The world was a blurry haze of shapes and colours as chocolate brown eyes opened reluctantly. A groan escaped his lips as Issei Hyoudou stirred awake to a burning pain in his throat and left hand.
He tried to speak, to call out for help but found it incredibly difficult. His lips were cracked and parched and the inside of his mouth was as dry as a desert, he tried again to speak or even make a sound but only a faint groan escaped once more.
Fortunately the groan was loud enough to gain the attention of a scarlet haired teen sitting nearby reading what seemed to be a rather thick book although due to his less than stellar eyesight in the current moment, Issei couldn't make out anything further from it.
The woman put the book down on a table nearby and hurriedly made her way to his side before kneeling next to him which let him know he was apparently lying down on some sort of bed, now that he took a moment to feel it underneath him he could tell it was quite basic, the mattress being thin and the pillow was hard and firm under his head.
"You're awake! Thank god" the scarlet haired teen gasped.
Issei braced for a splitting pain through his head upon the mention of the lord only to be somewhat surprised when it was only half as strong, still painful but a lot more bearable than the agony before.
(Have you forgotten what we did whilst you were imprisoned by the devils already boy?) the red dragon of domination boomed throughout the teen's mind.
'Ddraig!? I thought sacred gears moved onto the next host when the current one died?' Issei telepathically questioned the dragon confused.
(You're not dead, the girl next to you found you dying after that spear slashed your throat and brought you here for treatment. It took much longer than i'd have liked to have you seen to with the one in charge being so cautious against outsiders but we managed) Ddraig explained growling the second part angrily, the life of his host was not something to be thrown away without good reason.
'I see' Issei sighed in relief before the pain in his throat made him raise a hand to it, the surface of his skin was uneven and jagged.
The scarlet haired teen nervously watched as the boy she'd almost let die assessed the scar he'd carry for her mistakes.
"I'm so sorry!" she wailed losing all composure and crying into Issei's side.
"Huh? W-wait a moment what are you sorry for? Ddraig told me you were the one who helped him save me" Issei asked confused, unaware of the circumstances surrounding his near death experience.
"It was all my fault! I was sent to keep an eye on Cao Cao and then he started fighting you because you found the daughter of our people's queen, I stayed out of it under the queen's direct orders and you had the boosted gear but I didn't realise you'd only just awakened so by the time I could reach you he'd already left you for dead!" she hysterically explained unable to make eye contact with the boy as tears streamed down her cheeks.
She was surprised when instead of anger all she felt was a soft hand on her shoulder and another gently cupping her chin to lift her face and meet his eyes. His gaze held no malice, only understanding, he'd made so many similar mistakes and so he understood where she was coming from.
"It's alright you were only obeying your queen, besides i'm alive right? That's the important part and I wouldn't be without you helping Ddraig" he assured her warmly earning a small smile on her red and puffy face.
"T-thank you... I-i'm sorry about t-the scar" she stuttered between sobs to which Issei replied by pulling her into a supportive hug.
"It's fine, if anything it'll look real cool when I see that guy again" he grinned causing his partner to roll his eyes inside the gear.
This earned a small chuckle from the girl next to him as she wiped her eyes.
'I really should stop getting sliced across the throat shouldn't I?' Issei thought as he remembered Vali doing the exact same thing with him being saved by her mercy and Griselda's healing power.
(It does seem to be becoming a nasty pattern, that and your unhealthy amount of near death experiences) the dragon agreed.
Issei simply cringed as the number of them exceeded fingers on one hand.
The scarlet haired teen next to him noticed his reaction and fussed over him worriedly.
"Is something wrong? Are you okay? Where does it hurt?" she frantically bombarded the poor boy with questions until he gripped both her shoulders with a firm grip cause her to blush slightly when she realised how close they were.
"It's okay, i'm absolutely fine miss..." Issei trailed off as he realised he didn't even know her name.
"My name is Levalier Thomas, you can just call me Levalier though" she smiled offering her name when she picked up on the boy's pause.
"That's a lovely name, mine is Issei Hyoudou" he offered in return letting her go.
"Thanks but your partner already made sure i'd never forget your name" she nervously smiled causing Issei simply raise an eyebrow and look at his left hand.
(zzzzzzzzzzzzz) a loud snoring echoed through his mind.
'I know you're not asleep you cheeky dragon, we'll talk about this later' he jokingly threatened the red dragon of domination.
"I apologise for anything my partner may have said, he'll never admit it but he can get a little worked up when it comes to my safety" he chuckled softly.
"Don't worry about it, if anything we deserved it for arguing while you were bleeding out" she replied feeling guilty as she recalled the memory.
Issei offered a reassuring smile as he patted her shoulder.
"Hey didn't I already say it doesn't matter, all in the past now and i'm alive in the present" he softly stated making Levalier feel a little better.
"Thank you" she smiled brightly causing Issei to get lost in her beauty for a moment before shaking his head out of it.
"So what happens now?" he asked curiously looking around the dimly lit medical room that was filled with beds stretching down the length of the room but all were empty besides his.
"Well our queen wanted to meet with you so you could explain what happened with Kunou" Levalier informed him grimly.
"Kunou? Wait... you mean that girl I gave to a random woman was the daughter of a queen!" Issei shouted panicking a fair amount.
"Whoa, whoa relax, she doesn't blame you and neither do I, Kunou would surely have been abducted by Cao Cao without your quick thinking" the scarlet haired teen attempted to quell the boy's worry.
"If I hadn't been so weak I could have protected her and gotten Kunou back to her mother" he lamented with regret.
This time it was Levalier's turn to hug him to soothe the poor boy.
"It's alright, like you said what's done is done, we'll go and see the queen when you're ready" she told him softly to which he responded with a nod.
"I can do it now, best to get it over with" Issei insisted earning a sigh from the girl in front of him.
"Don't push yourself there's no rush right now and you've only just woken up!" Levalier insisted with concern attempting to push the rising Issei back down onto the bed.
"I told you i'm fine, I can-" the stubborn teen began before unceremoniously passing out mid sentence, his head falling directly onto the scarlet haired teen's chest.
"Issei!?" she shouted surprised as a blush rivaling her hair colour spread across her face from his contact with her.
However upon closer inspection she saw the brunette's eyes were closed and he was snoring soundly upon her ample bosom, a small chuckle escaped her lips as he gently guided the unconscious teen back into the bed and tucked him in.
His lips suddenly seemed so inviting as she laid eyes upon the sleeping boy, feelings she'd never felt before stirred within her as she remembered the short but incredibly impactful conversation she'd had with him moments ago.
It didn't help that she thought he was one of the most attractive men in the shrine.
Levalier leaned down over the sleeping teen slowly, her mind took a back seat to the wants of her heart and her lips puckered in preparation as she was mere inches from the young man's lips
Suddenly the door to the medical wing slid open and she froze as the very last person the young woman wanted to see stepped through flanked by a guard either side.
Yasaka simply raised an eyebrow to convey curiosity to her subordinate regarding her current actions which was more than enough for the frozen teen to snap upright and bow to her furiously.
"Cease young one, you know by now such formalities are not necessary outside the royal court" Yasaka informed her with a small smile earning a nod from Levalier before she waved her guards to wait outside.
Most people that met the queen of the Youkai in Kyoto would believe her to be a majestic and stern ruler from their business with her, however the people that saw her outside of the royal court saw an almost entirely different side to the leader.
They saw the kind and wise woman that helped so many of the Youkai with their problems and treated them like her own children while asking for nothing in return, however they also saw the saddened and broken hearted nature she carried that came out with her letting down the royal facade.
"I was informed the boy had awoken" Yasaka stated with noticeably less hostility than before when referring to Issei but caution could still be clearly heard in her tone.
"Ah yes, my apologies lady Yasaka, Issei did wake up not long ago but he passed out again moments before you arrived trying to come and see you before he was ready" Levalier explained, her tone carried the loving annoyance akin to a mother explaining something dumb her child had done.
"I see... it appears you have become attached to this boy rather quickly Levi, I only ask you ensure to be careful you don't move too fast" she affectionately warned the younger Youkai using her nickname.
Levalier nodded understanding what her queen meant simply by seeing the regretful and nostalgic look in her eyes.
"I understand lady Yasaka, I thank you for this guidance, although I do wish you wouldn't call me that embarrassing name" she thanked Yasaka with a tinge of pink dusting her cheeks at her last remark.
This earned a cheeky smirk from the queen of the Youkai.
"How could I not when it gets such a cute reaction out of you" she chuckled causing the scarlet haired teen to pout.
"Meanie" she joked sticking out her tongue to which Yasaka simply laughed, the moment of joking and happiness was refreshing between them.
They sat and talked for what seemed like hours about their lives catching up like old friends until a groan from the medical bed beside them caught their attention.
A bleary eyed Issei slowly rose from the bed into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes before yawning.
Two pairs of eyes belonging to the women in the room immediately locked onto him.
The teen noticed the stares and awkwardly stared back before opening his mouth.
"Did I do something wrong?" he asked curiously just barely catching the small smirk the women shared with each other, however it only served to confuse him further.
"N-no, Issei this is my queen, lady Yasaka" Levalier gestured to the majestic looking blonde beside her trying to suppress the blush her look was causing.
Issei gasped and painfully pulled himself out of the bed before bowing on his knees to the beautiful queen despite the incredibly worried protests of the scarlet haired teen as she supported him.
"Forgive me your highness, I wasn't able to protect your daughter as I was too weak, I beg for your forgiveness" the guilt ridden brunette exclaimed, not making eye contact.
Yasaka's eyes widened in surprise, she'd heard tales about many of history's red dragon emperors and most of them weren't flattering to say the least so the last thing she expected from one of them was an apology as they threw away their famous dragon's pride.
Even Levalier was somewhat caught off guard by the sudden outburst from Issei after seeing his earlier stunt, however it was refreshing to see someone so humble after all the assholes she's had to deal with lately, to think it would be a dragon of this calibur no less was rather unexpected.
"Raise yourself boy there is no need to apologise, I can see from your expression that you did everything you could for my daughter, the fact that she is not currently in the custody of the Khaos Brigade is thanks to you" Yasaka stated gratefully.
Issei shook his head.
"I don't deserve your praise, it's my fault she was found in the first place and that she's currently god knows where!" he exclaimed uncomfortably as pain coursed through his brain upon the mention of god.
Levalier grabbed his shoulders as support when the teen shook from the pain.
"Issei it's okay, please try to calm down" she urged him as her emerald eyes met his chocolate brown.
The boy paused as he lost himself within her emerald orbs, for just a moment the world seemed so beautiful without any darkness. Issei shook his head free before noticing the concerned expression upon the scarlet haired teen's face.
"S-sorry, I got a little worked up remembering it" he apologised awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.
Levalier simply smiled and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it, as we've said it's all in the past now, let's work together to make sure the future is better okay?" she assured the brunette who nodded firmly in response before lifting himself to his feet and facing the Youkai queen.
"I apologise for my outburst, i'd like to help locate your daughter any way you deem fit" Issei stated dutifully, he felt personally responsible for Kunou's current situation and so he would help however he could.
Besides it would also help him fulfill another goal he'd had in mind since he arrived in Kyoto.
Food.
A comedic gurgle came from his stomach at that very moment as if to emphasise this point to which Issei simply chuckled awkwardly.
"Sorry, I didn't get a chance to eat before I came here" he grinned earning an eye roll from Levalier and a small chuckle from Yasaka.
"I'll have someone bring you some food, stay here and rest some more i'll call for you when I have news" the queen stated before exiting the room leaving Issei and Levalier alone once more.
The brunette sighed and collapsed backwards onto the bed.
"What a mess" he lamented earning the sympathy of the scarlet haired teen next to him.
"C'mon it's not that bad, you get to stay here and we'll be able to help Kunou the moment our agents report back, it's unlikely whoever she ended up with will make it too far before one of them spot the pair" Levalier attempted to console the boy not knowing he was sighing about something much bigger.
"Thanks for the reassurance but that wasn't what I was sighing about" Issei replied grateful she cared enough to try and comfort him.
"Oh? What were you sighing about then if you don't mind me asking?" she questioned curiously.
"Just... everything that's lead up to this really, it's just been a really long few weeks" he replied somewhat dejectedly.
Levalier was quiet for a moment before she responded.
"Would you... like to talk about it?" she asked softly.
Issei thought about it for a moment before addressing his partner.
"Ddraig could you? I'm beat" he requested.
(Of course, but how much do you wish to reveal of your past to this girl?) the dragon questioned his host knowing the darker parts of his history.
"Just tell her it all, it could be troublesome if she finds out later and doesn't like it" Issei responded nonchalantly before falling asleep from the fatigue caused by his sudden movements.
Levalier simply heard a sighed from the mighty dragon before a booming voice she recognised from the throne room.
(Listen up girl as i'll only tell this tale once. My host awoke the boosted gear after being fatally stabbed rescuing his little sister, the archangel Gabriel greedily sacrificed her to bring Issei back to life and up to heaven against his will) Ddraig recounted the unpleasant event that started it all for the duo.
The scarlet haired teen sitting on the end of the bed gasped and clasped a hand over her mouth as she stared at the boosted gear from which the commanding voice resonated from.
"I'm so sorry, archangel Gabriel really did something so cruel!?" she cried both upset for the brunette and surprised at the supposed actions of one of the 'purest' angels.
The dragon merely chuckled darkly in response.
(I somewhat regret to say that I cut myself off from the boy shortly after he arrived but while I wasn't talking to him, I saw through the gear firsthand the horrible way they treated him which only served to worsen the issue between us back then...) Ddraig confessed with a little guilt in his tone, he knew the reason for ignoring the boy for so long was just but the suffering Issei had endured from the residents of heaven as a result still didn't sit right with him.
"What! Why would you leave him alone in such an environment!?" Levalier exclaimed, anger at the injustice the poor boy had to endure bubbled within her.
There was a pause before the red dragon answered somberly.
(He was suicidal...) was all Ddraig could manage before falling silent.
Levalier's eyes widened in shock as her gaze snapped to the resting face of the aforementioned boy.
"You mean... he wanted to..." she couldn't finish her sentence, however Ddraig answered her unasked question.
(Yes... he wanted to die, even asked me to do it for him, after that I just couldn't bear to keep in contact with such negative emotions that he always carried. It was as though there was no light in the world for him after he found out the fate of his sister, I suppose I cannot blame him considering he also lost his parents that day) the not so mighty anymore voice recalled.
Levalier's gaze snapped again but this time to the gear as she understood what the last of his recollection meant.
"S- so Issei is an orphan?" she asked softly already knowing the answer.
(Indeed, truly a terrible day for the poor boy, not only did he lose everyone he loved but the people that killed his sister to save him for their own selfish goals made him barely more than a prisoner in their domain, a tool to be used because of me and discarded after they were satisfied) Ddraig began sadly however his tone shifted to righteous fury as he remembered everything they'd done to his partner.
The scarlet haired teen looked down to the floor as her eyes began to water, she wiped away the first signs of tears before speaking again a few minutes later.
"So when did you begin communicating with him again? A week, maybe even a month after this started?" she asked him, her tone was slightly accusatory but she couldn't help it after hearing the dragon wasn't there for his partner as he should have been.
(Check your tone girl, you cannot begin to imagine the feeling of being tethered to a being such as who this boy used to be!) Ddraig angrily shot back effectively shutting up the scarlet haired girl.
There was a moment of silence between the two before the dragon awkwardly cleared it's throat.
(I apologise for my outburst, however as I said you have no idea what it was like being inside his mental state at that traumatic time, i'd never seen anything like it even in previous hosts that I lost to the juggernaut drive...) Ddraig apologised trailing off nostalgically near the end.
Levalier looked down at her feet hanging off the side of the bed, she'd heard of that curse before, its effect weren't a pretty way to go.
"No, I shouldn't have been so nosy, you're telling me this in the first place which is enough for me" she admitted before falling silent.
(To answer your earlier question, it wasn't until around a week ago that I contacted him again...) the prideful dragon confessed shamefully, he'd truly failed his partner when he needed him the most and even now he was letting the boy get hurt.
Levalier looked shocked and almost angry but she quickly remembered her place was to listen, the dragon's almost broken tone was also quite effective at quelling any rage she felt, to think a mighty dragon such as him could sink so low.
"Why after all that time?" was all she asked.
(He got hit with a light spear and would have died without my help, a few days before I saw he'd changed by saving someone from a monster so I used the opportunity to talk to him again) Ddraig recounted the events leading up to Issei obtaining his balance breaker.
"If you saw him save someone why not talk to him then?" Levalier questioned causing the mighty dragon to stumble over his words.
(Well I uh... I mean it was a long time and uh... I didn't know how he'd react...) Ddraig unceremoniously mumbled earning a fit of laughter from the scarlet haired girl.
"So the big bad red dragon was nervous to speak to a little human?" she teased him earning a snort.
(Shut up) came the gruff yet not serious reply from Ddraig which only served to increase Levalier's giggling.
The dragon eye rolled inside the gear before interrupting her after a moment had passed.
(Oi enough laughing, i'll scorch you if you keep this up!) Ddraig struggled to keep his tone serious as he attempted to intimidate this annoying girl into being quiet.
A few more giggles escaped her lips before she placed a hand on the gear.
"Sorry Ddraig, so what happened after Issei got his balance breaker?" she asked eagerly but also curiously as to why he hadn't used it in the fight against Cao Cao.
(Well we rained down hell upon our enemies, good times) the dragon recalled happily.
Levalier smiled as she imagined the carnage the two must have wrought.
"So how did you two end up in Kyoto?" she asked assuming since no siting of the red dragon emperor had been recorded in Kyoto for over twenty years that they were from somewhere else.
The red dragon was silent for a while as he recalled all the events that happened with the devils and then heaven before they ended up here back at square one in terms of power.
(That is a rather long story that my host can decide if it's worth telling, to answer your question however, we were assisted by a certain person and teleported to a large plain before arriving in the city via train) Ddraig told her skimming over the details of who sent them and under what circumstance.
"I see, but that doesn't answer the question of why Issei never even attempted to use the boosted gear or his balance breaker against Cao Cao, it really did seem like he'd only just awoken the gear instead of having it for over a year" Levalier commented with confusion evident in her tone.
Ddraig remained quiet for a moment but eventually relented as he knew the girl in front of him would not be satisfied with anything less than the truth, besides if they were to battle together in the future for that child, combat effectiveness needed to be crystal clear between the two of them and the Youkai faction.
(The reason why he didn't use the gear's functions or the balance breaker was because of an event that happened shortly before we came here, it reset the gear to the beginning of second liberation which meant my partner had yet to re unlock anything) the dragon explained to the scarlet haired teen still withholding the details of what had caused the gear to reset in the first place, that was currently need to know and she didn't need to.
"I see... so how long do you think it would take Issei to regain what was lost when the gear reset?" Levalier questioned softly.
(According to the calculations i've ran I have no idea) Ddraig replied truthfully.
"What!? But you're a part of the gear right? How can you not know?" Levalier asked surprised and slightly worried for both Issei and Kunou if he wasn't able to recover.
(I do not know, I haven't even told him yet, there seems to be a block on the gear that appeared before we arrived. I was able to subconsciously stop my partner from trying to boost in the fight against Cao Cao because even the ability to boost has been locked) the dragon worriedly confessed.
"So the only use of the boosted gear currently is contact with you?" the scarlet haired teen asked for confirmation.
(I'm afraid so, however I ask you to keep this news to yourself for now, I shall tell my host in time but he's had a rough time recently and i'd like to break it to him gently in fear of repercussions) Ddraig requested the girl.
"Of course it isn't my place anyhow, though if I may ask, what repercussions are you afraid of?" she questioned curiously.
There was a long pause before the dragon eventually answered.
(Issei is in the best place mentally now that i've ever seen from him, i've seen much worse as you can imagine so I want to prevent anything that could revert this change at all costs) Ddraig answered honestly showing a rare moment of affection for Issei by using his name.
Levalier nodded.
"I leave it to you then, try not to wait too long is all i'll say" she stated before leaving the room to let Issei and Ddraig rest alone for some time.
All Ddraig could think about was the sensation he was feeling about his host and the future, was this what the humans called fear?
One hour earlier, Kuoh
Rias Gremory was sitting alone at her desk in the ORC clubroom as had become a habit as of late.
The Victorian curtains were drawn tightly over the stained glass windows and all lights in the room had been extinguished long ago leaving the princess in the dark which to her almost felt too bright due to her naturally affinity for night vision as a devil.
Her eyes were still damp with tears that had long since ran out as she stared absent mindlessly into the seat she first woke up in to meet the young man.
She was about to call it a day and return home to the underworld when a very familiar magic circle appeared on the ground in front of her desk. Out of it came a man with almost identical long crimson hair and turquoise glistening eyes to her own.
"Brother!?" Rias exclaimed with shock upon the sudden arrival.
The man looked up into her eyes with a solemn expression.
"Rias... I come with some news" he spoke grimly with his hands clasped together behind his back.
Rias was beyond worried.
She was outright terrified of what her brother, the Lucifer of the underworld, could have to tell her that caused the worst mood she'd seen from him in a very long time.
Sirzechs Lucifer slowly trudged over to his beloved sister and gently placed his hands upon her shoulder in preparation of delivering the news he knew would almost certainly break her heart and a few others.
"An energy signature matching Issei's pieces has been detected in Kyoto, I need you to go and bring him in" he told her sadly.
"W-What!? Issei is in Kyoto? Also why me? I can't do it, I don't want to-" Rias began babbling almost incoherently as the dried tear ducts of her eyes threatened to reopen upon hearing the task she had been asked to do.
Her big brother, family she loved dearly had just asked her to lead the boy she'd fallen in love with to his death among their own kind...
Hello again everyone, I hope you're having a wonderful day!
First of all I owe everyone who is reading this story an apology and the people that have been patiently waiting for other updates because it's going to be a while until anything else comes out i'm afraid.
The reason for this is it's finally time... i'm going into the RAF in less than 24 hours after writing this.
I'm truly sorry for not updating as much as I should have in the time leading up to this but I just got busy and then wasn't in the right head space to write and before I knew it the final day had crept up so I was determined to at least get this chapter out and give you all a heads up.
My training is around 10 weeks long so hopefully i'll be back and writing again before the end of June, until then I wish you all nothing but the best and I thank each and every one of you for coming, you've seriously made this journey a blast and while there may be a pause here, I can assure you the end is nowhere in sight just yet!
Until next time, peace 3