Chapter Five - Living Conditions
* Gremory Mansion, Hell *
The recently expanded peerage of Rias Gremory appeared in an elaborate entrance hall. The floor space would have been almost the equivalent of the first floor of Issei's entire house. The walls were built of a fine looking black material. Dark marble or onyx came to mind but Issei was not knowledgeable enough to know what it was exactly. The floors were a beautiful white marble with a crimson swirl dyed into the stone. The effect was stunning. Painting, tapestries and portrait photographs of regal looking Devils adorned the walls. Two grand staircases filled the far end and each splayed off in a different direction. One to the west and the other to the east. A dozen doors also led off to different rooms on the ground floor. Issei took it all in with absolute awe. He had never been inside somewhere so elaborate and expensive before. His thoughts were cut short however as a man and woman strolled briskly down the right hand staircase and approached the group.
"Ah you have returned." the man stated in a manner that spoke of royalty.
He was tall and well built. He wore a very expensive light grey suit. Highlights of silver made the suit pop in the light as he moved. The effect only increased the impression of importance on the man. He had crimson hair and aqua eyes which allowed Issei to immediately know that he was Rias' older brother Sirzechs, Lucifer of hell.
"Yes, Kiba and Issei appear to be physically unharmed by their encounter with the fallen angels." Rias replied to her brother curtly and led the group to meet Sirzechs and Grayfia.
Sirzechs motioned for everyone to follow him and took off at a meaningful pace. Someone in his position could never afford to dawdle. The group took a door on the ground floor heading west from the entrance hall. Issei was blown away by the magnitude of the estate. Every door way and room they entered was just as opulent as the last. He would wager that a single room of this house would cost more then his entire household put together. Eventually they came into a large dining room. The table that filled the room had a dozen chairs around it. An immaculately carved chair at the head of the table and an equally extravagant chair to the tail. Five well carved but lesser chairs sat to each side of the table. The wood of all the furniture was a dark hue with beautiful streaks and marbling. Gold cushions adorned the seats and an open fireplace warmed the room comfortably. Sirzechs took the seat to the head and Grayfia the tail. Rias took the seat to the right of her brother, Akeno next to her. Issei took the middle set of the other side and Koneko and Kiba flanked either side of him.
"Alright," the Lucifer of the Gremory family began. "Tell me everything."
Issei and Kiba relayed the entire story. Hunting the scorpion rogue devil. Raynare and Dohnaseek arriving and assaulting the boys. The short skirmish and withdrawal of the fallen angels. Sirzechs made no attempt to interrupt as the boys spoke and remained quite as the finished. A pensive expression to his face as he rested his chin on the knuckles of his right hand, the elbow comfortably on the dining table. No one spoke in anticipation of his thoughts.
"Are you sure they said that they had been after the rogue devil?" he asked, his voice masking all emotion and a purely business expression to his face.
"Yes." Issei confirmed with a small nod.
"How interesting. Fallen angels have never taken an interest in rogue devils before. Did they give any indication as to where this place that they would be regrouping that they mentioned may be?" he continued with no change to his voice.
"None." Issei replied.
Sirzechs was once again quiet as he pondered and assessed his options and strategies.
"Well," he began, "It seems that we were lucky that the two of you had been so thorough in tracking down the rogue. Any opportunity to put a spanner in the works of the Grigori is a boon to us so to speak." he paused. "However it does concern me that a fallen angel would seek to target you specifically when you are in fact not a devil yourself." Sirzechs finished up by addressing Issei directly.
Issei took a moment to think but there was no point in not being honest with Sirzechs. He had been completely open and truthful with Rias.
"I believe she is after the Longinus that holds Ddraig." Issei stated plainly to the Lord of Hell.
Sirzechs nodded, "Yes I figured as much. Have you partnered with Ddraig yet or is his power still dormant inside you?" Sirzechs asked with a mild tinge of curiosity.
"He is awake within me. He has helped to train me to the point I am at now and helps me grow further." Issei replied honestly.
"Ah is he now. My darling sister failed to mention that the power of the red dragon emperor had actually been awoken." He now directed his words toward Rias.
He wasn't malicious but it was clear that he considered this information to have been something that Rias should have told him.
"It simply is not my place to speak of another's powers." Rias replied with a cool voice toward her brother.
She loved her brother very much but had no interest in being an informant or pawn of his. Her time of being a bartering chip had been and gone. She had no interest in continuing any such activities.
Sirzechs ignored her attitude toward him and instead spoke back to Issei.
"Well that explains why someone so recently augmented was able to fight off an experienced fallen angel so easily. But now we must discuss what the future will hold." Sirzechs said first to Issei and then the whole group.
"If fallen angels are operating illegally in our domain," he nodded toward Rias, "Then house Gremory will have to remove them. This will require a few synchronized effects however. I will speak with the fallen angel faction head in Japan, Azazel and find out if they are working on his orders or are independent. I highly suspect that they are in fact independent as Azazel would dare not insight a war between our factions."
Sirzechs paused and motioned toward his wife.
"Grayfia will utilise her connections to find this rallying point of theirs that they mentioned. Rias, you and your peerage will continue to hunt the rogue devils in the area. If the fallen angels want them then eliminating them is a priority to deny the enemy their target. Once the location of the fallen angels' base has been located you are NOT to interfere in the sweep that I will organise. Does everyone understand?"
Sirzechs looked everyone in the eyes to ensure they understood his directions. Most dropped their gaze from him as they nodded. Rias didn't and Issei maintained eye contact but nodded his understanding. He wouldn't be subservient to Sirzechs. No matter his power. This small act of confident defiance was noted by the Satan to be discussed with his sister at a later date.
Sirzechs smiled when he was sure that everyone had understood his intent.
"This leave just one last piece of business. We must arrange for a protection detail for your residence Issei. If the fallen angels are so intent on killing you then they may well act on your home." compassion filled his voice as he spoke, even if Issei was of a defiant will, Sirzechs could never allow someone associated with his family to be unprotected. It was simply not how House Gremory operated.
Issei was taken a back at the idea of security moving to his residence. And if he was being honest he was also a bit offended at the idea that he would need protection. From what he had seen a well trained Saiyan was more then enough to handle those fallen angels once their advantage of wings was negated. Issei shook his head as he spoke to the Lucifer,
"I appreciate the offer but I can handle myself." he spoke directly but without an intent to cause offence.
It was now Sirzechs turn to be taken aback. It was very rare that someone didn't do as he said and never had he been spoken back to in such a manner by a junior member of a peerage. The other members of the peerage were stunned by Issei's rejection of the Lord of Hell's plan. It was just something that never happened. Issei maintained eye contact with Sirzechs easily and could see the frustration in the Lucifer's eyes.
Rias was not prepared for Issei to challenge her brother so openly on their first meeting. She fretted that he was about to be destroyed by Sirzechs. Sure Issei was beyond strong but he wasn't at a level to handle Sirzechs. She opened her mouth without thinking and the words that came out shocked herself as much as those around her.
"What if I moved in with Issei?" she immediately fought off a blush as she finished speaking.
Issei spun to look at Rias and Sirzechs did the same. Now all eyes were on Rias.
"Explain." Sirzechs stated with a taut voice to his sister. The idea of his beloved sister living with a teenage boy she had met just over a week ago wasn't something he was jumping to embrace.
"Well he is my peerage member. And with myself there we would definitely be strong enough to repel any fallen angel assault. Also I have been helping Issei master his energy. Isn't that right Issei?" Rias rattled off rather quickly as she tried to get the words out before her courage broke.
She was happy to stand up to her brother when it came to simple things with herself but this was more then that. She had suggested living with a boy, something she knew Sirzechs wouldn't be so keen of.
Before Sirzechs, Rias or Issei could add another word Akeno spoke up with a fast tone as if to sneak her words in before a decision could be made.
"I will join them, three of us will ensure everyone is safe right." her voice was reasonable but Issei felt a burst of butterflies at the idea of both girls living with him.
Sirzechs' face didn't change and Issei was panicking. Was he about to send the two girls to live with him? Issei was more then happy to stand up to Sirzechs, the Saiyan blood in himself screamed at him to challenge the powerful Devil to a duel or instigate a fight with him for dominance. But there was absolutely no way that he would be able to say no to the two beautiful girls. A thought popped into his head and Issei ran with it.
"My parents." he burst out. "They would never allow two girls to move into the home that they had never met before." He hoped the logic of his words would stop this plan. As he said it though he saw the look on both girls faces and it was clear that they were hurt by the idea of him trying to avoid living with them.
Issei looked away and glanced to Kiba. The older boy had an amused grin to his face but it was clear that he had no intention of intervening in this situation. Issei looked to Koneko and her face read the same as Kiba but without the grin. She simply kept her features neutral but respectful in the presence of the Lucifer.
It was Grayfia who spoke and Issei was not prepared for her response.
"We could arrange for the girls to move in with Issei as a class exchange activity. I am sure that you can arrange for his parents to be promoted on an overseas assignment with their companies. That will also remove the risk of human casualties in any cross fire. This might be a much easier situation to set up then trying to assign housemen to the Hyoudou residence." Grayfia spoke directly to her husband and he listened intently to her.
Issei was not prepared for what she had said but he was amused by the fact that even in the underworld a wife had power over one of the Kings of Hell.
Sirzechs thought on his wife's proposal and then nodded.
"You are right dear. It is the simplest and most logical plan of attack." he paused and addressed the peerage.
"You are all dismissed now. Rias pack enough to stay for an undetermined amount of time. Akeno I suggest you do the same." he instructed to each girl and then turned to Issei.
"I would like you to remain behind a second."
Everyone departed the room leaving the two males sitting at the table alone. Issei felt the tension rise slightly in the air. His human side felt uncomfortable and rather afraid of Sirzechs. But his Saiyan side that was becoming more dominant rapidly everyday wanted nothing more then to test Sirzechs power.
Sirzechs took a breath and addressed Issei with a flat tone.
"I have never been challenged by a junior member of a peerage like that. Were you a Devil you would have been punished." his words were hard but not malicious.
Issei met his gaze and replied calmly despite his raised heartbeat.
"Lucky I'm a Saiyan and not a Devil then."
Issei and Sirzechs stood at the same time. Sirzechs unleashed some of his power. Wings sprouting from his back. Issei released Ki through his body on instinct. It was something he had never done before but his body told him to do it. The power of the Ki flooded him and his tail uncurled as a white aura flared up around him. With his Ki supplementing himself Issei felt more powerful then he had before. This was something he would have to remember for the future.
Saiyan and devil stared each other down silently in a battle of wills. For nearly three minutes neither broke eye contact or moved a muscle. Eventually a smirk spread across Sirzechs' face and at the same time across Issei's.
"You are either incredibly brave and sure of your power or ridiculously foolish and stupid." Sirzechs quipped halfheartedly as his wings receded.
Issei absorbed the Ki flowing around his body and the aura vanished, his tail flopping back down and around his tail.
"It is definitely the first one." he said with a voice full of confidence. Sirzechs smile increased.
"Good because my baby sister is in your hands." Sirzechs voice tinged with deep affection and care for his younger sister.
Issei understood exactly where he was coming from and extended his hand toward the Lord of Hell in a display of respect. Sirzechs took the hand and the two shook. Had he just accepted Issei? Before releasing Issei's hand he spoke with a cold tone.
"If she gets pregnant though." he left the words unspoken and Issei knew that he would face a wrath he couldn't handle no matter how strong he became.
Issei nodded to Sirzechs and they broke the contact. Issei turned and let himself out of the room. He made his way back to the entrance hall and found Rias waiting for him alone.
"What did my brother want?" she asked. She felt suddenly self conscious at being alone with Issei again. Four packed suitcases sat by her feet. Issei smirked at her and in a voice filled with confidence replied,
"Just normal guy talk. Nothing serious. Where are the others?" he changed the topic quickly not wanting to tell her that he just had a showdown with her brother.
Rias looked at him skeptically for a moment before accepting his answer and replying.
"They have all left already. I was waiting for you so that we can go to your place together. Akeno will meet us their tomorrow morning before school to drop her things off." she said very matter of factually toward Issei. Issei was surprised by this. How could these things could be organised so quickly, it just made no sense to him. Surely it would take time for such changes to be orchestrated and implemented.
"But what about my parents. Any time soon they will be home." he said as both a statement and question.
Rias smiled, "You would be amazed at just how quickly Grayfia can get pretty much anything organised. Being a Queen of Hell comes with some serious pull."
Rias paused before becoming uncertain and continuing.
"Did you not want me to move in with you?" she tried to keep the fear of his rejection out of her voice as she asked him, but failed to mask it all.
Issei looked concerned, "No no, not at all. I really enjoy your company. I like being around everyone. I was just really concerned about my parents. I know they would be uncomfortable with the situation." he replied to her feeling embarrassed and awkward.
Rias nodded and smiled. She didn't say anything more but summoned the Gremory teleportation symbol around them. At the last moment before they vanished she took his hand in hers.
* Bedroom, 19 Hyoto Lane, Kuoh Town *
The pair appeared in Issei's bedroom and broke the hand contact immediately. Issei told Rias that she could have his bedroom tonight again and he would use the couch again. Rias tried to argue against it again but Issei would have nothing of it stating that no man worth his salts would let a woman sleep on a couch while he took the bed. Rias nodded quietly and as Issei exited the room she mumbled to herself that she wouldn't be sleeping in his bed anyway. With Issei's enhanced hearing he caught the words, he knew exactly what she had meant and chose to not address them yet. If he was being honest with himself he had loved waking up next to her and wouldn't deny her if she wanted to join him again.
Issei went through the house looking for a sign of whether his parents had returned home yet. He found that they had indeed been there. A few articles of clothing lay on the floor of their bedroom and it appeared as if they had packed suitcases in a hurry. Issei knew they wouldn't leave without telling him and checked his phone. Sure enough he had a half dozen missed calls and a voice mail. It seemed his cellular coverage didn't extend to Hell he thought with a chuckle. He replayed the voice mail and listened as his parents spoke excitedly. They had both been promoted rather abruptly but were required to take positions in the United States for his father and England for his mother. His parents rattled off the details at a blistering pace, clearly they had been rushing to meet flights. They spoke of two new room mates that Issei would have but clearly hadn't known that Rias and Akeno were two gorgeous women that would be living with him. They finished off by speaking of a chaperone who would be ensuring everything went smoothly. A mister Gremory.
Issei burst into laughter at that and Rias came into the room to find out what had caused him to have such an outburst. He replayed the last part of the voice mail for her. She gave him an inquisitive look and spoke calmly to him, "What's so funny about my brother being the chaperone?" clearly Rias didn't see Issei's point.
"One of the Lords of Hell is my Chaperone." Issei said in a deadpan voice.
Realisation dawned on Rias' face and she smirked. "I guess when you say it like that it is pretty funny." she agreed with him.
The pair left Issei's parents' room and he suggested making dinner. Rias was going to say that she would do it but he had already started getting things out of the pantry. She settled herself down on a stool on the opposite side of the workspace to him. Rias was impressed by how easily Issei handled himself in the kitchen but she remembered that for the most part he was completely self sufficient and didn't require mothering. Definitely boyfriend material. She looked away and shook her head at that thought. Issei saw her shake her head while averting her eyes from looking at his muscular body from the corner of his eye. He saw her attention become intently focused on the metal trim of his kitchen sink and spoke up with mild concern.
Her actions were cute but he wanted to be sure was feeling comfortable. "Are you alright?"
"Oh I'm fine. Just tired." Rias covered for herself.
It was in fact late and after eating the pair would have to head to bed. Rias flicked her eyes back when she thought Issei wouldn't notice and watched as he prepared a half dozen large pizzas. The dough was prepared in the fridge and he told her he had made it the night before for tonight. She excused herself to shower while he diced up meat and vegetables for the toppings. Issei focused entirely on the culinary process he was absorbed in and not that Rias was now naked in his house. Thoughts like that would only distract himself. Rias returned fifteen minutes later as Issei was pulling the food from the oven. She wore a snug fitting white dressing gown. The material looked soft and puffy. A very comfortable garment. A hood hung at the back but she left it off and she dried her wet hair that hung down across her shoulders.
"That smells amazing" she commented honestly at the food he had prepared.
Issei smirked to her, "I made some unique topping choices. I love them but I understand if you aren't as keen about them as I am." he said to her honestly.
He was mainly referencing the caramelized onion and sweet potato pizza that he had made. He really enjoyed the combination but he knew it wasn't for everyone.
The pair dug into the food. As usual Issei consumed a good eighty percent of the food on the table but Rias tried at least one slice of each pizza. She found the pair of pizzas that he had referenced to as his 'odd flavours'. She actually enjoyed them, especially the fried banana and chicken combination. It was sweet and delicious.
The wall clock above the dining table chimed eleven as the pair cleaned up from their late night dinner. Issei went directly over to the couch and extended it out before collecting some bedding. He was finishing setting up the bed when he turned to see Rias standing before him holding two pillows from his bed. She threw one to him and then put the other down on the side of the extended bed she stood next to. Issei noticed that all the other lights in the house were off. She clearly had no intention of sleeping in his room tonight. Before Issei could say anything Rias dropped her dressing gown revealing a smooth pink nightgown that hugged her body in all the right places without being overly revealing. Issei swallowed nervously and watched as Rias climbed into the makeshift double bed. She patted the side of the mattress that he would be sleeping on and Issei acquiesced to her request. There would be no arguing.
He did however delay for a second and Rias spoke up, "I thought we could work more on your Ki control tonight." she said as if to justify her sleeping with Issei.
He knew it was a weak excuse but that was all he needed to justify the situation for himself. He removed his shirt and lay down and naturally rolled in toward the centre of the bed. Both were close and facing each other. She looked shyly away from his eyes but their gaze continued to meet every few minutes. Issei whispered goodnight to her and she did the same with both of the pair closing their eyes. Issei had nervous butterflies flying around inside his stomach. As he has drifting off he reached over and took Rias' right hand in his left one. He felt her hand snuggle into his palm as he did so. Within moments he had controlled his breathing and focused on entering his own realm.
Rias smiled at the contact Issei initiated. She knew he would justify it as a way to bring her into his mind but she also knew that both of them were enjoying the intimacy between themselves. Again she pondered the feelings she felt for him and their similarity to the butterflies that sometimes arose when a certain drak haired beauty teased her. She felt the tug of his Ki on her mind and ignoring her inner turmoil, relaxed to allow it. It was as if being at the apex of a titanic roller coaster and then going over the edge as fast as was ever possible.
The dropping feeling left and Rias opened her eyes to a world of white nothingness. She looked around. Issei stood to her right and Ddraig sat in a very catlike posture to the other side of Issei.
"How nice of you to visit again Miss Gremory." Ddraig said in a polite and inviting manner.
"Likewise," Rias replied to the friendly dragon, "Why are we in nothing though. I was expecting to be somewhere like last time?" she asked toward the pair.
Issei replied to her with a thoughtful voice. "I thought tonight I would try a second memory from the past," he directed toward Ddraig who nodded and created another wisp of memories.
Issei continued to Rias, "I create the different environments to train in with my Ki and I was going to wait until I saw how the Saiyans of the past trained before choosing a location to conjure for tonight."
Rias nodded at Issei's explanation. He really was the master of this domain. Rias watched as Issei reached out and his hand passed through the ethereal wisp. As he did so his body became rigid for a moment and Rias was unsure of what exactly was happening.
* Memory Wisp *
Issei fell through the air toward a firm ground of metal in the memory in just the same manner as he had the last time. This time however he was prepared for the travel into the past memory of a forgotten hero. Issei was hoping to see something that would help him control his Ki or a fighting style he could learn to supplement the techniques and combat style that Koneko had taught him. He landed softly on the metal sheets. Looking around Issei saw that he had arrived in a form of military installation of some kind. It looked very futuristic and was a complete contrast to the previous memory he had been able to observe.
The room that he found himself in, was shaped to be a large dome. The roof stood at some forty feet above him. Close to the top windows ringed the walls and Issei could see people observing from the other side but the dark glass meant he couldn't make out their features. On the ground level three doors led into the room. Two were regular sized doors like those he would find in his house but the third was a massive garage style door that a double deck bus could pass through with no concern at all.
One of the regular doors phased out of existence and a body entered the room. Once he was inside the room the door rematerialised. He was shorter then Issei and Issei guessed his age to be around twelve. Give or take a year for the onset of puberty. The boy's body was extremely muscular, he had black hair that stood entirely upright to a harsh peak, he wore a blue body suit that was designed entirely for practicality but emphasised the boy's extreme physique. White gloves and boots adorned the boy's hands and feet. A black tail was wrapped casually around his waist in much the same manner that Issei did. What caught Issei's attention the most was the Saiyan boy's face. He wore a mixture of supreme pride and arrogance across his features and his black eyes looked remorseless.
The boy walked to the centre of the room and waited with his hands crossed. His waited patiently and Issei stepped back to take in the whole scene awaiting something interesting to happen. He didn't have to wait long as the other regular door phased out and a dozen green creatures walked into the room. They had insect like bodies. They stood on two short legs to a height of about four feet tall. Each hand ended in three claws that mashed in and out as they surrounded the boy. As the last one entered the room that door reappeared as well. The creatures had deformed flat faces and their mouths drooled saliva through sharp teeth. Issei was revolted by the small creatures and if they had approached him, he would have had no issue destroying them.
A signal must have been given as the creatures all rushed at the boy. He dodged and weaved their blows with practiced efficiency. This kid was amazingly well trained and Issei knew that if they were to fight now that he would definitely lose. The creatures attacked more ferociously then Koneko had done and Issei watched intently at each move the boy made. He subconsciously moved his body in response to the boy's movements. His Saiyan instincts were absorbing and learning the movements and patterns of this ancient fighter.
The boy seemed to grow tired of simply dodging and took to the offensive. His strikes tore into the small creatures. Although they were roughly the same size as him, the boy decimated them with practically no effort at all. His fighting style was extremely aggressive. Harsh strikes, blows, kicks and elbows with little regard for the defensive. Issei studied all of his movements and even began to see a few flaws in the small defence the boy put between each strike that could be exploited. It was clear that this boy greatly favoured being on the offensive and knew that his superior power would render victory onto himself. Issei was keen to learn all the techniques this boy possessed and amalgamate them with the style he had already began to learn care of Koneko. It would grant him versatility on both the offence and defence.
The creatures attacking the boy were thrown against the ground or walls from the strikes he made however they continued to regain their feet and continue the assault. As the minutes passed Issei expected the young boy to tire but he kept going as if this were merely a warm up for him. Issei watched as the boy took a deep breath and concentrated between dodging two swipes. A harsh white aura flared up around his body. The aura of the boy's Ki. This was an added bonus for Issei. The boy had unleashed his Ki to strengthen himself in the same manner as he had in his brief stand off with Sirzechs.
The boys speed and power increased twenty fold. Some creatures were eviscerated by his blows and their numbers dropped rapidly to four. The last four went to flee from the room and the boy held out his hand toward them with the palm raised. A perfectly formed Ki ball appeared in his hand. The Ki was a soft yellow but unlike Issei's it sat calmly with no urge to rage and send tendrils out. The power it emitted was magnitudes higher then Issei produced with his undisciplined knock off's. As the boy shot it at the first creature, the Ki ball was instantly replaced with another in his palm. Four shots for four enemies. Each shot made impact with the back of his targets head and the creature was disintegrated immediately. So that is what perfectly formed Ki looked like.
Issei was about ready to leave this memory. He had taken a lot in from fighting styles and techniques to the application of harnessing Ki to strengthen you own body and correct Ki attacks. He paused however when he saw the large door phase out and a creature much like the others lumbered into the room. This one however was monstrous in size. At least twenty feet tall. It would give Ddraig a run for his money in terms of raw size and mass. Issei watched the creature's mouth open wide and roar at the boy. Like the last memory Issei couldn't hear anything but the spittle flying from the creature's mouth made the roar obvious. He looked to the young boy to watch his expression grow into a dark and confident smile. The boy screamed in response and his aura grew brighter and raged around him. Issei was transfixed. He had never seen this level of Ki control before. It was incredible.
The boy stopped screaming and launched himself at the beast. Or flew. Issei was unsure. The speed the boy possessed was immense and one moment he was standing thirty feet from the creature, the next he was above it driving his fists hammer style into its skull. The two traded blows and strikes but it was obvious the boy had a clear advantage in terms of skill, speed and power. His strikes staggered the beast yet on the few times it was able to land a blow, the boy shrugged off the attacks as if he had been hit by a scrunched up piece of paper. Issei wondered if the boy was in fact flying as he never seemed to touch the ground. He continued his assault with brutal kicks, punch and strike combinations. Eventually he landed below the creature and launched it into the air toward the ceiling.
Issei then watched as the boy cupped his hands to his right side as if he was holding a ball and burying his fingers into the material of it. The palms of his hands faced each other and the boy shouted something that Issei couldn't hear. A bright purple energy filled the space between the boy's hands. Issei could feel the raw power of the Ki in the boy's hands and it was greater then any energy he had felt before. Higher than the aura the boy had unleashed, higher than the feeling of power that Sirzechs had shown him and more then any opponent he fought possessed. The boy's aura changed to the same purple as the attack he charged. He thrust his arms forward of himself screaming something. Issei watched his lips trying to decipher the words he had said.
A beam of purple energy rushed from his hands toward the monster. It was unable to do anything as the energy engulfed it and ripped its body to pieces. Chunks of flesh and bone littered down to the ground but the majority of the creature simply vanished. Not even dust remained. The blast didn't stop there though and tore through the roof of the building and out into the outside world.
With his victory complete the young warrior released his built up energy and walked calmly from the room. Issei was completely blown away. He didn't even look tired. He had underestimated the boy. If they fought he wouldn't just be beaten, he would be obliterated. He smiled, this was perfect. The power that boy wielded was now his new goal. He would surpass that boy. He felt himself float up and the speed built before the world fluttered.
* White nothingness, Issei's mind *
Rias watched for a few seconds as Issei was frozen but then he moved and she was puzzled as to what had just occurred. Ddraig spoke before she could though and his tone of voice showed that there was no need for concern.
"It was a useful experience I hope?" he both stated and asked of Issei.
Issei felt his Saiyan emotions still raging from the excitement at what he had just witnessed and the grin that broke across his face was reminiscent of a child on Christmas day.
"Definitely." he replied gleefully, his voice full of unbridled excitement.
Rias was confused as to what had just happened but Issei began retelling the story of everything he had just witnessed. The power the boy possessed, his control over Ki. Issei's suspicion that he could fly and lastly the devastating attack he had unleashed against the monster. Rias realised that in those moments that Issei had been still, his statuesque stillness had been due to his mind absorbing the memory he had just recounted to her.
Issei addressed Ddraig directly,
"Can I fly with Ki?" his voice still excited despite the speed with which he had recounted his tale.
Ddraig pondered on it for a moment.
"I can not personally view the memories I have collected inside me but I suppose with correct Ki control it would be possible. I suspect it would be like pushing yourself away from the ground and maintaining it whilst you moved about and manipulated yourself through the air." Ddraig speculated aloud.
Issei smiled at the confirmation of his suspicion. Even if Ddraig wasn't entirely sure if it was possible, Issei knew he would have to try once he had mastered his Ki properly. He concentrated and the whiteness changed suddenly. In place of the nothingness a vast open dirt desert appeared. Rocks and boulders littered the ground as far as the eye could see. Issei nodded toward Ddraig who had taken to perching on one of the largest rocks.
As Ddraig settled in comfortably, the red armour Issei trained in engulfed his body. It was heavier this time and Ddraig explained with a smile that he had increased the weight of the suit to help push Issei further. Issei thanked him and told Rias he would be doing a physical regime before practicing his Ki. She said it was fine and took to Ddraig's side, sitting comfortably next to the dragon and discussing the memories he possessed and how they interacted with Issei.
As devil and dragon spoke, Ddraig used his magic to float the rocks and boulders into the air at which point they circled Issei and attacked him in a manner similar to the creatures attacking the boy. Issei dropped into the defensive posture that Koneko had taught him and began dodging the rocks. The added weight of his armour made each movement more difficult but he pushed through and then switched to the offensive.
He struck the rocks as the young Saiyan had. Issei attacked harshly with combinations of kicks, strikes and throws. The aggression of the style he was displaying was something Rias had never seen before. She knew that Issei was using what he had learnt in the memory but she was stunned by how well he had assimilated all the knowledge and how capably he was now fighting with it all. She mentioned this to Ddraig who was now having to concentrate a bit harder on attacking with the rocks thanks to Issei's change in fighting style.
"The Saiyan race all have a perfect affinity for martial arts and combat. They learn new abilities at an alarming rate and with an unlimited potential they are able to continue to learn new combinations while refining old ones effortlessly." Ddraig explained to Rias before he continued,
"Issei hasn't learnt perfectly though. If you look closely you can see faults in the movements he is making but he is adjusting and correcting himself rapidly and I do not think it will be too long before he is able to use both this new style and the one he learnt from your friend Koneko with precise ease." The dragon let a proud tone fill his voice as he spoke of Issei's growth and potential. Rias felt that same pride as she watched Issei fight against the animated adversaries.
Issei continued his training for almost three more hours before stopping, breathing in great gulps of air and then yelling over to Rias and Ddraig as he continued to fight his granite opponents.
"Rias," he called out harshly to get her attention. "Fire your magic at me." his voice was confident and it was clear that while he was tiring, he had no intention of stopping any time soon.
Rias looked at him from the side line. "Excuse me?" she called back, surely he hadn't asked her to attack him.
"I need more of a challenge." he replied. "Attack me with your magic. I want to try something."
Rias looked at Ddraig who shrugged at her. She formed a cluster of magical destruction balls and fired them at Issei. He dodged the magical blasts as he continued smashing through the rocks and boulders. Rias saw that he was easily able to handle the magic moving at such slow speeds and so she increased their velocity. If he wanted a challenge then she would give it to him.
Ddraig joined her by increasing the speed and power with which the rocks moved and Issei was beginning to become overwhelmed. Issei was focused on dodging Rias' orbs of destruction magic and this caused him to take several hits from the levitating chucks of rock and earth. Despite the abruptness of the strikes, it was exactly what the Saiyan wanted. He knew the challenge and difficulty would bring out more power. He calmed his thoughts with controlled breaths as he went purely on the defensive. He felt through himself for the power of the Ki that lay welled up within the depths of his being. It floated all around his body and outside it in the realm of his mind.
Slowly he tapped into the energy and let the power flow through himself as he had earlier that evening with Sirzechs but this time he controlled the flow. He dug deeper and a guttural yell involuntarily broke his lips. His aura of white Ki flowed from his body. Ragged and wispy at first, but as he pulled more at the Ki, it grew and raged more powerful then before. Issei focused on mimicking the boy from in the memory. The white aura flared brightly as he yelled out. The boulders and magical orbs within metres of him were wiped from existence by the power of his Ki and Issei leapt back to put distance between himself and the remaining oncoming projectiles.
He landed and felt the raw power flowing within himself. He let out a long breath, his mind and body calmed but the power remained. This was how you controlled Ki. It made sense to him. Raging power would succumb to and obey a calm and peaceful mind. He felt his focus heighten, his awareness hone in and sharpen to the world around him.
He raised his right arm with the palm faced toward the mass of objects flying toward him. Ki pooled in his hand. It was a perfect blue white sphere. No blemish or tendril escaped the mass. It took far less energy to summon forth a perfect Ki ball then his imperfect ones as he didn't have to waste any of his energy fighting to control it.
With an exhale of breath, Issei released the shot and it sailed with laser precision, making perfect impact on his targets, evaporating the orb of Rias' destruction energy along with itself. Issei summoned another and then another and then another. As each one shot off he replaced it. Within a minute the space between himself and the other pair was clear. They simply watched him. Rias was amazed at how well he was controlling his Ki. She wasn't even slightly annoyed at how well he had destroyed her magic. She was simply proud of his control. Ddraig felt pride in the exact same way for his new host.
Issei stood almost a hundred metres away from the pair. His blazing white aura still raged around him, illuminating and reflecting light off the gleaming red armour he adorned. Despite its harsh movement, the Ki itself was calm and emitted a feeling of raw power. Issei ran forward and broke into a sprint. Less then two seconds later he came to a perfect halt in front of Rias. Rias was dumbstruck. He was so fast and in all that weighted armour to boot.
"Very well done." Ddraig responded.
Issei removed his helmet and dismissed his aura. The feeling of power became subdued but sat comfortably under the surface. Now that Issei had tapped his Ki reserves properly he knew he would access the power easily. As if he now had a road map showing a bypass to the destination.
"Such incredible power Issei." Rias said simply to him. He smiled to her and thanked her.
"I couldn't have done it without you. I applied what you taught me last time to my training over the last few days and reinforced it with what I learnt tonight. The combination fo the points worked perfectly for my new style." he said honestly to her. Rias blushed slightly at his praise.
The group spoke for a few minutes as Issei rested from his exertions. Ddraig explained that unleashing his Ki would drain Issei's power a lot faster but that like any muscles using his reserves also caused them to grow and deepen. This was part of the reason why Saiyans ate so much. They had naturally larger reserves then other beings. Issei nodded at all this and informed the pair that his next goals would be to learn the powerful attack the boy had unleashed and to be able to fly.
For the remaining time Issei concentrated on his Ki techniques attempting to control the Ki further. He knew he wasn't ready to attempt flight yet but would be close soon. As for the boys attack, he would need to figure out what exactly the boy done and possible what he had chanted. Issei could picture the way his mouth had moved but there was just so many phonetic combinations it could have been. He tried focusing in and channeling his Ki but that along produced little more then the spheres of Ki he had already generated. Mastering them however was yet another aspect that was certain to help him. Each element and technique was a piece to the puzzle of unlocking more power and diversity from his Ki.
Rias feeling rather inspired by Issei's progress decided to practice her magic while he trained his Ki. She had made the decision that she would need to strengthen her magic with how easily his Ki shots had dispelled her balls of destruction. Sure she didn't put much power into the magic she fired at him but still it was magic of destruction and shouldn't be able to be dispelled. Feeling a little conflicted over the matter, she was still happy to have something to train toward now.
After a further two hours the pair were finished and were relaxing beside each other, both recovering from the exertions of controlling their respective energy and continuing to learn about the other. Issei listened to Rias describe her childhood and learning some ballet under the direction and guidance of her mother when a though entered his mind.
"Rias," he began when she had finished with her attention now firmly on him. "What will your parents think of you moving in with me? We didn't see them earlier."
Rias smile at Issei's concern before answering, "They will accept Sirzechs decision, he is a Lord of Hell and besides, he is rather protective of myself and Akeno. He wouldn't put us in harms way deliberately. As for where they were, they are touring enterprises run by our interest for the next month to assess the efficiency of Gremory influence."
Issei accepted her reasoning without much recourse to respond but found another question opened, "What about Akeno's parents?"
This time Rias paused for a moment with a flash of sadness to her eyes as she looked away from him before answering softly.
"That is something you should speak to her about."
Issei couldn't claim to be the most knowledgeable about personal relationships or women but knew when not to push a topic further and so simply allowed a soft silence to fill the space between them before suggesting they should return to reality. Rias agreed and after a brief goodbye to Ddraig, they sat with eyes closed as Issei broke the link to his mind, bringing them back to the real world.
Rias opened her eyes to the physical world once more. Issei lay still facing her. His eyes were locked on hers and their hands still together as they had been when the pair fell asleep the night before. It was early morning. They would have to get up soon if they were to be at school on time. Rias bit her lip as they looked at each other. Both could feel the charge between them and Issei lent forward toward her. Rias closed her eyes. She knew what he was doing. They had known each other for such a short period of time and yet she knew that she wanted him to do it. Issei had his eyes shut, his lips pursed forward and the distance between their lips began to close.
Before they could meet, the front door to Issei's house was banged open and the pair jumped apart from each other. Rias flat on her back and Issei had launched himself with shock vertical into the air and out of the bed onto the floor. He looked directly to the front hallway as Akeno walked into the room. She was already dressed in her school uniform and carried a long overnight bag in her left hand. She looked at the scene before her. Rias laying on her back on the mattress in a nightgown. The sheets thrown everywhere and Issei standing rigidly by the bed in just the pair of pants he had worn the night before.
She let her eyes devour the sight of his exposed muscular body. A sly smirk crossed her face.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." she said in a voice that clearly indicated she indeed knew she had interrupted something. Issei had no idea how to respond and shook his head vigorously. Rias however regained her composure much easier and sat upright.
"Not at all, we were just in Issei's mindscape." she said in a voice filled with false dignity.
She hoped that Akeno would fall for the bait, ignore the awkward situation and believe her. She was glad when Akeno replied,
"Oh his mind place. What's that and how did you do it?" it was clear that she was disappointed that more interesting things hadn't been happening and Issei was very happy for the change of subject.
He slipped away to shower and dress himself while Rias explained about the way in which he trained his Ki and her entering to assist with his training. Akeno looked at Rias with a sly sideways glance as Rias finished the explanation.
"Ok I believe you, but why the sexy negligee then." she said before bounding off down the hallway.
Rias blushed deeply at the last statement. It was clear that her clothing choice was for one reason only.
Issei heard his bedroom door open as he tied the laces to his shoes. He looked up to see Akeno walking in,
"Shame I missed the show." she quirked without a sign of shyness at her comment.
Issei coughed slightly. She was so abrupt. He did like Akeno, she was a nice person from what he had seen. Just very forward in her mannerisms and speech.
"Yeah," he began. "Do you need something? I was just getting dressed."
"Oh I'm fine. Just checking the place out." came her reply in a very offhand manner but made no effort to leave his room. Issei waited knowing that she would have more to say and he was right when she turned directly to him a moment later after having examined a remote control car that he had sitting on a shelf. The look on her face said that she had come to a decision regarding that which she had been pondering.
"I want to visit your mind tonight as well." she blurted out toward him. A red tinge took to her face as she made her request or was it a demand.
Issei knew it would be something like that. With how flirtatious Akeno was and the look of disappointment that she had displayed last night when she thought he had rejected her and Rias, he knew that she would be jealous of what Rias had seen. He nodded toward her,
"Ok." he replied simply. She smiled broadly as his acceptance and left the room.
He finished tying his shoes and left the bedroom. The couch had been reset by Rias and breakfast was laid out on the dining table. Akeno had brought it with her. Omelettes that she bought on the way to his place. She said the clerk had been stunned when she ordered thirty but she knew Issei would eat a massive amount. He thanked her for the generosity and they all dug into the delicious food. Once they finished eating, Rias used her magic to change into her school clothes and both girls then vanished into the bathroom for ten minutes while Issei waited. When they exited he realised that they had been doing their hair and make up. He wondered why they didn't simply use magic for it. He pondered if perhaps there was some things that their magic just wasn't suited for.
Soon enough the three had left for school. Issei couldn't help but notice the stares that their group got from everyone they passed. He was flanked either side by the two youthful beauties. Boys and men alike shot looks of jealousy at him. Girls and women looked with envy at the two girls. It was a complete change from the relative isolation with which he used to live so comfortably. He was unsure which he preferred if he was being honest. Once they arrived at school Issei said his goodbyes to the two girls and went toward his class. The two girls walked together theirs, being as that they were in the same class.
Rias sat in her seat with Akeno sitting next to her. They were the only ones in the room as it was still much earlier than most students arrived at school. She had felt the slight tension between her and Akeno that had stayed between the two from that morning. She faced her best friend who was busy doing something on her phone and spoke to her.
"Ok I can feel something is up with you. What is it?" she asked directly.
Akeno faced her, "I know you like Issei." she said simply.
Rias couldn't stop the blush that filled her face. "Well what of it. I can like who I want." she said back to her friend but now in an argumentative tone.
Akeno nodded to her. "Of course. But he isn't the only person you like," shooting a seductive smirk toward Rias.
She continued, "You can deny it all you want but you need to be honest with you feelings anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I like him too. And I am going to ask him out." she said the words to Rias bluntly.
Akeno didn't want to hurt her friend, she loved her too much and Akeno knew that her feeling for Rias were far less then platonic with her flirting to the other girl becoming more abrupt, but she did want to be direct with her. It was the respectful thing to do when telling the girl that you have subtly flirted with that you will also be going after the guy that she now likes.
Rias was annoyed to say the least. Issei was the boy she wanted to ask and while she accepted Akeno's flirting with him, it was something she did with all men after all, and herself if she was being honest to what she suspected of her friends feelings, she wouldn't just accept her taking the guy she liked.
"Well I am going to beat you to asking him then." Rias replied.
Honestly she felt nervous about asking Issei out and if Akeno hadn't intervened then she would have waited for Issei to make the first move as she wasn't too keen on rushing a relationship. The girls glared at each other for a moment but the influx of other students made them stop. They simply didn't look at or talk to each other during the classes.
Issei was the first to reach the clubhouse for lunch, have spent the latter half of the previous week eating a meagerly sized lunch in the cafeteria he was keen to get back into the large feast provided for the club. The spread of food was already on the table and Issei sat staring at teach and every morsel whilst waiting patiently for everyone else to arrive. Trying to resist the food took more willpower then controlling his Ki as it felt like his whole being was screaming to consume every last dish down to the crumbs.
Kiba and Koneko were the first to arrive together and he distracted himself with simple conversation before Akeno and Rias entered not speaking to each other.
The moment the stunning pair sat Issei buried himself in the food. His willpower could only go so far with the food right in front of him smelling as good as it was. The lunch break was short due to exams being conducted that afternoon and the group barely finished before having to leave. Issei had a history and then a math exam that would dominate his afternoon. Each exam ran for two hours and by the time his class was released the majority of the student body had already left for the day. Issei went home feeling confident with his efforts in the exams. He felt like he had put in work that would score at least a B grade.
Rias and Akeno had returned home much earlier then Issei and began unpacking. However they were uncertain where to place their belongings. Issei's family wasn't
poor but they were no where near wealthy. The home had only two bedrooms. As such they left their belongings in the living room until he would arrive home and they could discuss living arrangements. The tension still existed between the two but both girls wanted to speak with the other. They had been best friends for so long and were moving toward the potential for something more, it hurt to bicker with each other and they rarely fought.
Akeno took a seat next to Rias and spoke first.
"Look I get that you like him. But I do too and want to see if it is real." she said simply.
The flirtatious tone that usually accented her voice wasn't present. Simple honesty was present.
"I know," Rias replied. "I feel the same way about him. But I don't want to fight or lose you as my best friend." she spoke honestly to Akeno as well.
"I just felt uncomfortable because you're so beautiful and I don't like the idea of competing with you." she finished up saying.
Akeno smiled at her. "You're more beautiful then I am Rias. I would be the one competing with you." her words still humble.
Both girls wore slight blushes at the compliments the other had given them. Akeno dropped her head onto Rias shoulder and Rias pulled her Queen into a sideways hug. The pair stayed like that just talking about simple things and enjoying the others company when they heard the sound of the front door opening and Issei returning home.
The Saiyan entered the lounge room to see the two girls sitting cosily on the couch. They seemed engrossed in some sort of girl conversation and both smiled to him as he approached them. Rias brought up the topic that would need to be discussed first.
"So Akeno and I were trying to work out where we should put our stuff." she stated simply to him.
Issei thought for a few minutes. "Well we only have two bedrooms. My parents aren't using theirs though and it is large with a queen size bed if you both don't mind sharing." he suggested the only thing he could think of.
Both girls considered his reply before nodding to him. They all made their way to the master bedroom. Issei cleared his parents' remaining possessions into cardboard boxes that had been left in the attic from when they moved in. Akeno and Rias placed their belongings into the room and made themselves comfortable. Rias took the side furthest from the door and Akeno claimed the closest side to the door. Both girls had only brought a modest amount of items, toiletries, clothes, make up, small comfort items and so the space with sufficient for both of them to live in without becoming too crowded.
Issei showed the girls where the towels were stored and told them that they could wash up and shower first while he cooked dinner. He busied himself in the kitchen setting up the pressure cooker as the sound of the shower running broke the silence. He was making spinach and bacon risotto. It was a simple yet hearty meal that would easily feed the trio without a crazy amount of preparation or work. Issei had everything in the pressure cooker within ten minutes and then left the food to cook.
He went to his room and quickly finished off the small articles of homework he had been assigned from his morning classes. The sound of running water had ceased and so Issei picked up his towel and walked to the bathroom to have his turn showering. He opened the bathroom door and froze. Akeno stood in the room with only a black bath towel wrapped around her torso. The damp material clung to her body as she brushed her hair in the mirror. She turned to Issei at the sound of the door opening.
Issei stood frozen and speechless for a moment before stammering an apology and she giggled at his flustered response. He slammed the door closed and went back to his room. He threw his towel on his bed and returned to the kitchen to focus on tending to the dinner. It was in the pressure cooker and so needed no tending but he tried to busy himself either way. The image of Akeno naked apart from the towel was burnt into his brain and causing havoc on conjuring up any other thoughts.
Issei set the table and both girls joined him as he served up the food. Modest portions for both girls and a mountain on his plate. A large amount remained behind but was unlikely to survive the dinner. The girls each wore casual clothing. Rias wore a pair of white tight fitting pants, a red halter top and had tied her hair back in a pony tail with a pink fluffy scrunchy. Akeno wore a pair of black baggy pants and a yellow crop top that exposed her smooth navel. Her hair was tucked back in a braid.
As the group began eating Akeno looked to Issei. "Did you enjoy the show?" she asked him brusquely.
Issei almost choked on his food as Rias gave him a questioning look.
"I'm sorry about that." he replied still recovering from his food getting caught in his throat.
"Oh don't be sorry." Akeno replied nonchalantly. "Next time I won't wear the towel if you like." her voice in her usual flirtatious and sultry tone.
Issei blushed deeply at that comment and Rias smacked Akeno lightly on the shoulder.
She knew her friend was having fun tormenting Issei with her flirtatious nature but was also aware that Akeno would have done it if he asked. The rest of the dinner passed with Akeno making lewd comments to embarrass Issei, Rias or both at the same time. For the most part she was joking but if the opportunity arose to act directly with either of them, then she would take it.
With dinner finished the girls took clean up as their way of giving thanks for the delicious food that Issei had made for them. As expected there was no left overs. It would be ludicrous to assume there ever would be again with Issei involved. Issei himself collected his towel and went to the bathroom to try again with the shower. This time he found the room unoccupied. He decided that locking the door was probably a good idea. He trusted the girls but the way Akeno looked at him said she might just 'accidentally' walk in on him.
He enjoyed the warm water on his muscles, no longer stinging the wounds to his back which had practically faded away. It was good to be free of his school uniform. Despite the alterations made by Rias' magic, the uniform was just not designed to be worn by someone with a tail and it never would be. He swished his tail from side to side in the spray of water to relieve the tension of having it sitting awkwardly all day. A thought then occurred to him that with his parents out of the country he could have it freely out at all times whilst in his home. This was definitely a perk of the situation he was in.
With his shower finished he dressed in his baggy beige cargo pants and green singlet. He joined the girls in the living room and they had a light conversation while browsing for something to watch. Akeno flicked the TV over to Netflix and asked if everyone would watch Designated Survivor. Neither Rias nor Issei had seen the series. Akeno gave a brief overview of the show as the episode she was up to slowly began to buffer. The three settled in and watched the political drama. Issei quite enjoyed it but what he enjoyed more was just sitting peacefully on the couch with the two stunning young women. They ended up watching two episodes before deciding to call it a night. Issei went to his bedroom and stripped of his singlet before climbing into the covers.
Rias with Akeno behind her made their way to Issei's parents' room or as it now was, their room. The lights were all shut off in the house and as Rias moved around to her side of the bed and began choosing what to wear to bed she turned and caught a sight of Akeno undressing. Despite being best friends for years, neither girl had undressed in front of the other before. Rias couldn't help but ogle Akeno slightly. She did have a stunning figure. Akeno threw her top at Rias as she unhooked her bra. "Are you being a perve miss Gremory?" she asked in a joking manner.
Rias laughed off her friends comment and resumed her search for night clothes glad to be looking away from Akeno for the slight blush that graced her features at being caught looking. Both girls dressed in silken night gowns. Rias in the turquoise one she had worn on her first night with Issei. Akeno had a shorter light green piece on. Both articles of clothing could easily be described as sexy and accentuated the physique of their wearers perfectly. Akeno flicked off the light and both girls climbed in the bed. They said goodnight and only the soft sound of breathing could be heard.
Rias still felt slightly embarrassed for looking at Akeno and for how pretty she thought her body was. She rolled over to the centre of the bed and opened her eyes. Akeno was lying on her back with her eyes open as well. She was looking up at the ceiling and Rias wandered what she was thinking about. Akeno continued to stare at the ceiling and Rias found herself admiring the beauty of her friend. The softness of her skin, the clear piercing nature of her eyes. The silkiness of her hair. She closed her eyes and shook her head. What was she thinking? Surely this was just an effect of Akeno's constant flirting, she couldn't have developed serious feeling for her best friend as well.
She rolled back over to face the other way and lay there. She was starting to drift off when she felt the bed move slightly. She listened closely and while focusing, she could hear the feather light foot steps of Akeno moving and the tell tale sound of a door being opened. Rias suspected she knew where Akeno would be going. She had been into Issei's mind twice already and it only seemed fair that Akeno get a turn but Rias couldn't resist also going and so she slipped out of the bed and followed after her friend. She sprouted her wings to allow her to float silently behind her. She watched Akeno slip into Issei's room.
Rias floated in the doorway and watched Akeno climb into his bed and snuggle close to his sleeping form. Rias waited for her to drift off. Once she had Rias knew that Akeno would be unaware of Rias joining them as she would be in Issei's mind. Rias waited a few minutes and then floated into the room. Issei lay on his back in the middle of his single bed. Akeno had climbed on closest to the edge of the bed. It would be a squeeze but Rias knew that she could fit in the gap between his body and the wall. She did so and settled onto his other side under the blankets. His body produced so much heat that with the three of them in the bed it was quite warm but Rias enjoyed the heat as she fell asleep.
* Grassy hillside, Issei's mindscape *
Issei wore his training armour as usual. The moment he entered this world of his and Ddraig's he had requested the armour immediately and then summoned the hillside of his childhood. Issei had focused on the memories he absorbed upon entering his mindscape and realised that he could in fact replay them. He first replayed the memory of the two boys with their master to ensure he hadn't missed any crucial aid to his training. Without being able to hear the words spoken he decided he had gotten everything that would be of use. He then re-watched so to speak the memory of the Saiyan boy fighting the green creatures. He watched the memory over a dozen times. All in the space of a few actual seconds. He was confident that with enough training, channeling and control of Ki and an understanding of the words the boy chanted that he would be able to replicate his final technique but there was just too many combinations of sounds that he could be saying as he chanted for through the attack.
Issei watched the boy's lips intently but realised the boy could and probably would be speaking a different language to himself. He wasn't going to give up though. He only needed to get his mouth to move the same exact way and he could work out what was being said. That became much easier said then done though when he found that the first syllable the boy said could be either 'Ma', 'Ca', 'Da' or 'Ga' to name but a few.
He decided it would be a long term project and instead returned to start his training. He had Ddraig summon the poles that he had trained against previously but this time five materialised and Ddraig had them fire small bursts of energy at him much like a weak Ki blast when they were at a distance from him. Issei fought against the poles which struck, twisted, parried and fired at him. He was finding Koneko and the Saiyan boy's fighting styles becoming second nature to himself.
He blocked an overhead strike from one pole and twisted to avoid being impaled by another when a feminine voice called out and distracted him.
"Hey Issei" the voice cut through the air.
He turned to see Akeno approaching him in a rather revealing night gown. She didn't even seem phased by Ddraig. Although most likely because everything had been explained to her already. Issei dodged another attack and removed his helmet signalling a short break as he approached her.
"I didn't expect company tonight," he began but she cut him off.
"Well you did say I was welcome." she responded in a rather sassy yet sultry voice.
Issei couldn't argue with that. He had in fact made that agreement with the older girl.
Ddraig made a small noise and Issei remembered his manners. He introduced the two to each other and Ddraig said how pleased he was to meet another friend of Issei. The way he said the words made Issei feel that the dragon may have been insinuating that both girls were more then just friends. Luckily the conversation was interrupted as Rias approached the group. She said hello to everyone. Unlike Akeno she had changed her night clothes into the practical outfit she wore both times previously in his mind. Akeno was slightly annoyed to see Rias here but figured that with Ddraig present and Issei so focused on training, nothing that she hoped for would have happened anyway. Issei asked both girls what they planned to do and Rias suggested that they have a more intense magical spar then they had back at the school on the previous Sunday.
Akeno accepted her suggestion with a deep smirk and the two girls moved apart. Akeno used her magic to change her outfit into the same clothes she had worn that night during dinner. Both girls sprouted their wings and took to the air. Soon they dived and dodged whilst firing magical energy at the other. In their full devil forms both were considerably more powerful but still held back so as to not injure the other. Whilst they had their duel Issei continued his training with the metal poles. This continued for almost an hour until both girls were too tired to continue on and landed beside Ddraig to watch Issei's training.
"Does he ever tire? That armour looks so heavy and he is moving so fast." Akeno asked of the dragon.
"It would take a lot more for him to tire so soon." Ddraig replied.
The group made small talk, the girls happily gossiping with the dragon about world events he may have missed whilst Issei went on the offensive against the poles. Perhaps due to Ddraig being distracted by the conversation or the speed with which Issei tapped into his Ki power for his offensive, either way in a few short blows Issei had destroyed the poles and stood panting but not too heavily so. Applause met his ears as the two girls cheered him on. Issei looked at them and saw the wings on their back. An idea forming in his mind. His smile grew broad as he ran over to the small group of winged folk.
"I want you two to spar with me now." He said abruptly upon reaching them. "At your full power he clarified."
The girls looked to each other and Akeno spoke to Issei in a voice that was not meant to patronize him but came close,
"Issei, sweetie, I know you're strong but you can't go against the two of us at full power. We have trained for years where as you have around two weeks of experience." her words were intended to talk him out of what she believed was a foolish plan but instead they only encouraged his Saiyan pride and ego into the challenge.
Rias however spoke and Akeno had not expected her words. "Akeno, I saw his proper strength last night when he learnt to control his Ki. He can match our full power attacks." she said with pride at how strong Issei had become.
He nodded to her and jumped back a clear forty feet before dropping into his defensive guard. "Don't leave me waiting." he called out to the two girls.
Rias looked to Akeno with a serious expression. If Issei wanted to test himself against them then she wasn't going to back down. Akeno returned the look and the pair spread their wings and shot upward. Once in the sky they charged their magical energy. Rias wanted to observe Issei and see how he would respond and so watched as Akeno dived at him and unleashed a bolt of lightning.
Issei dodged the arc of electricity and jumped toward her. Akeno hadn't expected him to be able to leap so high and was forced to swerve so as to avoid the flip kick that sailed passed her body. She prepared another burst of lightning but Issei had already fired a Ki blast at her. Akeno was pressured into using the bolt of lightning to destroy the Ki. She rose back up next to Akeno as Issei landed on the ground. Neither girl could see his face under the helmet but they knew that he would be wearing a broad grin.
"Alright you're right. He is pretty damn strong. I don't want to be on the receiving end of those blasts either." Akeno admitted quietly to Rias.
Rias simply hummed in response. She didn't want to take her eyes from Issei. She needed a plan. In terms of physical strength and stamina he had more then both girls together but their magical reserves were greater then his Ki.
Rias spoke her plan quickly to Akeno, Issei was just watching them for now as they were out of physical range and she knew that he didn't want to waste Ki.
"We need to deplete his Ki reserves. If he gets us in physical combat then we lose immediately." she instructed her queen.
Akeno nodded and the pair went into action. They spiraled down at Issei like a pair of military dive bombers. As they glided out into a hover, they each unleashed a pair of magical attacks each. Lightning crashed down toward him as balls of destruction magic honed in on him.
Issei's smiled grew even deeper, the girls were playing to win. This is what he had been chasing. He dodged right as a ball of destruction flew passed him. A bolt of lightning too close to dodge and so he fired Ki at it to negate the blast as he dodged its twin bolt. An orb of destruction was missed by his next shot of Ki and his instincts told him to drop to the ground. He did and rolled as the ball passed from behind. Issei smirked as he though quickly, Rias could manipulate their flight path after firing. That made things even more fun.
The trio continued like this. Issei dodging as the girls bombarded him from a height too great for him to reach. Issei knew what their plan was but it was something he was counting on. He wanted to be under pressure with his Ki levels depleted. A muscle under the right tension grows all the stronger and for Saiyans the right tension is an absolute lot. Issei's Ki was being worn down and his muscles burnt from the continued exertion of tonight's training. He dodged a destruction ball but was struck by a bolt of lightning that drove him into the ground. The two girls dived down toward the ground anticipating victory.
Issei however let out a primordial scream and tapped into his full Ki. His aura flared around his body at its full impressive height. Rias and Akeno were diving down toward him too quickly to stop and before the girls realised what was happening Issei had leapt the full distance to them and landed a strong elbow strike to Akeno driving her into Rias. The force of the hit knocked the girls toward the ground and they crashed in a heap on top of each other. Akeno groaned at the hit Issei had delivered to her. She felt as if she had been hit by a freight train made of solid granite.
Issei landed on his feet and rushed at the girls. He knew they couldn't get back to the air fast enough. Both girls panicked at his rapid approach and fired off their magic at full power toward him in a sustained barrage. Issei fired Ki back in response and bother sides unleashed a constant stream of blasts. Akeno and Rias to push back Issei, Issei to break through their wall of fire. It didn't matter where he turned or moved though, the girls kept him suppressed under their magical barrage. Issei was close to winning and his Saiyan instincts screamed for him to go for an all or nothing gambit.
He needed height. Issei slowed his Ki blasts and stood still. He fired only enough shots to stop the girls' magic striking him. He slowed his breathing and controlled his connection to his Ki. Issei felt his remaining pool of energy. It was draining rapidly and this would be his only shot at this. He grabbed a hold of the reserve and pushed it through his body and below himself. He wasn't sure if this was the correct method but the results spoke for themselves. Issei shot up into the air like a white tailed comet. He turned his trajectory and continued to expend his Ki as he propelled himself down toward the girls like a missile.
Akeno and Rias stood dumbstruck. Issei was flying. He had said he wanted to achieve it but it was only last night that he had speculated on just how to do it. Ddraig chuckled merrily in the background. His host had once again proven how determined and driven he was in his pursuit of achieving self improvement. Akeno recovered first and fired her lightning upward at Issei. Rias joined her and balls of destruction magic resumed buffeting the space around Issei. Both girls were becoming exhausted. Their reserves were higher then Issei's but they didn't know by how much or how little.
Issei shot down toward his targets but under such a heavy weight of attacks was forced to resume using Ki blasts to break through their anti air barrage. He was closing the distance. A hundred metres, eighty metres and his core was screaming out in exhaustion, sixty metres and his mind throbbed to collapse, thirty five metres but his vision was now blurring drastically.
He screamed at his body to hold on, only twenty five metres to go. His whole body shook and a heavy wrenching spasm ran through him. He could see the determined looks on the girls' faces. Twenty metres and a ball of destruction caught him and his Ki shattered. He used the remaining power to avoid blacking out completely as he spud into the ground. His aura vanished as Issei lay motionless.
Ddraig rose his head in concern for his partner. He could feel the overwhelming exhaustion of Issei but knew that the boy's vital signs were still stable if a little outside of comfortable. Both girls joined Issei's side, their wings vanished as they dropped their power in concern for him. Rias knelt down next to him, she unbuckled the clasp of his helmet and tried to remove it. She grimaced at the weight of the red steel. Akeno joined her and with a grunt both girls lifted the head piece from Issei, promptly dropping it with a dull thunk onto the ground.
After unclasping his chest piece they pushed and rolled it off his body. The metal plating being far too heavy for the pair to lift. With his torso now free, the girls could see the soft rise and fall of his chest. Rias took Issei's right shoulder and shook him. First gently and then with more urgency. Issei grimaced and opened his eyes to look up at the two girls. The world swam and spun above him but he was able to focus on their faces.
"I flew." he said happily.
It took a moment but both girls realised that flying had been his whole goal all along. Rias was tempted to laugh and a snicker broke her lips. Akeno however raised a fist and smashed it down on Issei's chest causing him to crunch together in pain.
"You mean you hit me that hard just so you could fly." she yelled at him in what Rias suspected wasn't genuine rage.
"You're a jerk Issei." she continued before her eyes softened.
"If you wanted to fly that bad I could have just taken you." she said softly in a genuine voice. All three laughed heartily at that.
For their remaining time in his mind they all just rested. The duel had drained the girls quite significantly and Issei was more exhausted than he had even been. But he had flown. That was all that mattered. Issei mostly listened to the girls talking with Ddraig and only added his own input when he was spoken to directly. A single thought went through his mind over and over though. The next time he met Raynare she wouldn't be able to escape his retribution.
Edited on 24 December 2020