AN: Jesus Christ's Holy Shit you guys like this story. To answer the general question that is literally going to be explained in a couple of paragraphs: Yes, Issei does change back into a boy after his transformation.
Episode Two: Shounen Brave
Issei was scared.
The wind whipped past his face as he tried to fly through the trees to dodge the arrows that were coming from somewhere inside the deeper part of the park.
He couldn't let himself be hit by them
A small thought came to him at that moment.
How did he get in this situation?
To say that the following hours were pleasant to Issei was like saying that being the victim of the Wizard Marshal was a good thing.
Total Bullshit.
Do you know how hard it is to change a magical wand that's set on you becoming a magical girl to change you back? Well I don't but Issei sure does.
So after what seemed to be an hour of trying to reason with Ruby, the wand finally gave in and transformed him back to normal.
He faintly heard something along the lines of "He could lead a double life!" but he just put it off as his imagination. Hopefully it was. He was never doing that again.
NEVER.
He wanted to be a hero but not that kind! Why couldn't it be cooler like a Kamen Rider? Magical girls weren't cool at all.
Note to self: When making a magical contract that grants wishes, always lay out the specifics. He was never making that mistake again.
That hour he spent as a girl was torture enough. And that's without bringing the dress into it.
He couldn't be a hero if he went around saving the day dressed like that. No matter what that wand said.
Heroes didn't dress like that.
So as soon as he got home he immediately checked on his parents who didn't really seemed worried and ran up to his room.
He needed to have a talk with Ruby.
The wand itself just became some sort of floating head after he finally reasoned with it too let it go.
At least no one would question why he had a magical girl wand…
No wait, he was trapping that thing in some unholy corner of his closet the first chance he got after this talk.
"Alright." He said, sitting down on his bed. "Never. Again."
"Too bad! You're already my master and you can't go back on it!" The wand said tauntingly.
"You tricked me into it!" He shouted at the wand.
"The contract was still made though so you're my new master!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Issei, who are you shouting at?" The unmistakable voice of his mother came from the door.
"Um, no one!" He said quickly.
He was not letting this out.
"Okay then…"
He held his breath until he heard the footsteps of his mother fade away.
"She's gone." He sighed in relief.
"You know, you can't be a hero if you're going to act this way."
"Huh?!" He shouted at the wand.
"What kind of hero can't get along with his (her) weapon? Besides, stop being so selfish!" The wand explained. Floating closer to him in the process.
"...You still haven't told me what I'd need you for anyways." He muttered out loud.
Not like there would be some excuse to use it-
"Aha! Let me tell your our mission!" The wand began. "What you need to know first is that I came here to recover a set of cards known as the class cards."
"Class cards?" He asked the wand.
...He hated to admit it but they kinda sound cool.
"Yes. Class cards. Powers of a hero trapped inside a card. If used for evil they could annihilate an entire city!"
"A-An entire city!" He stuttered out loud. That...That…
"Yes! It is my job to track down these cards and stop them from causing havoc!" The wand said. "And that's why I need your help!"
That…
This entire situation….
"That's so cool!" He shouted out loud. Eyes sparkling in admiration of the wand.
"So what do you say? Wanna help?" The wand asked.
He already knew his answer.
By the time he walked into class the next morning the answer was already engraved in his soul.
Nope.
He had no idea if the wand was making this all up, but in his excitement he foolishly said yes.
He probably deserved what was coming next as he couldn't get any sleep last night as the stupid wand kept trying to convince him of all the things he could do with magic as a magical girl.
He was 100 percent clear tin that if he agreed to do full blown out magical girl he would be embaresed.
...He really didn't think Ruby cared if he agreed or not.
He did manage to get something out of it…
"You said there was seven types of class cards right? What are they?"
"Oh! Right!" The wand exclaimed. "The seven types are as followed. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Assassin, and Berserker. There are no difference in the cards themselves because each of the classes embody different heros."
"Different heros?"
"Yes! Each of the class cards themselves are the embodiment of a copy of a different hero and sorted into a class."
"How do you copy a hero?"
"Magic."
"What?"
"It's Nasu. I don't have to explain it."
"What do you mean it's Nas-"
"Ah! You shouldn't ask questions you don't want answers too!"
Ruby refused to explain more than that.
Well, she did mention how being a good magical girl would get him to this "Throne of Heroes" place, but he figured that just being a good hero would get him there anyways.
It wasn't named the Throne of Magical Girls after all.
So he walked into class that morning dead on his feat.
He didn't even get to eat dinner last night too!
He couldn't wait for lunch…
"Morning Issei." The guy who just happened to sit next to him said. "You look like you stayed up all night."
"Huh? Oh hey Matsuda." Issei said, tiredly waving at the bald kid next to him.
He was Matsuda… huh. He couldn't seem to remember his last name. Must have not have been important. Anyways, they had been friends for the year that they had sat next to each other and he kinda knew the guy well.
.
.
.
Okay so he didn't know him that well, but what he knew was enough!
"Nah. Just tired…" Issei muttered out loud as he slowly drifted to unconsciousness…
...Only to wake up to the beating of paper against his head.
"Issei. Wake up." A voice called out
"Ngh, five more minuets...:"
A sharp pain jolted him from his sleep to see his teacher standing at his desk with a murderous intention on her face.
"Halway. Now."
...This was going to be a long day, wasn't it?
The park sure was cold at night.
"Hey Ruby."
"Yes Issei?"
"Can you please explain to me why you dragged me all the way out to the park this late at night?!"
He was really starting to hate this park.
He had just managed to catch up on the sleep he lost last night too!
"Hmhmhm. You see Issei. A Class Card has been spotted here." The wand said from it's place besides his head.
That stopped all complaints Issei had about coming here at night.
It was his chance to be a hero!
...Wait, no. The dress…
Needless to say Issei was suddenly less than thrilled about this.
"Eh? But I don't see it anywhere." He asked, examining the park for some sign of magical artifact.
"That's because Class Cards exist in a mirror world. Think of it like a dimension similar to this one but not." The wand explained. "Now! Transform!"
"What?! Out here!? But what if someone sees me?!" Issei yelled at the wand.
Yeah- no. He was not doing that transformation thing out here.
"*Sigh* You really are a brat. You know that? Well I guess it can't be helped. To the bathroom!" Ruby exclaimed. Using its (her?) wings to drag the poor kid to the bathroom.
Well, that's a much better- wait why was she dragging him to the female one?
"Wait! Ruby! Stop!"
"Can't believe you dragged me into the female one." Issei said to the wand after he (He was not a girl!) finished his transformation.
"Well could you blame me? How would I explain why a lovely maiden like you was walking out of the boys bathroom." The wand asked.
Issei could feel a tick mark on his head.
"Ruby. Do you want to die?" He asked with calm rage.
He was way past the point of angry. That experience would probably scar him for life.
"N-Now now. A hero wouldn't kill a good guy. Right?" The wand asked nervously.
...She (He couldn't just keep calling the wand 'it') had a point.
"Just take me to where the card is." He sighed after a moment of thought.
He was still going to get back at her later.
"Righto!"
The ground lit up before him as Ruby began spouting some numbers and phrases he didn't understand.
T-This was a transport?
He suddenly closed his eyes as he felt as if the world had turned on its side before going right side up again.
He felt like he was going to be sick…
No! A hero never gets sick!
He felt the world go back to and hesitantly opened his eyes to find…
Nothing. The world looked just the same.
"Transport complete!" Ruby said, giving off a mock salute.
"Eh? Are you sure? The world doesn't seem any different." Issei asked, looking around to try and spot anything he didn't notice.
You know. He thought the mirror world would look more…
Cooler.
"Now! The class card is taking physical form!" Ruby yelled as a thick mist began enveloping the area.
Issei's legs shaked as for the first time for reasons besides Ruby he felt that this was a bad idea.
He couldn't be afraid! Heros were never afraid! He could do this…
"Issei Look out!" Ruby yelled from his hands.
"Ah!" Issei yelled as he fell backwards.
The mist cleared away to reveal an arrow where he was standing last.
If Ruby hadn't warned him he might have been dead.
Somewhere out there. Someone, Something had tried to kill him.
His whole body was shaking as he could only sit in fear as the attacker that shot the arrow lurked somewhere in the trees around him.
'I musn't be afraid. I musn't be afraid. I'm a hero!' he thought to himself in a mantra. If only to keep himself from running away.
"So it's an Archer huh?" Ruby mused out loud. "It must be somewhere in the- Issei move!"
As if a speed of energy had just came through to him he rolled onto his sighed and immediately spit out the dirt that came into his mouth.
"We need to take to the air! Issei fly!" Ruby commanded. "If we go to the air we can see where his attacks are coming from!"
"H-How?" He asked.
Musn't be afraid…
"Just imagine you can fly!" The wand shouted. "I can give you the power to do so!"
He stood up and immediately began running.
Flying…
He knew magic could help a person fly, but how? Like wings on his back…
That might work! He could take to the sky!
He could do this! Just imagine it right?
In his mind's eye he could see the wings on his back. He could almost feel them even.
If he just had a boost...
The wings started flapping in a steady rhythm as he felt them lift him up from his running sprint on the ground. Taking him to the open- wait how do you control these things?!
"Whaaaa!" The current magical girl yelled as he tumbled his way through the sky.
"Just keep steady Issei!" Ruby yelled from his hands.
"That's easy for you to say!" He yelled as the wind started to blow his hair back.
Wow, it was long- Now is not the time!
Alright. Steady... steady... You can do this Issei...
He slowly began to glide through the night sky as his wings took him on a path through the open air.
He was doing it! He was doing-
The sound of a arrow shooting past him stopped him from his rejoice. Blood fell out from a cut on his leg and dripped to the floor below.
He felt like he was going to hurl.
"Issei? Hey Issei?! What's wrong?!"
"Ruby... I feel sick..."
"Hang on! You've been poisoned!" The wand exclaimed. "Try healing yourself up!"
...
He can't.
"Ruby. Ruby I'm scared..." He admitted.
The wand was silent.
Somewhere out there was his killer, who shot him down from the sky before he even begun to fly.
He couldn't even try finding him, he was too scared. So he fell, into the mysterious wilderness below.
.
.
.
No.
What was he doing?! He was going to be a hero! He was going to meet up with Irina again! He couldn't die here!
But was he really prepared to take that risk? He could just die here and it would all be over...
No. That option just wasn't available. Just like how he had no choice in the matter to get involved in the first place.
There was more than one fear here. It wasn't just fear of his attacker. It was fear of leaving everything he knew behind in pursuit of his dream.
This abyss that he was stepping in... Did he really want to take the plunge?
As the ground drew closer he only had one answer.
"Yes."
He was going to be a hero!
"Rahhhh!" He shouted in an attempt to throw himself back into the air. His wings picked him up and once again he soared the night sky.
"I-I can heal the poison right?" He asked Ruby.
"Yes! Just imagine yourself being cured. A magical girl's limit is only her imagination!"
Only her imagination huh?
Hey... He could do this! Just like that spell in video games! It was magic right?
"Cure!" He shouted as he spun the wand around and...
The spell washed over him and made him sparkle in a pink light.
"Like a true magical girl!"
"You did that on purpose!" He shouted at the wand.
He could feel the sickness that was there disappear like a weight off his shoulders.
It felt wonderful!
"Now Issei! Fire a beam into the forest below! We should be able to lead the enemy out!" Ruby shouted to him. "Just think of a powerful beam attack that'll reign death from the sky!"
"Right!" He shouted in affirmation. "Haaaaah!" He cried as he swung his wand to the forest. A bright pink ball of energy immediately shout from it and exploded down below.
"...You know Ruby. We really need to find him quickly." Issei told the wand.
Blindly shooting magical balls of energy sounded fun. But really it would be hard to use that now...
"I know! Change of tactics! Issei! Try a scattershot homing attack!" Ruby shouted from his hands.
What.
"A scatter what?" Issei shouted in confusion.
"Think of it like this. That beam you just shot? That was a regular shot. Now think of a scattershot as multiple smaller bullets." The wand explained.
"I-I think I get it..." Issei said.
"Good! Now remember to make it hone in on his magic!
Hone in on his magic...
Alright.
"Scattershot!" He yelled as he threw the bullets of magic into the air. His eyes trailed them as they all flew into one general area.
The back of the park.
He dove full speed as he followed the directions of the bullets into the park trees and-
He had to think fast as the snapping of a rope alerted him to a trap. He quickly shot forward faster as knives dove into the tree next to him.
So there was traps everywhere huh? Well, he'll just have to do it his way.
By blowing up the place to unholy hell.
"Haaaa!" He shouted as he throw bullet after bullet of magical power. Ducking and weaving through the arrows that we're being shot at him from near by.
...Wait. Where those trees growing back? This was not good.
"Scattershot!" He yelled, throwing the homing bullets out there.
Who knows what those trees could do?
No noticeable noise, but he swear he could...
"There! Issei! Aim for where the bullets are pointing!"
"Right!"
He threw the strongest attack he could manage and shot in one area.
The dull thud of a body hitting a tree revealing the face of his attacker.
Dressed in green cloak with an orange mop of hair he sat there as if at his end.
Could he end him?
As he walked up to him Issei said the first words that were on his mind.
"I'm sorry."
Issei could swear under the darkness of the sky with only the moon for light that the man smiled.
"Now Issei! Use your finishing attack!" Ruby cried from his hands. "Just search inside you!"
"...Right."
He need to do this. To become the hero he wanted to be. To keep his promise to Irina.
So as the man stood up he charged.
For Irina. For his dream. For his promise!
He spoke the words that rises within him.
"TWICE" He boomed as he begun to charge up his hand, glowing green with power. "CRITICAL!"
A flash of green light burst from his arm as a red gauntlet appeared on it. Sharing an appearance with a dragon.
The hero in front of him hit the yew tree behind him and shattered into glowing dust. Leaving only a card behind.
Class Card GET!
He did it...
HE DID IT!
"WHOOO!" He shouted into the sky.
"Congratulations Issei! You've taken another step into becoming a full blown magical girl!"
"Yea- hey!"
He did it. Don't worry Irina. He'll fulfill that promise.
After all. He wasn't afraid anymore.
AN: What the fuck?
The fuck just happened?
Even I don't know and I write the story!
Also, yeah. I'm not starting this story directly at the start of canon. It's Class Card hunting time baby!
Edit: Format fixed.