Chapter 7: Training Camp, 5 Days.
Issei stands in the club room with two duffle bags at his feet. One for clothes, and the other for training equipment for himself. Asia stands beside him with her own bag, a fairly small one, but only enough to hold her clothes for the next two weeks.
Across the room, Yuuto has with him two bags, Koneko has two, and Akeno also has four. The only one not in the room is Rias.
After a few minutes of waiting, Rias walking in with five bags. "Is everyone ready?" Everyone nods yes. "Good. Let's go." She creates a transportation circle, which everyone stands and it teleports them to the base of a rather large mountain.
Issei looks up at the mountain. 'Hmm, this could take longer than I thought. Oh well. Training is training.' He turns to Rias. The latter is opening up one of her bags and pulls out more bags and backpacks.
"Alright, everyone, let's get the walk up the mountain started. We will all put our bags in these and put them on our back and walk up the mountain. "Issei, you first."
Issei puts both his bags on his back and starts to go up the mountain. "Just to let you guys know. Don't put any more weight in the bag than you can handle, after a whiles of walking it will start to push you, so no more then you know you can handle with little effort." And he continues up the mountain.
"Wait a minute!" Rias yells. "Let's me see those bags." Rias point to the ground next to her. Issei walks back to her and puts he's bags down gently. Rias grabs one bag and picks it up fine, but she can't even lift the other bag off the ground.
"What's in that one?!" She asks. Issei opens the heavy bag to reveal heavy weights, lead balls and various objects.
"These are all the stuff I need to train my body without a large machine." He effortlessly picks up a seventy five pound weight with his hand. "Since my body has become that of a dragon in the shape of a human, my strength has increased drastically, and I can lift heavy objects." He then throws it to Koneko, who catches it with one hand and throws it back. "See. Koneko, may you lift this bag?"
Koneko nods and walks over to the bag. Issei closes the bag, but keep the weight out. She lifts the bag with both hand and holds it for a few moments before putting it down. "It's heavy." She says.
"Well, that's fine. You go up the mountain but go slow and wait for up when you pass a tree with the Gremory Clan symbol on it. It should be a quarter of the way up.
Issei nods and starts to walk after putting the weight back and puts the bag on his back.
"Koneko. How long do you think you can keep the bag up?" Rias asks.
"A while." Is all she says.
'So at the least, his base strength is that of a Rook.' Rias looks back to the group. "Ok, next."
Up the mountain a bit, Issei walks up the path. 'This reminds me of when you had me climb the Alps. I thought I was going freeze.'
[Oh calm yourself. You made it to the other side perfectly fine, partner.]
'Yeah, but it was weird, I though going up so high would take a toll on my breathing, but it actually made it better.'
[Remember, partner. You're part dragon, and we are made to survive in high places. You could climb the highest mountain in the world and still be able to breathe fine. But the cold would be a problem.]
'Yeah...' Issei passes the tree with the marker he was supposed to stop at and continues to climb.
[Partner, you passed the marker... partner?]
'...' Issei doesn't respond back. He just keeps walking.
[Partner! Snap out of it!]
Issei's eyes widen and he snaps back into reality.
'Huh?! What?!'
[You stare into space? You passed the mark.]
'Oh, sorry... Thank you for telling me.' Issei turns around.
[I'm worried now...hmmm]
'What?' He begins to walk back down.
[I do believe that this is the second sign.]
'Sign for what?...you don't mean...' Issei stops just up from the tree.
[I am afraid so, first was the nightmares and exhaustion, now the absent mind, next will be the pain.]
'What? Pain? How long will it last?' Issei looks at the group walking up to him and smiles.
[Several days at the most. It will hurt like hell and you'll most likely pass out for a while. Then you'll slowly lose your powers to boost, when you wake, for the remainder of the time.]
Issei waves to the rest and let's them pass. 'What do you mean lose my Boost?'
[The Boost will stay at a time base, and will no longer react to your emotions. And you won't boost again for longer than ten seconds.]
'So how long with that last?'
[No long, maybe a few days. Then comes last part before it's all over.]
Issei's follows the group catching up to them. 'What is that?'
[You'll be unconscious for many days, even weeks. But when you wake, you'll have more control of my power and more control over your body and abilities. You'll almost be a true Dragon.]
'So that's it eh? I go through hell and come back almost a Dragon?' Issei sighs, gathering the attention of Akeno.
[Yes, and before you ask, Why you aren't a true dragon? That will only happen when you have complete control over me and my power.]
Issei walks faster and passes the group, not hearing them call his name.
'So...then I need to master the "Forbidden Ability"...that'll be impossible.'
[Indeed. The curse will kill you the first time you use it.]
'Well, at least I don't need to use that ability.' Issei starts to run.
[What are you doing, boy?]
'What I always do, aim for the impossible.' Issei continues to run up the mountain...till he runs into a tree.
[Unbelievable.]
"Issei?!" Asia hurries to his side. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm ok." Issei's rubs he face.
"Are you sure, you seemed out of it. We were calling your name, but it didn't seem like you heard it." Akeno says.
"Haha, sorry. I was talking with someone." Issei stands.
"The dragon?" Rias asks.
"Yeah..." Issei lowers his head. "There is something I need to tell you...all of you."
"What about?"
"Not now, maybe later." Issei lifts his head with a smile. "Let's get to the top, ok?" He then starts to walk.
"Asia? Has Issei been acting...weird lately?" Rias asks.
"No, this is the first time I'm seen him like this."
"Hmm. What is it that he has to tell us?" Akeno says.
"I don't know. Let's just get to the top. He'll tell us later." The group nods and heads up the mountain.
The group finally gets to the top and stands in front of a mansion. Issei drops his bags and flops onto the ground as the group sits down on the lawn after their tiring trip up the mountain.
Issei breathes heavily along with everyone else but Akeno, Koneko and Yuuto.
"Come on guys, it wasn't so bad. I thought you would have done better Issei." Akeno says as she stands.
"I would have thought so too, but it seems as though I'm weakening." they look at him as he sits up. "Well let's go inside." Issei stands and starts to walk to the door, when he stops and collapses on the ground.
Everyone gets up and rushes to Issei. Rias shakes him, but he doesn't move.
"Is he alright?" Yuuto asks.
"I don't know. He's alive, but it looks like he fell from exhaustion." Rias lifts his head.
"How did that happen? He looked fine just a moment ago." Asia looks over to Issei.
"I don't know, let get him inside. Maybe he'll wake up soon. As for now. Let's relax for the day and wait." Akeno suggests.
Yuuto picks Issei up and caries him inside. Koneko grabs his things, the rest follow.
-Issei's Dream-
Issei stands in a blank white room. He walks around for a bit. Suddenly, crimson feathers start to fall to the ground. Issei catches one and looks at it. Then it bursts into flames, as do all of the other feathers.
After the fire dies down, the ground in coved in gray ash. Parts of the ashes start to moves as if snakes are moving under them. The movement then starts to head to a single point, Issei.
Issei bends down and the movement stops, but one continues to go to him. Issei lows his left hand and small little black snake comes out from under the ash and slithers up his arm and to his back.
The snake then opens its mouth to reveal two fangs. And it sinks them in Issei back, just under his left shoulder blade.
"Aaahhhh!" Issei screams as the snake bites him. It let's go of him and bits him in the same place, but on the right.
Issei screams even louder as he yanks the snake off him and throws it. His back starts to burn. And feels as if something is ripping at where the snake bit him.
Issei falls on his knees in pain as the bits start to rip open and some starts to grow out of it. During his screaming and yelling, he doesn't notice a group of figures stand in front of him. Most of the group can't be recognized, but two figures stand out from the rest. One is a male and the other is a female.
"Don't fight it. It'll get worse if you do." The man says.
"It'll be alright. The pain will stop soon" the girl says.
Issei look up at them while wincing from the pain. "W-who, ah, are you?"
"We are all just memories now. That's you need to know for now." The man puts his hand on the girl and they, with the others in the group, walk away.
"Wait...ah!" Issei screams. The pain soon spreads throughout his entire body. Then another group of figures walk up to him, this time he knows them.
"It'll be ok Issei."
"You're not weak, you can get though. The training was harder."
"..."
"You'll get through this. Your father would be proud."
"Get stronger, I'll be waiting."
"Please be ok."
"...You'll be fine."
"Don't die on me."
"Please be ok after..."
"No, wake up, Issei. Wake up!"
[Wake up!]
A small little flame starts to form under everyone, and it grows larger. All the figures get engulfed in flames and disappear. The pain still travels through Issei.
[Wake up, NOW!]
The fire soon engulfs Issei, and then it goes away, revealing the room is white again. Then crimson feathers start to fall...
-End Dream-
Issei wakes with wide eyes and breathes heavily. He notices that he has fallen off the bed. He stands and looks at the window, its morning. Looking around the room, he finds Rias sitting at a tabling the room asleep.
Thinking nothing of it, Issei finds he's clothes and puts them on. 'Naked again. How long was I out...' He walks out if the room into a long hallway. Issei walks around until he finds the kitchen.
"I'm hungry." His stomach grumbles at him and he starts to make himself food. 'The place has a lot of ingredients.' As he is cooking, Asia and Akeno walk Ito the kitchen. They were talking, but stopped when they saw Issei.
"Issei!" Asia yells as she runs over to him and hugs him. Akeno walks to them with a surprised face.
"Are you ok? Are you hurting? You suddenly passed out." Asia had tears in her eyes as she looked over Issei.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about yesterday. I don't remember what happened." Issei rubbed the back of his head.
"Not yesterday. Five days ago. You have been out cold for five days Issei." Akeno says in a sad tone. Issei's eyes widen.
"What?" Is all he says.
Issei sits down at a long table, to his left is Asia, and to his right is Rias, who is sitting at the end of the table across from Akeno. Koneko is across Issei and Yuuto across Asia. Everyone has an empty plate with traces of food in front of them.
Rias looks over to Issei. "Issei?"
"Y-yes?" Issei look over to her, as do the others.
"I guess you should give an explanation as to what happened. Does it have to do what you were going to tell us before...?" Everyone now looks at Issei.
"Ye-yes." Issei moves his plate and sets him arms there. "I guess this is as good as any." Everyone prepares to what Issei is going to say.
"Well, I'm going though something that of a...evolution if you could say."
"What do you mean evolution?" Yuuto asks.
"Well, I'm not the only host of the Boosted Gear that has given up their body to the dragon. And giving up your body, means giving up all of it, your heart, blood, eye, everything." Issei started to stall.
"So, we know what it means, now what did you mean by evolution?" Rias tries to cut to the chase.
With a sigh, "Well it doesn't happen instantly for the full effects to take place of having your body become dragon like. It takes time, and out of the all the host who have gone through this, it takes about twelve years. Sometime in the twelfth year, the process of the body taking the full effects starts." Issei stops.
"So...that process has already started and you're going through evolution?" Akeno asks.
"Yes, there are signs that tell me that it's started. First is nightmares, and exhaustion. Second is absent minded and I can't focus and think straight. Third...probably has already passed."
"What is the third?" Asia grabs his sleeve.
"Pain...lots of pain, Ddraig told me that it will be almost unbearable pain, and I might pass out and wake when it's done." Issei looks down at the table.
"I see, well...you were screaming a lot during you're...absents. And you were out for a while... Is there anything else you're going to go though?" Rias looks sadden.
"Yes...I'll slowly lose my powers of the Boosted Gear."
"What?!" Everyone, except Koneko and Issei stand.
"You'll lose your Boosted Gear?!" Rias yells.
"Yes and no. It'll only take longer until boost again. Normally it takes ten seconds in between boosts, but that time will slowly lengthen until I have to wait two minutes in between boosts."
Everyone calls down a bit.
"Well...that's better, I guess." Rias rubs her head.
"It will only last a few days, and then the last part happens."
"What's that?" Koneko asks.
"I'll be unconscious for some time. Either from a few days, to a few weeks. But I don't know when it will start. I could look as healthy as I could be and then...drop."
Everyone's eyes widen and jaws drop.
"What? Do you know when that'll happen? Will it be soon?" Rias asks.
"I'm not sure. All I know is that it will happen. Will it be tomorrow to the next month, I can't say." Issei looks at Rias and finds worry in her eyes.
"But don't worry, Ddraig is almost positive that the Rating Game will be done before this takes place." Issei looks a little confident. Rias and the other calm down a little.
"Well...that's good to hear." Rias relaxes a bit.
"What happens when you wake up?" Yuuto asks.
"Well as I said, I'm not completely dragon like. So once I wake, I'll be as close to being a true dragon as any none dragon can be." Issei smiles.
"So you'll be just like a dragon?" Asia asks, thinking about how Issei will look if he was a dragon.
"Yes. It's impossible to become a true dragon of your not born by one. So pretty damn close."
"...wow." Koneko going and sips her tea.
"Yup..." Issei stands. "Now that that's out of the way, we still need to train for the game. I won't let the son of a bitch chicken marry Rias!"
"Yeah!" Asia yells. The rest of the group smiles.
"Her virginity mine!" Issei screams. Everyone drops.
"Oh my." Akeno says.
Koneko gets up and walks in front of Issei, and punches him the face. Sending him across the room and through a window. "Pervert."
Everyone goes to broken window and looks at Issei, who is trying to stand.
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry." He says to the group. "But her virginity is still mine." He mutters to himself.
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