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Kri55555t00ffer: You did understand it correctly, and is not such a wild guess after all. You will see how things all play out on this chapter. Thanks for the review!


One last promise, one last goodbye

"First of all, I have an important, very important, question." The kokuryuutei spoke, crossing his arms and putting on a serious and thoughtful expression. There was a moment of silence, with the group waiting expectantly. And then... "Breasts or ass?"

And obviously, the sekiryuutei assumed an expression as thoughtful as his counterpart's.

Cynthia, Elsha, Ddraig, and Ur had comical-sized beads of sweat running down their foreheads after hearing the question. Although the scene didn't truly surprise them, as it was just the obvious result of two Isseis meeting.

"Both. However, if I really have to choose, definitely breasts!"

The sekiryuutei's passion and determination were evident, at least for the kokuryuutei, who looked moved.

"Brother!"

The kokuryuutei shouted, extending his hand.

"Brother!"

And the sekiryuutei replied, doing the same, holding hands together as the two crossed their arms.

It was possible to hear sighs coming from behind two Longinus users, but they ignored it as they knew it was just a sign of ignorance of those who haven't been enlightened yet... at least according to Issei, both Issei.

"Hehehe... I haven't had a conversation like this for a long while..."

But all it took was one sentence, and the previous atmosphere was gone, replaced by a bitter feeling.

{Partner...}

Ur looked like he wanted to say something, but the kokuryuutei just gave a weak smile and waved his hand, asking the dragon to let him continue.

"I couldn't get much out of your memories, but you never went to school, right?"

The sekiryuutei nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, I heard about that thing, but no, I've never been to a real one. My kaa-sans put me through something similar when I was a brat, but it was so boring."

The wielder of the Red Dragon answered sincerely. What he didn't expect was for the kokuryuutei to start laughing, making the Monkey D. slightly curious.

"Well, you are kinda right, but..." The wielder of the Dark Dragon started to say, as soon as he stopped laughing. "It doesn't have to be boring if you meet the right people… I miss… Hey... I know this has nothing to do with you, but can you go to school for me? I... would like to go again, at least one last time, but it's not an option for me, is it?"

The kokuryuutei speaks with a faint smile as he raises his right arm, showing his hand starting to faze.

{Partner!}

Nor did Ur seem to have noticed the state Hyoudou was getting into. The dark dragon raised his head for the first time, and it was clear that he was struggling to perform that simple act, but he didn't seem to care, as he looked at his host with concern.

Ddraig couldn't help but sympathize with his counterpart. He might not understand the despair they went through, but he understood where the feeling came from. Issei was the only host who befriended him, who treated him like something other than a weapon or a monster trapped in his soul. He was his best, and practically only, friend. And looking at the kokuryuutei he was sure that this would be the fate of any version of the two that met.

And seeing that only friend die in front of him while he was powerless to do anything... Ddraig didn't want to imagine himself in that situation.

Cynthia and Elsha didn't know how to react properly to what was happening, but they listened attentively, willing to support the Monkey D., regardless of whatever decision he would make.

The sekiryuutei listened attentively to his counterpart's request.

"Did you have fun?"

He asked Hyoudou.

And in that instant, for a brief moment, the kokuryuutei's tired face gave way to a genuine expression of happiness, even though there was also a clear longing.

"A lot."

And then, one could see his eyes losing their sparkle again, his expression growing tired.

"Then I'm sure I'll have fun too!"

The sekiryuutei knew there wasn't much he could do, but what he could do was smile and assure the kokuryuutei that he would do his best.

And it worked, with Hyoudou giving a slightly relieved smile. Ur also seemed satisfied with this resolution, much to the surprise of even Ddraig. He understood worrying about his friend, but now he was rather curious about what it was in the world they came from that even his counterpart seemed to care about, on some level.

"Thank you... thank you very much..."

The kokuryuutei's voice was shaky. He had lowered his head, but the sekiryuutei knew tears were streaming down his face.

"Is there anything that worries you if our Ise is not there?"

The question came from Elsha, who was curious about the relief the wielder of the Dark Dragon felt upon having confirmation from his counterpart that he would fulfill one of Hyoudou's last wills.

The kokuryuutei looked at the former wielder of Ddraig. His eyebrows were furrowed, as he seemed to recognize her, but couldn't remember how. Shaking his head from side to side he pushed that thought away and answered the question.

"Maybe it's arrogance on my part... maybe everyone will do fine without me... but..." He stopped to think and bit his lower lips anxiously, looking straight at the leviathan. "Please be there to protect them... they..." He stops and once shakes his head. "I shouldn't keep talking about these things, it would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it?"

"Chichichi, we understand each other very well. An adventure is no fun if I already know the answer."

The two were in sync, smiling and bumping each other's fists again in an act of camaraderie.

"But that's not all, is it?"

Cynthia asked, once again making the kokuryuutei's attention go towards her and Elsha. He placed his right hand on his chin as he faced the two of them.

"So, you have a thing for blondes?"

The sekiryuutei looked at his two girlfriends and then looked at his counterpart again.

"Not the first time I've been told that. And I think you're right."

The leviathan spoke, nodding his head. Behind him, both Elsha and Cynthia were smiling confidently.

"Woohoo. Hmm, I couldn't be sure of it from your memories, but do you also want to be the Harem King?"

The kokuryuutei asked with his eyes sparkling in an almost innocent way. Almost.

Ddraig and Ur sighed, while Elsha and Cynthia burst out laughing.

"Of course!"

There was a fire in the Monkey D.'s eyes, his voice carried an excitement and dedication that bespoke the passion and determination of a lifetime. The two Isseis stared eye to eye, words were no longer necessary between them. The two were totally different, but exactly the same. Monkey D. Boa or Hyoudou, Issei was Issei.

"Hehe, then I certainly have nothing to worry about. The world you were born into..." The kokuryuutei stopped, trying to remember the fragments he manages to see from the leviathan, trying to make sense of them. "Well, whatever, I can rest easy knowing that it's me, that it's you."

And for the first time in that entire conversation, his smile was peaceful. Not tired, not happy, and not sad. He was just calm, having full confidence that everything would work out.

Issei, the sekiryuutei, also smiled at him. But his expression quickly changed as he realized that his counterpart's presence was rapidly diminishing.

{Partner, our time has come.}

Ur spoke, being at peace with the outcome they had achieved.

"Sorry Ur, but no. My time has come, you still have plenty of time."

The Hyoudou spoke.

{SHUT UP!}

And for the first time, since the two had met, Ur was furious with his wielder.

{Don't you dare say that! Don't you dare! I will live and die with you, don't think I'll take any other option!}

The conviction in his words seemed unshakable, and the very mental space they were in shook with the fury Ur displayed.

The others didn't say anything, but from their conversation, they understood what the implications were. Considering they were in a mental space, with their souls connected, maybe it was possible to pass Ur to the Monkey D., but that's assuming they both agreed.

The kokuryuutei didn't say anything, he just carried a weak smile as he got up and went in front of Ur's face, placing his hand on his muzzle, who stared at his partner. His expression was as determined as before, but his pupils were trembling as he was holding back his tears.

"Ur... I'm sorry... I was a bad partner, wasn't I? I made you put up with a lot of stupid stuff..."

The kokuryuutei tried to say, stroking the dragon's muzzle.

{Shut up! Don't you dare! You... you know none of that matters to me! You are my partner! My best friend!}

But Ur would not accept it, and turned his head away, his voice trembling.

{Please, do not do this to me...}

In the end, he no longer resembled the mighty Heavenly Dragon capable of devouring even stars, but someone who had seen everything he knew destroyed, and now was about to lose his only friend.

Ddraig could only sigh, it hurt to imagine being in that situation.

Tears were already flowing from Cynthia's eyes with that scene.

Elsha sighed and looked away, in the corner of her eyes it was noticeable that she too was teary.

And as for the Monkey D., tears also flowed from his eyes at a greater intensity than Cynthia's. He was feeling the pure emotions of both his counterpart and Ur. It was sad, it was painful, and it was empty.

The kokuryuutei bit his bottom lip, holding back his tears. He took a deep breath and continued.

"I'm very selfish, right... as a Kokuryuutei I just did what I wanted, without considering you... and now, I'm trying to do the same... I just... I couldn't protect anyone... I couldn't save anyone... so now that I can... please... let me save you..."

He could no longer hold back his tears, which ran down his cheeks as if tearing across his face. His figure was even vaguer, he looked like he could disappear at any moment. The same should be true for Ur, but the dragon was more noticeable than the Hyoudou. That could only mean...

The dragon closed his eyes, his tears falling silently.

{What a troublesome partner I have...}

One wanted to stay with their partner forever, even if it meant their eternal end. The other wanted to protect his partner, even if he was imposing his desire on the other. Both had their wishes, but in the end, after what Hyoudou had been through, Ur couldn't bring himself to take this last chance away from his partner.

Even if it meant never seeing him again, the dark dragon would rather allow his partner to leave in peace than condemn him to have to go knowing that even if he had a chance, in the end, he couldn't save anyone.

The dragon didn't say anything else, he just slowly moved to the Sekiryuutei's group side, placing himself next to Ddraig. During all of this he kept his head down, and even as he stood by the side of the group, he never looked at them or exchanged a word with them. If one looked into his eyes, it was noticeable that they were empty of life.

The kokuryuutei and sekiryuutei exchanged glances one last time, in a silent conversation between them. The content of this conversation... was just for them.

And finally, the kokuryuutei faced his counterpart, giving one last smile, a real one, from the bottom of his chest, for having, at least, one last time, managed to save a friend. That smile made even Ur, for even a slight moment, consider it all worth it.

"Good luck... and" The kokuryuutei puts his closed left fist into the sekiryuutei's chest. "Take care."

First, his fist disappeared, then his legs, and then the Hyoudou's whole body faded in a faint silver glow. The last thing anyone saw of him was his face, with a relieved smile. They just weren't sure if it was because he could save Ur or, perhaps, because his time had finally come.


Thoughts about the chapter? I tried to make it as tragic as I could, while showing how both Isseis are still Issei.

About the whole Ur changing thing, keep a few things in mind. I tried to portray as best as I imagined it could actually happen. Ddraig and Issei's relationship is probably one of the best things on DxD, and as such, with Ur being basically Ddraig, I tried my best to show the emotional weight that this decision took for both. Issei is someone that mostly would do anything to save his friends, while Ddraig/Ur would absolutely prefer to perish with him. From my point of view both are right and wrong, and really, there was no right answer.

Now, about how this change things for our Issei, remember that Azazel said that changing a sacred gear from an user is not so simple, there are consequences for the gear. Plus the previous state they were in, practically a bug of the system, and added to the fact that Ur still has to warm up to his new host... so yeah, it might take a while before we actually see Issei confortably using the Devouring Gear(I don't remember if I name dropped it before, but if I didn't, here it is)

That's mostly it for now. I might not be able to post next week, I will try, but this week will be brutal, so I might not have time to write. Either, next chapter is the prologue, we will see how the Strawhats will react to all that happened, learn a bit more about Issei and move on to Draconic Deus.

Reviews are appreciated.