A/N: Chapter is way shorter than usual, but this is more of a bridge between two arcs, so there wasn't much to cover anyways.
Issei stared at himself in the mirror and he couldn't help but cringe. He looked like shit. But that's what he got for pushing himself so hard lately. But could one blame him? He had been practically useless in the fight against Kokabiel. Had it not been for Kyousuke and The White Dragon Emperor, they'd have all died.
And what that guy had said to him. It really got to him. He really was weak, wasn't he? And so, to remedy that, he'd been training hard with Kiba, attempting to increase his reaction times. He had even gone so far as to train with the sadist that is Akeno. And that hadn't been pleasant at all. But it didn't feel like he had done enough. He felt like the gap between him and everyone else was too wide.
He had been so focused on getting stronger, on wanting to protect his loved ones, that he had completely ignored a naked Rias. Boobs were nice, he loved them, but what was the point in indulging in them if the person they were attached to could die because he wasn't strong enough?
Ddraig, what can I do to become stronger?
Well, partner. You could always swallow your pride and ask to spar with Kyousuke.
Ugh. That's what I was afraid you'd say. But, I just can't. Not because I envy him. It's because he's got his own struggles. Sona is to him what Rias is to me. We've both got a girl worth fighting for. And if I ask him, it'll feel like I'm admitting that I can't protect Rias. And I refuse to admit that!
In that case, why not spar with one of his servants? They're not him. So isn't that kind of a loophole?
Issei was about to shut Ddraig down when he actually considered what he had said. It was true. The Servants could take Kyousuke over should he give them permission and fighting against them wasn't like fighting against Kyousuke. And if he could get used to fighting them, then he could see himself getting way stronger.
Okay, you win this round. I'll see if one of his servants would be willing to fight me.
Good news? Kyousuke had humored him and let a servant fight him.
Bad news? That servant was Saber, who wanted to compare his Dragon powers to her father's, whoever that was. The result was him getting beaten black and blue for five hours. But he still came back the next day and fought her again and again. He wouldn't rest until he managed to land a single attack on her. But this practice had given him other boons. For example, fighting Kiba wasn't nearly as hard anymore. Not only could he land more hits, but he was able to react to Kiba's speed far easier than he could before. He was, slowly but surely, improving as a fighter.
It was during one of his fights with Saber that he had managed to tap into Balance Breaker for the first time. It left him out cold for an entire day afterward, but he had been able to land a single hit upon her, so he couldn't be happier.
And as he stared up at the ceiling of his room, he couldn't help but wonder what the future held in store for him.