Ahh it's been a while huh? It seems like I've even missed this fic's anniversary...
I apologize again… life has been wonderfully busy ever since the New Year has had started. Schoolwork had taken most of my time; this term had me going to many seminars, exhibits and power plants. Along with socializing with friends and messing around with RPs, I barely had any time to finish this particular chapter. My backlog for fics, anime and manga has increased substantially...
Ahh on to business…
I'll change the format of my uploads a bit. The first part will be the opening remarks, usually about why I'm late in uploading… again, then the story and finally the author's corner. I figured that some might want to skip ahead to the chapter so I just put the other stuff at the bottom.
For the answers to the reviews and questions as well as the notes and thoughts about this chapter, please read the Author's corner at the bottom of the chapter. If you want to get that extra bit of exposition as well as obtain an answer to the more obvious questions (and I'm sure you'll ask a certain one after reading through the chapter), you'll most likely find it there.
Now… I promise to keep the opening remarks shorter in the future chapters.
Disclaimer: I do not own High school DxD.
…and start!
==The Dream of the Infinite==
== Room of Memories ==
He was inside a dimly lit room. The red light that covered the room made the sight look somber and slightly menacing.
He sat on the white table, one extending farther than his eyes could see. Seated were people, both men and women, of different races and appearances. Some were heavily armored knights, some robed like wizards from fairy tales, some wearing common clothing while some wore dirty rags. All of them were unmoving, their expressions blank and unassuming. He vaguely wondered exactly how many people were seated in that absurdly long table.
The tension in the air was suffocating, despite none of them paying him any heed he still felt like their hands were slowly creeping its way to his neck to strangle him. In fact every time he would pay a visit to this place he could always physically feel being rejected by the room itself.
[Give up partner. I told you that unless something drastic happens, they won't be responding anytime soon]
Ddraig's voice resounded in the whole room instead of just inside his mind. Right now he was inside his sacred gear, at its very core was the memories of the past wielders were contained.
The sacred gear of the heavenly dragons, both the red and white, were well known to the world. They were longinus, unique sacred gears that were capable of displaying more than one power. The Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing in particular were capable of doubling or halving any sort of power at will.
Despite the power they conveyed however, every wielder that had held both sacred gears was never able to meet a proper end. Most were consumed by power while others feared it so much that they never even used it.
That had always been true, at least until the existences named Hyoudou Issei and Vali Lucifer had appeared. The Hyoudou Issei of the other world at least, the one that died some time ago, the one that Ophis met first. The 'former' Hyoudou Issei.
It was probably why he was so frustrated. Despite the fact that Ophis had repeatedly told him that there was no reason for him to match his former self, he still couldn't help but compare.
He had already trained for a longer amount of time than his former self yet he isn't even near the level of power that the 'former' Hyoudou Issei had reached.
He couldn't remember how many times he's been here and how many times he's tried to talk to them but none of them had even been willing to look his way. He had at least wanted to see some kind of progress, no matter how small.
"Haaah… I wish they at least talked back…."
He let out a sigh. He'd been doing this for more than a year but he hasn't made any sort of progress. The problem was not only the fact that they weren't responding to his words, it was the fact that they didn't even seem to register his existence.
[You should get out now, if you aren't out there holding those two back then who knows how long the world will last]
"C-crap, are they fighting again?!"
At that moment he instantly forgot all the troublesome things that were plaguing his mind, since he needed to deal with even more important things.
A chill ran down his spine upon imagining the image of Great Red and Ophis fighting each other while going all out. Those two liked to spar every now and then and he felt like the Dimensional Gap would inch closer and closer to breaking apart each time that they did.
A clash between two of the most powerful being in existence was no joking matter.
"Ahhh damn it! O-oh right, It's my first day in class today too!"
He had to take the entrance exams in Kuoh Academy despite not having stayed in school, but with a lot of work and training that was essentially equivalent to torture, he was able to somehow scrape by and barely make the cut. He really didn't want to know what his parents would've done to him if he failed.
After all, getting in and graduating high school was the promise he made to them in exchange for being allowed to go around travelling and having adventures with Ophis and Great Red instead of attending junior high.
[Better hurry partner, they're both gathering a massive amount of energy. Those two might really break the Dimensional Gap this time]
"CRAAAAAP! I really don't have time for thiiiiiiss!"
Instead of going through the usual slow process of returning his consciousness, he attempted to eject himself immediately.
==The Dream of the Infinite==
== Dimensional Gap==
The Dimensional Gap had been strangely quiet. No sounds of flapping wings could be heard but the landscape had curiously been heavily damaged. Large gaping holes were scattered on the ground. There were many breaks and gaps on the formerly even land. It was as if an earthquake had struck.
At the middle of the dimension were two figures locked in a staring battle. One of them was wearing black gothic Lolita clothing that had an alarming lack of cloth in the chest area. Her long jet black hair seemed to move despite the lack of wind in the dimensional gap. Her eyes were closed and hands held out, preparing for an attack.
She was the Ouroboros dragon named Ophis, the one who personified the infinite and the void.
The other bore an identical appearance to hers though in a different color scheme. Her crimson red hair and dress as well as her golden eyes distinguished her from her black counterpart. She stood proudly on elevated terrain, her arms crossed, waiting for her opponent to attack.
She was Great Red, the one who personified dreams and illusions.
Ophis opened her eyes and started forming hundreds of snakes made with black energy. The snakes gathered around her as they pointed towards wherever her sight was focused on. Her dull grey eyes honed in on her the target.
Her target simply smirked in response.
"Great Red, I will end this now"
With that declaration, every snake around Ophis launched towards Great Red at high speeds. They coiled and twisted in the sky as they homed in on the apocalypse dragon at every possible angle, making sure that no escape was possible.
[Hmph… as if you can do anything with that kind of attack]
Great Red on the other hand wasn't fazed in the slightest, a look of boredom replacing the smirk on her face. She made no sudden movements and simply allowed every snake to hit her body.
Like glass, each and every snake that hit her body shattered easily. When the onslaught ended there was no visible sign of damage to her body or even her clothes. Great Red placed her hands on her hips to exemplify how useless the attack was. Raising one of her eyebrows as if asking if that really was her idea of an attack.
Ophis simply pouted in response.
[Heh… my turn!]
Great Red's expression changed to a savage grin as she instantly closed the distance between her and Ophis. A swirl of red energy that took the form of claws gathered on her right hand as she swung it directly at the ouroboros dragon's face.
Ophis quickly defended, blocking the strike with her forearm sending a haymaker of her own. Great Red took the strike in full without even flinching and continued her assault. Both of them started to duke it out in close range, Great Red opting to use her energy to form animal like appendages and attacked Ophis like a wild beast while Ophis opted to form human weaponry with hers and countered with precision.
A swipe of the black blade severed the red tail.
A menacing red claw crushed the black axe.
They matched each other blow by blow, neither unable to get an advantage as stopping would likely result in a loss.
The current stalemate had not lasted however as Great Red had been dictating the pace of the battle. When Great Red revealed an opening during the intense exchange Ophis immediately capitalized by creating a halberd and performing a wide swing in an attempt to control the pace of the battle, the apocalypse dragon smiled and quickly dodged y jumping in the air and attacking with a large tail of concentrated energy.
The attack was too fast for Ophis to dodge and too powerful to simply take so Ophis opted to create a shield, taking the full brunt of the attack head on. She was able to stand her ground and remain undamaged but she was placed in a precarious situation.
[This is my win!]
Great Red quickly revealed her wings and dived in to attack Ophis who was shaken off balance after defending. With a display of insane speed, she had again instantly closed the small distance between them and sent a punch through the ouroboros dragon's gut.
Unable to dodge and knowing any defense will only worsen her situation, she braced herself and received the attack, managing to jump before the hit and allowing the force of the blow to carry her body and gain some distance from Great Red. The second she landed she revealed her wings and took to the skies.
Great Red immediately renewed her assault, firing several consecutive beams of red energy at Ophis as she flew. Ophis dodged the beams with effort, performing aerial maneuvers that even Great Red approved of despite her current condition. As she dodged the final beam of light she threw back a large black lance that sped towards Great Red.
This time Great Red took action and blocked the lance with her left hand. She skidded across the ground for several meters before she was able to get a good grip and crush the lance with her bare hands. When she looked up to the sky to search for Ophis, she understood that the ouroboros was intending to end the battle soon.
High up in the sky Ophis held both of her arms directly upwards as she gathered as much energy as she could. Above her was a large and ominous mass of black energy that grew bigger every second that passed. The space seemed to warp around the mass of energy as visible distortions could be seen in the sky of the dimensional gap.
She could only smile at the sight before her.
[If that's how you want to play it…]
Despite having the opportunity to attack a defenseless Ophis, she decided to simply match her. Down on the ground Great Red concentrated and gathered her own mass of red energy, creating even more disturbance within the dimensional gap.
Both masses of energy would grow large, compress and gather more energy to grow large again. After a few minutes, both had become an extremely concentrated, barely able to maintain its form.
There was a moment of silence as they had looked each other in the eye.
"…"
[…]
Then the massive orbs of energy were thrown.
==The Dream of the Infinite==
Ise's body shook awake as he returned from his trip inside his sacred gear. There was always a sort of shock and period of recovery every time he returned his consciousness to his body be it in the slow or fast way.
Ophis had once explained that going to deep inside his sacred gear and suddenly returning was unadvised since it may have some kind of unwanted effects.
He stood up and did a few stretches then looked at the mirror to see if there were any changes in his boosted gear. It was a habit he developed since any alteration to its form meant that his efforts might at least have born some fruit.
He let out a sigh and checked his attire. He was wearing a black shirt with the words "I 3 Dragons" printed on the front and comfortable black trousers. He was drenched in sweat, mostly because he had just finished his morning exercises right before meditating.
For some reason he felt like he was forgetting something.
[Oi partner… I keep telling you to stop diving in and out of the sacred gear in a hurry like that! Anyway hurry up, those two are just about to throw the giant orbs death at each other and I can sense the gap shaking]
"…."
At that moment it felt like time halted. His body went into overdrive as he moved at high speeds. If this were a martial arts shounen manga, some kind of master character would have expressed surprise over the fact that he wasn't making any wasted movements.
He didn't know any sort of martial arts though so it probably wouldn't apply in the first place.
He turned and leaped right at the closet in his room, placing his hand on the handle. An array of arcane symbols revealed itself and spun around the handle before encompassing the whole door. The next moment crimson light appeared through the cracks and forcefully opened the closet door.
The spell on the closet wasn't done by him but was simply activated by his energy. He spent a good amount of time in the past trying to get magic but anything beyond the basic concepts was beyond him. Magic was an art and science of precision and calculation, two things he wasn't exactly good at.
In front of him, a portal appeared. It was a collection of iridescent swirling lights that was rather hypnotic to look at.
It was a portal to the Dimensional Gap. Something they've placed a few years back mainly so that Ise could access it without having to wait for Ophis or Great Red. It also served as pathway to the Hyoudou residence that they could use to return home during their many adventures.
He wasted no time and jumped inside, not even needing to wear some kind of protection. Other existences that weren't powerful enough couldn't survive long in the gap but he had long ago adapted to the place, since it was essentially his second home and main training grounds.
It took a few seconds before he could arrive. He landed on the ground and dusted himself off before attempting to look for the two dragons. He could literally see and feel the whole dimension shaking.
He didn't really want to find out what the two had done but he didn't really have a choice. Directly above him were two large miniature suns that were made from large and highly condensed energy was about to make a collision with each other.
If anyone else was in his place they would've probably worried or expressed fear for their own safety. Fortunately or unfortunately, after spending so much time with the two dragons he had already gotten used to the stuff they did.
"Ahh…. I am so gonna be late for class"
He wanted to shout out 'Such Misfortune!' but for some reason it felt like doing so would take away someone's signature line and so he didn't do it.
When the miniature suns collided, there was no sound of explosion. In fact there was no sound at all, only a white blinding light that seemed to fill the whole dimension.
At that moment, that instance of were no sound could be heard or nothing could even be felt, it seemed like the world really ended.
==The Dream of the Infinite==
==Hyoudou Residence: Dining Room==
"… I swear that someday the two of you will smash the dimensional gap into pieces."
He grumbled as he his mom returned his bowl to him filled with rice. He ate with no hurry, already at peace with the fact that he was going to be late for his first day of class. After the grand explosion that could have probably made a scientist confuse it for a replica of the big bang, his clothes were in tatters while his hair made him look like the lead singer for a punk band.
He wanted to scold the two and rush for school, to make sure he was early but when his mother had seen his state of dress or... general look he was made to take a bath and change clothes.
Of course the unrepentant duo of Ophis and Great Red had joined him in the bath out of habit but that had only burned even more time than usual.
Great Red had a really bad habit of using her older, more mature female form that looked like a badass biker girl that would beat you a thousand ways to Sunday and it never fails to distract him.
Then Ophis would always transform into her own older, more mature female form whenever she sees him looking at Great Red which makes him even more distracted.
It then usually devolves into a competition of transformation, of freely altering body parts and sizes that can kill a normal male teenager with blood loss.
Of course he loved every single second of it, especially the part where he would be called to judge who had a better mastery of transformation by 'feeling' their bodies.
As a pervert who loved breasts, bath times were a paradise for him and he would never change it no matter what happened.
He was still going to be late because of it though but it was worth it.
"Ise…. Aaahhhhn"
To his side, Ophis was cutely trying to feed him with a piece of sushi using her chopsticks. He instinctively leaned in and ate what she was offering.
"Gaooo!"
Great Red on the other hand was on the other side of the table, raising her bowl towards his mom, probably asking for another serving of rice.
"Gao gao gao, gao gao"
"Thank you! I found this recipe from a Iri-chan's mom, we've been in contact recently. Oh Ise, Iri-chan wanted to tell you that she wanted to introduce her friend to you when she gets back in the country"
His mom said happily while putting in an extra amount of rice and giving it back to Great Red. He never did get how his parents were able to understand Great Red. The only beings supposed to be able to understand what Great Red says were true dragons and those that she telepathically talks to, like him, but for some reason his parents were able to understand every word that she said.
Every time he asked them, they would always just say 'If parents cannot even understand their own child, then they are failures as parents'. He just chalked that up as one of those things he might get someday when he does become a parent. Right now he'll just have to settle for telepathic messages.
"Ise…. Aaahhhnnn"
He leaned in again, this time he ate an egg roll before taking a quick sip of the water.
[Oi boy, did you make progress with your sacred gear?]
A voice resounded inside his head; he looked towards Great Red's direction to see her eyeing him in wonder.
He just let out a sigh.
"That is normal Ise"
Ophis cut in while trying to feed him some vegetables.
"Ise, remember that the Boosted Gear is currently partly sealed. The consciousness of the past wielders have been affected"
Partly sealed, it meant that his Sacred Gear was incapable of accessing any abilities outside of the basic ones like power doubling and gift. It also meant he had no way of even accessing Balance Breaker even if he was capable of doing so.
His face fell when he was reminded of what had happened that lead to it being sealed partially. It had started as far back as him using an incomplete balance breaker during his fight with Shalba Beelzebub but an event far worse had happened in the middle of their adventures.
I, who am about to awaken
He unconsciously tightened his grip and had accidentally broken the chopsticks he was using as he was reminded of that chant. Juggernaut Drive, a forbidden power that he really didn't ever want to think of again.
"A-ah… sorry…"
There was a moment of silence but his mom had simply approached him, replaced his chopsticks and had kissed him in the forehead with a smile on her face.
He could never express how thankful he was that his parents knew, understood and accepted what he, Great Red and Ophis were. It was one of the few things his 'former' self didn't have. If his dad was't busy with work, he probably would've done something to comfort him as well.
Ise then felt Ophis approach and sat on his lap.
[You're having that human education thing today aren't you?]
"Ohoho! My son is finally going to be a high school student!"
He was relieved of the sudden and intentional change in topic.
"Ahhh yeah, I'm gonna be attending class as a first year. I might finally meet those them!"
'Them' referred to the Occult research club, the Gremory and Sitri Peerage, and the many other existences that his former self had protected and valued more than anything else. He was both excited and slightly nervous in finally being able to meet them.
"Eh wait… what are the both of you going to do while I'm in class…?"
He was suddenly reminded of that all too important question. He had no idea what Ophis and Great Red would be doing when he was busy being with classes. They might laze around all day, maybe play games… or god forbid spar. He can't really imagine being able to focus in class if he had to worry about the possibility of an apocalypse coming.
"I will be going with Ise"
Was the reply from the girl sitting on his lap.
[Fly in the dimensional gap, I haven't been able to do that in a long damn time. Heh, I'm gonna enjoy not having you two idiots around]
Was Great Red's reply.
For a moment he was completely relieved that he didn't have to worry about the fate of the world but then he realized what that meant.
"Ehhhh?! W-wait, Ophis-chan, are you enrolled in class or something!?"
He may be an idiot but he at least knew that the Ouruboros Dragon, recognized as one of the two most powerful existence in the world, nonchalantly attending class in the middle of devil territory would spell all kinds of trouble.
"Do not worry Ise"
Before he could even voice his concerns, Ophis had already taken action and disappeared from his sight.
"I will stay in this form as you attend class"
He looked around to see where Ophis' voice was coming from and saw that is originated from his left wrist. There he saw an intricate black bracelet that looked like a black dragon eating biting at its own tail. On the neck of the dragon was a small purple ribbon wrapped around it.
"Eh…how…?"
[Don't be confused boy. We're considered 'true' shapeshifters so we're able to take on any form we please. How do you think we can change the form of our bodies so easily?]
Great Red helpfully supplied as she demonstrated by changing her right index finger into a knife and cutting the meat on the plate. Meat was equivalent of Ophis' sweets to Great Red. She absolutely loved it.
"Azazel had already given us means to suppress and mask our power so we won't easily be detected. I can also instantly revert back to my human form with ease"
The purple ribbon that Ophis wears, white in Great Red's case, were apparently some kind of power suppressor that were specially made for them by the fallen angel Azazel. The perverted researcher and inventor had once explained the theory of how it worked but it was extremely complicated and had just went over his head.
"I wonder if Azazel-sensei will actually make a move soon…"
They had met Azazel, also harboring some of the memories from his 'former' self, as well as other familiar faces like Vali during their adventures. Their help was instrumental during the 'incident' with the juggernaut drive.
They had also discussed in length the possible actions they should be taking when finally dealing with the situations that may come up in the future.
He really didn't want to think of all that for now though.
"Ise, I would like to try the yakisoba bread in the cafeteria"
Ophis called his attention, already returning to her human form, listing the possible things that the two of them could do together before, after and during school.
She had opened up more and talked more over the years they've all spent together. Though she only showed it when it's just the three of them and his parents. He never told anyone but he was always happy to see Ophis talk normally instead of being silent.
"…. While we go home we can buy ice cream, then…"
She finished, Ophis' sweet tooth was still present and getting even stronger. They were all already officially banned from any 'all you can eat cake buffets' in the country due to a certain incident that put a several bakeries into bankruptcy.
*Thud*
Ophis' couldn't finish since Great Red had suddenly hit the table loudly with her hand.
[Oi, if you're going out then hurry the heck up. You're gonna be late boy]
She asserted with a hint of anger and irritation in her voice. Ise didn't get why she was suddenly angry, Ophis had only been listing the things the two of them would be doing without her…
"Oh…"
It was then he realized the possible cause for her sudden burst of anger. It seemed Ophis had understood as well based from the small smile on her face.
Actually he was pretty sure she was intentionally provoking that response from Great Red.
"Great Red…."
[What?]
Great Red's reply this time was blank and inexpressive, which only served to further prove that they were both right.
"You know… you could've just said something in the first place"
[What are you talking about?! I'm perfectly fine staying here and flying around the dimensional gap! You two go have your fun!]
"…."
"…."
[…]
It looked like even she was having trouble believing her own words. The three of them had never really separated unless absolutely necessary ever since the event with Shalba Beelzebub so Great Red was probably feeling left out.
"… is it because Great Red isn't able to manage a transformation of that level?"
Ophis quipped and raised an eyebrow as she stared a Great Red. All of them knew what she was trying to do and Great Red let out sigh since she knew Ophis was doing it for her sake.
[Fine… fine damn it….!]
Great red rubbed the back of her neck, a peculiar habit she picked up from watching television. She then took in another breathe before speaking as monotone as possible.
[Ahhh why youuu. Are you kidding meee….? That level of shapeshifting isn't even noteworthy]
Her attempt to rebuke Ophis' statement was so half-hearted and combined with the utterly deadpan face she had on, Ise couldn't help but laugh. He noticed that even his mother was snickering in the background. Ophis smiled as well.
"Alright all of you, I'll clean up. Ise, make sure to apologize properly for being late. Ophis-chan, Red-chan, make sure to take care of Ise okay?"
All three of them had replied in sync as they uttered the phrase "Gouchisousama" and left the table. Ophis and Great Red took the forms of bracelets, being worn on Ise's right and left wrists respectively.
"Okay! I wonder who'll I'll meet at school first?"
He was looking forward to finally meeting some of the people that he had only been able to meet in his dreams or memories of his former self. He already knew a lot about them so he'd need to play it safe and pretend to be strangers.
Hopefully he doesn't screw that up.
==The Dream of the Infinite==
==Grigori Research Room==
"Hmmm…."
He tinkered with the strange contraption on his table. Around him were tools of all kinds, ratchets, wrenches, screwdrivers, magnifying glasses and various measuring instruments. He'd spend a good amount of time attempting to finish his little project but it seemed like he had hit yet another obstacle.
He wasn't frustrated however, obstacles were normal in the design and creation process for new inventions. In fact he took great pleasure in challenging and overcoming such obstacles.
"Now… I just need to adjust the power output… then it'll be ready for testing!"
He let out a grin as he imagined his brand new invention working. In all honesty the invention wasn't exactly 'new' per se. It was more of reverse engineering a particular weapon that he had seen in his dreams.
Though he called them dreams, they were technically 'memories inherited through an identical existence from a parallel universe that was transferred with the help of the most powerful existence in the universe that manifested themselves through dreams' but that was just too damn long and bothersome to say.
So yes, he would continue to refer to it as 'dreams' for the sake of convenience.
"Are you still trying to finish that thing Azazel-sama?"
An exasperated yet respectful voice came from behind but he didn't bother turning back. Azazel briefly wondered how the woman was able to both be irritated, insulted, polite and respectful all at the same time. It was one of her talents really.
"Yep, I can't help but give everything I got to finish this. I'm sure the world will one day thank me for doing so! Damn it… my 'former' self was a genius!"
The term 'former' self was something he came up with. Since the process he and the others had undergone was much similar to the concept of reincarnation, he felt that it was appropriate.
"Out of all the things you could've chosen to remake… did you really have to choose this one?"
His subordinate was understandably doubtful of the greatness of this particular invention but someday Azazel believed that she would see the light. He was sure that if the alliance of three powers were to gather right now to convene in a meeting, this particular weapon would immediately seal the peace treaties among them.
It was just that awesome.
"By the way Azazel-sama…. The idiot and his dragons should be starting to go to school today"
"Oh…? Was that today? Well I gave them the power suppressors so hopefully nothing bad happens… it'd be detrimental if something came up this early, though I'm almost expecting it"
He finally stopped and dropped his tools. Placing them in its proper containers and carefully stored his little project.
"…but just to be absolutely suuuure~"
He spun around the revolving chair slowly like one of the villains in those movies humans liked to watch.
"You're going to have and observe them!"
He took a look at his subordinates face, fully knowing what reaction she'll have.
"Do… do I really have to?"
And as he expected, it was filled with annoyance, irritation, and resignation. It was the reason why he liked keeping her around, it was rare to have someone that was willing to honestly express themselves in front of someone like him. The only ones who ever did that were his old friends but the new blood were all too polite for his liking.
"Yes. So make sure to have fun…"
He smirked as her face fell from his words though he knew for a fact that she was just as worried about those 'idiots and his dragons', as she affectionately called them, as he is. She was just the type that hid all her care for them in a veil of sarcasm and abrasion.
After all, they had played a significant role in changing her life for the better.
"Isn't that right, Reynalle… or better yet, Amano Yuuma-chan~?"
==The Dream of the Infinite==
==Omake Segment: Learning how to fly with Great Red-sensei==
Ise wanted to learn, he really did… but he couldn't help but hesitate when faced with the sight in front of him. At this point he had already fought a good amount of battles and could safely say he could remain calm when his life was put under threat.
This though… this was a different thing entirely.
He originally thought it was a good idea to ask Great Red lessons on flying. After all the apocalypse dragon, one who loved nothing more than flying high in the sky of the Dimensional Gap, would serve as the best possible teacher for these things right?
LOL. Hell no!
'Crap, I'm doing my own boke and tsukkomi routines now!'
They were currently on top of Great Red's true dragon body that was flying high in the iridescent skies of the Dimensional Gap. His dragon wings were already out, a pair of crimson scaly wings that had claws, something he obtained through having his body mended by Ophis and Great Red when he was heavily injured.
He was basically part true dragon at this point. That made him sturdier and stronger than normal human beings with access to powers that allowed him to do battle against stronger opponents.
Now if only that was enough to survive this flying 'lesson'.
[Oi… what's wrong boy, didn't you say you wanted to learn how to fly? What's stopping you?]
Great Red inquired, seemingly genuinely perplexed why he was so hesitant to jump.
'About a thousand kilometer drop to the ground is stopping me!'
He tried to retort but it seemed like his voice was unavailable at the moment. He hated it when his voice went AWOL on him like that. Great Red seemed to be still trying to figure out why he just won't take the thousand kilometer plunge down to solid ground.
[Well just to what told you and you'll be fine. When you dive in, make sure to feel the wind hitting your body…]
'How does that help me fly!?'
[You can even spread out your arms and orient your body parallel to the ground to get a better feel… it might slow down your speed though so you should stay in the diving position]
'Wait wait wait! That implies that slowing down is a bad thing!'
She seemed to think that he was waiting for more advice or was simply just preparing himself. It seemed the concept of 'being too afraid of becoming a mere blood splatter on solid ground' didn't even register in the flight maniac's head.
Ise was still standing there paralyzed and unable to find his lost voice as Great Red ran through every possible way to enjoy the feeling of flying instead of instructing him how to actually do it.
When she was in the middle of giving advice on doing flight maneuvers, her face then suddenly lit up as if finally understanding why he wasn't jumping down to his assured death. She knocked herself lightly in the head, apparently scolding herself for not thinking of it immediately.
She just got too excited when it comes to flying at times that she forgot to tell him something important.
[Heh! Damn…. sorry kid, I really should've started with this first… Crap, if you got hurt then Ophis would've killed me….]
She placed her hands on Ise's shoulders and she gave him a gentle smile. Relief washed over Ise's face for a moment, thinking that Great Red had finally remembered the most vital part of the lesson. The "How the heck do you use your wings to fly" part.
[I know you might want to try the good stuff like barrel rolling and backflips already and I totally get you… but I advise against it. You'll be able to go around doing the advanced flight maneuvers eventually but you're gonna need to master the basic of flying first. Don't worry boy I'm sure you'll pick it up quick! When the time comes I'll teach you how to do them properly myself!]
She said those words and smiled with such confidence that Ise felt like crying. They stood like that for a few more seconds before Great Red nodded to herself, apparently thinking that her teachings and guidance had been sufficient and adequate and that it was time for him to jump off.
[With that in mind…]
'Wait, that's it?! That's really iiiiit?!'
She let go of his shoulders and lifted him. She flew higher into the sky and raised him up. She revealed a really sweet smile as she prepared to throw him as hard as she possibly could.
[Alright boy! I'm gonna give you an extra boost so you can go even faster!]
'Noooo waaaiiiiiiittt!'
Great Red was absolutely giddy. She was finally going to be able to send her first and probably only student to experience the wonderful joy of flight! The boy was new at this but she was absolutely sure that he'd be able to pick up the basics quickly enough.
Soon they should be able to move on to the really advanced flight tricks. She wouldn't even be surprised if they need to cover that today!
Maybe she might even finally get a good flying partner…
'No, calm down. Don't rush it. The kid will need time to learn. I can't hurry if I'm going to teach the boy the joy of flight'
The boy had potential, something she'd seen numerous times. He was pretty thick in the head and hard to teach with words so learning by experience was the best for him. He didn't really have potential in the 'talented' sense but potential in 'being able to learn through force of will, motivation and hard work'.
'….hmmm I feel like I'm forgetting something though…'
She could hear the voice screams of happiness as he's experiencing his first taste of flight. She could see him slowly getting farther and farther away from her sights.
'Heh… that kid… even though its better if he starts flying around now instead of diving too low… does he want to start his ascent at the lowest point possible? That's pretty daring…he's unexpectedly zealous with flying…'
When she saw Ise randomly flapping around like a crazed idiot who didn't know the basics she finally started to worry. Why was the boy thrashing around wildly like that?
'What is that idiot doing? Why is he keeping his wings closed? He should be trying to orient his body and extend his wings to generate lift! Was that idiot not listeni—'
[…. Crap]
She paused for a moment, finally remembering what she forgot to tell the boy. She really had no excuse this time. Ophis was definitely going to kill her for this, power differences be damned.
…
In the future, Great would forever remember that moment as the one time she was able to beat her top speed record. Ise on the other hand remembered that as the most vivid near death experience he's ever had.
Ise did eventually learn how to fly and do advanced maneuvers but all lessons were performed under the ever watchful eye of Ophis, whose killing intent was more than enough to make sure that Great Red didn't forget to teach anything important.
==The Dream of the Infinite==
Author's corner:
Ahh so how was it? Anyone surprised by the appearance of Reynalle as Azazel's assistant?
For the record, no Reynalle does not have any romantic feelings for Ise and will not have any developments with him. They're strictly friends though I think a foul mouthed elder sister doting her idiotic younger brother would better describe the relationship.
As you know this was my first fic and I guess you can say this where I like to experiment in writing. I had originally planned on writing the major events that transpired in chronological order but I figured most would want the Occult Research Club to finally make an appearance. So I chose to instead write a time skip, this time alluding to the possible events that had happened in between. Hope that worked out.
This chapter is mainly focused on putting in the foreshadowing and the important 'what are the new developments after the timeskip' details. As you've read, our trio has already gone on numerous adventures and had met some of the more important cast. I also wanted to put in the finishing touches on Great Red's characterization, particularly her habits, likes and dislikes as well as her zeal for flight as shown in the omake.
I was mostly concerned with establishing Ise's current state, in terms of what kind of stuff he might show in battle and possible sources of conflict. The Balance Breaker is sealed and will not make an appearance any time soon so yes; he will be doing most of his battle with nothing but the base form of the boosted gear. To clarify, he did not conveniently learn martial arts during the time skip so if you're hoping for that well…
Anyway that's about it. This is the start of the new arc so the good stuff won't be happening. You'll also find out why I started on his first year at Kuoh instead of the canonical second year in the coming chapters.
If you have comments, clarifications, questions, or bits of criticism, please feel free to put it in a review. I may not be able to reply immediately though…
Answers to some of the reviews:
Reishin Amara: That... is an interesting premise. Now how would that turn out...
RandomNEET: As a summary the following have knowledge of the former world: Ise, vali, Ophis, Great Red and Azazel. Shalba Beelzebub was a unique, unprecedented case.
Thank you, and your wish had been granted. This chapter had alluded to that form of hers and that form will become relevant in the future.
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan: This is actually a plot device, the information that reveals the importance of obtaining any part of Ise's body is yet to be revealed. It will be discussed when it becomes relevant to the plot again
TazalTerminals: No no, i won't abandon it. I do apologize for the lateness of the updates but life has been a tad bit busy
NumberIII: Ahhh unfortunately, any comeuppance Rizevim would receive may receive won't arrive for quite a long while...