Darkness.
That was all Issei could see, nothing but never ending darkness, no light in sight, nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing to touch just... nothing.
Issei heard voices, whether they were real or in his head he didn't know, it didn't matter.
He heard Rias.
"you don't deserve Raynare or anyone for that matter"
"That's not true" choked Issei.
Koneko.
"Pathetic, so strong yet so weak in the end"
"I couldn't help it" Issei sobbed, his eyes filled with tears.
Akeno.
"How disappointing, what a failure"
"Please forgive me, i'm sorry" Issei cried.
Kiba.
"To think I thought of you as my friend"
"We still can be right?" Issei questioned desperately.
Raynare.
"What a weakling, I should've killed you when I saw you with Asia"
"No... Raynare please I tried so hard, I LOVE YOU" Issei screamed.
Then worst of all, Asia...
"You lied to me Issei, you betrayed me, you made me this way, you turned me into a killer"
...
Issei fell silent.
For a while that's all there was, just silence.
He didn't know how long had passed before he heard a voice.
Issei's face remained emotionless as he turned towards a girl who looked around 10 years old, she had grey hair and was wearing a gothic dress that was open down the middle with only a couple of bows bonding the two sides together while her exposed breasts were covered in a black tape over the nipples.
"Who are you?" Issei asked in a monotone voice as he looked into the girl's black and soulless eyes.
"I am infinity, however you may call me Ophis" the girl responded coldly.
"Ophis..." Issei tested the name before continuing "why am I here?" he questioned the girl.
"Because you're dead" Ophis replied.
"Then... why am I here and not in heaven or the underworld?" Issei asked.
"Because you have unfinished business, your soul is refusing to pass on to the afterlife and wishes to return to the mortal realm however it doesn't contain the power to revive itself so you are stuck here in limbo however i've been watching you for a while now and I find your actions amusing so i've decided to charge your soul with a fraction of my power, just enough to allow it to access the mortal realm once more" Ophis told Issei.
"Indeed, i'll send you back now, it's up to you to find what you need to do because this is a one time offer from me" Ophis stated.
Issei nodded in response.
"One last thing, my power may influence your soul somewhat, I do not yet know how unfortunately" Ophis informed the boy.
Issei nodded once more before a blinding light engulfed his vision.
Back in the gym of the alternate Kuoh Academy, Raynare and Koneko were in shock, they had witnessed the 'death' of their friend at the hands of Asia who up until a few minutes ago they had thought of as family.
After she'd blasted Issei through the chest, Asia had left through the roof with Riser without hesitation leaving the two left behind to morn over Issei's body.
However they weren't able to do so for long because a burst of magical energy blinded them and pushed them away from the body of Issei, by the time they looked again he had changed quite a bit from how they'd last seen him.
His clothes had changed to an all black skintight battle suit with a black trench coat over the top that was long sleeved and reached his mid calf, his face now was devoid of much emotion, his lips were shut tightly into a small frown and his eyes seemed darker.
In contrast to his natural brunette colour, his hair was now snow white as a result of the stress induced by the hallucinations of his so called friends berating him for his failure to protect Asia. It had also grown longer, covering his ears and almost reaching his chin.
However the biggest change were his wings, once they were half angel and half devil but now the angel half had transformed in devil wings, the power that Ophis had given Issei to return had neutralised his angel blood, turning him into a full blooded devil imbued with her magic.
Raynare and Koneko looked upon the new Issei and were frozen in shock at how he'd transformed into someone so different.
"Issei?" Raynare called out with a little uncertainty.
Issei turned to the fallen angel and scowled, remembering how she had wished she'd killed him when they met.
"What?" he answered in a lower, gruffer voice than he used to have.
"Are you... okay?" Raynare asked hesitantly after she heard the voice she'd come to love disappear and be replaced by this new one.
Issei looked at Raynare but said nothing before turning and walking towards the exit to the gym, he knew what business he had to finish.
Outside the gym looked looked like a crater, there had definitely been a battle here, but who had taken part?
That question was soon answered when an injured Kiba hobbled over to Issei, meanwhile Raynare and Koneko had followed.
"Issei!?" Kiba asked with awe as he took in the boy's new appearance.
"Yes" Issei shortly replied.
"What happened to you Kiba?" Raynare asked looking over the boy's beaten and bloody form.
"Me and Akeno encountered more of Riser's forces than we thought, in the end we fought as best we could but they overpowered us. Akeno released a massive thunder attack as a last ditch effort that took out the majority of the enemies but her as well, I managed to retreat and find you before the ones that survived found me" Kiba explained.
"You don't look to good either Raynare, we should get Asia to heal you" Kiba stated.
Raynare and Koneko looked to each other with worry and fear at how the blond would react to Asia's betrayal, however they didn't have time to think further before Issei cut into the conversation in a gruff voice.
"Asia joined Riser" Issei almost growled as he started to walk towards the new school building to confront the bastard that had taken advantage of Asia's fragile mental state.
"WHAT!? Why would she do such a thing?" Kiba yelled in surprise.
"Because she was forced to attack a rook of Riser's while I was incapacitated because I was cocky, she ended up using too much power and killed the rook which caused her to go insane and she joined Riser when he came to the gym" Issei explained quickly, never halting his movement which forced the other three to follow him.
"So she had to attack because you and Raynare became cocky and got injured?" Kiba asked, his tone laced with anger at the carelessness of the two that had cost them one of the most important people on the team.
"Yes" Issei replied shortly.
Kiba pulled back his fist and launched a punch at the back of Issei's head that would have connected had it not been for the intervention of power that had been granted to him by Ophis. A purple shield made of magic radiated around Issei, covering him like an aura.
Issei swiftly turned and decked Kiba in the face with the new power that cause the blond to fall on his ass and retire in blue light due to the already heavy injuries he had sustained earlier. Following this, Issei turned back towards his destination without hesitation and was about to continue his march before his arm was roughly grabbed from behind.
Issei turned once more and was greeted by the shocked and angry faces of Raynare and Koneko who couldn't believe Issei had just taken out one of their own team so coldly.
"Issei what the hell!?" Koneko shouted at the boy.
"He was your friend, how could you just retire him like that!?" Raynare followed.
"He started it" Issei replied monotonously.
Before the two could further their lecture with Issei, a massive explosion rocked the area and two sets of blue lights appeared to take Raynare and Koneko away.
Issei growled at the loss and looked up to see Riser's queen Yubelluna floating in the sky with a smug grin on her face.
"It appears those two bitches were too distracted lecturing you, I saw how you took out that swordsman by the way, it was quite arousing to watch" Yubelluna stated, gaining a lustful expression and rubbing her legs at the last part.
Issei stared blankly at the queen during her statement, he felt nothing, no attraction to the display she was creating, no anger for her taking his friends out, no regret for retiring Kiba himself, just nothing.
"What's the matter? frozen in fear from my beautiful looks and amazing power?" Yubelluna taunted Issei.
"No, I don't feel anything... just like you're about to" Issei stated coldly.
Yubelluna gasped in response to the speed Issei lunged at her with and used her power to set off and explosion around her that would repel him only to find out that it had no effect.
Issei, covered in the purple aura from earlier, performed a powerful axe kick to Yubelluna's skull which sent her flying to the ground.
Before she had a chance to even process what had just happened, Issei charged a purple sphere of magic that crackled like a ball of electricity and hurled it at the queen who screamed in pain as it froze her in place. Trapped in the sphere, Yubelluna cried in pain as the sphere constantly damaged her, tears rolled down the queen's face as she felt the most pain she ever had in her life.
Issei walked away towards Riser's base once more and left Yubelluna in the sphere of torture.
"That's for Asia" he growled.
Meanwhile, Rias had grown even more stressed than she was when Issei had left with Asia at the beginning of the match, the current standing was Riser had his queen remaining as well as himself while all but herself, Issei and Asia had been eliminated.
Rias rose to her feet and exited the ORC clubroom thinking it was time she faced off with Riser and regrouped with Issei and Asia. On her flight to the new school building she heard the announcement that Riser's queen had retired which made her feel a little better since now they were only dealing with Riser himself now.
However this new found security was shattered when she looked upon the roof of the new school building and saw a very different looking Issei, alone, standing off against Riser and... Asia? Rias landed next to Issei and wasted no time with her questions.
"Issei what the hell happened, why is your hair white? What's with those clothes and why the hell is Asia standing with Riser.
"The first two don't matter, as for the last one, Asia is on Riser's team now" Issei explained, rather annoyed he had to repeat himself from earlier.
"WHAT!?" why has Asia switched sides? What did you do? She was one of the most important people on our team" Rias shouted accusingly at Issei.
Seeing Asia with that smug ass Riser was bad enough but Rias attacking him and reminding him that it was his fault Asia was forced to kill and switch sides pissed Issei off badly.
(Rias Gremory) Ddraig called from the boosted gear that had manifested onto Issei's arm.
"Y-yes?" Rias replied, rather shocked at the sudden appearance Ddraig had made.
(If you do not wish to die then I suggest you stay back) the dragon warned Rias.
"Why is that?" Rias asked in a curious and slightly demanding tone.
(Because my host has gone under a significant transformation and most of the power he gained from it lay dormant until a few moments ago when you berated him, now the power is spilling out and if it isn't used it will explode outwards and kill everyone here) Ddraig explained.
"O-okay" Rias stuttered, overwhelmed by the news and sight of Issei's transformation, she began to feel rather guilty for how she'd treated him since he'd rejected her advances the previous night, she hadn't given any thought to how it hurt Issei when he had to shut her down and then she called the person he loved a slut and took it out on him at the start of the game which caused him to storm off with Asia to the gym where all this happened.
Rias was snapped out of her thoughts by Ddraig's voice.
(WELSH DRAGON, BALANCE BREAKER) the dragon roared as Issei became sealed in his crimson armor, however it looked different, the colour was a very dark shade of crimson almost to the point of it being another colour entirely and the once green gems had turned to a snow white colour that matched Issei's hair.
"Hahaha, you may have a new colour scheme but that won't stop the great Riser, i've taken Asia from you and once you're dead i'll take Rias as well, them my harem will be even larger and i'll force Rias and Asia to do anything and everything with me" Riser gloated with a smug grin on his face.
"Shut the fuck up you stupid bird brain, i've had enough of you and your sickly attitude, I'M GOING TO WIPE YOU OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH" Issei yelled as he began charging a purple magic ball that was being amplified by his armor, the ball grew in size until Issei held it over his head with one hand and the size of it dwarfed the whole building.
Riser widened his eyes as the end of his life flashed before his eyes.
"Foolish child, do you know that if you strike me with that you'll kill me and Asia, you'll be wanted by my family and the whole underworld, THIS MARRIAGE IS FOR THE GOOD OF DEVIL KIND, YOU WILL BE CLASSED A TRAITOR TO ALL DEVILS" Riser shouted, screaming at the top of his lungs by the end as Issei didn't show any signs of stopping at the mention of Asia being killed or being a wanted criminal.
Issei dashed up to Riser and grabbed his shirt before uttering three words in a powerful voice.
"I don't care"
(ANNIHILATION BLAST)
With that the field filled with smoke and the announcement of Rias Gremory's victory was given.
Hey :)
Okay so not as fast as i'd hoped I could update this story of mine but at least it wasn't as long as the times before right? 0w0
I think you all have realised by now that I have quite the thing for cliffhangers, this one was very much intentional though since I wanted the climax to be the last attack of the game, however the actual ending with Riser, Asia and Issei all being engulfed while Rias stayed back due to Ddraig's advice which made her the person to see the result of the final attack was a nice idea that fit itself into played once I started writing the final conflict on the roof.
While I won't spoil the outcome of the match, it will propel the universe in a different direction that cannon somewhat considering the all the main arcs will still take place but in an alternate way.
As for Issei's attitude, i'm trying to write him as emotionless for now with the occasional outburst of anger, that may change in the future but for now Ophis' power has robbed him of his positive emotions, including his love.
Anyway, enough of me rambling on, thank you all for reading this, any constructive reviews would be greatly appreciated, even if you just wanna say hi :)
until next time,
BK out :)