The wind seemed to swirl unnaturally around the older teen as the sound of the metal swipe still echoed around the area. His sapphire blue eyes focused upon Issei and the small girl he was still clutching close to his chest protectively.
He smirked upon seeing the fear in the younger teen's eyes and before Issei could even react, the spear was inches from his eyes.
"So you're protecting the girl I presume?" he spoke condescendingly but with an air of youth.
Issei was frozen, helpless against this clearly stronger guy who seemed to want the girl he was clutching numbly. His partner screaming at him to run fell on deaf ears as the younger teen was in shock at the pure power emanating from the spear wielded by his opponent.
(Issei, can you hear me!? You must run NOW!)
The older teen reached out to grasp the young girl from Issei's hands but luckily the boy managed to snap out of it just in time to jump back into the street away from him.
The attacker lunged forward with blinding speed, the smirk never leaving his face as he began to carve cuts into the poor boy, each and every strike was specifically aimed to keep the target unharmed as they needed her alive and well for the first stage of their plan.
(Partner! You must find a way to escape, you're no match for this opponent currently!) Ddraig urged the teen quite worried for his safety from that spear, pride be damned.
'Gee thanks for the advice!' Issei retorted sarcastically as he just barely dodged another future scar but was inflicted with another seconds later.
"I grow weary of this, give me the girl now!" the older teen ordered reaching his hand out.
Issei held his ground, he realised this guy was far too powerful to simply walk away from, no amount of running or hiding would get him to safety now. However that didn't mean it wouldn't help this girl.
Issei pretended to be handing the girl over only to headbutt the older teen as he drew closer allowing the briefest second for him to rush into the road and cause a car to screech to a hault in front of him.
"What the hell are you thinking!?" the female occupant of the vehicle shouted at Issei but he shut her up by thrusting the young girl into her arms through the wound down down.
"Take her and go, NOW!" he urged her as he saw the spear wielding attacker was already recovering from his surprise attack.
"What are you talking about? Who even is this!?" the woman babbled but there was no time for this.
"Just drive, GO!" he yelled at her, Issei felt bad for being so rude to a stranger but this was far more important than her feelings.
He quickly dashed back to the older teen who had just caught sight of him and went on the offensive to distract him from the fact the girl he was seeking was no longer clutched to his chest.
Luckily for Issei, after seeing the guy wielding a very sharp looking spear and the state of the younger teen, the woman had panicked and sped off with the girl safely buckled in the passenger seat.
'Thank god for maternal instinct' was all Issei could think as he switched to defensive once more having been injured more in the last few seconds while on the attack than all of the admittedly short battle before when he'd merely been defending from the spear.
(You fool! That girl was the only reason the wielder of the True Longinus was keeping you alive) Ddraig scolded his host, truthfully the dragon couldn't have been more proud of Issei's choice but right now the fear of losing his host was bubbling over the surface.
'Maybe, but I knew I wasn't getting away anyhow since i'm too weak to beat this guy, he was never just going to let me walk away even if I gave him the girl' the teen responded with a little difficulty whilst attempting to dodge and parry the now enraged older teen's attacks.
'Plus what kind of asshole would I be if i'd given up such an innocent girl to a clearly malevolent source, i've made so many mistakes so far in the supernatural world, I just wanted to make sure me last action was something good for a change' he added rather melancholy tugging at the dragon's heart strings.
(Issei... For better or worse, I don't think you've only made mistakes, some weren't even your fault. I want you to know that you're the best partner i've ever had) the dragon responded sadly but truthfully.
These words oddly gave Issei a sense of peace in the face of imminent death.
'Ddraig... same to you man, I think i'm ready' the young teen thought almost peacefully.
A feint and bad footing on Issei's part was all it took to take him down on his ass with the gleam of the spear against the sun partially blinding him as it softly dug into the skin of his neck.
"One last time before I kill you and take her myself, hand over the-" the older teen had started before realising the girl he was after was no longer clutched against the boy's chest, anger welled up inside of him at the thought of being foiled by this pathetic kid.
"Where the hell is she!?" he snarled digging the spear in slightly deeper causing blood to trickle down the front of Issei's shirt.
"You'll never find her, even if you do, it'll be a long ass time loser!" Issei grinned triumphantly, he knew what came next but his final action had saved that girl and thwarted this prick so he wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing the fear in his eyes.
The rage on the older teen's face was palpable and something Issei found incredibly satisfying as the spear that was previously placed firmly into his neck suddenly relieved its pressure only to slice open his throat moments later.
"Foolish boy, you've merely delayed our plans, the Khaos Brigade will not be denied!" the villain seethed before walking back into the alley out of sight.
As Issei fell to the ground choking on his own blood he couldn't help but remember, she'd died just like this hadn't she? Just to another supernatural maniac, how poetic a mother and son. His vision began to blur as all his strength left him, all he could do was look up to the deep blue sunny sky filled with puffy white clouds.
'Beautiful' was all he could think before his end.
But as before during the rating game, fate had other plans for Issei Hyoudou.
A young woman no older than twenty with short scarlet hair, emerald eyes, pale skin and freckled cheeks had been following the older teen known as Cao Cao throughout Kyoto as her master was suspicious of the man, turns out she'd been right on the money when he'd attacked a young teen with the very girl they'd been searching for as well but for very different means.
The woman had been forced to watch from the shadows as Cao Cao intimidated the poor boy with his spear but as she was about to disregard her orders to stay hidden and intervene to save him, the boy materialised something very special, the Boosted Gear.
To say she'd been shocked would be an understatement having only heard rumors of the 13 legendary Longinus but the rivalry between Albion and Ddraig that lead to their sealing into the Divine Dividing and Boosted Gear was well known to her.
She assumed the boy had been putting on a front to surprise the True Longinus wielder and her assumption had apparently been proved correct when the young teen headbutted him. However it became abundantly clear that she'd been wrong when he'd shoved the poor girl into a stranger's car and began to attack Cao Cao for the first time.
He was utterly outclassed and didn't even boost, that was when she had a horrible realisation, he must have only just awakened his gear to be that weak and she'd essentially left him alone against the most powerful sacred gear in existence.
Unfortunately time did not stop for the young woman to realise her mistake and before she knew it the poor young teen had been slashed across the throat and Cao Cao was escaping. Her mind fought against her instincts to help but eventually it was overpowered and she rushed to the dying boy.
"Oh god what have I done?" she worriedly mused, her tone filled with guilt as she knelt beside the boy and lifted his body into her arms, he was much lighter than she'd anticipated.
Suddenly the Boosted Gear reappeared upon Issei's left hand in its twice critical form.
(...can... me... help... GO!) came a distorted and weak voice from within the gear that she could only assume was the legendary dragon Ddraig.
She'd only understood a few words but help and go were two the young woman knew she must act upon. She carried Issei bridal style through the streets of Kyoto garnering looks ranging from confused to outright shocked at the bloodied boy in her arms as she rushed past them.
Finally she reached her destination, a large shrine in the center of Kyoto surrounded by a small forest. She sprinted up the grand staircase to the entrance and burst through the front door to be met with gasps and strange looks from the shrine maidens. The looks quickly faded into concern as they saw the state of the boy she was carrying, they all parted allowing the young woman access to a large double door decorated with gemstones.
Once inside she knelt with her head low and placed Issei down gently in front of her.
"And just who have you brought into our sacred home Levalier?" a feminine voice asked sternly causing the aforementioned girl to become nervous.
"P-please forgive me lady Yasaka, I- I need you to save this man, it's my fault he got hurt!" the scarlet haired teen all but begged the royal in front of her.
Yasaka made an unimpressed sound.
"Shouldn't it be your responsibility to help him then? Why bring an outsider into our home especially in these troubling times" she scolded her thinking longingly of a certain young girl.
Levalier saw the longing look in her eyes and immediately knew how to win this argument.
"This boy saved your daughter my lady" she stated quickly eager to get Issei help as soon as possible.
Yasaka turned to her in surprise.
"He did? Then where is she?" the royal questioned her subordinate almost desperately.
"Well... uh..." the scarlet haired teen stumbled realising how little what she'd seen actually counted for.
There was a small pause where Yasaka's hopeful expression soured into a frown once more.
"That's what I thought, do not lie to me again, now begone and take this boy out of our home!" Yasaka ordered bitterly causing Levalier to clench her fist.
"This man took several life threatening wounds from the True Longinus to save your daughter and ensure she wasn't captured by the Khaos Brigade and this is how you repay him? Leaving him to die!?" she raged whilst marching forward leaving Issei behind her and catching Yasaka slightly off guard from her sudden outburst.
"I ask that you control yourself in my presence. While I am grateful for what this boy supposedly did, I have no proof that my daughter is alive and no leads to the wielder of the True Longinus' location, therefore I have no reason to see the situation as any different from before he intervened" the royal responded coldy, she would not be taken advantage of again.
Just as Levalier was about to retort, the argument was interrupted.
(Absolutely pathetic!) a voice from behind the scarlet haired teen boomed.
Both women turned around surprised but then confused when they saw nobody else in the room other than Issei's unconscious form, then suddenly in a shower of sparks, the teen's hand was encased in the Boosted Gear in its second liberation form once more.
"The Boosted Gear!" Yasaka exclaimed quite shocked by its sudden appearance.
(You two dare be so childish as to argue when my host is between life and death after saving your daughter, for shame!) Ddraig angrily flared.
levalier looked away awkwardly but Yasaka wasn't impressed by being insulted even by someone as legendary as the Welsh dragon.
"I argue to protect my home from foreign threats, something that has devastated our people already!" she retorted causing the red dragon to snort.
(Closed minded fool, so you've been hurt by one person and now you refuse to trust anyone? I didn't put up with that crap when my host pulled it so explain why I should with you?) Ddraig scolded her.
Yasaka opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by Levalier.
"My lady, I know that you no longer trust strangers because of that man, but not everyone is out to get us, heck this boy even stopped said man from taking your daughter and knowingly was willing to give up his life for a girl he'd met moments ago. Please I beg of you to at least hear him out once we heal him" the scarlet haired girl vouched for the young man lying beside her, she'd seen it all, she just knew in her gut that this guy was good.
Silence reigned for a few moments before a long sigh escaped the queen's lips.
"Very well, I shall allow his treatment on two conditions, the first is he is kept under watch by guards 24/7 and the second that he explain his version of events when he wakes up and I retain the right to have him leave if I don't find it acceptable" Yasaka laid out her rather harsh terms but she wasn't going to be taken advantage of again.
(Like hell you will! I won't let you treat my host like this!) Ddraig shouted protectively, after such hardship and growth he'd grown quite fond of Issei, not that he'd ever directly admit it, but he would stand up for his partner when he wasn't able to.
The queen's face hardened once more but before she could say anything, Levalier knelt down beside the unconscious Issei and gently placed a hand over the emerald green gem of the Boosted Gear.
"I know it's harsh, but you said before that your host had been through similar so please try to understand where she's coming from, I promise you that I want to see this boy healthy as much as you do" she attempted to reason with the Welsh dragon.
(Hmph fine, Issei Hyoudou is his name, do not forget it) Ddraig conceded begrudgingly knowing this woman to be truthful after feeling her touch.
"I won't, promise" Levalier smiled before turning back to the queen who then waved over the guards that were standing either side of the grand double door.
"I want you two to take this boy to the medical wing and guard him as he is treated, you're not to allow him to leave your sight under any circumstance, understand?" Yasaka waited for confirmation of her orders.
"Yes your highness!" came the in sync response from the two before they took Issei's legs and arms respectively and carried him out of the large room.
Levalier gave Yasaka an uncertain look which didn't go unnoticed by the queen before following the two guards to the medical wing.
The royal let out a long sigh before collapsing back onto her throne, her strength was deteriorating faster than she'd expected just from standing.
'Damn that evil man, I don't care who this boy is, unless he brings my daughter directly to me i'll never trust him or anyone else from outside again' she thought bitterly as unwanted memories from her past surfaced.
Kuoh Town
Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Kiba and Raynare resided in the ORC clubroom after school, they'd been called to a meeting that most of them already knew the topic of but only the former two knew the full details they were about to deliver.
Rias leaned back on the front of her desk while Akeno was by her side, the other three sat on couches in the center of the room close by.
"So as you already know, Issei Hyoudou went rogue in the rating game against Raiser and killed him as well as instigating Asia's change of heart and subsequent disappearance following the game" Rias recapped the awful events of the rating game not long ago.
Different reactions permeated around the room, Akeno showed disgust, Kiba was conflicted between guilt and anger, Koneko was cautious but Raynare was the outlier showing sadness and regret at the reminder of her 'dead' love interest.
"Then he was wrongly imprisoned without a trial and forced into a corner that lead to his death" the fallen spat maliciously.
"Wrong" was all Rias replied with earning a surprised yet hopeful expression from Raynare while Kiba and Koneko were also surprised but stayed quite unlike the fallen.
"What do you mean Gremory!?" she demanded shooting up from her seat.
"I mean it appears that Issei survived his fall and was rescued by the seraph Gabriel herself" the red haired dropped a bombshell upon the fallen causing her to stumble back and collapse back onto the couch pale as a ghost.
"That... that doesn't make sense, he hates Gabriel's guts, why would he go with her?" Raynare asked weakly, slightly worried at the prospect of him being kidnapped by one of the strongest Angels in existence.
"According to my brother, it seems the relationship between angels and devils has shifted somewhat, no only that but he said Issei had apparently had a conversation with Gabriel and they'd buried the hatchet so to speak" Rias explained.
Raynare was overcome with the different emotions assaulting her currently, happiness Issei was alive, anger that it was kept from her and slight jealousy for Gabriel being closer to him but also worry since she knew how much the seraph had hurt him in the past.
Rias took one look at Raynare's expression and understood she wasn't going to be saying anything for a while, it was at this point that Kiba decided to ask a question.
"So does that mean Issei is in Heaven right now?" the knight asked his king.
"No it appears after their heart to heart, Gabriel made a portal to send Issei for a fresh start, after he'd left was when my brother stepped out as he didn't think Issei would take too kindly to seeing him after their last encounter.
Kiba nodded in agreement, they'd all heard Sirzechs' account of Issei's escape.
Koneko was quiet throughout the entire meeting until Rias told them something that made her choke on the sweet she was eating.
"Due to his actions during the rating game, Issei is now officially wanted for the murder of the high class devil Riser Phenex" the red head dropped a second bombshell.
Kiba looked shocked while Raynare shot out of her seat and stomped towards Rias, her face held more rage than the Gremory heiress had ever seen in her life.
"What the hell!?" she screamed as loud as she could as Akeno placed herself between the two.
"Back off fallen" the hybrid warned with disgust lacing her tone.
Raynare grit her teeth seething with rage before decking Akeno in the nose causing her to fall to the floor.
"Quit talking down to me you damn hypocrite, I wouldn't be surprised if no one ever loved you like Issei does me, hell even your own daddy doesn't want you" the fallen mocked, rage orienting her brain now.
Akeno got back up quickly, lighting crackling across her fingers and her nose flowing bloody.
"You know nothing about love, Issei was suffering and what did you do? You betrayed his trust and killed poor Asia, I wouldn't be surprised if you had something to do with her leaving as well!" Akeno shot back as she fired her lighting at Raynare who dodged to the side before throwing a light spear at the hybrid which was also dodged.
The two stood meters apart, unbelievable rage etched upon their faces as one charged a massive light spear and the other's lightning sparked around the room and all over her body.
"Enough!" Rias shouted causing both girls to falter.
"But-" they both started in sync.
"But nothing! You two are members of my peerage and that means you're on the same team, you're part of my family so you will not fight each other!" Rias scolded them.
The two girls looked at their feet ashamed as the anger cleared and their powers faded.
"Now you've both said some stupid things that really we know aren't true, so shake hands and apologise before we address the issue at hand" the Gremory heiress ordered as kindly as she could.
The two girls sighed before locking eyes and shaking hands.
"I'm sorry for insulting your and Issei's relationship" Akeno apologised.
"Thank you, i'm sorry for insulting your family and feelings" Raynare replied softly to which Akeno nodded.
"Good, now I know this news isn't something you want to hear especially after just finding out he's still alive but due to him killing Riser, the devil council are up in arms and want to see him punished, i'm afraid our hands are tied here" Rias explained to Raynare as gently as possible.
Raynare opened her mouth to argue but closed it when she realised that despite the burning feeling of unfairness that he was being ripped from her just after she thought she had him back, he did kill a high ranking devil which couldn't go unpunished no matter how much of an asshole he was.
Rias saw the turmoil in the fallen's eyes as tears threatened to fall, the Gremory heiress moved over and embraced Raynare who burst into tears and sunk to her knees still hugging the red head for dear life.
'Issei... I love you, please don't die' was all the fallen could think as the room was silent apart from her sobs.
Unknown Location in the Underworld
A figure clothed in a dark red hoodie, light blue jeans and white sneakers made their way down one of the many streets around. The street lamps shone brightly upon the pavement but the figure's identity remained cloaked due to the hood over their head. People were going about their business paying no attention to the figure as it turned into a dark alleyway, then it came across a shady door with a deadbolt.
The figure knocked loudly on the door three times and waited patiently.
After a few moments the deadlock clicked and the door opened slightly before the chain stopped it opening any further.
"What do you want kid?" a voice asked from the darkness inside.
"To speak to your boss" the figure responded in a low yet feminine voice.
"Doesn't everyone, beat it punk" the voice nonchalantly replied closing the door.
The figure stuck their foot in the door to stop it closing completely without even a flinch.
"Did I say it was a request?" the figure growled causing the voice to go silent for a moment as the chain was taken off and the door opened fully.
Moonlight shone into the room illuminating a fallen angel with pointed ears and 5 pairs of wings.
"You've got my attention, what do you want with me?" the fallen asked menacingly.
The figure simply removed her hood allowing long blonde hair to fall out, jade green eyes shining in the moonlight.
Surprise registered on the fallen's face for only a moment before an evil grin replaced it.
"Well this just got interesting" he remarked amusingly.
Hello again everyone, I hope you enjoyed this chapter since I had close to a mental breakdown trying to sort out a plot hole that completely screwed over a plot point I wanted to make happen in the future so midway through this chapter when starting to write the section in Kuoh I had to take a break to sort it all out but now i've got it back on track so hopefully the story should get even better over the next few chapters.
Other than that i've nothing to add so as usual thank you all so much for reading, reviewing and messaging your thoughts, you guys are the reason I keep going with this and I can't thank you enough!
Until next time have a lovely life :)