AN: Let's be honest, there was going to be a long wait eventually. It was also a huge pain in the ass to write.
Episode Five: That Blood Destiny
"Hey," The mysterious blond haired girl said, blue eyes staring intently on the Class Card like it was a prize. "That Class Card is mine."
The next moment was a blur, and before Issei knew it, he was slammed into a wall. It was at that moment that Issei knew that the hunt for the Class Cards had truly begun.
It was hot. So hot that he wouldn't be surprised if the world suddenly caught fire and all of humanity collapsed.
"It's hot..it's hot..." Issei muttered in a mantra, lying on his bed with a dazed expression on his face. He couldn't wait until the night where the cool air would blow across his face as a reward for the torture he was going through now.
"Hey hey Issei!" Ruby yelled cheerfully. "Let's go do-"
"No way in hell." Issei declared. "I don't know what you're thinking, and I don't want to know."
"Aw~ What happened to that kid you were when we first met?"
"He spent a month with you."
"Hmph, I was going to suggest a way to cool off but..." Ruby trailed off, flying away slowly.
Issei's mind began to churn as he processed what he just said. Had it really been a month since he and Ruby had met? Since he was drawn into the world of the gods? So much had happened in so little time. He met Kiyome, he helped Matsuda, he discovered his Sacred Gear, he...
Still hadn't fulfilled that promise to Irina. Damn, he needed to train harder to-
"No." Ruby declared in English, bonking him on the head. "You've been training way too much to be considered healthy, and it's not even magical girl stuff too! Someone might take your job if you focus on only that! Even the greatest of magical girls need rest!"
"But-" Issei began, only to be cut off by another hit to the head.
"No! You need a break! Now, I know a place..."
The sun, while hot, had nothing on the sight before him. The water glistened in its rays and the sounds of people enjoying themselves resonated throughout the pool.
"Ruby," Issei asked. "What is this?"
"Didn't I tell you earlier? It's the public pool that just opened up, of course!" Ruby responded cheerfully, making sure to hide herself behind Issei. "Honestly, ever since Kiyome told you that you had that Sacred whatchamacallit, that's all you've been focusing on!"
"First off, it's called a Sacred Gear." Issei gurnted annoyed. "Secondly, it's way better than you!"
Twice Critical was awesome, or at least that's what Issei thought. From its looks to its ability. He could double his power up, how awesome was that?!
Sure Kiyome told him that there were better Sacred Gears out there, but he still thought his was pretty cool. In fact, he could still remember her lecture…
"Listen, Issei." Kiyome stated seriously. The park had gotten dark and the stars began to peak out in the night sky, slowly fading into existence. "That Sacred Gear of yours is a common one. In fact, there exists a Sacred Gear that literally has your power, but better."
"What?!" Issei exclaimed in surprise, looking at his arm. "You said that God created these right, why would he do that?!"
"I don't know, I'm not Christian." Kiyome shrugged. "From what I've heard, God works in mysterious ways."
"How do you know about this anyways?" Ruby perked up. "Suspicious suspicious…"
"My family has been a family of beast tamers for many years; it's only natural we know about the supernatural." Kiyome yawned. "Sacred Gears are the most famous supernatural phenomenon for humans. The Gear I told you about, the Boosted Gear, is even said to be one of those that is able to kill gods. But enough questions for now, it's getting late, and if I fall asleep in class tomorrow I'm killing you."
"Kill?! You're joking right?!"
"Huehuehue…"
"You know Issei," Ruby whispered in a creepy manner. "It's not nice to say someone is better than a lady. Maybe I might have to teach you a lesson…."
A sense of fear made its way down Issei's spine. Well trained instincts told him that he needed to run far, far away but he clamped down on them and stared Ruby at eye level. He could face her!
He couldn't face her. Why did he ever think he had a chance? It was a fool's game to face that devil. All he could do was sulk strategically go over his situation in this one tiny corner of the pool.
"Hey Issei!" Kiyome's voice called. "Why did you call me over to the pool? Do you know how long it took to find my bathing suit? You're just lucky I didn't have anything else to do today or- woah!"
"Not. A. Word." Issei's feminine voice declared as he began to sink deeper into the pool. "Say one word about it and-"
"Where did you even get a female swimsuit?"
Yes, our hero (Who was also transformed) was currently wearing a pink women's swimsuit. A mixture of depression and embarrassment could be felt in the very air around him as he began to sink himself deeper into the pool. Sliding against the wall with shame until his legs rested against the pool floor and only his head was visible to the open air.
"Ruby got it from who knows where." He mumbled quietly. "I would ask myself but I doubt I'd be given a decent answer."
"I..see…" Kiyome said with a smile on. "Where did Ruby fly off to anyways?"
"Probably plotting how to embarrass me even more."
"I can see why she brought you to the pool."
"Sue me."
Before he knew it, a quick splash came from Kiyome and blinded his vision.
"What was that for!?"He yelled, getting up on his knees before splashing Kiyome in retaliation.
"You really do need to lighten up." Kiyome explained, pushing her hands against the water as harder as she could so that the water could fly everywhere. "Or can you not face me in splash duel?"
"I can to!"
"Prove it!"
The next few hours consisted of Issei and Kiyome each trying to figure out how to make each other quit. Every single water fight method in the book was tried, from rapid, short splashes in succession to using a swim noodle as a makeshift hose. It was a fight so legendary and epic that it even got the other kids around them to pick a side and fight.
Until they got kicked out of the pool that is. Now they had changed back into regular (well for one of them at least) clothes and looking at the pool from the outside.
"How were we supposed to know that we were causing trouble for the other occupants?" Issei exclaimed. "All we were doing was a simple splash fight."
"Issei, we ended up making another kid go home due to 'a simple splash fight'." Kiyome replied. "What are we still doing out here anyways?"
"I can't go home like this so I'm just waiting on Ruby."
"Huh."
A couple of minutes pass by in silence before a familiar blur flew in between the two girls boy and girl.
"Issei! A Class Card has emerged!" Ruby exclaimed. "It's right here at this pool, and we need to go now!"
Instantly, the two of them were on alert. After checking to make sure no one was watching ("Hey!" "Sorry Kiyome!"), Issei grabbed Ruby's handle and transformed.
"You ready Issei? You haven't fought a Class Card in a long time." Ruby asked from Issei's hands.
"Of course I am." Issei said with fire in his eyes. "Kiyome, I'm going without you! Don't worry, I'll be fine!"
"Wait-"
"Righto Issei!" Ruby yelled, and that was the last thing Issei heard before the world split.
"I'd forgotten how terrible a transport was." Issei said, falling to the ground. Contrary to the outside world, the mirror world was pouring down heavy rain and winds. The only reason he was not shivering was because of the protection Ruby was giving him.
"A proper magical girl doesn't get sick on the job!" Ruby exclaimed. "Besides, look over there!"
The oncoming sight almost made Issei just want to curl up and hide. A fleet of twenty pirate ships were coming at him, being led by a spectacular golden ship, with an unknown figure standing on the top of the bowsprit.
"Oh? How brave of Rider to stand in plain sight." Ruby commented out loud. "Listen Issei, you see that figure standing on the long, horn part in the front of the ship? That's the Class Card."
"R-Right." Issei responded, calming himself. "Here I go!"
With the flap of his metaphorical wings, Issei took to the skies once more. The raging storm making it hard to concentrate, and he had only the Class Card to guide his sight.
Suddenly, some movements were seen in his view as the figure gave out commands. Golden light dance across the sky as an armada of bullets soared his way.
"Gah!" He exclaimed as the bullets either hit him or grazed him. He was getting a little dizzy from all the spinning that was involved in dodging them, but he had to keep his cool. "Alright, take this!"
His own pink scatter shots flew through the air, and it could faintly be seen that the figure, a woman in red, was dodging them with ease.
"Grr…" Issei growled out, flinging more bullets in her direction.
"Issei look out!" Ruby warned. "She's manifesting something!"
In a split second, four cannons appeared in the air, facing all four directions. He barely had any time to to dodge before they fired four simultaneous cannonballs at a speed closer to a machine gun.
"ARGH!" Issei roared in frustration, wildly firing a giant laser at the figure, only for it to be shot to pieces by several cannonballs.. "This isn't working!"
It wasn't fair really, he couldn't get close to the figure without having to dodge a hailstorm of bullets, and she could just flip around the shots he fired! Pirates really were the enemies of heroes. Why-
"GAE BOLG!" A female voice screamed as a red light pierced through the sky, hitting the Class Card in the chest. As the burning light died down, a spear was sticking out of Rider before she and her fleet of cheating ships vanished in a golden light.
The storm died down and all that was left of the fight was a falling card and spear. Issei froze in the air at what had just conspired. Someone else had…
"Lancer, Uninclude. So you're the one Saphire told me about." A voice said from behind him. Spinning around, Issei was greeted to the sight of a blonde haired girl with dark blue eyes dressed in a similar magical outfit as him, but blue.
"Wha…?" Issei said in shock. "Who are you?"
"She must be the one my sister chose." Ruby said, serious for once. "Issei, you're rival has appeared!"
….Or not.
An awkward silence hung over the air until another unknown voice broke through from the mysterious girl's hands. "I see you are still the same as ever, Ruby."
"Ohohoho! So serious like always," Ruby responded. "But don't forget that the Class Card is still out there!"
"Hey," The mysterious blond haired girl said, blue eyes staring intently on the Class Card like it was a prize. "That Class Card is mine."
The next moment was a blur, and before Issei knew it, he was slammed into the wall of the pool.
"Guh!" He exclaimed, pain from the blow having shook his whole body. "As if… I would give up!"
He immediately launched himself in the air before unleashing a laser at his attacker. Dusts clouding his view of her.
"Heh, you wanna go?!" Her voice roared as the dust cleared away to find her perfectly unharmed with a shield of magic in front of her. "Let's make this a race! First one to get that Class Card gets to keep it!"
"Agreed!" Issei yelled back in return, flying down towards the still falling Class Card.
"Here I go!"
"Well then, let's dance!" The girl shouted enthusiastically, using her feet to glide through the sky as she unleashed her own barrage.
The pair of magical girls began their duel in the mirror world, each one pushing their speed to the limits with the goal in mind.
Issei had a wild grin on his face as he shot another giant laser at his opponent, forcing her to barely dodge the attack in time, only to be grazed by it. Just as he was about to speak Ruby interrupted him with a scolding tone.
"Issei, focus!" She spoke sternly. "I didn't notice it until now, but you've been losing yourself in the fight! You wanna be a hero right?!"
"What kind of question is that?!" He growled. "Of course I do!"
"Then act like one! You've been acting like a battle maniac this whole time! I don't know what's wrong with you nor do I care, but if you're my host then act like one!"
"You forced yourself on me…" He grumbled in annoyance, but even so his mind began to churn.
Was he really losing himself in the fight?
"ARGH!" Issei roared in frustration, wildly firing a giant laser at the figure, only for it to be shot to pieces by several cannonballs.. "This isn't working!"
He immediately launched himself in the air before unleashing a laser at his attacker.
Issei had a wild grin on his face as he shot another giant laser at his opponent
He was, wasn't he? But why? He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew it had something to do with power. Overwhelming power that drove men mad.
A hero shouldn't act like this. What would his parents say if they saw him like this? Matsuda? Kiyome?
Irina?
…
It didn't really hit him how hard being a hero could be. He had to keep his mind focused on the goal, and right now that goal was the Class Card. If that girl got… who knew what she would do?
No, he was going to get that Class Card and become a hero. No matter who was in his way.
"I'm sorry Ruby." He breathed out. "Let's go get that Class Card."
"That's the spirit! A magical girl should never forget what's in her arsenal, you must have been focusing so much on the power you hold that you forgot what I can do. Don't you remember your other trick?" Ruby explained.
"Other trick…?" Issei mumbled before relaxation came to him.
Oh, that!
"Hey, Sapphire!" He called in an attempt to name her. "Eat this!"
"Huh?" She asked, before a barrage of bullets came her way. She tried to glide her way to avoid them but they followed her anyways. As she began to cut her way through the sky, she let out a shriek of surprise. "Homing bullets?!"
"Yep!"
He should really stop forgetting those existed. They've proven themselves twice over that they work wonderfully.
He dove straight towards to the card as the sound of them finally hitting their target sounded through the air.
"I have tricks of my own to!" Sapphire, the person not the wand, roared. "Take this, Absorption Line!"
A line extended the girl's arm and went forward until it wrapped itself around Issei's left leg, shocking Issei into stopping his dive.
"I'll just pull you here myself!" The girl said smugly, beginning to draw higher in the air. "Besides, my Absorption Line drains your energy. It should be a piece of cake to get that Class Card."
"A Sacred Gear?!" Issei exclaimed, trying to push away from the direction the Gear was pulling him towards. "Well, I have one too! If you're going to drain my power I'll just double mine! Come on out, Twice Critical!"
As the gauntlet formed on his arm, he grabbed the whip in an attempt to free himself from its grip. The girl flinched before shooting a bullet to distract Issei.
"'Come on out, Twice Critical'? How long were you practicing that for?!" She asked, pulling away from the Class Card.
"I should say the same thing to you, 'Take this, Absorption Line'!" Issei retorted, flipping himself over so that the bullet could miss him. "If you're going to unleash your special ability at least do it cooly!"
"It was cool! It was totally better then yours!"
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"Focus!" Both wands yelled at their respective owners.
"Issei, that thing is still draining power from you even with Twice Critical. If you don't get that thing off of you consider this fight lost!"
A lost fight! But he never….
Oh yeah, he had lost without Ruby's help. That time with the bullies. What did Kiyome say again?
"No that's it! All that you've been relying on are luck and tricks that others have given you!" Kiyome yelled. "And look where that's gotten you! You need to be able to trick the enemy by yourself, otherwise you'll never win!"
Trick the enemy by himself… but how? He needed a way to get this thing off him and fast, but it was useless to try and grapple it off. Ack, he wished he could boost again so he could have more time!
….Wait, what happened when he used Twice Critical the first time an idea came to his mind.
"Ruby," He said, not even looking away from the girl that was dragging him through the skies. "I need you to load all the power you got into her Sacred Gear."
"Oh! A classic strategy! Good thinkin Issei!" Ruby exclaimed. "Ready to go in three, two, one!"
"Hey Sapphire!" He roared. "You want my power faster, take all of it!"
A jolt of pure power went up Absorption Line as it shook with all the energy Ruby was feeding into it through Issei. It hurt like hell, but it was the only way he could think of that could defeat her.
"GAHHHHHHHHHH!" Sapphire screamed, blood dripping out of her mouth as she stopped before falling to the ground.
"Saji!" Her wand screamed, a magic circle beginning to surround them slowing her fall.
"It's like I thought." Issei commented out loud. "She can only handle so much power, otherwise it actively hurts her."
"The same goes for you." Ruby mentioned. "Now, don't you need to check up on her?"
"Oh! Right!"
Issei soward as fast as he could to where the girl was falling before grabbing her and descending to the ground. A glow of golden light began to surround her before she transformed into a boy around Issei's age.
"Oh wow! Sapphire sure picked a cute owner, but I think she looked better as a magical girl, don't you think so too, Issei?" Ruby perked up, but was given no answer as Issei put him on the ground.
"Dispel my transformation." He said quietly.
"You okay, Issei?"
"It's just… it's just…"
"Just what?"
"...I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE FORCED TO BE LIKE THIS! WOOT WOOT!" Issei cheered. Transformation dispelling with a reluctant sigh from Ruby.
"Huh?" Saji groaned, coming to his senses before being greeted to the sight of Issei dancing like a maniac. "What happened?"
"I won, that's what!" Issei exclaimed. "Hahaha!"
Saji was silent for a few seconds before his eyes widened. "You're Ruby's partner?"
"I was tricked into it." Issei admitted, calming down from his cheer. "You're Saji, right?"
"Saji. Genshirou, Saji." He replied. "And it's good to know I'm not the only one who was tricked into this."
"Ahem," Ruby interrupted. "Aren't you boys forgetting something?"
"The Class Card!" Issei exclaimed, beginning to run before slowing down as he noticed Saji wasn't moving. "...Aren't you going to go get the card?"
"Nah, you won after all." Saji declared. "Besides, it would be a miracle if you could get a Card who kicked your but to work."
"I was going to win!"
"Were not!"
"Was too…" Issei grumbled before he set off to where the card was.
It was glowing softly on the ground a few feet away from Saji. He gently picked it up before holding it high in the air.
Class Card GET!
"Hey Issei!" Ruby called. "The mirror world is vanishing!"
He knew that, but he didn't care. All he did was just stare at the Class Card in his hands before he looked up at the collapsing world around him.
"Well Saji," He spoke to the empty air. "The hunt for the Class Cards has really begun. Don't think I'm going to lose to you."
And with that, he pocketed the card and began to trek back to Ruby.
And so two rivals have met.
I don't have much else to say. No excuse for the long wait either. Well, hope you enjoyed it. Shinji?
I was busy getting my head pulped by a Catholic werewolf priest with a giant cross while trying being Speedweed. Those werewolves, man.
Okay? Jesus Christ, what do you get up to when I'm not around?
Well, Snake out.