And this is the last of the 3-chapter update.

To be honest, the original plan and what I had drafted to happen would've made things longer. However, I wanted to avoid that. Dragging things on was what originally killed the Original Heroic Calamity. It either took too long or was too short when it came to the story's plot.

As things stand, I feel like this is the right spot to wrap up this particular part of the story.

Enjoy.


Chapter 60: Who We Want To Be

That night, dinner was largely the same. Issei would be sitting upright but still chained. When Issei had finished, Adelaide bent over, licking the stains off his lips before sticking her tongue into his mouth.

Issei would normally be receptive of this behavior, but under these circumstances, he had to refuse. He moved away from her. To him, their kisses meant something. Right now, they didn't feel like they were from Adelaide. They felt like they were from someone else and that wasn't acceptable to him.

"What's wrong?" Adelaide asked.

"Nothing. I'm just not in the mood right now." Issei wiped his lips.

"But I am." Adelaide crawled closer.

Her lips mere inches away from his again, desperate to reach him. Issei looked into her eyes and saw the desperation. He saw that she needed this to be a supplement of strength for her. It was as if she were entirely dependent upon hearing his words and feeling his touch just to keep up this passive behavior. Unhealthy dependency.

"How about we put this off? I'm not really feeling it tonight." Issei tried to peacefully reject her, gently holding her still with the little room his arms could move with.

Adelaide looked hurt when he pushed her away.

"Why?" She muttered.

"What?" Issei asked.

"Why have you been so distant?" Adelaide asked.

"What do you mean?" Issei asked.

'Here it comes.' He said to himself.

"You keep pushing me away. I want to touch you. I want to be touched by you. Before, you never hesitated to show me any love or affection. When I gave it to you, you'd always receive it happily. You'd always give some back to me. Now, you won't even look me in the eye anymore. I come near and you draw back. I talk to you and you don't respond." Adelaide began to cry.

It was disturbing to see how rapidly Adelaide's mood and tones changed. Then again, the parts that were Adelaide, Aria, and Avitur were at war inside her mind. One part probably made one decision, only for another part to intervene.

Issei wanted to help her, but it just wasn't time just yet.

Then, he noticed her mood switch all over again.

"Is it because of that bitch?" Adelaide asked.

"What?" Issei asked.

"It was her, wasn't it? Vali…" Adelaide accused.

Issei jolted a bit in surprise. He had to find a way to keep Adelaide here. It was with him that the least damage could be done. Who knew what she'd do if she directed her rage at Vali. It was already a given that negotiations would flop if Adelaide committed any dangerous acts.

"It's me, Adelaide. It's as I told you, I'm not feeling it." Issei turned away.

Adelaide was wide-eyed and hurt at his words. Her love wasn't enough? Her attention wasn't enough? Her time wasn't enough? Adelaide felt everything shutting down. Her heart began to thump violently while stopping abruptly. She felt a burning itch inside her, an angry white-hot rage.

'It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. Why does it hurt so much? Make it stop. Why won't it stop?'

"I see…and what would it take?" Adelaide asked.

She had no idea what to rationally do now. Her mind and heart were going all over the place, trying to think of a way that would allow her to keep Issei at her side. She wanted to find a way to get back that life that she and Issei had before they crossed paths with the Cult. The days where her life was brightest. That was all she'd had left.

She felt the urge to vent, violently. Then, something in her head, some force kept her from even lifting a finger to start.

"I just need time, Adelaide." Issei looked her dead in the eyes.

He wasn't sure if his gambit would work, but he had to play on her feelings for him. He had to play on her love and his ability to influence her to give him the time he needed for his plan. He tried his best to transmit his feelings toward her, to appeal to the reasonable part of Adelaide.

Adelaide stared at him, as if fighting to ignore his pleas or to indulge him.

Issei decided to give her a kiss on the forehead to try and calm her down and bring her down to his level. It seemed to pacify her, but Issei knew that soon, she'd explode. He'd been denying her affection the entire day and he knew her mental stability was hanging on by a thin thread. Even so, it'd only encourage her to get even worse and to grow more extreme if he did succumb to her advances.

There was a time to be dumb and get shoehorned to the point of no return and there was a time to be smart and make sure they had a future. This was not the time to be dumb. By dumb, he meant letting his hormones take over and wreck the whole plan.

"Fine…I'll let you have your time. But you can't take too long." Adelaide muttered.

'The way she said it…I knew it. She's fighting it.' Issei breathed a sigh of relief.

There was still hope yet.

Issei tried to suppress his nervousness. He had no idea if his plan was going to work. Even so, he'd do his damnedest to make it work. What really scared him was the potential damage that he could inflict upon her.


When morning came, Issei was ready. Next was just the harrowing part. He had to convince Adelaide to unchain him.

"Morning." Adelaide rubbed her eyes as she got off him from their bed, straddling him.

"Morning, Adelaide." Issei said.

She leaned down and kissed him on the lips, almost roughly, intertwining their fingers. Issei noticed that she was getting more erratic as she put more force in the next kiss. He could barely breath. Her tongue invaded his mouth, swirling around his own. He then felt the grind of her privates over his own crotch, arousing him.

When they parted for air, Adelaide looked at him. Her eyes were entranced, going empty once again in a yandere-like fashion. Her affection mixed with an imposed darkness in her heart as she took off her very short sleeping gown, revealing her black lacy bra and panties.

Adelaide licked her lips as she trailed her hand down Issei's face.

"I want you. Ufufufufufu." She giggled.

Issei would've accepted this under normal circumstances, but given how convoluted and complicated things were, he'd have to say no. Rather, there were way more pressing matters to get to.

"Adelaide…" Issei said, snapping her out of her trance.

"Yes?" She sweetly asked as she neared his neck, kissing it.

"I want you to unchain me." Issei gently said.

"You don't have to worry; I'll do all of the work." Adelaide giggled as she started to suck on his neck.

"Even so, I want you to set me loose." Issei said.

He was reluctant because what he was about to do would hurt her a lot, not just emotionally, but perhaps physically as well. Whatever the case, the next several moments from this would change everything.

"Why?" Adelaide immediately stopped.

His tone and abruptness gave her pause. She knew where this was going.

"Adelaide, it's time to go. We can't stay like this anymore. There are people waiting for me. Lefay, Bikou, Kuroka, Arthur, Elaine, Izalana, Lianshi, Rizevim, Ezagyra, Rintilr, Ileane, Sairaorg, and Vali." Issei recounted the names.

Adelaide gasped.

"I remember them all, Adelaide. All of my memories that were lost came back. What they told me was the truth." Issei came out with the truth.

Adelaide shot up, giving him the most terrified and horrified look.

'No. No. Noooo! He remembered! He's going to go away! My world is going to go away! I can't let him! I can't let him leave me!' Adelaide fell into a downward spiral of fear.

'That's right. You can't let him go. He's your entire world. He's everything to you. What'll happen to you if he's gone? More importantly, what new way will he die this time?' The Voice said.

'Die? Issei will…die? No. No. No. No. No. No. Issei can't die. He's died too many times already. He's been hurt too much already. I can't let him go. He'll die again. Never. Never again.' Adelaide, who's weakening mind was already on the brink, finally fell apart.

It was only natural that he'd want to leave her.

"You love Vali, don't you?" Adelaide asked.

That was another cold blade into Adelaide's heart. Her mind was having such a hard time accepting those words. For Issei to love someone other than her was something she couldn't handle. She could feel her heart aching excruciatingly. It began to beat against her rib cage, painfully thumping like it was stabbing itself on spikes each time. She began to pant.

"Never. I'll never accept it. I'll never let that bitch have you! I won't let her take you away from me again!" Adelaide growled.

"Adelaide?" Issei asked, unnerved.

He then felt her two hands pressing against his throat.

'Damn it, I knew it'd end up like this. Rexis, get ready to let out a mana burst. We'll have to go with Plan B and overload the chains.' Issei said.

"Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY? Why am I not good enough?! What is it about her that makes her better?! Why is that your mind keeps wandering away?! Why are you trying to leave me alone?! You're all I have left!" Adelaide shrieked.

Issei felt her loose grip slowly tighten and shake. When she looked at him, Issei felt genuine alarm and fear. Her eyes were wide, unblinking. Her irises and pupils looked shrunk, consumed by madness, empty and hollow without any light left. Before, there was something there, but now, there wasn't anything.

"They use you! They ignore how much you're hurting! They can't even tell when you're upset! You'll be safe here! You'll be loved here with me! Yet, you want to leave me alone just like everyone else has! I won't let you! If I can't have you, then I'll make sure no one else can! Especially that bitch, Vali Lucifer!" Adelaide screamed.

"Adelaide!" Issei began to choke as her grip began to tighten.

"I can't stand it! I hate it! Everyone I love always leaves me! Why is it that the person I love the most is trying to leave too! I hate it! I don't want to be alone! I'll never let you go! You said you love me! Liar! LiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiar!" Adelaide fell into a mad mantra as she continued to press onto his air pipes.

Issei started to struggle to breathe. He choked and gagged for air as he made one last plea of reason.

"Adelaide, you're hurting me!" He choked out.

Adelaide gasped, staring at him wide-eyed. As if awakened by his plea, Adelaide stopped. Her hands shook violently as she looked at them before looking at Issei. She felt guilt and regret slam into her.

The pain of regret and shame washed away the psychotic love that had possessed her moments earlier.

"Oh god…you're right. What have I done?" Adelaide began to sob.

"I wanted to protect you and now, look at me! I tried to kill you!" She reminded herself as she got off him, stepping back.

Issei coughed and gasped for air as she got off. He managed to sit up and look at the sight in front of him.

Adelaide was sobbing uncontrollably as she realized what she'd just tried to do. Her loud gasps for air and crying made it clear just how true and honest she felt. It tore at Issei to watch her pummel her mind for what happened.

While she still had control over herself, Adelaide snapped her fingers, undoing the chains around his limbs. Issei instantly got up.

"Please, just go. Go while I still have control over myself!" Adelaide begged.

She couldn't stand the sight of him leaving, looking away. Instead, Issei walked right over.

"Why?" Adelaide whimpered.

Issei gently held her head as he pressed his forehead to hers.

'If this fails, your minds will be lost. Don't forget to retain your sense of self. As soon as you're done, get out.' Rexis warned.

"Here goes nothing." He said, praying to whatever power that resurrected him to protect Adelaide.


Issei enacted the connection between himself and Adelaide as the Host of Bahamut and the Songstress of Serenity, respectively. He poured his mind into her consciousness.

At that exact moment, it felt as if time had stood still.

Issei was flung into a grey realm of endless dark clouds of purple. Above him were thick rainclouds that constantly brought down a cold torrent. Instead of only feeling cold, Issei felt it poke at his emotional warmth and stability. The sky was even beginning to grow darker as he spent more time here.

If it was like this, then there was no wonder Adelaide was losing a battle of will.

Issei looked around and felt no presence from the Avitur inside Adelaide. For what felt like hours, he looked around until he noticed someone in the distance.

It was Adelaide, huddled on the ground and crying hysterically. The memories of the real world were still fresh in her mind.

"Adelaide?" Issei asked softly.

Adelaide averted her gaze out of remorse.

"Adelaide, what's going on?" Issei asked more explicitly.

"You're going to hate me even more." Adelaide trembled.

"Adelaide, look at me." Issei said.

He gently turned her face towards him.

"I will never hate you." He vehemently said.

(Hiroyuki Sawano – Cage. Play Song.)

Adelaide bit her lip.

"I can hear a voice." She whimpered.

She was so hesitant to say this to Issei. If she was crazy, then what would he do? Would he put her out of her misery?

"What kind of voice?" Issei asked.

"It's scary and cold. It keeps taunting me. It keeps telling me that I'll be alone. It keeps telling me that I'll be stuck with it all alone." Adelaide recounted, gripping both sides of her head.

She felt that this was such a cheap move. She hated it. It felt like this was just done to keep Issei with her, even though it was the truth. That was why she didn't want to say anything to Issei. She didn't want to guilt him into anything. Even so, she knew she couldn't hide from Issei. Especially so, now that they were inside her mind.

Now that things had gotten this far, Adelaide knew that there was something else that she had to do.

"And…there's more…"

Adelaide got off Issei so that she was directly facing him.

"What that girl said was the truth. When I tracked you down, I took you away, essentially kidnapping you. I didn't do anything else to you, though!" Adelaide cried out.

"I-I just…I just wanted you to be safe. I didn't want you to die fighting or get turned into a scapegoat again. I just wanted to try and give you a happy normal life. That's why I set up safehouses and barriers. I tried to keep you hidden as well as I could. I didn't want you to be taken away so that they could make you fight their battles for them. I know what I did was wrong. It was selfish. I kept you away from the people that clearly cared about you and I hadn't even factored your consent in until it was too late. I'm sorry, Issei." Adelaide lowered her head in apology.

"That's why you need to go. Go! Go before I hurt you even more." Adelaide choked out.

Issei was at a slight loss for words. He'd known on an intuitive level that something was up. He hadn't known what exactly was wrong, but he'd detected that something was out of place.

Even so, Issei found it very hard to be angry with Adelaide. A part of him felt injustice but it was tempered by a calmer mindset. Perhaps it was the part of Issei Hyoudou that was coming back, the one who'd gone through all those adventures around the world. The Issei Hyoudou that was always willing to forgive. The one that always believed.

Setting aside his feelings for her, he wanted to think rationally.

Adelaide hadn't done anything irreversible. She hadn't harmed him and she hadn't killed anyone the entire time he was with her. When she fought Vali, she had wounded her and the rest of the peerage, but in return, they all did the same to her. While she had taken him, he had been in her gentlest care. She soothed his nightmares. She gave him all the love and attention he could've ever asked for. She let him go wherever he wanted whenever he wanted and never forced her decisions on him. She always tried to understand him and helped him ease through his return to life. In the end, she had only done what she thought was right, even if it was misguided. Everything she did was to protect him.

It was foolish and stupid to oust her and scorn her. To only see the bad and refuse to see the good was just wrong. Only short-sighted fools with a lacking in wisdom would lash out at her like a bratty child. Even if Vali had been the one to do this, he'd react in the same way.

They were only doing what he'd been doing for a long time. They were doing the best with what they could with their own hearts as their guides.

The time he'd lost wasn't time that he couldn't make up for. Yes, those chances were gone, but there was nothing in those moments that were worth a big deal. There was always a new day waiting. There'd always be chances for new memories to be made.

Issei shook his head.

He brought Adelaide into his arms. He knew she was forcing herself to distance herself from him, even though it was killing her to do it.

"I swore that I'd never leave you alone. I swore that I'd protect you. I swore that I'd always come back. I'm not going back on that promise now. Yes, you did take me away from the others. The time I spent with you could've been spent with the others. However, I'd have never met you and we'd have missed each other once again. I don't regret meeting you one bit."

"You should! I almost ruined your life!" Adelaide cried.

"But you didn't. Everything that's happened isn't irreversible. If no one will forgive you, then I do! I forgive you!" Issei declared.

"You have done nothing that can't be made up for. You haven't hurt anyone so badly that they can't recover. The only one who's hurting is you, because of your own life's circumstances, and me, who's forced to see you be tortured." Issei said.

Adelaide froze.

"Adelaide, in life, we do a lot of things we regret. Yet, why is it that we get more chances with things until we do the things that can't be undone? If you were so unworthy, then why haven't I left? It's because you're worth saving. You're worth fighting for. You, Adelaide Motoié, are worth it. Not Aria. Not the Avitur. You! Are! Worth it! You are worth forgiving. You deserve to live your life and to move on from all this. You deserve to be loved." Issei said.

"Issei…" Adelaide began to cry once again as Issei held her in his arms.

This time, however, instead of tears of sorrow, she began to cry in relief. For so long, she'd wondered just where the point of no return was. When had she passed the point of no return? Issei's words, which still affected her, proved to her that she wasn't lost.

(Hiroyuki Sawano – Cage. End Song.)

"How sweet." A voice said.

The two looked up as something swirled to life from the dark clouds above and below. In a massive flash of light, a beautiful woman with long white hair and glowing blue eyes looked at the two of them. She wore white armor and had 8 wings of light with a halo behind herself.

"Vetrazin." Issei concluded.

"Yep. I have to admit, it was so sweet. That impassioned speech was so touching. The way you declared your love and the way you inspired her. It's a shame that things can't continue that way. Now that the charade is over, we're going to have to end this." Vetrazin gave them sympathetic smiles.

"You're the Voice, aren't you? The one poisoning Adelaide every day. The one trying to twist her into you." Issei stood up.

"And if I hadn't, you'd have left and she'd be all alone again. I'm sure you don't want that, do you?" Vetrazin asked.

"No, but because of you, Adelaide's mental strength got whittled down. You tried to reduce her but the entire time. I won't forgive you for doing that to her." Issei said.

"Are you sure about fighting me? I am Adelaide as well." Vetrazin said.

"No, you're not. You're not Adelaide. You're an Avitur who found pleasure in torturing others. You're just as twisted as Sorgamark.." Issei refuted.

"And what'll you do if you kill me? It'll destroy her as well." Vetrazin pointed.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. If it means getting rid of you, then I'll do it. This is my realm, my mind. You need to be exorcised like a bad dream." Adelaide said, finally finding her strength again as she stood up.

"Oh? Since when was the lonely little girl able to grow a spine? You're so dependent on him that you can't even function properly without my help." Adelaide pointed out.

"We all need to learn and grow. I understand that completely now. All I know is that I can't move on if you're here. Now, enough talk." Adelaide said, donning her own armor, born of the power given to her by the Abyss.

"Yes, let's finish this." Issei agreed.

"Balance Break!"

(Gundam Unicorn OST – Banshee. Play Song.)

With a powerful eruption of navy aura, Issei was clad in his Balance Breaker armor, radiating such intensity that even Vetrazin was slightly taken aback.

"Last time, it was six against one. Let's see how things end up this time." Issei stepped forward.

"Actually, Issei, I need to do this." Adelaide shook her head.

Issei looked at her in alarm. Surely, she wasn't ready for a fight with an Avitur. At least in Issei's case, he was built for it.

The two looked at each other, coming to an understanding. To really move past this, she felt that she had to do the main fighting, rather than have Issei carry her through it all the way. Issei made it clear that he'd step in if things looked bad, which Adelaide accepted before flying up to face Vetrazin.

"For a while, you kept haunting me. Today's the day I pay you back." Adelaide swore.

Vetrazin merely smirked, gesturing for her to attack.

Creating a bow and arrow from light, Adelaide fired her attack before charging in.

Vetrazin spun, dodging the arrows. Waving her hand, the arrows dispersed into particles. She snapped her fingers, causing a meteor shower of light to rain down from the sky.

"[Nebula Drop]"

Adelaide raised a barrier of light to defend herself.

"[Rejection Zone]"

The hundreds of homing comets rebounded off her barrier, flying back at Vetrazin. Skillfully maneuvering around, she avoided the rebounding attacks before striking Adelaide in the chest.

"[Luster Shock]"

Adelaide moved back. Spreading her wings, she fired a beam from her wings, but all of a sudden, explosions erupted from them, sending her flying backwards. Her attack had imploded the moment she tried to use it.

She coughed as she got up, only for Adelaide to lunge at her with a javelin of light.

"Is that all? Wasn't this your fight to handle?" Vetrazin asked.

"It's not over yet." Adelaide groaned.

Adelaide sang a short hymn, causing an aura to envelop her. A burst of aura popped from around her, causing fragments of light to break off her.

'A curse.' Rexis noted the cause of Adelaide's attack rebounding.

'She must've also seen her share of battles in her past lives.' Issei noted, alluding towards Adelaide's quick assumption.

That explained why her first reaction was a dispelling hymn.

'You two were never always near each other, to be realistic. Aria couldn't always depend on you to fight her battles. If I were to think about it, Aria must've fought plenty of fights in her past lives whenever you weren't there, given your track record of dying early.' Rexis said.

Vetrazin flapped her wings, causing light particles to blind Adelaide's sight. As Adelaide blinked, all that was in front of her was a white distance that went on endlessly. Despite not being able to see her, Adelaide could still sense Vetrazin's motions. The vibration of air every time she flapper her wings and moved her weapons of light in the air. The humming of mana and the killing intent. Adelaide had nearly forgotten so many skills she'd learned in her own lifetimes. This was almost like a true wakeup call for her.

However, this time, she wasn't fighting as Aria. She was fighting with the conviction of Adelaide and her desires while using the skills of Aria.

Instead of using brute force, Adelaide waited on the defensive. Even so, Vetrazin was patiently lurking in the light that obscured her view. Everything around her was complete awash in white light, as if staring at white walls all around her.

"Look at you, showing a strong start." Vetrazin chuckled.

"I learned how to fight a long time before you did." Adelaide said.

"Yes, Aria did, not Adelaide. It wasn't easy messing with Aria, but Adelaide is so much less. You were just a normal little girl until just a few months ago." Vetrazin pointed out.

"And?" Adelaide prompted.

"And I think it's time for you to wizen up and realize the scale of everything." Vetrazin said.

From out of nowhere, Vetrazin flew by, striking her with her hand wreathed in a blade of light.

A deep gash traced across her left bicep as Vetrazin disappeared into light.

"Vetrazin has power over illusions as a secondary ability. Don't let her mess with you." Issei called out.

Sadly, Adelaide couldn't hear him.

Issei took a step forward, about to interfere, He wanted to respect Adelaide's wishes and let her fight this personal battle, but he felt that things could go so wrong. He didn't want to take that chance. And yet, this was Adelaide's fight. She needed this if she was going to get on with her life.

Adelaide turned around, only for Vetrazin to blast a ray of light at her, causing her to block, only to be struck from the side by a sphere of light.

"Gah!"

Staggered, an endless assault of light spheres homed in on Adelaide. It was like being inside a bell being constantly struck from all sides by hammers.

"Don't forget. This is your realm. This is your space. It's not a battle of bodies, it's a battle of willpower." Issei called out.

Adelaide nodded. He was right. Her physical skills weren't her strongest weapon here in the mind.

Tracing her fingers through the air, Adelaide began casting ancient magic that had been lost in the Original Galaxy. It had been a brand of magic that Aria had during a time of war alongside [Rejection Zone]. When she finished drawing the symbol, Adelaide backflipped, barely dodging an attack.

"[Limit Law]" Adelaide placed it on her palm.

Now, she waited. She closed her eyes, trying to pin down Vetrazin's location. She broadened her mind, trying to sense where the Avitur was. Suddenly, she heard that familiar humming. She heard the sound of it moving through the air growling louder and closer. Trusting her own sense of timing, she dodged to the side as Vetrazin's javelin of light missed.

With a quick strike, Adelaide struck Vetrazin's hand before kicking her back before swiping her hand through the air. This dispersed the white area that Vetrazin created that had obscured her from sight.

'Haven't seen that before. I probably didn't learn about it in my life.' Rexis mused.

'Limit Law is a very powerful technique and is a form of Lost Magic unique to Aria. It's something the original Aria developed for more peaceful resolutions. Anything touched by the Limit Law mark is automatically locked and dispelled for a set period of time. Since Adelaide touched Vetrazin's javelin of light, she's unable to use that ability for a set period of time, depending on how much power Adelaide put into it. The same goes for the area of light that Vetrazin used to stun Adelaide. It'll be a bit before the Avitur can use those particular abilities again.' Issei explained.

'Any drawbacks?' Rexis asked.

'There're two. Adelaide can only use it a set number of times before she has to stop. As things stand, I'd wager she can only use it 4 more times since it takes a lot of mana to use. Second, she has to touch them with her hand to make it work. Even so, that's why she learned archery and worked on speed to compensate for it in our first lives.' Issei said.

Vetrazin tried to form another javelin of light in her hands, only for the light particles to fizzle like tv static.

"I'd forgotten you had that power."

Snapping her fingers, Vetrazin smirked.

Adelaide, on the other hand, was panting. It didn't seem like it to others, but Vetrazin was blindingly fast and her curses were a pain to dispel. She had to channel so much energy and focus to just dispel that one curse that one time. No wonder Issei had had so much trouble handling six of the Aviturs. Just one could give anyone a run for their money. In Vetrazin's case, it was her approach. She stunned and whittled away at her enemies to conserve her own strength in battle.

"Getting tired, are we?" Vetrazin asked.

Adelaide didn't respond.

Vetrazin knew that melee combat wasn't an option. Thus, she decided to use bigger tricks.

"[Nightmare Ambience]"

Vetrazin manipulated the light particles that she had spread all across the area. They spun in the air, sweeping through every nook and cranny of the area before dissipating.

When that was done, she flew right towards, Adelaide. However, before she could strike Adelaide, she flew past her.

Issei assumed his guard, only for Vetrazin to aim her halo in front of him.

"Goodbye." She smiled.

"[Vacuum Burst]"

"[Luster Shock]"

Just before Issei could fire his attack, Vetrazin struck him with a curse that would rebound his attack. She had timed it perfectly. Just as he fired, she activated it, causing Issei's attack to backfire and implode from the inside.

A massive explosion erupted, shaking the very atmosphere of mindscape. When Adelaide was able to see through the bright explosion, she found that there was nothing left where Issei stood, nothing except for a severed hand.

"No…" Adelaide gasped.

"Yes. Kinda fitting, don't you think? He liked to blow things up, so he ended up killing himself by blowing himself up. If I don't have the destructive power, then I'll just use his." Vetrazin shrugged.

"You rotten bitch." Adelaide whimpered.

The tears began peppering her eyes as she registered the sight in front of her. Before she could even properly process what had happened, she was forced to defend against Vetrazin.

She felt the rage boiling inside. She could feel the grief worming its way into her heart but she forced it down. She did her best to stop herself from losing her composure in the middle of battle.

Dodging a beam, Adelaide was kneed in the face, causing her to hit the ground, rolling along as she was sent skidding. Adelaide groaned as Vetrazin came down from above, twirling in the air, unleashing an array of spinning lasers.

Adelaide was hard-pressed to dodge and block. If she moved too far, she'd get hit. If she stayed still, she'd get whaled on. As she desperately tried to block, Vetrazin planted her foot in her face, kicking Adelaide into the ground.

Capturing the momentum of the moment, she gripped Adelaide by the neck, slamming her onto the ground. She then felt her powers returning, allowing her to forge a weapon of light in her hands.

She crafted an array of bladed weapons before propelling them at Adelaide like missiles, all of them exploding upon hitting her.

With the shock of Issei's apparent destruction and Vetrazin's seizure of the momentum, Adelaide had lost her grip.

She could barely guard and it had taken a significant amount of strength to use [Limit Law].

Right as Vetrazin fired a massive beam of light at her, Adelaide used [Rejection Zone] to redirect the attack away. Even so, Vetrazin moved in while she was busy, slashing at her stomach as she passed by. She zoomed back and forth, slicing and swiping at Adelaide at the speed of light.

Finally, Vetrazin finished by impaling Adelaide through the side before flinging her into the air, causing her to hit the ground with an earth-shaking thud.

(Gundam Unicorn OST – Banshee. End Song.)

Adelaide gagged and coughed up blood. She tried to get back up, only to falter and hit the ground.

"Funny. All that bravado and this is all you can do. At the end of the day, you're just a damsel in distress. You're always waiting for Bahamut's Host to come save you. Whenever he died, you never had the chance to really get strong since he always took the real fights with him. You're always going to be just a silly little girl who's all alone, too weak to stand up on her own." Vetrazin taunted her.

"Eh…heheheh." Adelaide weakly chuckled.

"Finally broken? Figures." Vetrazin raised a brow at her laughter.

"No. You're just too arrogant to understand what's happening. You should pay more attention to your surroundings." Adelaide chuckled.

Vetrazin was perplexed for a few seconds before a strange feeling spiked up her back.

"No!" She gasped.

Behind her was Issei, alive and untouched, charging all of his cannons and [Satellites]. While she was distracted, Adelaide slammed her palm into Vetrazin, using the last 4 uses of [Limit Law]. She neutralized Vetrazin's flight, light powers, illusion magic, and magical defenses. Following up with it, she pushed her at the dozens of magic circles that were now spread all across the area. All of them had the rune of [Rejection Zone].

Adelaide clapped her hands together, causing them to come together. Pinned between dozens of walls that prevented her from movement, Vetrazin was open for the kill.

"Damn it." Vetrazin growled.

"While you threw me all over the place, I had the chance to plant those all over the area. You were so busy gloating that you never noticed it. You also didn't notice Issei because I used Limit Law to force your senses to weaken. Given how you're an Avitur, I couldn't shut off any of your senses since I'm not strong enough. But it was enough to keep you from noticing. I also knew you hadn't killed Issei. My spiritual connection with him told me otherwise and most of all, he made it this far through sheer willpower. There's no way he'd just lose like that. So, how's it feel to have all your shit-talking come back to bite you in the ass?" Adelaide wiped the blood from her mouth.

Forming an arrow of light, Adelaide notched it right at Vetrazin.

"You can go ahead and destroy me, but is that really what you want to do?" Vetrazin glared.

"Sounds right to me." Adelaide said.

"I can give you more information. Not only that, but you only made it this far thanks to me. You only lasted that long against Vali Lucifer and her peerage because of me. You only managed to hide for so long because of my power backing you up. Without me, you're nothing. Your plans will be nothing. You don't even have enough Abyssal energy to purge my spirit from your mind." Vetrazin said.

Adelaide, despite having powers gifted from the Abyss, was far from capable enough with destroying an Avitur's spirit. Issei, however, was a different story. If Adelaide was a generator, then Issei was a nuclear power plant in terms of Abyssal energy.

"That's why she has me. You're no longer needed here. Adelaide will be fine on her own and if she stumbles, I'll be there to support her till she can get back up." Issei said.

"Just shut up and disappear." Adelaide scoffed at Vetrazin.

With one final blast, Issei's arrow mixed with Adelaide's arrow of light, destroying Vetrazin's spirit, erasing her presence from Adelaide's mind.

Now that there was nothing left to keep the two here, they were sent back into reality. They'd already spent too much time here.


When the two opened their eyes, they were both sweating profusely, panting. Adelaide was mentally exhausted from the taxing chain of events. She lost strength in her body, falling forward, only for Issei to catch her.

Quickly checking, Issei found no traces of Void energy residing in her mind. His plan had worked. Adelaide had found the strength and pacification to carry on while Vetrazin's lack of a real physical threat had handicapped her a bit. Issei's presence in her mind and his emotions toward Adelaide had given her a boost, to an extent.

'Rexis?' Issei asked.

'Nothing. She's clean.' Rexis said.

"It's over." Issei said.

Adelaide paused, trying to feel that dark presence. She tried to sense it, to create the mental conditions for Vetrazin's voice to appear. She couldn't feel anything. That fear, that unease, that feeling that was always tucked inside her was gone. She wasn't exactly sure if Vetrazin was truly gone, but her heart kept telling her that her voice would no longer bother her.

'That Void part of her is gone, Issei. You can rest easy.' Rexis exhaled, almost as if he were relieved.

'You sound glad.' Issei snorted.

'Well, given how you were so defensive of her, I couldn't help but get swept along. I'm still not 100% trustful, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.' Rexis huffed.

Issei's attention returned to Adelaide, who was weakly laying in his arms. He put a hand to her forehead.

"You're burning up! Badly!" Issei gasped.

Adelaide only panted.

'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!' Issei paled in guilt.

'She's just adjusting. Vetrazin was an integral part of her but her mind and body are just adjusting to the new change again. She's going to need time to recover. Also, since Aria was given more time with the spell that caused her to be a part of the Reincarnation Cycles, she doesn't have to suffer backlash like you. You were kinda crudely put together because at the time, Bahamut's soul was still fighting back, so time was really important.' Rexis said.

'How're you so sure?' Issei asked.

'Have you met me? While you and Adelaide were having your mental confrontation with Vetrazin, I did some snooping and tinkering. I'm the JARVIS to your Tony Stark, remember? I sorted a few things out since you forged a link with her. Kind of like how you connect via USB, I went into her mind like an antivirus and did a few things to ease things along and see just how well your plan was going to go. After that was done, I did tech support and made sure that she'd be able to run properly without Vetrazin being there. The Abyssal part of her will take over the role that Vetrazin did and fill the gap. It's not like the Avitur was doing anything, anyways. She was just something placed there to turn Adelaide into a sleeper agent. Thankfully, teamwork solved the problem.' Rexis chuckled.

'Thanks, Partner. If only there were a way to repay you for everything you do for me.' Issei sighed.

'I may not believe in her, but I do believe in you. Whatever the case, I'm with you till the end, brother. Even if you're really stupid sometimes.' Rexis stated.

Issei have a silent thanks to him before he got Adelaide in bed. He did what he could to give her first aid. The only thing left to do was to wait and watch for any changes.

For hours, he didn't move from his spot. He contemplated and waited, unable to do anything else. He could only make sure her body was nourished and cared for while her body changed to adjust to the absence of Vetrazin's presence. Issei wasn't sure how Vetrazin's existence would affect her now and he cursed himself for his own impulsiveness. If he'd waited and did more, perhaps he could've spared her this.

Honestly, Issei hated this. He'd rather be the one going through all this, rather than be the one watching. He felt so powerless. He was forced to watch as Adelaide writhed in distress and pain and fear as things ran their course. It was like getting a taste of his own medicine now.

He shook his head. No, what's done is done. If things didn't get better soon, then he'd do whatever it took to heal her. He didn't care if he had to take on the Aviturs all over again. He didn't care if it would be another journey across the world. He'd do everything he could to right his mistake.


The next morning, Issei exited the bathroom, only to find Adelaide sitting upright in bed, smiling at him.

"We really did win." Adelaide said.

Issei walked right over, enveloping her in a hug so tight that she thought she'd snap.

"Issei, I'm still here. I'm okay." Adelaide smoothed her hand over his back.

"Yeah, I'm glad." Issei took a deep breath of relief.

They didn't speak much, but there was no need for any of that. They already knew just how relieved they were for things to have come to this. No one had lost their minds nor died. All actions were forgiven and they could put the past behind them. It was time for a new chapter.

After Issei had made sure that Adelaide was stable, he immediately prepared some food for her to eat.

"Here." Issei held up a spoon of herbal porridge for her.

"Issei…" Adelaide said.

Issei knew where she was heading.

"No more of that. It's time to move on." He smiled gently.

Adelaide nodded as she ate. For the first time in days, she could finally taste food again. It was a sign, probably. The dark clouds over her life were gone.

When she finished her meal, Adelaide showered before she walked out to the Living Room.

She was a bit bothered by how silent it was. Then she learned why. The TV she had wired to tap into the Supernatural Realm was playing the News.

"The Alliance, who have come into conflict with Novella Caelum, are now engaged in a grueling battle in the Human Realm near what humans call the Island of Hawaii. The motives are unclear but there are speculations that it is a display of power from Novella Caelum. There still isn't word yet, but we have been told that the damage from the battle is devastating." A reporter said.

Issei was standing in the middle of the room, staring at the footage shown. The sea was on fire. Buildings were toppled. Smoke was blanketing the sky. There were even distant screams resounding in the footage. This wasn't something Issei was going to ignore. As someone with power, he saw that it was necessary to deal with this, especially since it was connected to Bahamut.

"Adelaide…" Issei said.

"Let's go. They look like they need help." Adelaide said.

"You stay here. I'll be back." Issei shook his head.

"Sorry, but I wasn't asking for your permission. If you're going to be in danger, then the least I can do is watch your back." Adelaide intertwined her fingers in his.

No point in arguing. Issei only nodded.


"Lefay, watch your back!" Vali said as she shot down an opponent about to strike Lefay from behind.

In the midst of battle, was the Vali Peerage. While the main Alliance forces dealt with the large group that rolled into Hawaii, the younger members of the Alliance were dealing with the extra reinforcements. It wasn't something they couldn't handle. At least, not until the Novella Caelum rolled in superweapons.

Azazel called it magitech, a combination of magic and science, but done perfectly. It was leagues ahead of what Grigori had, according to Azazel. Apparently, it was because humanity was better at technology and were able to fuse it with magic better than the magic-oriented supernatural for better performance.

"There's just no shortage to them." Bikou grunted as he swatted aside a few enemies with his staff.

These enemies happened to be metal humanoid drones that could fire magic beams from their limbs and deploy magic barriers. Then, there were the several humans that were bolstering these drones.

"Incoming!" Someone yelled.

A massive orb of mana came whistling down, splashing into the ocean. Vali panted as she created a barrier to shield others from the blast.

The fight had been going on for a good hour or two now, with the enemy having brought out magitech tanks and machines that were sturdier than the average opponent.

"What are these things exactly, Grandpa?" Vali called Rizevim.

"Magitech machines that were used in the Calamity Persecution, the pantheon war. Humans developed them to fight back against the supernatural. You'd better be careful. They run on mana and aren't vulnerable to the typical weaknesses that regular machines have. Use lightning magic and magic weapons to soften them up and destroy them." Rizevim said.

Vali had already figured that out since she'd blown up her 50th one when he explained.

"Any word on the end of this?" She asked.

"If we can get rid of their weapons, then we'll be able to win. It's just that we're a little tied up right now." Rizevim said.

What he was referring to was the fleet of warships in front of them. Massive navy ships with glowing green lights that were armed with cannons and artillery to the teeth were floating a good distance away. They kept deploying smaller ships and machines to fight, bolstering their human ranks as they pushed to get on the mainland.

Tactics suggested that these machines and soldiers knew that if they got to the mainland and attacked the civilians, it'd divide the effectiveness of the Alliance counter force even more.

"When I woke up this morning, the last thing I expected was to immediately sortie for a full-on battle." Izalana sighed.

"Gotta admit, this stopped being fun about 45 robots ago. They just don't stop shooting." Bikou said as he stabbed a drone in the core.

"Lefay, Kuroka, Arthur, Elaine, you come with me to deal with their ships. Sairaorg and Rias are also bringing reinforcements. The rest of you maintain the perimeter." Vali said.

"Roger!"

'Gotta take care of their ships if we're going to get anywhere. How did they even appear without anyone noticing? Seriously!' Vali wondered.

'The humans of old were crafty. I'm not surprised that the people who still remember the Original Galaxy were waiting for this day. They must've been able to remember how to reconstruct Magitech weapons thanks to their memories of the Original Galaxy. Then, they waited for us to become complacent and then, while our guards were down from disorientation from the Aviturs, they came in and capitalized on it. Even worse, the sight of these old war machines rattled many, stirring up buried memories.' Albion responded.

'Any ideas for the ships?' Vali asked.

'Neutralize their shields and then destroy their control rooms. You can also go for their thrusters.' Albion said.

"Lefay, can you get a readout on their functions? Think you can make a spell to neutralize them?" Vali asked.

"Yeah, but I'll need more time." Lefay nodded.

"Do it as fast as you can. The rest of you, try to keep moving so that they don't lock onto you." Vali said.

Before they could start moving toward the flagship, Lefay stopped the group.

"Wait, my circle's picking up a lot of mana gathering ahead of us."

As soon as she said that, dozens of cannons started moving toward them. Almost as if for tempting fate, a massive cannon protruded from the front of the ship, pointing straight at them. They could see the glimmer of the cannon, despite being so far away.

"I was wondering when they'd bring out the big guns." Bikou groaned.

"Everyone needs to clear away!" Azazel commanded.

Given how many of the older generation moved so quickly, that light was even worse than it looked.

'If that thing charges all the way up, then you can kiss that town behind us goodbye.' Albion explained.

Before they could run, however, they were assaulted by a horde of Magitech drones, pinning them down in a hornet's nest of weapon fire.

"Damn it! We're not gonna make it!" Bikou said as he looked at the light in the distance growing brighter.

"[Compression Divider]"

Vali flapped her wings, using Divine Dividing to shrink all of the drones into nothing before grabbing everyone to try and teleport. She groaned when she saw that there were still several who weren't clear of the enemy's trajectory. She wasn't fast enough to get to them all and even then, she'd been fighting for a few hours already, and had a limit to how many people she could teleport.

"Damn it." Vali cursed in distress.

Whatever she solution she thought off, there was always another problem she didn't have the time nor mana to solve.

(T.M. Revolution – Meteor. Play Song.)

Suddenly, a massive mana beam came down from above, piercing through the cannon of the warship that was pointed right at them.

"What?!"

Then, dozens more shots of navy beams came down, destroying several drones at once.

Flying in from behind, everyone took a good look to see who it was that had arrived.

"Issei?!" Vali exclaimed.

Standing in front of them was Issei, who was clad in his Balance Breaker.

"Wha- " Lefay started.

"No time for talk. Get everyone to regroup. We need to push the enemy back before they can start dropping troops and machines onto the mainland. The enemy objective is unknown, so we need to make sure that they stay in the air where we have control. Adelaide, use [Rejection Zone] to keep them from advancing while I deal with the ships." Issei said.

"Got it." Adelaide said from above the battlefield.

"How're you going to do that? Their ships have shields protecting them. We couldn't get through in other areas of the battlefield." Kuroka said.

"Not a problem." Issei said.

Without another word, Issei took off.

"Just like the old days." He said to himself, noting the familiar situation.

Spreading his wings, Issei advanced. Flying like a missile, Issei crafted a sword from his armor. He sliced through one drone before spinning in the air, then using [Cosmic Crisis] to obliterate several more with homing blasts.

Suddenly, a few drones clung to him, trying to weigh him down for an opening. Spreading his wings, he let out a burst of energy, flying upwards, Issei let loose another attack.

"[Sky Razer]"

Firing 10 beams from his wings, he dragged them along the battlefield. He cut through dozens of Magitech Drones while obscuring their view with ocean waves. It was just the ones around him, either. He remotely aimed his lasers to cleave through the incoming reinforcements from all around him, helping out other groups of the Alliance.

Refolding his wings, Issei dashed right over to the enemy ships. Without a word, he changed mode into Blitzer to increase his speed. Issei dashed between enemy lines, slashing and blasting away as he moved through. Changing back into Onslaught Mode, Issei whipped around, severing through dozens of Drones that were gathering around him with twin swords.

Deploying his [Satellites], Issei moved them all across the area, assaulting different areas of the warships with Bahamut's destructive power.

He looked behind for a split second, seeing that the ships were unable to move past the blockade that Adelaide created. There were no allies close to him.

He returned his attention to the warships in front of him, aiming all of his weapons straight at them.

"[Vacuum Burst]"

Gathering mana from the air around him and from himself, the entire vicinity around him trembled at the amassed power. He unleashed the assault of magic beams that blasted into the Magitech ships like a battering ram. The sea below violently erupted from the shockwaves as explosions burst from the ships. Shrapnel and fire spread all across the area as the ships went down into the sea before exploding.

"Issei, there's several more enemies trying to circle around the island for a pincer attack." Adelaide said.

"Right. I'll get on it." Issei nodded.

"Alright, time to finish cleaning up." Azazel said from afar as the Alliance could finally get started on finishing off the Novella Caelum's assault force.

(T.M. Revolution – Meteor. End Song.)

The ending for the battle was simple since it was just the elimination of drones and the capture of Novella Caelum soldiers. Still, that was the least pressing matter.

(Fate/Prototype OST – Knight of Sky Silver. Play Song.)

The moment Issei finally had time to stop flying around and shooting down enemies, the Vali Peerage rushed over.

"Issei!" They slowed down when they approached.

They weren't sure of how he'd react, given how the last time they saw each other, he'd incapacitated them.

Issei turned around to face them. The air was still tense, the situation could go in any direction now. Then, his helmet collapsed back.

The Vali Peerage all gulped. He still had the intense glare.

Then, like it was never there, his face immediately melted into that smile. The smile that they'd all remembered and longed to see again formed right on his face. The Issei that they knew, the real Issei Hyoudou, was back.

He spread his arms and smiled.

"So…can I get a hug?" He asked.

Yep. That was exactly something the Issei they knew would ask.

"ISSEI!"

"Don't ever leave us again!"

"We missed you so much, buddy!"

"You owe us tons of explanations!"

"We're just so glad you're back!"

With a thunderous tackle, the entire Peerage slammed into him. Happy tears fell from the others as the group was finally made whole once again.

"You remember us now, right?!" Vali frantically asked.

"I do. I'm sorry for what happened that night." Issei nodded.

"It's okay. As long as you're back." Vali brought him into a tight embrace.

Oh, how she had waited for this moment. She'd dreamed about it, wished for it, prayed for it. Now, it was finally here. She could finally move on with her life.

However, that moment was spoiled when a familiar sight dropped next to Issei.

"Looks like everything's over for now." Adelaide said.

"?!"

Everyone assumed their guards when they saw her.

"Whoa! Hey, hey, hey! It's alright! She's not an enemy." Issei stood between them.

"She's an Avitur!" Vali pointed at her.

"Not by her own choice." Issei shook her head.

"It looks to me that there's a lot of story to tell." Azazel sighed at the complicated situation as he glided over.

"Yeah. A lot." Issei nodded.

"Even so, if what you and Vali say is true, then I have to take her into custody. Rizevim filled me on what our side knows." Azazel said.

Issei immediately went to Adelaide's side.

"I can't allow that." He glared.

"I don't want to separate you two, either, but anything related to the Aviturs need to be under tight security." Azazel shook his head.

"And how can I trust you all?" Issei asked.

"Look, you can beat the living snot out of me if it makes you trust me. She's an Avitur and we don't know if they're going to use her to spy on us. How do you even know she's not faking?" Azazel asked.

"Call it intuition and a very thorough soul search." Issei said.

"Soul search?" Azazel asked.

"As I said, I'll explain everything, but not while you all take her away." Issei said.

"Issei, it's okay." Adelaide said.

"What?" Issei asked in surprise.

"Like you said, things are tense and don't look that nice for us. Maybe by doing this, we can get some trust. Besides…" Adelaide turned toward Azazel.

"We were promised protection from the other pantheons. Does that still stand?" She asked.

"Are you kidding? We've got 2 Super Devils and a few major gods on our side." Azazel smirked.

Issei didn't trust that. Not. One. Bit. Call it cynicism from the past, but his gut kept telling him to be suspicious.

"I don't like this." Issei turned to Adelaide.

"Issei, I've complicated your life enough, already. It'll be alright. I'll be fine. You'll be fine. You're back home now. I still need to make up for some things I did too, so please, let me get started." Adelaide kissed him on the lips.

"Ah!" Several people gasped.

"I smell another catfight." Azazel smirked.

"I never had him pegged for a polygamist." Bikou ironically muttered.

Issei took a deep breath. Just why was it so hard to reject this lady?

"Fine…But if something's the slightest bit off, then you'd better tell me." Issei squeezed her hand gently.

"I'll be okay, ufufufu." Adelaide gently caressed Issei's face.

And just like that, Adelaide went with Azazel to clarify her intentions and quite possibly, to wipe the slate clean.

"So…are you two…" Bikou was trailing off, unsure of what was going to come next.

"I'd have to say…" Issei pursed his lips.

Ugh, this felt so wrong. Vali was also in front of him. If he finished that sentence, that'd be the nail in the coffin. Issei watched as Adelaide disappeared into a magic circle, smiling.

"Let's go home before something else happens." Vali said quietly as she extended a hand towards Issei, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Right. He had to have faith.

He smiled as he took Vali's Hand. Yes, Vali had a point. It was time to go home.


And that's the end of that.

Man, I really had half a mind to have Adelaide go more yandere, but if I did, that'd take the story down a route that I didn't want it to. If I had done it and tried to double-back, then that would've actually been 'forced'. That, and the way I write would've turned the story really, really dark.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the 3 chapters and I will see you next time.