
"I was so scared! I woke up and you weren't there! I had no idea what to think! I thought you'd left me! I was so alone! I'm so scared of being alone! I was so confused that I didn't know what to do! Please! Please don't go away! I'm begging you; I'll do anything! Just please, don't leave me alone again!" Adelaide begged, sobbing inconsolably.
"Shhhh…" Issei shushed her as he held her soothingly.
After several hours, Adelaide's frantic sobs became small sniffles as she lay in his arms. Issei kept his hand intertwined with hers, knowing that she loved it when he did that.
Issei had waited until she calmed down before he could explain what had happened.
"I went back to Boston." He said.
"Why?"
"The Cult of Bahamut attacked. I used whatever symbolism and martyrdom I could manipulate to get them to disband and repent. For now, they might have taken my words to heart to try and fix all the damage they did. I'm not sure how many people listened, and I don't know how effective it'll be, but all I can do is hope. I didn't want to fight and give them the satisfaction. Every part of me wanted to lash out over the senseless destruction, but I couldn't do it. After that, I met Vali again." Issei said.
Adelaide froze, wide-eyed. There it was again. That name that had been escaping Issei's mouth so often. He'd been doing it often as of late, along with other names of other women, like Izalana, Lefay, Kuroka, and Lianshi. It sparked an ugly feeling in Adelaide, a feeling that she was currently doing her best to suppress.
"And…what happened?" Adelaide whispered.
"We began talking negotiations. I asked what it would take for us to go free." Issei answered.
"What?" Adelaide asked, skeptical.
"Rizevim Lucifer promised the support of several pantheons as well as their best efforts to clear any charges as soon as there's no sign of hostility." Issei recounted.
"Can we trust them?" Adelaide asked.
"I don't know. A part of me believes them. I feel that we can. They've proven that I was a part of their lives some time ago. What worries me is if the others are on board. Normally, I'd try to refuse but, I feel that the ones that want to harm us will come after sooner or later."
Issei was hesitant to discuss What Vali had said to him. Was Adelaide truly an Avitur? The last memory Issei had of them was defeating them in battle and there were only 6, not 7. It was possible, but if it were true, then why was it that he couldn't sense it?
"We can't be on the run forever. Living like this, even if we love each other's company, I don't want a sheltered life for us. If we were to have a family, I don't want our children to live cooped up in a house, too afraid to even look out the window. I want us to have true freedom. I want us to live as we wish without worrying about being chained down by hiding and running forever. Sooner or later, they might come for us, given who the both of us are. That's why…I'm thinking about agreeing to their plans if it meets our needs." Issei said.
Adelaide was silent, mulling over what Issei said to her.
'But what if they try to tear us apart?' She asked.
'No…you can't have that.' The Voice said, this time, it wasn't consciously spoken to Adelaide.
It was like a silent and poisonous suggestion to the part of her mind that made decisions.
"What if it's all a lie?" Adelaide asked.
Issei had a hard time answering that. To be honest, there wasn't much of a choice anymore. If what Vali said was true…then he was sure they were going to come after Adelaide regardless.
"I don't know. Maybe. However, it doesn't change the fact that we may end up getting cornered. If anything, I'd like to avoid that. That's why I wanted to know what you think. What do you think we should do?" Issei asked.
"I don't know." Adelaide shivered.
She recalled what Vali had said to Issei before. She remembered how Vali confessed her love to Issei. It was real, very real. That scared her more than she could've ever imagined. Insecurity, fear, loneliness, and the poisonous words of that Voice mixed in her head.
Issei decided to put the matter to rest for now.
"Come on. You need some sleep." Issei carried her to bed bridal style and tucked her in.
"Wait, don't go!" Adelaide begged.
"I promise, I'll be here when you wake up. Just calm down and rest. I'll have a warm meal and a smile waiting for you like always." Issei promised.
Adelaide looked at him with fearful eyes before nodding, slowly releasing him.
Issei decided to use his smartphone to look at the Supernatural Realm's events. It had been a perk of the magic smartphone that Adelaide had gotten him.
However, that was the wrong move. Issei had stumbled upon a video that had been broadcast to all of the supernatural networks and methods of mass communication.
(Gundam Unicorn OST – Full Frontal. Play Song.)
Appearing was a cloaked man wearing the same attire as those from the Cult of Bahamut.
"Greetings to all. My name is Irae. I am the leader of the group that you have called the 'Cult of Bahamut'. I appear before you today to send you one message. As of earlier tonight, there was a message from our hero, Bahamut's Host, himself. As much as it pains me, he has ordered us to disband our organization. To my disappointment, many have left. However, there are those of us who still believe. The renewal of this world into a stronger and brighter one. Thus, I hereby declare my new organization, the Novella Caelum. Since our most gracious figure has not yet returned to us, I shall take temporary charge. Look around you, my brothers and sisters, look at how twisted this world has become. If it as pure and strong as it's proclaimed, then why did the Aviturs return?" Irae asked.
Issei grit his teeth. He understood what was going on. The crazy bastard was probably the leader of the Cult, using Bahamut to promote his genocidal mania. Since Issei had managed to persuade many members to leave the Cult, Irae must've been forced to resort to openly creating a new organization since the gig was up. Issei must've had more political influence amongst the followers and due to this, Irae's original agenda wasn't realized. Instead, he was forced to use a different approach and reveal himself in order to keep his hold on things. He was probably also trying to force him out or to put more pressure on him too
Once again, chaos had wormed its way into their daily lives.
"Under our banner, we will create a better world where there are no longer any divides. Mortals and the Supernatural can intermingle freely. Magic will compensate for what technology cannot provide. Technology shall advance magic and increase the progress of our world. The stains of the past will be removed, such as the deities that proclaim themselves to be heading towards a brighter future but do nothing when tragedy strikes. Do not be deceived my friends. We must do this with our own hands. We can no longer wait on others to deliver us to utopia. Utopia can only be obtained by the ones who've built it." Irae smiled charismatically at the camera.
"And to end my message, know this. I proclaim war against those who would freely create discord for its mere sake. We will not be controlled, and we will not stand by as this world continues to fall deeper into its rotten ways. Our doors will always remain open to those who wish for a better tomorrow." Irae said as the transmission ended.
(Gundam Unicorn OST – Full Frontal. End Song.)
Issei grit his teeth in anger. It was just one thing after another.
"What to do now?" He wondered.
The next day had gone by quietly. Adelaide was still sorting herself out, leaving Issei to pick up the slack. He cooked and cleaned and made sure Adelaide took care of herself. During that time, Adelaide seemed so out of it, barely uttering a word. It had begun to worry him, but he knew that time was the true key to sorting out the reincarnation and memory problems. There was a difference between problematic prodding and reaching over someone's walls to actually help.
On the second day, one day before the appointed time, Adelaide had finally felt well enough again to move around.
"Morning." She greeted him like usual.
"Morning." Issei smiled back at her, kissing her on the lips as he got some water.
"Breakfast will be ready in a bit, so go ahead and take a seat." Adelaide sweetly said.
When Issei sat down, he felt a semblance of peace come back into the atmosphere. It was as if things hadn't ever changed since they'd started living together a few months ago.
Even so, he felt unsettled. There was something going wrong with her. He could sense it now. It was like looking at a beautiful painted wall for such a long time that he began to see the cracks in the paint. Adelaide would look into the distance, not being completely in the present at times, like she was thinking or talking to herself in her head. Issei would know because that was something he would do. Whenever he'd ask her about how she felt, she'd always say she was fine, but that wasn't ever enough for Issei. He had given her time to think about her answer so that they could come to a decision about Rizevim's proposal.
Now that Irae had come out, everything had just become severely complicated.
He thought about his and Adelaide's circumstance. The Novella Caelum were genocidal fanatics, most likely to drop the use of Bahamut's image to spread their poison soon. Even so, they had a connection to him, still clinging onto Bahamut's name to retain a sense of fear and weight to themselves as of this moment.
They'd just declared conflict against the Alliance and anyone who desired chaos, while professing wanting a better tomorrow. Issei wasn't fooled, however. Many times, religion had been used as a tool to manipulate the masses. The more people you have, the more powerful you become.
That would pressure the Alliance, who'd just been called out. That meant that they'd react by talking negotiations to create a passive resolution or they'd use force if prompted. Things could go either way, depending on how many hot heads were at the helm of the Alliance.
Then there was the matter of him and Adelaide. The Novella Caelum would now search more fervently for him and Adelaide. He was still the Host of Bahamut and was basically a walking nuke if unleashed. Adelaide could influence him, not counting Vali in this equation. Therefore, having them both was like having a nuke and its remote detonator.
As things are, with his moral code at this point in time, Issei was unwilling to rain fire on everything. On the other hand, he didn't have the power of a massive force or organization to back him up.
Issei looked at Adelaide, who was making breakfast.
'I have to make a decision for her sake. As much as I don't want to do this…neither of us have the mind to cause mass destruction for our freedom. We can't go to the Novella Caelum because they're genocidal bastards. The human governments don't even know we exist. The only option is to force Rizevim to go towards our terms and come to an acceptable decision. Even so, there needs to be countermeasures in case things go South. But…I can't complete this if I don't confirm every detail.' Issei grit his teeth.
With a heavy and reluctant heart, he took steps toward her. He knew that what he was about to do could shatter everything. His bond with Adelaide. The life they were living. The life he wanted them to have. Everything could go.
"Adelaide." Issei said.
Said girl turned off the stove.
"Breakfast's finished cooking." She smiled sweetly at him as she took off her apron.
"We need to talk." Issei said.
"Can't it wait till after breakfast?" Adelaide asked.
The grumbling of her stomach caused her to blush.
"R-Right." Issei chuckled.
Today of all days, it tasted especially delicious. Was it because Adelaide was going back to her regular self?
At times, he'd wondered just how much was Aria and how much was Adelaide at this point. When he was going through what she went through, he'd ended up speaking different languages that he used to know at random points. He'd slip back into old habits and talk to someone else as if they were someone he knew in a different lifetime, sometimes even calling them the wrong name. It was a truly strenuous experience on one's mind. Questioning one's own sanity wasn't unreasonable, either.
After a delicious meal, Issei returned to the topic that required their attention.
"So, Lefay-" Issei caught himself, rather, he failed.
Adelaide dropped her fork when he said that name.
"Sorry, Adelaide." Issei tried to quickly sweep the mistake under the rug.
"Yes?" Adelaide asked.
Issei couldn't tell what she was feeling, given how her bangs seemed to block her expression.
"I wanted to talk about what we're going to do." Issei said.
Adelaide set her coffee down.
"I…I've made my decision. But what about you?" She asked.
"I'm going to try and force Rizevim to give us the conclusion most favorable to us. I think it's time to leave." Issei said.
"I see." Adelaide said with a low voice.
"I…" Issei blinked
That was odd. He was getting dizzy. His head grew light as he lost strength in himself.
Before he could fall out of his chair, he was caught by two gentle arms and a loving embrace.
"I'm so sorry, Issei, but…I just can't let you go." Adelaide tearfully said.
Issei looked up at her eyes and gasped. Her eyes were shining, but the feeling behind them was different. They didn't glow like how they did when she used her singing powers. They were far colder. That was the least unsettling thing, however.
They were blank, lifeless, lacking light and wide.
"I'd tried. I'd tried for so long to entertain the thought of letting you go back. I entertained the thought of going with you. In the end, I just couldn't do it. I love you too much to let anyone else have you." Adelaide said.
"Adelaide…" Issei breathed out as strength left his body.
"I'm so sorry, Issei, but I need you. I can't imagine another day without you. You're everything to me. I had nothing until you came into my life. If you leave, there'll be nothing. If you leave and go back to those bastards, you'll just get used again and like before, you'll be killed. They'll use you and let you die like usual. I don't want that. I want you safe, even if it'll only be in my arms." Adelaide held him tightly.
"That's why, I won't let them have you. I won't let that bitch use you, either. If she loved you as much as she said, then she would've woken up to that love a lot sooner. I love you with every fiber of my being, Issei. That's why, stay mine forever." Adelaide smiled sweetly, with hints of derangement seeping through her eyes as Issei lost consciousness.
In his sleep, his mind had been pulled deep into the darkness of his subconscious.
He floated in an endless vortex of navy, lost.
"Where is this?" Issei asked.
He was looking around and all around him, were the countless memories that he'd had. They weren't just from this life, but from lives before. They were swirling endlessly like a cyclone as he fought the disorientation.
"What the hell is going on?" Issei asked.
As he saw the memories, he started to think.
"Yeah, t-that's right, I…I…I…I." Issei growled in frustration.
He sounded like a broken record.
"Damn it! What was I trying to remember?" Issei snarled.
He looked around him yet was unable to sort out all the memories of what had happened to him.
He felt like he was in here for hours as he looked at every single memory that chaotically spun around him. Whatever had happened the other night, had done something to his mind. His brain was just swimming in a storm of memories that had been caused by Vali and Adelaide's clash of songs.
Vali, who had tried to dig out all of his memories, had succeeded. Adelaide, who'd tried to keep Vali from creating a blazing fire in Issei's mind, had slowed things down. Inadvertently, the two had created an unintentional phenomenon. Vali had opened the gates, removing the mental block that his evolution had made, giving him his memories. In conjunction, Adelaide's countermeasures had slowed things down enough that Issei could manage to process it all, but only barely due to the strain placed on him.
Issei realized what was happening and what had happened, his mind finally piecing everything together.
After hours and hours, his brain put itself back together. This severely traumatic event on his mind had been the key. Memories often returned with the re-enactment of the event that caused the memory loss or something several emotional had to be the catalyst. Yet, who could re-enact or cause something similar to an evolutionary process.
During the entire time Vali and Adelaide sang, their love, their memories, their bonds had been sent into his mind, barraging him with their wills. Was it because it was just so erratic and taxing? Was it because they were the Songstresses of Serenity? Was it because enough time had passed and his mind was ready to handle the strain?
"I remember…I remember now!" Issei gawked.
He slowly began to remember everything. He was Issei Hyoudou, the Host of Bahamut. His parents. He remembered their deaths. He remembered Vali, Lefay, Arthur, Izlana, Kuroka, Bikou, Lianshi, Rizevim, Ezagyra, Ileana, Rintilr, and Sairaorg. He remembered the day his powers awoke from the day he died. His mind bridged the gaps with the days that passed till this very moment.
Everything was making sense to him now, as he felt himself completely rebuild itself.
It had felt like days had gone by as his mind sorted itself out. In reflection, Issei's mental landscape returned to the lush green plains with forests on hills next to the sea.
"It took forever." A familiar voice said.
"Rexis!" Issei said in relief as he shimmered into existence.
"You have no idea how long I'd tried to get through to you." Rexis sighed.
"Explain." Issei demanded.
"This was all because of the evolutionary process. It meddled with your very soul, Issei. That had the unforeseen repercussion of affecting your memories. The soul is the core of your being. When the process that transformed you occurred, your body was unable to handle it all at once because there were just too many things occurring. Something had to take the hit. Your body was repairing itself, so it would've been pointless if your body took the brunt of the process, only to have to loop and repeat the repairing and evolution. Your soul was melded with Bahamut's, so anything tricky or disastrous could've had your persona destroyed or released Bahamut. Thus, your mind took the hit, losing your memories temporarily since that was the least harmful thing to you. Something had to take the fall or else you'd have failed to evolve and died permanently as a consequence of still having a human body that was trying to do too much at once without the capacity for it." Rexis started.
Issei nodded for him to continue.
"Thus, your memories were considered 'least important' and were stored for a time. I was also locked out because the process had us shut down so that you wouldn't overload till you were ready. As it so happened, the dual singing that Vali and Adelaide did were the catalyst. It literally just needed time to really making everything come together. Vali caused your mind to open all the floodgates so that your memories could go free after your mind managed to prepare enough. Then, Adelaide interfered but it actually helped because it slowed things down enough so that your mind wouldn't fry itself all at once. That gave your mind time to sort things out. It also cleared the 'block' that kept me from communicating with you since it would've presented psychological problems if it occurred any further." Rexis explained.
Issei rubbed his head.
"Alright, I get it. So, what now?" He asked himself.
Rexis fell silent.
"As soon as you recover, you should go. Staying here will only cause more danger." His spiritual best friend said.
Issei was silent. He was silent for so long that Rexis wondered if something was going wrong again.
"I can't." Issei shook his head.
"What?" Rexis was stunned.
(Hiroyuki Sawano – Unti-L. Play Song.)
"I can't leave her like this." Issei decided.
"Issei." Rexis circled around him to look him in the eye.
"She's the one who kidnapped you. She stole your time away with Vali. She kept you from the others. She even knocked you out so that you couldn't go to them!" Rexis was outraged.
"And it's because she's just as much of a victim as any of us."
"Issei, wake up! She's just using you!" Rexis gripped Issei's shoulders.
"I know it looks like I'm bewitched or under some spell, but I'm not, Rexis." Issei calmly said.
"How do you know? I couldn't even get through to you until now after the secret came out." Rexis demanded.
"And that's exactly it. If I was under a spell, do you think we would be talking right now?" Issei asked.
Rexis went silent as he realized Issei's point.
"Rexis, it's exactly as I said. She's just as much of a victim as I am. She was just unlucky because the Avitur inside of her has malicious intent. Don't you realize that we were both in that boat with Bahamut as our temptation? And don't you dare downplay it. Bahamut's nothing more than a homicidal maniac who wants everyone to suffer along with him. Reasons be damned, he's hung onto that rage consciously till now." Issei stated.
Again, Rexis didn't reply.
"Exactly. Rexis, Adelaide was just an innocent girl who kept suffering several tragedies in her life. She lost her parents, her grandparents, and unborn baby brother at the same time. None of her other family members wanted her. It was only thanks to her aunt and uncle that she still had a family to go home to. Then, a few years later, her aunt and uncle died. After that, all her friends left her alone to pursue their own lives. When she was on her own, she managed to find her way. Then, she met me, which threw a wrecking ball at her life again. Her powers began to awaken, and her memories of her past lives returned." Issei removed Rexis' hands from his shoulders.
"She went through ALL of it alone. When she suffered, she had to do it alone. At least I had people there for me and to guide me. She got thrown into that dark pit and no one tried to help dig her out because there was no one there. The only reason why all of this is happening is because we were cursed by choices that our past selves made. So, if you're going to blame her out of bias for making decisions that were implanted into her by the powers that be, then FUCK OFF!" Issei bellowed.
"Issei, just why are you so defensive of her?!" Rexis asked.
"She went through that hell alone. She's an example of how Vali and I could've turned out if no one had been there for us! She's a personification of the experiences that I didn't want the others to go through before I died. She's an example of what could've been! Don't you understand anything? Or are you too blinded by the past to understand anything other than to attack our polar opposite just because she's part Avitur?!" Issei responded.
Rexis once again stayed silent as he thought about what Issei said.
"You were a king with loyal subjects and people all around you. Loneliness is the fastest road to losing yourself and insanity. You may not have been emotionally connected to some people, but at least there were people there that you could connect to. For the longest time, Adelaide and I were alone, with no one even willing to look our way. That's why I want to help her. I want to be there for her and help her out of that pain like how others have helped me." Issei restored his composure.
"If things had been different, I'd have probably been worse than her. I'm constantly reminded of the disgust that I felt when I saw the Cult of Bahamut. The rage and desire to eradicate them for besmirching Bahamut, who's essentially me. The lost lives and destruction that came from their actions. If I had been alone like how she was, I wouldn't have wasted a second thought to destroy them all. But what would that make me? And now, you want me to destroy Adelaide when she hasn't even done anything to truly hurt me? Are people trying to make me stoop lower? This isn't a story where you just kill someone that's supposed to be evil but isn't and you get called a hero for killing someone. That's no different than executing someone who caused a car accident even though their car lost a wheel because of secretly poor manufacturing and not their own choices." Issei said.
He turned around to face Rexis.
"I've chosen to forgive her already because she never even asked to be a part of this. I only killed the Aviturs because they wanted to destroy all life as it is now so that their own kind could thrive without regard for others. I wasn't going to let innocent and good lives get destroyed for that." Issei said.
"She could've killed me, but she didn't. She could've taken away my free will but didn't. She could've dumped me at the feet of the Aviturs but didn't. Deep down, inside of her heart, I know Adelaide's fighting for control, but she has no emotional pillars left to lean on. She's fighting an uphill battle that she doesn't truly understand while every one of her strengths is being used against her. Today was the day where the last of her mental strength crumbled." Issei stated.
"And what'll you do if you're wrong?" Rexis asked.
"Then I'll shoulder the responsibility of my actions just like usual." Issei replied.
"Issei, have you even thought this through?! The Alliance will come for her if she's an Avitur!" Rexis clarified.
"Then I'll fight every single one of them till we're free." Issei walked right up into his face.
"Issei, is she really worth it?" Rexis asked.
"Rexis, if it were just one good soul left in a world full of evil ones, then I'd fight the world if I had to for the sake of that one soul." Issei asked.
Rexis closed his eyes in defeat.
"I don't like this. I feel like it's a trap." He shook his head.
"If our situations were reversed, then how would you feel?" Issei asked.
Rexis paused before answering.
"I'd probably do the same thing." He sighed.
"People like to pretend that if someone does something bad, they deserve punishment. Yet, when the tables are turned and the situations are reversed, they're the ones asking to be spared or beg for the lives of others. They're the ones crying out against the injustice. It's a one-sided and biased mentality that's plagued this world since forever. It's why so many people have so many moral issues. It's easy to blame other people but so few are ever willing to blame themselves and understand others." Issei scoffed.
As Issei's mindscape began to fade, he realized that he was waking up.
(Hiroyuki Sawano OST – Unti-L. End Song.)
"We'll talk later." Issei said as he awoke.
Blinking awake, Issei found himself chained to the bed that he and Adelaide shared.
"Why am I not surprised?" Issei sighed.
"Are you awake?" Adelaide said as she walked in.
Just like before, her eyes were lacking in that luster of life and sanity. She had a smile on her face, but within those eyes, he saw the troubled soul that was being drowned out.
Issei hated this. He hated seeing Adelaide reduced like this.
She was bright, patient, kind, and understanding because so few had been that way for her. Yet, because of circumstance, the life she was building for herself was shaken to the ground.
As of this moment, now that his memories had returned, he wasn't quite sure where he stood. His feelings for Vali had returned but at the same time, they violently clashed with his feelings for Adelaide. Not Aria. Adelaide. He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't feeling genuine love for her. The problem was that his better judgement told him that he was two-timing, something he'd been taught to not engage in.
'My parents would be so ashamed of me right now.' Issei scoffed at himself.
'Because you have feelings for two girls or cus you're tied to a bed?' Rexis asked.
'Yes.' Issei answered.
"Yeah, I am." Issei gently nodded.
He had to be mindful not to set Adelaide off. As far as he remembered, pushing buttons was never a good thing with anyone in this emotional state.
"How're you feeling? I'm sorry I had to chain you up, but I just saw no other way. It's only temporary until you get better, I promise. Once things calm down, we can start living a bit more freely. As things are now, no one will ever find us. Ufufu." Adelaide giggled.
Issei wasn't going to lie. Her deranged mental state and obsessive love were disconcerting. How was he going to handle this situation without making it all go down the toilet? Issei scoffed at himself.
'I should've watched more anime with yanderes.'
Issei looked at his chains.
"Those chains were made from my power over light and enhanced with my songs. It's not easy to break out of them." Adelaide gently cupped his face.
"Adelaide, what're you going to do? What's the plan after this?" Issei asked.
"It's simple, Issei. You'll live with me forever. I've already begun making plans to secure somewhere where no one can tear us apart. We'll finally get to enjoy our happily ever after where we'll raise a lovely family together. I promise, those chains will come off soon, but I know what you're like. You'll run off like usual. You've got a nasty habit of always running off." Adelaide's face saddened as she recounted past events.
Issei couldn't fault her for that one. He did have tendency to be all over the place.
By the sounds of things, Adelaide wasn't too far gone yet. There was still room to work with.
"And in the meantime?" Issei asked.
Adelaide giggled. She straddled him on the bed, tracing her fingers over his muscled chest as she leaned in closer.
"Ufufufu. Why, I'll take. Good. Care. Of. You." She planted her lips on top of his.
Issei would've normally loved this, but he wasn't feeling it right now. Not like this. Not while Adelaide wasn't herself. Not while something was egging her on.
"Is something starting to burn?" Issei sniffed the air.
"Ah! It looks like I forgot about lunch. I'll be right back." Adelaide kissed him on the lips again before leaving down the steps.
'So? What's our plan?' Rexis asked.
'The Chains are weakening my powers, but if I try, I could use my aura to break free.' Issei suggested.
'And then you'd have a fight on your hands.' Rexis pointed out.
'What happened to fighting?' Issei chuckled.
'Stop being a smart ass. Let's just say your words rubbed off on me.' Rexis sighed.
'I do have a plan, but it's gonna require direct touch. It's also really, really, really risky.' Issei pursed his lips.
'What crazy idea do you have cooked up this time?' Rexis scoffed.
'With how it's looking in my head, I could manipulate the connection that I share with her. It's a two-way conduit. When Bahamut stirs, they can sense it. When they're in distress, I can sense it if I'm close enough. We share an emotional and mental link. So, what if I can use that link like a tube and channel Abyssal Energy into her mind and kill the Avitur part of her, or at least put it to sleep?' Issei suggested.
'That's crazy, Issei. You might fry her brain.' Rexis was baffled.
'That's exactly why I'm so scared of doing it. Still, that's why I've got you here.' Issei nodded.
'Well…if I can control the output of the flow of energy, I could optimize the process so that it'll lower the chances of harming Adelaide's psyche. If I can connect to the Abyssal part of her, then I might be able to even help the process speed along.' Rexis mused.
'The only problem is going to be convincing her to undo these chains. Rexis, make sure to save up enough power so that we can instantly act when she releases me.' Issei said.
'Roger.' Rexis replied.
'Think you can figure out what she put in my food to knock me out?' Issei asked.
'Well, your body is far above a human's now, but that doesn't mean you're invincible. She must've used some of her Avitur powers to conceive some kind of drug to knock you out. Just as much as how the Abyss affects the Void, it'll work the other way around. I can try to produce antibodies powered by your Abyssal Energy the next time she puts food in your mouth. But the effectiveness will go down with increasing doses.' Rexis explained.
'And how long till we can be immune?' Issei asked.
'It's impossible for you to be completely immune, but we can make it so that the effects won't be debilitating.' Rexis said.
'Fine. How long till we can start on the plan?' Issei asked.
'By tomorrow morning if we're going to try and handle anything she throws at us.' Rexis replied.
'Then it looks like I'll have to stall till then.' Issei sighed.
Just as he finished talking to Rexis, Issei turned to the door as Adelaide came inside with a warm bowl of food.
"Alright, it's time to eat." She cheerfully said.
"What's for dinner?" Issei asked.
"Your favorite, BLT Sandwich with a side of chili-cheese fries." Adelaide said with enthusiasm.
She snapped her fingers, causing the chains restraining to sit him up.
'Rexis, progress on those antibodies?' Issei asked.
'Nearly ready. They'll only last long enough for this time, so I'm going to need time if you're gonna do more. Your body already has high capabilities with fighting off diseases and poisons, but it won't be enough for Avitur magic.' Rexis warned.
'That's fine.' Issei sighed.
"Ah." Adelaide held up a fry.
Issei decided that the least aggressive path was the smartest, lest he invite a violent reaction from her. Lesson #1 when dealing with a yandere: never push their buttons just because you can't control your emotions. He'd failed that one in a past life and got killed for it.
"Ah." Issei ate the chili-cheese covered fry.
He tried to pick out the taste of any magic or elixir that stood out to him, but he didn't taste anything strange. Figures. He wasn't some godly individual, despite not knowing what he was right now.
"How is it? I made sure to make my own version of it just for you." Adelaide smiled sweetly.
"It tastes great." Issei wasn't going to lie.
However, he felt nervous, honestly. He was trying to predict what Adelaide had done or would do. Had she laced the food with more drugs? Not to mention, there was just one more day till the appointed time to meet with Rizevim to discuss safe passage.
He had to get rid of the Avitur part of Adelaide and get her to agree to go with him. Yet, none of that could happen until he'd gotten rid of the hold that the Avitur had on her.
As he was now, he was sure he could take her on in a fight, but he didn't want things to resort to that option, either.
'Anything?' Issei asked.
'Nothing. There's nothing off with the food. No Void toxins. No drugs. Nothing. Maybe she thinks the previous dose is still in your system or the chains are stronger than we thought.' Rexis suggested.
'Maybe. Either that, or she's trying to keep that darker part of herself at bay and didn't do anything on purpose.'
'You just don't give up, do you?' Rexis sighed.
'I never give up.' Issei responded.
"Darling? You've been staring off into space for a while now. Here, eat some more." Adelaide lovingly put more food in his mouth.
"Say, Adelaide, I can eat on my own, you know." Issei sheepishly chuckled.
"Well, that won't do. It's time someone spoiled you. After all, you've done so much hurting that I think this is the start of proper compensation." Adelaide shook her head.
'Okay, so she's not in the mind to compromise.' Issei noted.
"But that wouldn't be love, would it? That's compensation, not love." Issei said.
Adelaide paused.
"Come on, hand me the plate." Issei opened his hand.
Issei wanted to see if the Avitur side of her would interfere. True to his suspicions, Adelaide's hands began to tremble, almost as if she were trying to stop herself. When the plate got into his hands, Issei eyed it for a bit before taking a bite of the sandwich.
If he was going to get Adelaide to ease up any suspicion, then he needed to show his trust.
"It's delicious." Issei said as he took another big bite.
"I'm so glad!" Adelaide sighed happily.
Issei held up a fry for her.
"I don't want to eat alone." He said.
Adelaide gulped as she ate the fry, a strong blush across her face. The two shared the meal before the plate was clean. As far as things went, Adelaide didn't look affected, either.
'Why on Earth do you have to be such a glutton? If that entire plate was poison, you'd have reincarnated 4 times already.' Rexis was seething at his carelessness.
'Hey, it was delicious. I don't like to waste food. Besides, we didn't detect anything. Most of all, if we're going to reach a peaceful conclusion, then I've gotta show that I trust her. I love her, Rexis, I'm not going to abandon her to be alone. I've helped strangers for far less, so why should I count her out? Besides, if I kept refusing, she'd have forced it down my throat, anyways. At least we get to chew and see if there's anything in the food this time.' Issei argued back.
'You're lucky I had your body go into overdrive to make more antibodies in case this comes back to bite you in the ass.' Rexis growled.
Issei was about to wipe his hands with a napkin until Adelaide took hold of his hand.
"Adelaide?" Issei paused.
She brought his fingers towards her, sucking and licking them clean.
'JESUS!' Issei jumped at the sudden bold move.
'One thing's for sure. She's waaaaaaaay more daring than Vali. She can barely talk about her crush on Sairaorg without becoming a blubbering mess. Although, it was cute in its own way. This girl makes it obvious how she feels.' Rexis said.
Adelaide sensually continued to lick his fingers, cleaning off any sauce and stains till they were clean. Almost as if to tempt him, she made sure to make some slurping noises and moans while doing it.
"There. All clean." Adelaide smiled seductively at him.
'BEGONE THOT!' Rexis decreed.
'How do you even know about that meme?!' Issei asked.
'I'm aware of your surroundings, remember? Besides, I have magic Wifi.' Rexis explained.
"If you want, I'll service you even better than this." Adelaide breathed as she undid a button on her shirt, showing him more of her cleavage.
"W-We'll save that for another time." Issei cleared his throat.
"Oh? Pity. Still, I don't want to force you. But I want you to understand that I won't take 'no' as an answer for too long. Ufufufufufufu." Adelaide giggled as the vacant light in her eyes returned.
'Seduction. The cruelest weapon to use against a healthy young boy.' Rexis huffed.
'I'm surprised my chastity hasn't been taken yet.' Issei mused.
'You were probably being a herbivore and she had too much on her mind to go there.' Rexis reasoned.
'Anyways, enough of that. How much longer till we're ready?' Issei asked.
'Like I said, tomorrow morning if we're going to try and save enough Abyssal Energy and antibodies in case she tries multiple things. As for your idea of spiritually killing the Avitur inside her, it's not going to be easy. You'll have to send your mind in there as well. Who knows what'll happen if things go wrong.' Rexis said.
Adelaide returned after cleaning up the dishes, snapping her fingers, causing Issei to be put back on his back on the bed. She immediately laid down on top of him, giggling to herself.
"What're you doing?" Issei asked.
"Spending the day with you." Adelaide said.
"Doing what?" Issei asked.
"Just being with you. I don't need anything else. I don't want anyone else. All I need and want is you." Adelaide embraced Issei, slowly tightening her grip to almost asphyxiating levels.
"Now, you're mine. All mine." Adelaide said, as if every single wish she had had been fulfilled as her eyes went back and forth from being empty to having a small glimmer of light there.
Yeah, to be honest, Vetrazin was going to be a lot worse in this chapter, but I already knew what would happen if I got carried away again. That, and what I want to happen won't happen if I went all the way with the yandere thing. I also said I'd try not to make this story dark like the Grim Herald, so I gotta put in effort with that promise.
Anyways, on to the 3rd chapter.
