Edited on January 15, 2019
The next chapter will definitely end the Asia arc! I swear on the Quran! It's just that I realized I would be cramming so much here into this chapter if I actually ended the Asia Arc here. Plus, there is no point in foreshadowing events that happen later in the same chapter.
Are any of you guy's experts on Japan, because I could use some advice when I go for the crime stories in this fic. Frankly, most of the ideas are based on Ace Attorney series, Psych, Numb3rs, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, and Castle. I would use the manga Oroborous, but it's hard for me to catch all the details amidst suspense and action, not to mention I don't know how much to trust/include since it is a manga about police corruption.
For those of you who thought Issei should not have gotten hit by Freed's bullet in the last chapter, let me remind you of a very key difference between him and Haruto. Haruto was already a professional athlete before the Sabbath ritual. Therefore, he already had excellent reflexes and leg strength before gaining powers. Issei on the other hand was nothing more than your average, and possibly below average, teenager. Even after gaining magic, 6 months of training, and becoming a devil, there is no guarantee that Issei would have been able to dodge Freed's bullet. I will admit that I did it as a plot point, but I needed this Issei to experience being hit by a light bullet at least once in the fic.
Oh well, time to answer reviews.
Raidentensho: Issei will only have 5 elements of magic. More planning will be required regarding his power ups, especially if the spoiler I have read are true.
thunder dragon: I have a few of my own plans regarding heaven. In fact, I think you'll like the next chapter.
It's kind of a disappointment when a one-shot done mostly on the spur of the moment receives more attention than a chapter that took planning.
More paraphrasing here in this chapter, sorry.
I do not own the Kamen Rider franchise or High School DXD.
Things such as chants and data on the magic rings were obtained through Kamen Rider wiki, High school DXD wiki, and English translations of High School DxD volumes 1-19 with a bit of 20. I do however claim ownership to original spell and transformation rings as well as original techniques.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Sacred Gear and WizarDriver/Handauthor sounds
[Ddraig talking]
Magic ka!? maji de!? maji da! Show Time
Wizard II twirls around with his magic circle swirling in that background with Ddraig breathing fire over the circle forming the title
Maru de tsuki to taiyou
Rias stares up at a red moon, cut to Rias and Issei staring at each other
Kasanaru toki no shougeki!
A quick cut of Koneko throwing a punch
Dare datte kiseki shinjitemitai
We have Kiba readying his sword
Akeno in miko outfit casting preparing to cast her lightening
Kitto hitsuyou fukaketsu no
We get a quick picture of Asia in her nun garb.
We have Raynare and Kalawarner clasping their hand together and posing.
Energy kokoro no tame
We have Issei and Rias reaching out to each other with the Occult members and familiars going about their lives before the scene cracked.
Yume to yosou ii imi de uragitte kureru mono
We have a montage of Issei with purple cracks all over him with Wizard I reaching out to help him.
3, 2, 1 SHOW TIME!
Magic Time torikku janai
Issei henshins with Boosted Gear on
Mahō hirō hanpanee ze! (Maruto halleuya!)
Spinning around while showing off the flame ring
Kioku no rūto mogurikonde
The PlaMonsters appear and move or fly out of magic circles
kibō sukuidasou
In a fast montage he transforms to all his styles beginning with Flame we have Rias using her Power of Destruction, with Water we have Asia using Twilight Healing, with Hurricane Kiba is shown creating a sword, with Land Koneko throws a giant rock, and Volt Akeno summons lightning.
Show time! (Boost)
Wizard II boosts himself with Boosted Gear
Life is showtime tobikiri no
Wizard is shown going into an underworld
Unmei no life mucha shite mo (Maruto halleuya!)
Wizard II rides the Machine Winger then connects it to Ddraig
Kinōkyōashita mirai
The Occult club is messing around with echii fan service scenes like panty shots
subete no namida o
Issei crying over his parents grave then we have him turn due to Haruto's hand on him though Haruto's face would be kept in shadows.
Show Time!
Issei and Rias on the Machine Winger, cuts to him giving Rias an Engage Ring
Hōseki ni kaete yaru ze
Issei henshins into all his styles settling on Flame.
Magic ka!? maji de!? maji da! Show Time
All of the Occult Club and familiar pose together with Wizard II in the Wizard pose and equipped with Boosted Gear.
Chapter 10: For a Friend
The next morning, Issei had finished making eggs and bacon for 3 when Raynare came downstairs guiding and slightly wobbly Kalawarner. Both of them were wearing pajamas Mayu had bought for Raynare. However, since Kalawarner was taller, her bottoms hugged her legs better and her top was partially unbuttoned leaving her cleavage exposed. Once again, Issei's mind memorized the sight before snapping himself back to his senses.
"Glad to see you little birdies are up." He teases with a cheeky smile, getting a blush from Raynare while Kalawarner merely eyed Issei who was wearing a simple pair of jeans and shirt. "Nice to meet you with while you're conscience." He says walking towards her with his hand extended. Warily she extended her hand and shook it, admiring his firm grip. "Now let's have breakfast while getting updated." He goes to the table and sits in his usual spot. Raynare follows his lead sitting across from him while Kalawarner sat next to her.
"I had an interesting night last night." Issei started, getting the attention of the two Fallen Angels. With that he started telling them the story of his encounter with Freed from the moment he entered the house to when he was forced to leave and his little outburst towards Rias. When he was done with the story he was half way through his breakfast. Looking up from his plate, he saw the girls had different expressions on their face. While Raynare looked like she was about to freak out, Kalawarner seemed to be in deep thought. His observations were cut off when Raynare actually did freak out.
"You got shot by a holy bullet! How were you able to fight back!" she nearly jumped out of her seat to examine Issei's body up close.
"Actually, some sort of instinct told me to use my Lighting armor and when I did it numbed the pain. Heck, now that I think about it, it was easier to look at that light saber rip-off while wearing that armor. You guys got any ideas? I mean, Holy energy is your specialty, right?"
"Well…" Raynare began.
"Lighting has Holy properties." Kalawarner interjected, getting Raynare's and Issei's attention. "Thunder is just electric energy but Lighting is Thunder mixed with Holy Energy. Maybe using it neutralized the effects of Freed's holy weapons temporarily."
"Huh. That's interesting." Issei comments while getting back to his breakfast. "It's the first time I've used it after becoming a Devil, so maybe I developed some sort of instinct to protect myself against Holy Energy." He mused.
"That's amazing Issei!" Raynare gushed, getting looks from Kalawarner.
"Now that we're done theorizing," Issei put down his silver on his now empty plate and fixed a look at Kalawarner, making the blue haired woman shift in her seat uncomfortably, "I need you to tell me why you ran from you comrades." Hearing this, Raynare looked at Kalawarner with a worried expression on her face. There was a moment of silence until she finally spoke up.
"A few days ago, Dohnaseek came back at night and reported that he executed Raynare as per the orders of Azazel himself. I was shocked by what I heard, but Mittlett seemed to be expecting it. This got me suspicious. Later, I managed to spy on the two of them. They seemed to be laughing about something or other. When they weren't looking, I snagged the letter Dohnaseek showed to prove he was acting on orders. Then, as I continued to spy on them, they…changed." Kalawarner shuddered at the memory. "I have no idea what the hell they are now, but their aura made them feel like some sort of mutated Fallen Angels. After getting away from that scene, I took a closer look at the letter and realized that it wasn't written by Azazel." Seeing Raynare's astonished expression, she elaborated. "The seal was that of the Grigori so it's easy to see why one would think that way, but it was not the one Azazel uses. Furthermore, the letter was written after the seal was applied to a blank paper, so more than likely someone is trying to hide what's happening here. Realizing this, I tried looking for the perfect opportunity to leave. Unfortunately, Dohnaseek and Mittlett caught on and ambushed me. I managed to avoid instant death, but I was still seriously injured. I panicked and blasted out of the church. I was avoiding those golem like things they summoned for as long as I could. That's when I ran into you." By the time she had finished talking, Issei had already washed his plate and put on his jacket, his face set into a serious expression the entire time. Once she was done with the story he stood in front of the mantelpiece looking at the family portrait. He remained silent long enough for both of the Fallen Angels to finish their own food.
"Fill her in on Gates, Phantoms, and your current status." he told Raynare heading for the door. "I need some time alone." Before Raynare could get a word in, he walked out.
Issei rode around on his bike for a bit, looking around for some sign of Phantom activity. After a few hours, he stopped at a park playground and soon found himself sitting on top of the jungle gym. Not caring how it looked, he started talking to himself aloud…again.
"Now what do I do? I know where their base is, but if I charge in now they'll probably be expecting it. I'd be walking straight into a trap all by myself. I could ask for reinforcements, but I haven't even heard from sensei or Section 0 since I became a devil. I could ask for help from Rias, but with the way things are now I don't think she'll be able to help even if she wanted to. As much as I hate to admit it, I know nothing about how Devil society works aside from the whole Cold War scenario. Can I really burst in to save Asia at the risk of starting a war that could kill millions?" Sighing, Issei turned himself upside hanging from the bars with his knees. As the blood rushed to his head, a pain shot up his leg from the wound he received last night making him fall to the ground.
"That was embarrassing." he groaned as he picked himself up. "Glad no one I knew was around to see that."
"Issei?" came a familiar voice from behind him making him stop himself. As he turned around, he was surprised to see Asia looking at him astonished. Seeing her, one thought crossed his mind immediately.
'Please tell me she didn't see that just now!'
Issei had not expected his afternoon to play out the way it did. After recovering from the surprise of seeing Asia, especially after the events of last night, he greeted her as if seeing a friend under normal circumstances and she seemed to respond in kind. When he asked why she was there, she got evasive and he decided to change topic, something that was easily done when he heard Asia's stomach growl. With a chuckle he took her to the nearest fast food joint. There, he was treated to the amusing sight of Asia struggling to place an order until he decided to finally step in. As they sat down for their meal, she embarrassingly admitted she lacked experience dealing with others or even going out to eat. She was even more embarrassed when Issei had to show her how to eat her burger while he just found it cute, especially when she expressed her amazement at how good it tasted. When she expressed her desire to spend more time with Issei, he took her from the restaurant to the local arcade. There, he spent hours showing her the various games from shooters to racers to DDR. Though she had varying degrees of success, Issei knew she was enjoying herself with everything she did, and her attitude was infectious as he too began enjoying himself like he used to the good old days. Towards the end of their arcade visit, he noticed Asia looking at a Pikachu in a crane game. After teasing her a bit about whether or not she wanted it, he won it for her in one shot. He found the expression of happiness on her face was a perfect end to the arcade visit.
As they stepped out, Issei stretched his legs a bit which caused him to wince from the throbbing sensation at the spot where he got shot last night. Noticing this, Asia offered to heal it at a secluded spot. Taking her to a bench next to a nearby fountain, he sat down and propped up his leg for her to get better access to. Once she was done, he did a few experimental kicks to make sure it was okay. After commenting on her Sacred Gear, Asia revealed it was called Twilight Healing. Then she proceeded to tell him all about her past from when she was abandoned to the church to when she was called as saint and ending with her excommunication from the church after healing a devil with her powers.
"But," she said after finishing her story, her voice and eyes teary, "I'm sure this is a trial from God." As she said the G-word, Issei felt a slight migraine in his head but he ignored it. "This must be a way to test my faith. Once I prove myself, then perhaps God will grant my wish to give me friends that I can spend time with. Above all else is all I really want." Small tears left her eyes as she confessed her desire.
The entire time she spoke, Issei remained silent, sitting next to her on the bench listening to her story and her wish. As she cried, he pulled a napkin out of his pocket and gave it to her to dry her tears. As she accepted it, he spoke.
"You did nothing wrong." His words make her look at him, confusion in her wet eyes. "Your unconditional kindness is something this world really needs." He started staring off into the sky. "I lost my parents a while back. After that happened, I did some travelling to see the world and make myself a better person. After all that travelling, there is one thing I've learned that holds true no matter what." He looks her right in the eye. "When good people do nothing evil grows." Smiling he places his hand on her head and pats it. "You may not see it now, but I'm sure that one day you'll look back and realize just how many people have been affected by your limitless compassion. And besides," he tilts her head so that she's looking right into his eyes, "We're already friends, aren't we? I'd say your wish is coming true."
"Issei…" Asia says in awe. Then her lip starts trembling as she starts crying again, but Issei knew that these were tears of happiness.
"Well isn't that precious." came a familiar voice from above. Jumping to action, Issei prepared his WizarDriver (Driver On; Please!) as he reached for his rings. Landing in front of them right on top of the fountain was Dohnaseek. "A devil consoling an exiled nun. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were being a nice guy." The Fallen Angel mocked as he kept his hands in the pocket of his trench coat.
"And if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a creepy pedophile with a tendency to stalk your prey. Seriously that get-up and that ugly old-man like face, are you sure you're not a molester. It would explain why you were kicked out of Heaven." Issei retorted moving between Asia and Dohnaseek as he pulled out the WizarSword (Connect; Please!).
"Very funny kid." The Fallen Angel growled. "As much I would love to eliminate you, there's a risk of that girl getting away, so I'm going to focus on catching her instead." His glaring eyes moved from Issei to Asia as he said this.
"And you think I'm going to let you take her?" Issei growls, using his arm to push Asia back a bit. "Or if she even wants to go back? I'm pretty sure she ran away for a good reason."
"Her compliance is not really a factor, neither is yours." Dohnaseek grins as his hands grip his hands in his pockets.
"You really are a rapist aren't you." Issei shoots back. As he gripped his sword, a light shined from his left hand, catching all three of them unaware. In a moment, the light faded away and the Twice Critical was on Issei's hand.
"Why did it…" Issei muttered.
"Issei, you also received a gift from God?" Asia said astonished.
"Shit." Dohnaseek said gnashing his teeth, getting his opponent's attention. "For you to have Twice Critical, we definitely need to put out plan into full gear now."
"And what plan would that be exactly?" Issei questions gripping his sword with both hands. As he did this, the green gem on the back of his gauntlet shined.
"Like I'd ever tell you." the fallen retorted. Then he grinned and said, "Besides, should you really be focusing on me?" Hearing this Issei felt a jolt of fear as he heard Asia scream behind him. He turned around to see what happened, but as he did so there a winged-Ghoul flew past him carrying Asia in its arms and hovered next to Dohnaseek.
"Asia!" Issei cried out as he faced Dohnaseek again.
"We'll be going now." the Fallen Angel grinned maliciously as he pulled his clenched hands out of his pockets.
"I don't think so." Issei yelled as he stepped forward intent on sprinting towards his enemy.
"I already told you, you shouldn't be focusing on me." With that Dohnaseek threw his hands in the air and released all the stones he was holding, making Issei gasp as he recognized them. When the stones reached their maximum height, the shuddered and turned into more winged-Ghouls making a total of 12.
"We've had these guys ready for a while." Grinned the fedora wearing man as he rose into the air, now carrying the struggling Asia as the winged-Ghoul next to him handed her over and joined its comrades. "The best thing about these guys is that no matter how many you destroy, we can still make more, unlike exorcists. Which makes them perfect for the job of holding you off." The fallen angel laughs maniacally as his goons descend towards Issei.
"Issei!" Asia cried out as she tried to get out of the arms of her captor.
"Enough." Dohnaseek sneers as he chops Asia at the neck making the nun fall unconscious.
"Asia!" Issei cried out, incensed by the sight of her being struck again. As he tried to jump towards them, one of the Ghouls threw a spear at him forcing him to roll to the side. "Get out of my way!" he yelled at the dozen opponents he had. Acting quickly, he put on the Water ring. Since the gauntlet did not cover his fingers, he had no trouble putting it on. As quickly as possible, he scanned the ring, (Shabadoobi Touch Henshin! "Henshin!" Water; Please!) and held his hand above himself making the blue magic circle with water at the edges appear and descend on him (Sui, Sui, Sui, Sui, Sui!) donning him in the Water style armor with the Twice Critical still equipped.
"I'm going to make this quick." He said as he opened the Handauthor of his sword (C'mon Slash; Shake Hands!) before jumping up on top of the fountain. Then he scanned his ring on the sword (Water; Slash Strike!). With that, water from the fountain began collecting onto the blade and circling around it (Sui, Sui, Sui, Sui, Sui!) and at the same time the gem on the sacred gear glowed even brighter. As 8 of the Ghouls dived at Issei, the wizard slashed his sword horizontally, sending a stream of charged water streaking towards them. The attacked sliced right through them destroying them in an instant leaving behind an after image of Wizard II's symbol for a brief moment. Issei was actually impressed that the attack took out 8 of them. "Guess this scared gear thing can help." he muttered before taking notice of the 4 that had not joined the attack. As they prepared to strike, Issei said, "Now all that's left is you." As he prepared to switch his sword to gun mode, the light coming from the Twice Critical became dim. The moment that happened a wave of fatigue hit Issei causing him to stagger as he was not expecting that to happen.
"What the!" he reacted, finding this to be similar to his early days of training when he released the armor the first few times. The sound of wings flapping reminded Issei that he had bigger concerns at the moment. As he prepared to jump to the side, there was the sound of electricity and energy being released.
Looking up, he was surprised to see Rias and Akeno, each of them blasting two of the enhanced Ghouls with their Destructive and Thunder magic respectively. Within minutes, gargoyle rejects were reduced to a pile of ashes.
"I'm not even going to ask what you're doing here." Wizard II grunted as he stepped off the fountain before releasing his armor. As he did so, he was unable to stop himself from dropping to his knee. "Damn it! Why the hell do I feel tired! I didn't even use that much energy." he growled.
"You're not used to your sacred gear yet." Rias says as she walks up to him while Akeno used her magic to clean up the ashes left from the defeated mooks. "While Twice Critical does indeed double your power, once the power up leaves your body becomes worn out. This is especially the case for those who are using it for the first time. Kind of like steroids and energy drinks humans use."
"You sure know a lot about weapons made by your enemy." Issei grumbles as he manages to get back on his feet. To his surprise, Rias grabbed his arm and placed it over her shoulders allowing her to support him.
"Let's just say it's part of my education as the Gremory heiress. Now let's get you back to the club room so you can recover, then you can tell us what happened." As she began walking away, Issei wanted to protest, but that voice in his head, the one that whispered to him last night, told him to at least follow her for now. Knowing that listening helped him out big last night, he decided to play along.
Later at the ORC…
Issei had mixed feelings about following those instincts. On the one hand, he was able to recover from side effects of using Twice Critical for the first time. On the other hand, he was now standing in front of Rias arguing about rescuing Asia with the rest of the peerage present listening in. By this time the sun was already setting.
The heiress argued that storming into the territory of Fallen Angels was not only a bad move politically, but it was more than likely swarming with exorcists armed with weapons made to eliminate Devils. To her it was a suicide mission in more ways than one.
"I don't care." was Issei's blunt response to her logic. "I can take care of mooks like that easily. Not even that bastard Freed can get in my way. And as for politics, I doubt the Grigori even know what the fuck is going on here." Before Rias could get another word in, Issei relayed to her and the other devils Kalawarner's story. "Based on this, this is probably going against their actual orders, especially since they went out of their way to try to turn Raynare into a Phantom. So there's no need to worry about retaliation. Besides," here he stood up tall and looked right into Rias's eyes with a stern gaze that made the heiress almost flinch, "I'm fighting not as a devil, but as a Kamen Rider."
"Even so," Rias began hesitantly.
"I was given a choice." Issei interrupted, getting everyone's attention. "When sensei and the others realized there was absolutely no way to enter my Underworld and destroy my ability to wield magic I still had a choice. Live a peaceful life, or flee." He was silent for a moment. "It took a week in England for me to decide, and I decided to fight so that I may protect the hopes of others." He glared at Rias. "Right now there is a girl whose one hope is to have friends who will be there for her and never abandon her like the church did. You might think of this as a suicide mission, but as far as I'm concerned, I might as well kill myself for not going at all." His declaration surprised the others. Did he truly feel that risking his own life for someone he just met was worth it? Would he really kill himself if he did not go? Were the other Riders like this? As these questions ran through Rias's own head, Akeno approached her and whispered into her ear. After she said her piece, Rias was in contemplation before sighing and standing up.
"Akeno and I have urgent business to attend to." Before Issei could protest, she held up her hand. "Whatever you do Issei, know this. Though the Pawn may seem week, in enemy territory it has the unique ability known as promotion. While there, like in the game, the Pawn can become any other piece except for the king without limit to the number of changes. Though it may be difficult since you are still a new born devil, if you truly wish it then the change will work for you." She then walked around the desk to stand right in front of Issei. "As for your Sacred Gear," she placed a hand on his cheek and stroked it gently, "they respond to strong desire. If you are true to what you desire and put your whole will into it, your Sacred Gear will respond." She then whispered, "Even a Pawn can defeat a King." With that she turned around and walked out the door, Akeno following her after sending a smile towards Issei. After they left, Kiba and Koneko looked towards Issei who looked like he was confused.
"Did she just give me permission to raid their base without actually giving me permission?" he asked the remaining 2 while pointing to the door.
"Pretty much." Kiba chuckled as he got up from the couch.
"So while attacking the church I can use Promotion?"
"Exactly." The blonde had pulled a sword out of nowhere and started fastening it to his belt. At the same time, Koneko finished her drink and got up from the couch as well.
"Huh." Issei mused, before focusing on the two. "If the two of you are going to stop me don't think I'll hold back." His fingers inched towards his rings.
"Actually, I'm going to help you." The Knight smiled catching the Pawn off guard.
"Say what?"
"He means we're going to help you." Koneko stated as she fixed a set of fingerless gloves onto her hands.
"This has nothing to do with you guys." Issei said as he tried to walk out before he was stopped by Kiba's hand on his shoulder.
"Issei." He said seriously. "Despite your behavior towards us, I still consider you a comrade." His eyes were dead serious. "I have my own grudge against holy weapons and those who wield them." Issei could practically feel the bitterness and hatred in his voice. "That being said I know where you are coming from. I was in your place feeling like you do when Rias made me her servant. It took time, but I eventually realized that Rias had given me something great, a new family. I know that you too will see it like that soon and I intend to help you in any way I can as family." Kiba looked Issei in the eye, conveying to him how serious he was. With a sigh, the wizard turned to the loli.
"All of us would be sad if you were to die." She said monotonously.
"Fine." Issei chuckled. "With that speech and Koneko using full sentences, how can I refuse you?" Grinning at his new comrades who gave their own grins, the young mage ran for the window and jumped out yelling, "Time to fuck up the church!'
A short while later at the Hyoudou household…
During Issei's absence, Raynare had explained everything about Phantoms, Gates, and Ghouls to Kalawarner. The whole process took a while since they took care of the house and getting stuff for Kalawarner using money left by Mayu and Rinko. At that moment, Kalawarner was resting while Raynare began giddily getting dinner ready. Just as she was about to put on an apron, the home phone rang.
"This is the Hyoudou home." She said excitedly, imagining her own last name being Hyoudou since she was Issei's familiar.
"Raynare, this is Issei." Came the reply from the other side.
"Issei!" she cried out surprised. "Why are you…"
"Just listen right now." He said and she complied. "I'm on my way to raid the abandoned church to save Asia." Before she could ask for more details, Issei continued. "Be ready in case I have to summon you. In the meantime keep on guard in case they know where Kalawarner is. And don't worry, I'm definitely coming back for dinner. See you then." She could practically see his smile as he hung up. As she put down the phone on her end, she was contemplating going towards the church to help Issei immediately. Her train of thought was interrupted by the ringing doorbell. Suspicious, she walked carefully towards the door, a spear of light forming in the hand held behind her back. She opened the door, half expecting Dohnaseek trying to finish of the job. But what she actually saw was quite different.
"You must be Raynare." Spoke a cool, calm male voice. "Is Issei home?"
Okay.
The next chapter will definitely come out end of February. So that leave me less than 30 days to type up about 3 fight scenes. Hope you like all the foreshadowing I did.
That's it for now. Please Favorite, Follow, and Review. But most of all, thank you for reading!