Alright! We are back! Sorry for the long fucking wait. As I stated in Red Dragon of stupidity, the latest chapter of Red Dragon Of Golden Light took fucking FOREVER to write. Ended up being the longest chapter ever at 21,000+ words holy fuck. Yeah, so finished it up, shouldn't get that bad again.
Let's get into this one. Minor timeskip as I said, nothing big tho. Going into a little bit of a mini arc here. Original of course. Alright then, let's get it. 160+ followers and 125+ favorites going strong.
P.S. you may want to look up Gaku Yashiro, the main antagonist of Erased, in case you want an appearance for reference (you'll see).
SCENE
"Ough!"
—In a certain Dojo, a young, brown haired boy, for lack of a better phrase, was just "knocked onto his ass".
"Ugh…"
Hyoudou Issei was lying on his back with his legs in the air, flipped over his head. He groaned as he realized that this meant he had lost.
"Not bad, my boy. Keep it up and you'll be 5th Kyu in no time at all."
Above the boy, stood a man with dark-brown hair and a goatee. Both the man and Issei were wearing similar "gi", but with different colored belts.
"Uuu… Thanks, shishou (master)... That sure makes me feel a lot better."
"Hahahaha! Sorry about that! Alright, come on up."
The man extended his hand for Issei to pick himself up on. Issei only stared at the man's arm with an unamused expression. He was practically flipped upside down after all. The hand wasn't going to help much.
The man, his martial arts master, sweatdropped.
"Ehehehe… I suppose you'd have to fix your posture first, huh…."
Thud!
Issei's legs dropped from the air and he was finally lying down normally. He lifted his upper body up, and his master's hand appeared before him again. This time, Issei took the hand to lift himself up.
—The boy who stood up was a now 8 year old Hyoudou Issei.
In the background of the Dojo, was an entire class of martial artists training together. They were a class of young children.
"As I thought, Issei, among all of my young Kyu juniors & seniors, you are most definitely the proficient student. Maybe even…the strongest? Hahaha, sorry. Sometimes it just seems like you get stronger out of nowhere, for some reason."
"..H-Hehehe… Nah, that's crazy.."
Issei couldn't help but laugh awkwardly while averting his gaze.
"Well, my point is that you've been progressing very well. I'm sure you'll reach blue belt soon. Who knows, you may even reach brown belt before next year! Hahahahaha!"
Issei's master proudly laughed out all of the air in his lungs. This man really loved bragging about his students' successes. Most especially when it came to his children students, who always happened to be harder to instruct.
But he was right. Issei was a prodigy. His prowess was something that could rival a full grown adult. The reason why was obvious to no one but Issei himself.
—2 years. It has been 2 years since the incident in Kuoh, and since Issei moved to Nagoya with his cousins. Issei is currently 8 years old, with his birthday being a few months off, to age 9 in the summer. Just short 5 months off of being 3 years since that day.
Issei was a natural when it came to his training. A true prodigy. Or at the very least, it seemed that way to his instructor and peers. None of his young peers could properly defeat him, unless they were experienced enough, amongst those being teenage students. And even then, somehow, Issei seemed stronger than them, at times. As if he would "randomly" receive a strength buff during certain practices... His natural, base strength was above average. As good as a young child could be, most would assume. But sometimes, it was unreal.
Issei had defeated some adults before. Many had just assumed that those adults threw the matches, but many of those beaten would argue about it, in disbelief about what happened. They were usually laughed off by others, who were convinced they didn't take it seriously. Either way, it couldn't be denied that Issei's growth as a student was spectacular for Kiritsugu, his master, and his dojo. Kiritsugu didn't have a great abundance of students, maybe 100 in total? But thanks to students like Issei, as long as he trains them properly, he can earn merits and recognition for their achievements as martial artists, including events like tournaments. And eventually, it should bring in many newcomers.
After all, it does sound great for "the youngest martial artist to earn 4th Kyu in Judo" graduated from 'Kiritsugu Academy'. For such a small name place like his to become recognized throughout Aichi, that would be his dream. He hopes with every fiber of his being that Issei devotes himself to becoming a professional martial artist. Maybe even an instructor.
But, inside, Issei has very different plans.
"Nii-Nii!"
Standing at the entrance of the Dojo, was a young girl with short brown hair and a bright smile, waving to Issei with both of her arms in a frantic manner. Her mother stood beside her, smiling apologetically.
"Ah, looks like your family came to pick you up. I was hoping you'd stay a bit longer to help out with the junior Kyu."
"Sorry, shishou. I'll try to help out next week."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't go doing anything crazy over the weekend that'll put you out of commission when you come back."
"Yes, shishou."
"Alright, off you go."
Issei bowed to his master, who returned the bow, and ran off to his family. He was immediately embraced by his younger cousin, Maki, when reaching them.
"Nii-Nii!"
"Hey, you gu— oof!"
From beside the two children, Issei's aunt, Akane, handed him his shoes.
"Here are your shoes, Ise-kun."
"Ah, thanks, Obaa-san."
"Yaaay~ Nii-Nii, Nii-Nii~ —cough-cough.."
Issei took the shoes while Maki, who was latched to him, sang his name and coughed a bit. Despite her coughing, her grip around Issei only increased.
"Now, now, Maki. You can play with him once we get home, so at least let him walk properly."
"Ugh… It's too late, Obaa-san... My neck is being crushed…"
Part 1
DIN-DUN-DIN DUN~
Within a certain school, a trio of boys were gathering their supplies from their desks and preparing to leave class.
"Neh, did you guys watch Gundam last night?!"
"Mm. Not me. My mom took us to my Oji-san's house yesterday. It was so boring~"
"Heeeh? Really? That sucks. What about you, Issei?"
"Hmm?"
The third boy, Issei, was lost in thought. He was being called out to by two young boys walking beside him. One with black hair and one with coffee colored hair. It was time for them to go home from school, and they were walking back together, as per usual. But Issei had been thinking about his training up until the point his two classmates snapped him out of it.
"Ah, no, I didn't get to watch it. Sorry. Maki-chan ended up taking up my time over the weekend. She always likes to play stuff instead of watch stuff."
"Maki-chan? Oh, is that the Imouto of yours? She's the one from the family visitation day. She was really loud."
"Yeah she yelled a lot and kind of scared me."
"Well, that's different Narutobi, you're just a wuss."
"Uuu…"
While Issei's black haired friend was mocking his coffee haired friend, Issei was already removed from the conversation between them. He only got the chance to answer once and now they were moving on to different subjects. He merely sighed as the two continued their conversation in the background. They were approaching the school's exit/entrance.
"Leave me alone, Gudo….."
"I'm serious! You need to get some meat on your bones! You're really scrawny and you're gonna get picked on really easy in middle school like this. Hey, Issei. You go to a Dojo, right? Take this guy with you! He's too passive! He'll never get a girlfriend in High school!"
"Stop it…"
"I'm serious, man! You're gonna die alone at this rate!"
"..Why do you keep talking about so far in the future?"
Before Issei could even respond, the trio reached the gates.
Time moved in slow motion as they exited.
—Because at that moment, Issei felt a sharp chill run down his spine.
CHILLS..!
[—?!]
—Issei froze midstep. Time moved by the millisecond. He felt an eerily familiar sense nearby - and a sharp gaze.
'Ddraig… This feeling is…'
[I was a fool not to notice it before, partner. One of 'them' is nearby.]
Issei's head slowly creaked to the right of the school's entrance. Running down the wall, past the entrance, at the very corner of the street behind said wall, peeking from around its corner.. There was a man standing there, silently. A man in a black suit with a red tie and a black fedora.
This man— was no man. He was..
[—A Devil.]
Glowing, red eyes... Before Issei and his gaze met—
[—Fool! Do not meet his gaze, look away from him!]
Issei whipped his head down to the ground, eyes stretched widely, only to stare down at the concrete below.
"Hm? Hey, Issei, what's up?"
"Hyoudou-kun?"
Issei's two friends called out to him, but he did not answer them. He could not hear them. Their words came to him slowly and silently, lost to nothingness.
'...Ddraig…. What do I do?...'
[Calm down, partner. From what it looks like, it does not seem he has noticed us… He must have caught sight of you and quickly lost interest. He does not know of me.]
'...What is he doing..?'
[I do not know. Unless you see him, I will not be able to either.]
Issei slowly moved his eyes to their corners. He caught sight of the man's body. Rather than directly looking towards the man's face, he merely focused on the red tie on his suit as to not attract his gaze.
'...Can you tell what he is doing?...'
[Yes, I am able to comprehend it through your peripherals. He is not making any significant movements. He is simply standing there silently. But his eyes are moving from child to child.]
—He was "scanning".
'...Who is he looking at?..'
[..Left. Right. Ahead. Left. Left. He is showing no pattern. He is merely observing the children who exit this place. One by one.]
Issei's human instincts began to influence his actions unconsciously. His eyes felt compelled to move slowly upwards, from the man's red tie to his neck. Up, further up his body. Slowly. Until—.
[...!—Partner!]
He slowly shifted his gaze to the face of the man. And-.
He was staring right back at him.
[—?!]
"—Hey, Issei?"
Before his fear and shock could settle in any further, the face of his black haired friend, Gudo, blocked his view of the man.
"Wha..?!"
"Is something up with you, Issei?"
Issei peeked behind behind his friend's body to see that... the man was gone.
"Heeellooo~? Hmm... Maybe he's dead?"
"W-What..?"
"Oh, he said something."
Issei shook off his stiffness and smiled at his friend, nervously.
"A-Ahahaha... Sorry... I k-kinda spaced out there. Didn't get much sleep yesterday. Spent too much time training, hehe..."
"Ah! You see, Narutobi! He gets it! Come on, Narutobi! You're the only one who doesn't do anything manly! At least I play soccer! So join a sport or martial art or something!"
"Eeeeh…. That costs money... I can't be wasting it like that…."
"No, no, don't worry about it! We'll just have Issei teach you those things for free! Issei, take this guy to your house. Beat him up a little bit and show him how it's done!"
"Hiiiiiii! P-Please don't do that!"
Issei only laughed awkwardly at his friends' interactions. The trio continued their walk while talking. Though, Issei didn't listen to a word of it. It was all white noise to him.
He looked back to the empty corner that the man, the Devil, occupied before.
'...A Devil…..'
The week began to run its course, but for Issei, there was one recurring dilemma.
The man was there, again. And again. And again. Everyday. He was there, everyday. The same place, the same time.
Everyday he'd stand there and do nothing, but watch. Eyes moving from place to place. Red eyes that would glow sharply in the darkness, but were drowned out by the sunlight. But Issei could see it. Under the shadow of his fedora, his eyes would ever so slightly shimmer.
Issei didn't know what to do. That Devil was far above his own level. He could feel it. He could tell. Even if he has the ability to boost up to 5 times at this point, the Devil's power was still far above.
Even if Issei could do something about it, should he? Does it have anything to do with him? Could he ignore something like this? Would this ever become a threat to him or his own family? Or could he just forget about it? Should he just forget about it?
..What if some children happened to disappear? Would that be something he could ignore?...
...
"Nii-Nii! Say Aaaaaah~"
"Eh?"
Issei was suddenly snapped out of his deep thoughts and remembered where he was.
He was at home. He was sitting in the Kotatsu with his family, in the living area, eating dinner. Next to him, on his right, was his younger cousin, Maki. She was trying to feed him some of the dessert made by her mother. The children were sitting with the TV behind them, meanwhile, the parents were sitting across from them, facing the TV.
"Hey, Maki! You shouldn't be trying to feed Ise-kun such things. You know he has a proper diet set for his physical training. He takes his martial arts very seriously."
Akane scolded her daughter for trying feed Issei some dessert.
Issei's dinner was different from the rest of his family's, and specific to his own dietary regimen. Someone at his young of an age doesn't necessarily require a regimen as much as an adult would, but his shishou suggested it would help bring him up to peak performance. That was all the reason he needed.
"Nom!"
Issei quickly nabbed the dessert from Maki's utensil with his mouth and ate it.
"It's okay every once in a while, Obaa-san."
His aunt sighed at his response while Maki brightened the room with her smile.
"Yaaay~! Hehehe!"
"Geez, Ise-kun. You really spoil her too much. If you keep treating her like that, soon enough she'll just start expecting things from you and become a bad girly."
Akane criticized Issei's attitude towards her daughter with her arms crossed. Issei just smiled while patting Maki's head.
"Nah, Maki-chan is a good girl. She'll always be a good girl. I know it."
"Ehehehe, Nii-Nii~"
Maki giggled and purred like a kitten at Issei's touch. Akane could only sigh and slump her shoulders at her own futile attempt to give advice.
For a child, Issei was quite independent, and it made Akane feel less competent sometimes. Many times, she would gain a small cloud over her head and sat sadly while twiddling her fingers, due to her advice was proven to be unnecessary. Her husband, Satoshi, couldn't help but laugh from beside her.
"Hahahaha, Issei-kun really knows how to shut you down sometimes, huh, honey—"
Akane was glaring at him sharply.
"Ah, no... Sorry…. I was wrong…"
"Hehehehe~ Papa looks like he wants to run away~"
"Y-You shouldn't make fun of Oji-san, Maki-chan…. Obaa-san.. Um, your mommy is scary…"
—Issei's daily life was happy. It was a 'good' life. Almost everyday was like this one. His life had finally become something for him to appreciate. He wondered how long it would stay that way.
But Issei's thoughts were suddenly halted and his body stiffened. From the television behind him, Issei's ears had caught onto something which made him feel chills through his entire being.
[...until next month. In other news, as of recently, there has been a growing number of disappearances in the Aichi prefecture. The latest disappearance was reported just yesterday in Nagoya. A young boy named Satoru Inoue, aged 9, reportedly never returned from his school of Hokusai Elementary. Authorities have been made aware of a pattern to what is suspected to be a serial kidnapper—.]
[—?!]
The utensil in Issei's hand fell to the floor.
..Hokusai Elementary. That was his school. What he feared most had become reality. The questions he had just asked before, were now worthless. Because now, they were things he didn't need to ask. It was too late.
Was this his fault?
….
...
"..Nii-Nii?"
Issei flinched. He realized that he was staring down at the table with wide eyes, and sweat sliding down his temple.
Finally, his breathing returned. He swallowed the saliva stuck in his throat and slowly lifted his head. His family was looking at him with worry.
Satoshi gained a serious expression while looking at Issei.
"Would you like to skip school for now, Issei-kun?..."
"E-Eh?"
Issei still was not fully drawn from his shock. He shook his head to rid himself of his fear.
"A-Ah… No, it's okay… I'm okay… Sorry."
Akane became even more worried at Issei's hesitant response.
"Maybe…I should pick you up personally with Maki after school..?"
Akane made that suggestion out of a concern for Issei's safety, but Issei adamantly denied, due to the fear of having them encounter the Devil as well.
"Wha..? NO!— I-I mean, no... Um, it's okay, Obaa-san. I'll be fine. I always walk home with my friends anyway."
"But even so…"
Maki gripped on Issei's arm tightly with an expression of deep concern.
"Nii-Nii….."
Issei just rubbed her head softly.
"It's okay, Maki-chan. Nobody's gonna take me anywhere."
The worry on her face didn't fade. Satoshi inhaled a bit, as if preparing to say something.
"Hmm... Issei-kun is right, I suppose. Considering that a child has already gone missing, I imagine that the police would have officers covering school grounds during and after school. Plus, ideally, a serial kidnapper like that wouldn't want to strike in the same place twice. The fact that he's been doing it in different places within the Aichi prefecture is proof of that. Even more than that, it shows his lack of foresight, and possibly his impulsiveness, that he still hasn't made his way out of the Aichi prefecture to anywhere like Saitama or Kyoto yet. I'm sure he'll be caught soon."
Again, Issei was reminded of Satoshi's intelligence. Satoshi truly had enough of a skill in deduction to be a detective, but instead, he became a type of financial adviser.
Regardless, he really makes it hard to keep secrets. Issei suspects that if it wasn't for the fact that the idea was so unbelievable, then Satoshi would have already figured out Issei was a Sacred Gear user. However, unlike Satoshi, Issei did not suspect that the "kidnapper" would be caught soon at all.
"Y-Yeah, see? Oji-san is right. There's nothing to worry about. I'm not gonna skip school or dojo or anything. Besides…. I..actually planned to go to a friend's house tomorrow, after school."
The family's concern then immediately increased at that declaration.
It was a lie. Issei just needed to make up an excuse in case something happened. Satoshi contemplated Issei's sudden announcement for a bit.
"Hmm... What bad timing…. You can't go there another time?"
"I don't know.. I can go either tomorrow or the day after. Narutobi hasn't decided when yet."
"Hmm.."
Satoshi took a second to think a bit more. After a short while, he nodded his head.
"Alright… As long as you make sure that you head there accompanied by your friends, and not alone. Is that friend's house nearby the school?"
"Yeah, it's really really close. Way closer than our house."
"Hmm... Alright, good. Then as long as you all head there together, that should be fine. Akane, give Issei-kun your mobile phone for next couple days. Issei-kun, we'll have you call me when your friend decides what day and when you reach his house as well. And call the home phone right after arriving, to tell your aunt. Understand?"
"Yeah…"
Issei couldn't help but feel a bit taken aback by Satoshi's attention to detail. He was making things quite difficult for Issei.
Unable to fully comprehend the dynamics of such a complicated conversation, Maki pouted and simply stated her feelings.
"I want to go to school with Nii-Nii…"
Issei smiled at her statement.
"Don't worry, Maki-chan. Once you recover from your sickness, you can stop being homeschooled and go with me."
Maki had been diagnosed with walking Pneumonia a few months ago. She has been recovering slowly, but for the time being, she has been homeschooled.
"Uuuu…"
'Hehehe. She's even cute when she pouts.'
[Partner. What are you planning? Surely you can't plan on facing him.]
'...I don't know, Ddraig…. I'm not planning anything yet…. I just…need to make sure he's not there… At least this week…. Hopefully, he won't come back...'
Part 2
2 days later
In Hokusai Elementary:
"...And so the Shogun decided that—."
DIN-DUN-DIN~
"Ah, there's the bell."
"Rise! Bow!"
After the students of Issei's class bowed, they began to gather their things and prepared to leave. The sensei gave them an announcement as they packed.
"Alright, everyone. Make sure you go in groups of three or more when walking home together. Nobody goes alone. If somebody is alone, then make sure to walk with them or bring them into your group. If you're walking home in a pair, then try to look for more people to walk with, even if you don't know them. Three or more people, okay?"
" " " " " "Okay~" " " " " "
As Issei was gathering his things, his two friends approached him along with another boy.
"Hey, Issei, this guy doesn't have anybody to walk home with so we're bringing him along."
"Mm. Yeah, of course."
The group of boys made their way out of the school quickly after acquiring a new group member.
Issei wasn't as on edge as he was the day before. Luckily, the man wasn't anywhere around yesterday, but he still felt like he was being watched. There were cops around the school, just like Satoshi predicted. All of the students were heading home in groups and only separated when they were near their homes. Everything was looking good, so far.
As the boys approached the exit, Issei began to feel tense again.
'Ddraig…. Do you think he's there today?..'
[I do not know, partner.]
'What do you mean? You can't sense him?'
[I'm afraid not.]
'Why not? You could sense things from really far, a long time ago.'
[That was the very first activation of the Gear. Our connection may have been weak, but as long as I used all of my focus to concentrate on your surroundings rather than yourself, I had a large range. However, that only worked because, at your first activation, you received an automatic, but temporary, boost in stamina and instinct. I took advantage of that and focused on sensing that which was around you for many, many meters. That isn't possible now. At least, not to the extent it was. The range is much more limited. Though, at this range, it technically should be more than possible.]
'..Wait, but you said you couldn't sense him.'
[Indeed, I cannot.]
'Then what are you…?'
[Foolish boy. You still need to improve your instincts. Do you not understand what I am saying?— I cannot sense him. That does not mean he is not there.]
'...Uh oh…'
Issei's group finally reached the exit. His eyes immediately moved towards the spot the man was standing at days ago. The spot he wasn't in yesterday.
And—
—There he was. Staring right back at Issei.
[—?!]
'Wha—?! He's here?!'
Issei's eyes darted over to the couple of police officers stationed by their vehicle, looking over the school.
'They don't notice that suspicious character?!'
[As I thought.. He is eliminating his presence. A simple trick for a Devil. Especially when used against mere humans. So long as they are submitted to their own thoughts, he is practically non-existent to them.]
Issei realized Ddraig's point. The officers were only observing the children who exited from the entrance. All of the students heading home were just walking in groups and conversing with each other casually. Many groups passed right by the man without a second thought; without noticing.
'So that's how it is!'
Issei looked back to the man, but he was not looking back. The man was scanning the students again. Until his eyes were caught onto a certain group. He stared at them for a few seconds. Then, out of nowhere, one of the boys from the group the man was staring at suddenly stopped. The man's eyes glowed a red light for a split second, and the random boy's soon imitated it.
"Sorry, guys. I forgot I have to go to my cousin's house today. I'll head off with that group over there."
The boy spoke in a monotone voice to his friends. They seem confused, but said their goodbyes as the boy headed off to another group.
'Wha..?! Ddraig, did he just do something to that other kid?!'
[Most likely. I am impressed. He did not need to initiate eye contact or speak to him for it to work.]
The seemingly hypnotized boy introduced himself to a different group of children and they walked together with him, off to an entirely different direction. As soon as the group of children crossed the street, the man took a step forward.
'Is he gonna follow them?!'
The man began walking forward in what seemed like slow motion to Issei. His step was heavy and loud, and in Issei's mind, he could hear the news report from the other day playing repeatedly.
(["..A young boy named Satoru Inoue, aged 9, reportedly never returned from his school of Hokusai Elementary…"])
...
...
Step!
"What the—?! Hey, Issei, where are you going?!"
"Sorry, guys! I forgot today I was going to meet my family at my grandparent's house so I'm gonna walk with that group over there! Go on without me!"
"What the heck, man! At least say something earlier!"
"Sorry!"
Issei ran off after the man, following the group of children and the Devil himself.
'I can't actually join their group. I have to follow him discreetly and see what he does.'
[What exactly do you intend on doing, partner?]
To his partner's question, Issei had no concrete answer.
'...I don't know…'
—Issei followed the man with a considerable distance between him. Just as Issei suspected, the boy was under some sort of "mind control", and the Devil was following him. The hypnotized boy walked with his group in a soulless manner.
After some time, they all reached the suburban areas. The children began to separate, one by one, since they're houses were right in front of them, or close by. Soon enough, it was just two children left.
"Oh, there's my house! Where's your house at?"
"Mine's right there."
"Oh, I see it! Cool! Okay, see ya later!"
"Bye."
The other boy separated from the hypnotized child, leaving him alone, finally. The man was right around the corner, and Issei was using another house across the street as cover, to view both of them.
"..."
The boy turned around lifelessly. Then, the man finally gave up on hiding himself, and he simply walked off in a certain direction. Only seconds after that, the hypnotized boy started walking in the same direction as the man. with a huge gap between the two.
'..He's leading him out of the house areas!'
Issei followed the two. This time, he was following behind the hypnotized boy directly, more closely than when he did for the man. They exited the suburban areas, crossed many streets, passed many restaurants, passed a park.
Before Issei realized it, time began to pass, and pass.
'..What's happening? Haven't we already been to this street?.. No, I'm almost certain we have.'
Issei was right. They had been to this street, and that one, that one, and the one after. They passed the same restaurants as well. And the same parks. The same intersections.
Issei only noticed after an entire of hour, when he had already repeated some places, twice each.
'Wait..! We're going in circles! Why would..?'
10 more minutes passed. They all reached an intersection they had been to twice before, but this time, something was different.
This time, the man took a turn in the opposite direction.
'He finally made a different turn!? Could it be..?! Was he just going to the same places in such an odd order to throw off any possible pursuers?!'
[Mm. It certainly does look that way.]
'..Damn! He's smart. There's no doubt he's gonna take us somewhere with no people..'
Again, Issei's assumption was correct.
The man made his way through different paths, while the two boys followed.
It was almost sunset, past 4 o'clock. The days would get darker earlier at this time of year. Issei was worried about how long this would take. He already called Satoshi and Akane both to "inform" them that he was "safely at his friends house". He even asked a random young boy to say "hi" over the phone in order to convince them, to which the boy agreed, and said hi very loudly, while his mother scolded him for listening to the requests of strangers.
Nevertheless, Issei's lie persuaded his guardians, and his pursuit was successful, so far. The problem was: he didn't even have a scratch of a plan.
'What the—?! Are you kidding?! Why?! Why does it have to be a place like that, out of all places?!'
The man was headed straight into a forest. Not the forest that Issei would train in secretly, but a forest nonetheless.
Issei sneered at the fact that the Aichi prefecture seemed to be riddled with forests. Kuoh was surrounded by grassy mountains, so forests were basically where he lived, but the fact that the Devil was using a forest to do his deeds was an insultingly stupid coincidence to him. Though, he shouldn't be surprised. It isn't as if it was the worst place to use. It made sense. Still, its practicality didn't infuriate him any less.
The hypnotized boy then walked into the forest after the man, and the moment he vanished from Issei's sight into the trees, Issei bolted towards them.
And because of his lack of preparation, he felt panicked.
'No, no, no, no, no! What do I do?! Dammit!'
Issei ran into the forest, trying to hide himself behind trees. He could see the hypnotized boy walking farther and father ahead of him, but the Devil was nowhere in sight.
'..Come on, come on! Where are you?! I can't get any closer if I can't see him!'
A few minutes of the boy walking passed. Then, the boy randomly came to a stop.
'He stopped…. Where's the Devil?...'
...Silence….
Crunch..
The sound of the crunching of leaves, coming directly from the left of the hypnotized boy. The man had finally revealed himself, emerging from the treeline. He approached the boy and stopped when he reached him. The man stood silently over the boy, and Issei's mind started racing.
'What is he gonna do?! What do I do?! Is it gonna happen?! Am I going to watch that boy di—?!'
Issei's body began to shake. He grit his teeth tightly. He felt like his palms would tear under the pressure of his grip.
'...Ddraig…. Boost…'
[Boost!]
[What are you doing, partner?]
In order to prepare for times when stealth was necessary, Issei implemented the skill within himself to 'silently' boost his strength. He has the ability to boost without his Gear being materialized, and prevents it from making a sound when boosting. He can only do this until he reaches his limit of 5 boosts. Once he reaches the 5th boost, the Gear automatically materializes and after that boost, it resets. However, the light is still something that shines from the back of his hand when he does it, so he covers it with his shirt. This is how he secretly boosts during spars.
He looked back to the two standing there together. An intense fear was planted in his mind. He could hear his heartbeat pumping in his head loudly. He waited in suspense for what was to come.
'...Move or don't move move or don't move move or don't move-?!'
The Devil slowly raised his right arm to shoulder level. His arm stayed in the air unmoving.
'No…. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!'
He reared his arm back and—.
ZIN!
'..Eh?'
The Devil slashed at the air around him, in a full 360° spin. His body froze immediately after.
'...W-What…. What did….'
Before Issei could understand what happened, he heard a loud cracking sound from next to him, and all around him.
Crack!
'Wha..?'
Almost all of the trees in the surrounding area— were split in half.
'WHA—?!'
The trees were sliced so quickly, that they floated in the air briefly, and then came crashing down to the ground.
CRRACCKK!
"GAAH!"
Issei dove out of the way of the falling trees as they all collectively crashed to the floor.
DOOOOOOOOOON!
….
"Urgh..."
Issei groaned as he slowly lifted himself off the ground. He propped himself up on one knee.
"Ah... So, you were hiding there, were you?"
—Issei froze as he heard an unfriendly voice, speaking directly to him.
The place that Issei and the other two occupied was now nothing but a makeshift clearing. Issei was completely exposed and visible. In a state of shock, he shifted his gaze to the left of himself, where the voice of the man— The Devil, spoke out to him from.
"That's odd…. You glow so brilliantly…."
When Issei finally turned—.
—The Devil was standing above him, reaching out with his black glove, centimeters from Issei's face.
"..It's disgusting."
[!?—?!]
Issei jumped back without hesitation, and created a gap between him and the man.
"Hm?... That's not right…. That's too fast a movement for a boy…"
The man said that with his face shrouded in darkness. Only his red eyes glowed in the shadows, piercing through Issei's form.
Issei shot his eyes towards the hypnotized boy, who was standing aimlessly, alone. Issei quickly circled around, behind the man's line of sight, and ran to grab the unguarded boy.
—But the man was already standing between them.
"Oh, this one?... No, he was just a tool to lure you out, honestly…"
(—!)
Issei skid to a stop, but his momentum was too strong for him to fully halt. So, instead, he spawned his gauntlet and jumped straight into the man's jaw.
[Boost!]
DON!
….
"That's not right either…"
(—!?)
The man pushed against Issei's Gear with only his cheek, to look directly at him. Unaffected.
"That's too strong for a boy…"
Issei retreated in a great shock, while the man continued speaking in a manner that made Issei uneasy.
"..You were trying to get to this boy?.. So the decoy worked..? I was trying to get you to follow me, but I didn't think you would... I had to take you in circles to make sure..… You didn't notice the first time I took someone, but I guess that was just my bad timing….."
Issei stood upright, while not understanding what was going on.
'He was trying to lure me out?! Why?! Did he know I had a Sacred Gear?! How?!'
"You're asking why I wanted you to chase me right?... That's because you're the only one who's ever noticed me…. I wasn't making my presence known, but you still caught me…. Even if I was staring at you, your human instincts shouldn't have warned you about it... So there had to be something more to you…. No, even more than that, you're 'glowing' so brightly…. That's not right…. I've never seen someone glow that brightly…."
"...What the hell are you talking about?..."
"Your language isn't right either. That's not how a boy talks…"
The man spoke in an eerie tone with every single word. Issei could not see his face, due to the dark shadows covering it, but he could see his red, glowing eyes stare sharply into him. They were wide open. As if his expression was devoid of any emotion.
"You're asking about the glow, aren't you? The glow…. You're glowing…. This other boy is not glowing... He was just a fake to bring you out, so he's not glowing like you…. Or all the others…."
Issei didn't care for the man's rambling. The man only looked towards the boy behind him.
"But you see….. I was born with the special ability to see people who glow…. For a long time, I didn't know what it meant….. Not a lot of people around me were like that…. But I would see them every few years….. Even my elder brother had a quiet glow around him….. I soon found out…that it was a sign….. A sign from God….."
Issei's brain stopped when he heard the man's remark.
"...God? You are a Devil…"
"—SILENCE!"
Issei flinched harshly at the man's sudden outburst.
"..That is something I know well…. Of course I know….. It's something I have to live with everyday…. Because I am the necessary sacrifice….. The blood of Christ was spilled to relieve man of his sins….. This time, I shall bear sin so that others needn't bear the burden themselves…. And I shall bear the burden for the sake of divine justice….. To take the life of another is a crime against God's creation…. That is why I shall become the sacrificial pawn to God's plan…and prevent those who are destined to kill from taking the lives of others…"
"..Prevent taking the lives of others?"
"Yes…. You see, boy….. This 'glow' that surrounded my brother and these boys, including you, is the glow of a murderer…"
Issei was left entirely confused by the man's declaration.
"...What?"
"My brother….. He oh so loathed my mother…. He loathed her intensely….. Despite the fact that she loved him…that she cared for him…. He loathed her nonetheless…. Then, one day, he and mother were arguing with one another. I noticed it then…. In the midst of it, his glow began to become brighter. Brighter, and brighter. Until, it almost reached a point where I could not look at him directly. It was at its brightest when he had his hands reaching out, gripping around my mother's neck…. But right before the glow increased any further, it stopped. It ceased when he was just short of squeezing his fingers around her neck…. And as he let go, the glow died down to almost nothingness. It became nothing, but a faint glimmer again….. At that moment, I realized it…. He was going to kill my mother….. That glow, it was the indicator that he was going to become a murderer….. It was then that I finally came to understand….. This is a gift! A sign! A sign from God! He was telling me to save my mother! He was telling me to save her life from my murderous brother! Not only her, but many others as well! The world around me was surrounded by those with faint glows! Not many of them were there beside me, but I could find them if I looked for them! God was speaking to me! He was begging me to stop them! Stop them from taking the innocent lives of his beloved children! To take on the burden of sin for the sake of DIVINE JUSTICE!..."
While the man gave an empowered speech, Issei was confused about one minor detail.
"...What...did you do to your brother?"
The man only looked down at Issei curiously.
"...Hmm? I killed him, of course."
(—?!)
"He was nothing but a filthy sinner who desired the destruction of one of the many innocent temples that God created….. If I had not killed him then, he would surely have killed my mother. The same can be said for all of the others until this point…. If I had not killed them, then they would surely grow to become those who take the lives of innocent children of God…"
"...The others? You mean... The children..?"
"Hm? Is it your age? Is that why you do not understand? It is obvious isn't it? I've been killing them."
[!?—?!]
Fear spread through Issei's body. But somewhere, deep below that fear.… Rested a silent rage.
"...You..."
"They were destined for it. I cannot allow the deaths of God's innocent children. They would surely grow to become brutal scum who destroy the lives of others. That's why it is best if I eliminate them as quickly as possible. That is why I accepted the condition set by that repulsive Devil. I needed to sacrifice my soul for the greater good. I needed to become the murderer of murderers. I needed the ability to serve my proper purpose. But as I thought, I could not stand such an existence continuing. That..worthless Devil was meant to die by my hand..! It was natural, I'm sure you understand.. Now, I am free. Free to cleanse the world of those who would defile God's creations. Now that you understand, here is my question to you, boy. Why is it that you glow so brilliantly? Even my own brother did not shine so greatly when he was at the moment of killing my mother... Could it be? It couldn't possibly be true…. Could it be….that you've already tasted blood once before?"
The man— No, the Devil. This "man" was a Devil. And this Devil's glowing red eyes pierced through Issei.
"D-Don't mess with me! I've never killed anyone before!"
"Hmm… I do not suspect deceitful practice in your tongue….. Then why…. Why is it that is possible?"
"Don't ask me, moron!"
'Ddraig, What the hell is he talking about?! This guy— he has to be insane!'
[Mm, indeed. However, I feel that I may have an assumption as to why he speaks of this.]
'What are you talking about, Ddraig?! Explain! We don't have time to be messing around!'
[Indeed, we do not, partner. I suspect this "Divine ability" of his is nothing more than a low level Sacred Gear.]
'A Gear!?'
[It seems likely. You are the "brightest" one he has ever encountered. It suggests that you are the first Gear user he has met that has unlocked their power. His sibling must have been at the height of its activation, but stopped just short of it. The children he has been killing must be dormant Gear possessors. I suspected as well that there may have been two others besides yourself that possessed a Gear, enclosed within that educational institution you attend, but they were locked from them. They were also low level, in comparison to yours, which is a Longinus.]
'T-This guy..! He's been hunting Gear users?! And he doesn't even know it himself?! Maybe if I explain it—!'
[Do not be foolish, boy. This a deranged Devil. He will not heed your words.]
'...W-Wait... But if he's been hunting Gear users without knowing it…. Then…... Those children were innocent from the start….'
[Is it not obvious?]
….
...
—Without saying anything to Ddraig, or the Devil, Issei began boosting his power further. Straight to his limit.
[Boost!]
[You cannot win this.]
"Hmm? You are glowing brighter? That's not right…."
[Boost!]
[What exactly do you plan on doing?]
"Unless….. Does that mean….. You have manifested your wish to kill me?"
[Boost!]
"As I thought…. You must have spilt the blood of the innocent once before…. In that case, I will erase you."
[Boost!] [Explosion!]
Shyoooom!
Power burst from the small figure of Issei. His body was surrounded by a soft, thin, green aura, shocking the Devil.
"What?! What is this?! Could it be—?! You weren't human at all?! I see! So that is how it must be..! You must be in alliance with the filthy forces of the Devils! Disguising as a human child, it seems I was the one who was tricked! As I thought, I must eliminate you after all!"
Issei's teeth grit tightly. The images of families at the funerals of their own young children filled his mind.
His fear was finally replaced— with rage.
"...You…. You murderous bastaaaaaard!"
Issei launched himself towards the Devil, at a speed the Devil was not prepared for.
[Fool! A stray has no boundaries set to their power! Even if he was a weakling before, he is free now! He is no longer barred by any restrictions set before!]
Issei readied his Gear in midair and brought it forward, as if it was in slow motion, with full force.
"As— If— I— Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrreeee!"
And when his Gear connected, that full force was released.
DOOOON!
"GUUH!"
Issei's Gear was planted right in the Devil's jaw. The force of the punch sent the Devil sliding back and rolling into the ground.
'NOW!'
The moment Issei touched the ground—
Whoosh!
—He swiftly snatched up the boy, and ran straight back in the direction he came from, at top speed.
"Wha—?! He ran!"
[Hm. You were planning on running from the start, I see?]
'Of course I was! I can't win like this! And I definitely can't leave this kid behind!'
[Hah! Is that your reasoning? I should have known it was such an excuse. If you had planned on running from the beginning, then you would have done so easily. Instead, you risk your own life for such a reason. For nothing but a stranger, yet again. A naive and foolish boy you are indeed.]
'Will you quit berating me and tell me if he's chasing me or not?!'
[He is.]
'What?!'
Just as Issei took a peek behind him, he heard the sharp sound of wind.
Foom!
"There you are!"
The Devil was flying right above the cascade of trees Issei was running through. Sleek, black wings held him high in the air.
"Get back here! I will not allow you to harm that child!"
'I'm the one trying to save him, you worthless bastard!'
Foom!
Suddenly, the Devil dove into the forest of trees and started flying a few meters behind Issei.
"What the..?!"
[Use your environment to your advantage.]
'Dammit!'
Issei launched himself up and began jumping from tree branch to tree branch, to increase his coverage of ground further.
"You are fast! But you will not escape! I will save that boy!"
"Shut the hell up, you scum! You're a damn murderer who kills innocent kids! All you've been hunting is nothing but Sacred Gear users, moron! You've just been using your own to find 'em!"
"Bah! You cannot deceive me! Such a thing was nothing but a lie created by those Devils who fostered me!"
'Ddraig! Could those Devils not have told him he had one?!'
[They may not have had the chance to.]
'Fuckin' dammit!'
The chase continued. Issei didn't know what speed he was moving at, but it had to be around 30 kilometers per hour, he assumed. He could easily catch up to a good amount of vehicles, at this point.
Despite that, the Devil behind him kept pace with almost no trouble at all. The Devil maneuvered through the trees with little effort. Only three meters separated the both of them.
'Damn! For someone who hates Devils he's sure good at using his wings!'
[Indeed. He is closing in by the minute.]
'Damn! It doesn't look like I'll have a choice then!'
Issei looked as far ahead as he could, and formulated a strategy. He started jumping in a certain pattern, making sure the Devil followed him at every turn.
[Partner?]
'Not now, Ddraig!'
[He's close!]
'I know, Ddraig!'
Foom, foom!
The Devil was flapping his wings vigorously. He was closing in.
"Now I have yoooooou!"
The Devil reached out to grab Issei as he drew closer. His arm was centimeters from Issei's shirt. But—.
"Boost!"
Issei proclaimed it loudly, as he held his gauntlet reared back, in front of the Devil's face. Then, came the light.
[Boost!]
Shiiin!
"Agh!"
The Devil was blinded for what had to have been less than a full second. Unfortunately for him..
"Wha—?"
—That was enough time for him to meet the brunt of a large, sturdy branch of a tree.
WACK!
"GAH!"
Due to the Devil's momentum, the collision caused him to flip and crash him into the ground, brutally.
BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!
"Yeeeeeeeees! Ahahahahahaha!"
Issei laughed proudly as he furthered himself from the body of the Devil that was grounded.
[You have exceeded your boost limit, partner. You will reset soon.]
"I know! That's why I'm busting my ass to get away right now!"
[This was your strategy?]
"His fault for flying so damn fast! Asshole should have kept his eyes on the road!"
[...Kukuku... Kuhahaha! A child using trickery to incapacitate a Stray Devil, in his supple ninth year of life? To an existence like myself, it sounds like a joke. Kuhahaha! What sort of host have I been matched with? Is this a blessing or a curse? Kuhahahaha!]
"Don't call me a curse, you stupid lizard!"
[Ahahahahahahaha - AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]
"Shut up, you're hurting my head!"
The Devil that was left far behind Issei, lifted himself from the ground, as he heard the sounds of the child yelling far in the distance.
"Rrrghh…! I WILL FIND YOOOOOOOOUUU!"
Likewise, Issei could hear the Devil scream loudly from within the trees. He was a great length away, at this point.
"Just try it, suuuuckkeeer!"
[Partner. He knows of which educational institution you attend. Do you believe he cannot lure you out once again?]
'...He won't need to, Ddraig…'
[Hoh?]
Aikawa residence
As usual, Akane was in the kitchen cooking dinner, while Maki sat on the couch in the living room, bored.
Ding-Dong~
Maki brightened up when she heard the doorbell ring.
"Nii-Nii!"
"Ah, ah! Stay there, Maki. I'll go see who it is."
"Okay…"
Akane left from the living area and approached the front door. Without opening it, she answered.
"Satoshi? Is that you?"
She heard a familiar voice from behind.
"Ah, Obaa-san.. It's me."
"Oh!"
Akane unlocked the door and opened it without hesitation.
Dakun.
"Ise-kun! We didn't expect you back from your friend's so soo..."
Akane's speech died off when she laid eyes upon the unconscious boy that Issei was piggyback carrying.
"Ehehehe... Sorry…. I didn't know where he lived…"
"...I...Ise-kun…. That boy is…."
Issei forced an awkward smile. Both of the boys bodies were covered in dirt and sweat.
"Hehehe…. His name is Satoru…."
Akane's eyes widened in a terrified shock.
"MAKI! BRING MOMMY THE PHONE RIGHT NOW! Ise-kun, inside, hurry!"
Akane pulled the boys in, and quickly shut and locked the door. Maki stepped out from the living area in curiosity.
"Mama? What's wrong?"
"Maki, go upstairs with Ise-kun and lock yourselves in the room. Don't come out until me or your father comes to get you. Ise-kun, do you still have my phone?"
"Yeah, here."
"Good. Now go. Don't come out until we get you."
Issei placed the boy on his back again and carried him up the stairs, while Maki followed him fearfully.
"Nii-Nii... What's happening? I'm scared…"
"It's okay, Maki-chan. He's not comin' here.."
The children locked themselves in Issei's room upstairs, leaving Akane alone. She quickly turned off all of the main lights in the house and opened her flip phone to dial a certain number.
Ring~
[Aichi prefectural police department, how may I help you?]
...
It was the dead of night. A young boy was walking through a familiar forest, the crunch of leaves under his shoes.
[Is this truly the best course of action that you see, partner?]
'...Does it seem like I have a choice?'
[I suppose not.]
He continued walking.
—After Issei arrived home with the unconscious boy, the authorities were called. Satoshi immediately returned home a bit early, with the permission from his superiors. The authorities retrieved the unconscious boy and asked Issei how he came across him. Issei lied and explained that he found him wrapped in a bag, behind a store. He didn't lie entirely. The store was near the forest itself. The authorities were currently investigating the area around it.
It was Issei's failsafe. If it became too dangerous for him to face the Devil, then all he needed to do was bring attention to the forest.
Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.
He suspects that by tomorrow morning, there would be many news reports involving him, and maybe even some calling him a "young hero" of some sort.
He wasn't a hero. Not yet, at least.
"...[Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors]…"
As Issei was approaching his destination, he could vaguely make out the sound of a prayer.
He had heard this prayer once before. From where? His friend Shidou? No, it was Shidou's father.
There was one time that he spent the night at Shidou's house. He couldn't sleep and heard a voice coming from downstairs. There, in the living room, was Shidou's father, praying in front of something.
An object. A large cross?.. A sword?
Crunch.
Issei finally took one step out from the sea of trees, and into the clearing he was in just hours ago. This time, the clearing was even more of a proper clearing. It didn't have the fallen and cut down trees lying around. It looks as if they were destroyed, smashed into pieces. Though there were some trees he passed along the way that looked like they had been tossed.
He was now standing right at the entrance of a perfectly circular battlefield.
"...[And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil].."
In the middle of the field, was the Devil, sitting on his knees, reciting a prayer. His hands held above his head, with a crucifix necklace in between his gloved hands. A small amount of steam seemed to be arising from his palms as well. And there was blood leaking out of his ears.
'...Ddraig…. You once told me that, as the 'Sekiryuutei'... Killing…was going to become normal for me…. Right?'
[Indeed. It is unavoidable. —Child. I will not ask why you question it now, but I am sure that you will still tell me, won't you?]
Issei lifted his gaze from the ground. His sharp, hateful glare pierced through the Devil's head.
'...This Devil….'
"...[And he said to them, When you pray, say: 'Father..]…"
'...must not live…'
"...[..hallowed be thy name']."
—The Devil was staring right back at Issei.
End
BOOM! There she is! Finally got this fucker out! Sorry for the delay guys! As I said up above there was a lot getting in the way. I mean I'm only one day later than I planned but it still makes me feel a little bad. In return, this chapter is longer than usual! So I hope you enjoyed. I hope I made the Stray interesting. I really wanted to make a stray character that no one's ever done before. Hopefully you guys liked him. Next chapter will be the face off! Sorry for blue balling you guys hehe. Anyway, minor time skip, Issei is a bit stronger and considered a natural prodigy amongst his peers, he's facing his first humanoid opponent (a stray Devil no less), and we'll have to see how it turns out. In case you're wondering, no, the Stray has no name. Kinda creepy and interesting if he has no information about him. The only thing we really know is he is Japanese, hence why I picked a Japanese character for his appearance. And in case you were thinking "why didn't saying the religious stuff hurt the Devil?" It did, read a bit more carefully ;)
So yeah, tell me what you guys thought about everything. Did you like the minor time skip? What do you think Issei will do next chapter? Is the Stray an intimidating/interesting minor villain? Will Gohan defeat cell?! Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!
P.S. Maki has Pnuemonia. I'm sure she'll recover but it's sad. Poor girl. It's actually a small reference to my childhood because right when I was her age I had to be homeschooled for 1st grade since I had pneumonia as well. I was alright but I had already had it once Before when I was only 30 days old. Almost died actually haha. So you can imagine my mother wouldn't let me go to school. Decided to use that since it worked for the story.
Read, Rate, Review go crazy.
Stay frosty.
