Another chapter comes!

Finally, we see where Asia is, and I think some of you might've suspected something like this. After reading a bunch of fics, I've learnt to appreciate how fun it is to make characters suffer. I love it when things go wrong, y'know? Don't worry though, there'll be a happy ending, I think.

As usual, some notes and spoilers below:

-Issei won't become a Devil. Not because he doesn't want to or anything, but because the Devil System physically can't handle him. The Peerage revival thingy depended on Potential Power, and as a Gamer, his potential is essentially infinite. Anyone trying to reincarnate him will just have their pieces explode or whatever.

-Yes, the (Reflector) thing was taken from Blue Reflection, if anyone even knows that lmao.

Anyway, enough from me. Enjoy the chapter!

That meeting Issei had with the Devils had been the gateway. Both good and bad.

His name was known now. And the Devils were known to him. If they needed something and he was willing, then he'd come and help. If they reported someone going missing, then he'd help regardless. The Devils were Kuoh's ears, keeping tabs on anyone who could potentially be taken, and he'd be the one to venture into the solitary spaces the Devils weren't quite able to enter.

(He also learnt that the Student Council were all Devils. It didn't surprise him as much as it probably should.)

But his rescue of Ravel had sparked something in the hidden enemy. Their efforts, already clear, became nearly manic in their intensity. Where once the Fallen and Executioners worked in secrecy, he now saw them occasionally moving around in broad daylight. They knew that the people wouldn't go out, that the secrecy of the supernatural world wouldn't be leaked, and so they hid no more.

Every night calls would come, and he'd hear of how the Devils came across a Fallen or an Executioner. Sometimes they'd win, sometimes they'd lose. The Executioners were the real issue, their strengths inhumanely boosted by the magic crystals Galilei had created and imbued into them.

Although, even if it felt disgusting for him to say, he was somewhat glad that these people were not operating in broad daylight.

Because that meant more beings to kill, which meant more Exp.

He hated how excited he'd felt the first time he made that realization. His mom was there to slowly walk him through his thoughts, and he eventually accepted it for what it was. "It is unfortunate. Never forget that." His mom had said. "But it isn't wrong to want to grow either, and if they give the opportunity, why not take it?"

So he did. Fallen after Fallen. Executioner after Executioner. Sometimes he came across them at random. Sometimes he'd search for them. Sometimes the Devils would call for his help. Sometimes they were the ones looking for him. It didn't matter how it started. He brought them all down the same.

(His mom was eager to join him. He declined. She was persistent. He asked if she was ready to end lives. She agreed with no hesitation.

Perturbed but somewhat glad, he told her that he was afraid, that she wasn't strong enough yet, not fast enough. Silk Step had made him faster than even Devils, and even that had only given him the edge on a close victory against the first Executioner he faced.

He should've known it only served to spur his mother to fight even harder.)

And that was how it went for a week or so. His life turned into a constant game of search-and-destroy, hunting down any and all those who worked together with the man behind all this.

But then, an Executioner tried to destroy his home. Somehow, somewhen, they found where he lived, found his mom, and tried to kill her. It didn't work of course—they didn't expect a seemingly normal housewife to suddenly pull out a machete and carve them into chunks with blades forged of starlight.

But they'd gotten close. Too close. His mom had won, but he could see the tremors wracking her, knew that she'd won mostly due to her element of surprise. If they'd known about her, if they knew her like they knew about his powers-

He didn't want to imagine it.

He called Riser and cashed in on the favor he'd declined a week before. The man was more than happy to have some of his Peerage in his house. He didn't quite expect his entire Peerage showing up. But they were all eager to eat more of his mom's food, and he couldn't quite deny them. That, and there was safety in numbers, right?

And now knowing that his mom had some safety,

Well, it was time he took the fight to their side.

[Killed Valei — Hopeless Executioner, Irida — Soundless Executioner, Gareth — Maddened Executioner, Gwen — Slothful Execu…]

Issei let free a warm breath, sweat trickling down his brow as he flames licked his arms. There was a mountain of bodies surrounding him, both human and Fallen, all burnt and bleeding and dead. The smell of rotting flesh permeated the air, and he silently lamented how he no longer felt any disgust.

Once he resolved himself to fight, a Main Quest appeared before him. Discover one of their Fortresses and destroy them, was what it said, and he did just that. He found one of the places they'd occupied—an old warehouse north from where he lived, and he burnt it all to the ground. Fallen and the Executioners alike were crushed underfoot the burning rubble, and any that lived he burnt with his magic and struck with his torch.

But here, standing amidst the burning wreckage, he couldn't feel any satisfaction. Because his System had said that this was one of the Fortresses they had. Only one of multiple. There were even more. More bases to destroy. More enemies to slay.

His lips curled into a grin.

Mana surged through his legs, and he was soaring into the skies a second later.

[Air Walk]

Lvl 17/100 | 55%

Allows the user to run on air. Costs 13.4 MP/second

The old building that was never finished. The eastern district that'd been overshadowed by the mall. The defunct home depot. The retirement home. They were just a few of the many places he went to in his endeavor. They were miles away from one another, sitting at various different corners of the town. But they all had something in common.

They were filled with people once. Now there were none, the spaces now taken by Fallen and Executioners, and the original civilians conspicuously missing.

He didn't need to think long to figure out what'd happened. And faced with it all, faced with the physical reminders of just what these people had done-

It was the first time Issei had gotten truly mad. He'd been annoyed, he'd been angry, but this wrath that overtook every fiber of his being, it wasn't something he'd ever experienced before. It felt like his veins were being burnt by the same flames he casted on his enemies, and it urged him onwards until no more of these monsters were left.

(At that time, he didn't realize that he was being watched by the Devils. They knew of the situation in Kuoh, of course, but they were more drawn by the fact that there lived a human powerful enough to surpass even the strength of the High Class. Some had come to Kuoh, intent on scouting him, tempting him to join their Peerage.

So they watched as Issei fought, from Fortress to Fortress, leaving behind a trail of grimfire and blood. There's no way we can control him! The Devils thought, but past that, there came a budding of awe and respect in their hearts. Strong, they thought. So strong. I want him. I want him to join me.

And following that, they all thought as one,

I need to grow stronger to claim him.

They never would. In this reality, Issei Hyoudou would remain undoubtedly human, but greed was often a powerful motivator, and those Devils were trapped in their awe.

Issei continued to escalate, and he dragged with him the strength of Devilkind.)

Within, he knew he'd regret it. He knew that the terror of just what he could do would come to haunt him. He could already feel some of the horror seeping into him.

But that was something for a later him. A future him. At the present, all he could feel was this burning anger that pushed him to fight.

So he did. The Devils tried calling him—they were probably trying to find out what he was doing—but he rejected them all. He let his flames act for him, crashing and burning through every obstacle in his path. Soot clung to his clothes and skin, and the base of his Ghostflame Torch began to bend from all the stress he put it under.

He supposed it was inevitable for something drastic to occur.

He'd just burnt down the sixth Fortress in a row when something nicked the edge of his senses. It was just a blip, a tiny drop in an ocean of sounds, but he heard it clearly. Then a sense of panic cut through the anger in his veins, and he quickly took the skies.

He was glad he did. Seconds later, the ground erupted as giant black spikes rose from the ground, gleaming purple and coated red by the blood of the corpses below. Issei watched from above, grimacing and with tremors running up his spine. That'd been too close. Had he not sensed that, if he'd moved just a little later, he would've been impaled.

"So you're the one." Someone said. Issei turned to the right, and he saw a portly old man standing just a distance away. He was dressed in a priest's robe, though he could also see some sort of pendant hanging around the man's neck. It was green in color, and was glimmering, almost enchanting in its light.

Issei landed back down, and he grit his teeth as he faced the man. He had an inkling of who he was, and he could feel the anger quickly returning. "Same words, dick." He cursed out with grit teeth. "Same words."

The man laughed. It sounded like grating metal to his ears. "Such crass words from someone so young! Did your mother not teach you to be polite?"

You piece of sh-

"My mom taught me to be polite to people." He said blithely. "I don't see a person standing before me." And before the man could get any words in, his hands lit aflame, and he sent forth a bolt of fire at the man's face.

But his fire didn't hit their target. They were cast away before they could strike, the flames doused by an unnatural flash of light. It was similar to the light the Fallen used, and Issei froze as he saw what it was that had stopped his flames.

Standing between him was a girl. She was about his age, maybe a little younger. With bright blonde hair and green eyes. She was pretty, and she would've looked innocent if not for the many scars littering her arms and the spear she carried in her hands. There was something unnatural about her, and her empty eyes made her look inhuman.

But more than anything, he felt like he knew her. Which was insane. He knew he hadn't met her before. But something inside him screamed, cried for the injustice the girl had no doubt faced.

I knew you, it said, grieving and rageful all at once. You were my confidant. My family. And now you're gone.

He didn't know her. He'd never met her. Yet-

I'll save you, Asia.

Her name echoed in his mind, longing and regretful and pitiful.

"Go." Galilei commanded, lips twisted to a cruel grin. Asia made no noise, but she moved. He was there to meet, slamming his Ghostflame Torch against the body of her spear. Clang! it went, and he noted the slight widening of her eyes. She hadn't expected him to match her strength, it seemed.

He broke away and tried to burn Galilei alive, but the priest had disappeared. That moment of distraction gave way to Asia's strike, and he narrowly avoided a painful stab to the heart. Her spear stabbed into his right breast instead, and he grit his teeth as he clenched tight onto her spear, locking her in place. And then, with wind rising around his leg, he twisted and kicked her in the gut.

[Tempest Kick]

Lvl 27/100 | 17%

Sends forward a swift, powerful kick imbued by the spirits of wind. Costs 12.4 MP.

*Damage scales based on user's Dexterity and Intelligence

Asia flew back, crashing into the ground with a large explosion of dirt and dust. He coughed wetly, red staining his chin as he pulled the spear into his Inventory. The spear vanished in a spark of light, and he gasped as the coldness of the air hit his wound. It wouldn't be fatal—he could already feel himself regenerating—but the pain was almost blinding.

Asia rose from the ground, and she stared at him with watchful eyes. She was cautious now, wary that he'd somehow taken her spear, and his lips curled into a bloody grin. He always enjoyed the moment of shock his enemies had when their weapons mysteriously disappeared, and not even a gaping wound on his chest would dampen that joy.

The joy turned to ice when he saw her press a palm into her gut, and the green glow that came from her hand. Twilight Healing, the Sacred Gear that gave her the title she once held with love, he heard something in him say, and he fired several bolts of fire before she could heal any further.

She dodged them all, but he gave her no time to heal. He leapt forward and swung his torch at her. Her arms blurred, her fists clashing against his torch's base as they moved. They ran atop the burnt corpses of the people he'd killed, and he lit the world alight as he sent dozens of flaming bolts. Asia tried to break away, to find the chance to heal, but he wouldn't let her. He kept attacking, kept moving to stop her from healing her injuries.

He would've ended it all by throwing the Vestrial, but something in him didn't want to. Couldn't. Though he didn't know her, though they'd never met before, he didn't want to kill her.

Not again.

At some point, he managed to corner her into a wall, and he slammed another Tempest Kick into her gut. She crashed into the ground, and he sent down another Tempest Kick to her chest, drilling her further into the dirt. He saw her gasp, cuts opening from the harsh winds spinning around his feet, and he had only a moment to bring up his torch before her leg could crash into his chin.

He managed to defend, but he heard something creak, and his eyes went wide as he watched his Ghostflame Torch finally snap. The ghostly flames gave his fingers one last lick before they vanished. Asia's eyes were wide. She hadn't expected his torch to break either.

He didn't let it distract him. He powered up one last Tempest Kick and drilled it into her stomach. She cried out in pain as blood splattered all around him, and he kept his foot drilled into her gut even as the winds died away.

She didn't move after that. She stared at him with listless eyes, and he panted harshly as he stared her down. He brought his hand forward, and a ball of fire formed atop his palm. "Don't move." He said with gritted teeth, hanging the ball of flames threateningly over her. She stared at him before she slowly nodded.

He should bring his hand down. She was an enemy, another executioner working under Galilei. He should burn her like he did for her brother and sisters. She was the enemy, the one he was fighting for, the one he'd gone on this rampage for, the one-

I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.

He bit his lip harshly. He tasted the iron tang of blood on his tongue, but he didn't care. He didn't know what was happening to him. He didn't know what the hell this voice speaking inside him was, but he heard it loud and clear.

It was painful, and loud.

So shut. The. Fuck. Up.

And suddenly his mind felt a million times lighter, and the rage burning in his veins vanished along with it. He sighed, relieved and tired and weary all at once. He looked down at the girl beneath his feet.

"Oi." Her eyes caught his, and he frowned. "Are you working under him by your own will?" She stared at him, head tilting slightly as if she didn't understand what he meant. That was an answer in itself. "Does that man have more Executioners under him?"

"...yes."

He clicked his tongue. Of course he did. This whole mess wouldn't end in just a single day, would it?

There were two conflicting desires in his chest. To save or to kill? She was an enemy, yes, but she didn't seem willing. And there was something…familiar about her, even if he hated how much those emotions had driven him during his bout with her.

He sighed harshly.

"I've defeated you." He said. Asia nodded. "If you return now, I doubt Galilei would be happy. Not that I care about that." He glared. "What are you going to do now?"

Asia blinked. "I…don't know." She said with a slight stop. It was the first sign of emotion he'd seen from her. "I no longer belong."

To save or to kill? To care or to burn?

He supposed his choice had already been made a lifetime ago.

"I've defeated you." He growled out. "You're mine now."

Asia stared at him, and he slowly lifted his foot off her. He took a step back, and he watched with a careful eye as she slowly stood up. Then, slowly, though still pained and bleeding, she went down onto her knee and bowed her head to him in deference. "You have defeated me." She repeated, and she looked up with an empty gaze. "I am yours now, master."

Issei nodded. "Good."

[Main Quest {Contemporary Conquest} has been completed! Rewards have been moved to the Inventory]

He felt like a monster.

…

His mom probably knew what to do.

"Come." He said to her. "Let's leave."

"Yes master."

He took a deep breath, and with the pain in his chest grounding him, he began his walk back home, now with a girl he desperately hoped he knew how to help.

It'd been an hour since he came back home. It'd been an hour since he rushed into the bathroom, the ash and blood of those he killed clinging onto his skin like parasites. It'd been an hour since he started vomiting into the sink, tears stinging in his eyes and a scream he desperately kept in his throat.

Asia, not understanding what to do, simply used her Sacred Gear to heal him. A part of him, angry and vindictive, sorely wanted to turn and smash her head into the wall. But that wasn't him. It'd never be him. So he restrained the beast with chains of his will and kept his eyes locked onto the porcelain he held onto, focusing on the soothing coolness of Asia's Twilight Healing.

His mom was quick to calm him, but he could hardly listen. The world was covered in grainy static, and all he could taste with the uncomfortable ash on his tongue.

It passed, eventually. He was drained by the end of it all, and he didn't care that he'd covered his own bathroom in blood. His mom, kind and careful, brought him to his bed. She was smiling at him, but he could see the concern in her eyes.

So he told her. He told her about Asia, about how he'd spared her despite all the Fallen and Executioners he'd killed. "I…want to help her." He admitted, pushing past the vitriol coiling in his gut. "She needs help, and I-, I don't know what to do."

She agreed and pulled Asia somewhere else. That was an hour ago.

Now he laid in bed, alone with no one but his own thoughts to accompany him. His wound was healing quickly, and it wouldn't be long before the last trace of it would disappear. His mind was replaying the brief talk he had with Galilei, and his hackles rose every time he remembered the greed in his eyes.

Galilei didn't feel strong, but Issei knew he was. There was something unnatural about that man. Something beyond human. Like that person he saw was just a shell for something much, much worse. After all, he'd somehow gained the Fallen's alliance, and that could mean many things.

But his head was still hurting. He really didn't want to think at the moment.

So he brought forth his Inventory, curious to see what Reward he'd gotten from his Quest.

His eyebrows rose.

[World's End Reflection]

A promise at the world's end. A vow given form. It was but the product of a single wish, and it blossomed under the growth of a thousand lost stars. For shall her dreams remain in this never-ending repeat at the World's End.

Once worn, permanently unlocks the user's inner potential, granting a Skill based on a form of their soul and adding the (Reflector) Class regardless of the user's Level.

A flash of light came, and a ring dropped onto his palms. It was black, nearly basalt-like in its texture, and adorned with veins of blue. It was almost as if someone had carved it from stone. And those blue veins—he could feel something from them. They almost felt…alive, like they were pumping some sort of lifeblood he couldn't feel.

He looked at the ring in his hands, then back to its description. Unlock the user's inner potential, it said, but…he wasn't sure. There was something ominous in the ring in his hands, like wearing it would change something, push him beyond the point of return.

…

He gave a tired smile and slid the ring onto his finger.

[Unlocking user's Potential…]

And the world around him exploded, and-

-he stood on the ruins of a castle, and before him was a young boy. He was screaming, eyes bloodshot and lips bleeding. There were black spikes protruding from his skin, growing out like thorns from a stem. He screamed and screamed and screamed, blood pooling beneath his feet, and Issei wished that time could just stop-

[Gained [Ineluctable Singularity] Skill!]

-he stood within a burning castle, with burning chunks of stone falling all around him. There was a girl standing before him, her eyes covered by a sash and her lips forcibly stiched close. She remained unmoving as the flames rose to her, intent on consuming her. She stood alone, and the light of her peerless sword had long shattered-

[Gained (Reflector) Class! Status has been adjusted]

-there was a shroud of darkness hanging above him. It gently swayed, writhed, like some sort of demented corruption had seeped into the sky itself. The people around him were celebrating, eyes manic and mouth bleeding with purple blood. They rejoiced for the end is near, for his end is near, and for his hoard had long disappeared-

[Gained [Ardent Reflection - Locked] Skill!]

-Issei gasped as he came back to reality, hands outstretched to the ceiling. He stared, eyes straight and heart beating in his ears.

What was that? He-, his head hurt just thinking about it, but he could picture them clearly. Those scenes were…monstrous, and foreboding in a way. Like someone had invaded his mind to warn him of something to come. He slowly brought up his other hand, and his eyes fell onto the ring on his finger. He gave it a tug. It remained fixed.

It was as the description had said. It was permanent.

He sighed and dropped back onto his pillow. He'd just gone on a rampage, faced the main villain himself, and was convinced to save an Executioner by some unseen voice in his head. And now he'd seen potential warnings from the future by wearing a ring he couldn't take off.

What a weird day this was.

And thinking so, he let his eyes close.