The Lone Vigilante Issei – High School DxD
Greetings, it is I, yet again, Hide Shinyama.
Last chapter Matsuda, Motohama and Issei shared their theories about the mystery at hand. However, they come no closer to the truth than before.
Now, they are stuck and can't move forward. Meanwhile, Issei had a heartfelt talk with Monique. What will he do with what he just heard? But where does he go on from there?
Find out in…
Chapter 5 – The Truth
4th September, Tuesday, about 11:47 am – Kuoh Academy, in the hallway
Issei had just entered inside Kuoh Academy and everyone had long gone to their classes, which is why the hallways were so empty and quiet. Trying to get to class, Issei went to his classroom.
However, he didn't bother to hurry to get to class, despite having started seven minutes ago. Rather, he was taking his time, still deep in thought at what Monique said to him earlier about dealing with relationship problems. But more than that…
Flashback
"Besides, you're really going to need patience and the ties you have with your friends to get out of the situation you're in."
"What are you talking about?"
"I… well… you'll see… One more thing. You should look for your friends. They need you right now."
Flashback end
What was Monique talking about? Granted, Issei could understand that his friends Matsuda and Motohama could help him out with the problems he had. Heck, they've been helping him all along! And Issei did the same to them!
But something didn't feel right.
Issei didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the tone. Maybe it was the cagey behavior Monique exhibited towards the end. Whatever it was, Issei had the harrowing feeling that Monique was trying to tell him something – something that had nothing to do with relationship problems.
It sounded crazy, but his gut told him otherwise.
But what could it be?
And what's even weirder is the part where Monique tells him to "look for your friends. They need you right now". What was up with that? Why would Issei need to look for them? Why did Monique make it sound so urgent?
It almost sounded like they were in danger.
But why would they? They should be in class right now, right? What kind for danger could they be in there? It's not like they were going to face with those supernatural occurrences agai-
That was when something clicked in Issei's mind.
Wait a minute.
Could it be that Monique knows what he and his two buddies are going through?
Could it be that she knew about whatever dangers they had faced and will face in the future?
If that were so, her warning would make sense. Why else would she say these things?
Was she connected to all those incidents with Julie, Sally and Nathalie?
Now, that he thought about it, why did Monique not have a surname? When she introduced herself, she never mentioned any last name – only her first name.
That is quite fishy…
And most importantly.
Was she the one behind this?
Was she the one who threatened Nathalie, attacked Matsuda, pressured Julie and sent him all those horrifying visions?
Issei just stood there for a few seconds, before laughing to himself.
"Nah," Issei dismissed. "She's way too nice to do something like that to us. Even if she really was that mysterious "she" from Julie's note, she would have killed us already. Besides, what reason would she have to do all these things anyway?"
Issei yawned, as he stretched himself. Sitting and telling Monique about his problems was tough enough, but now all this thinking is tiring him out. He needed to get to class, catch up with some English lessons – or at least sit down for a while and rest on his desk.
As Issei made his way to the class, he shook his head out of humor.
"Matsuda and Motohama being in danger… pfff…" Issei said to himself mockingly. "… as if… I mean come on! In what kind of danger could they possibly be in?"
Meanwhile with Matsuda and Motohama
"HURRY UP, GUYS! HE'S GAINING ON US!" Matsuda called out in a panic, as he ran away from the three-eyed rapist bear-thing that was gaining on its three victims-to-be.
Right now, Matsuda, Motohama and the mysterious stranger were still in the great white void and had nowhere to go. They ran for their life, but they couldn't shake off the bear.
"I'M TRYING, I'M TRYING!" Motohama panted, as he agonized himself to escape. He dared not look back out of sheer terror.
The bear on the other hand, was so delighted it sang a certain girl scout song. All while chasing the panicked trio.
(( The other day, I met a bear,
A great big bear, Oh way out there.
The other day, I met a bear,
A great big bear, who will rape YOU! ))
"THAT DOESN'T RHYME!" the unknown man shouted at the bear after its ridiculous and horrifying rendition of said song.
"I WANNA GET OUT OF HERE!" Matsuda shouted, as he told himself to keep on running.
"SAVE ME, MOMMY!" Motohama shouted in despair.
But it was all in vain. The pedo-bear rapist thing was getting closer and closer! It was even trying to swipe at poor Motohama who was just a few feet ahead of it. Motohama was already saying his prayers so to speak.
"I just wanted to see Julie one more time… just once…" Motohama said to himself, as he waited for the bear thing to grab him and do what-not with him.
It never came to that though.
[Boost!]
Suddenly a sound came out of nowhere and something rushed by and tackled the bear, accompanied by a loud boom. The boom and the ripples it caused were so powerful that everybody was knocked to the ground.
As Matsuda, Motohama and the mysterious man looked around them, they saw that the freaky bear thing was gone – as if it was never there to begin with. There was no sign of whatever object or creature it was that took out the bear thing either.
It was just them and the white and empty void.
All three of them sighed in relief and rested for a while to catch a breather. Running full sprint was exhausting after all.
Matsuda and Motohama got into thinking after all that has happened.
Where were they? What is this place? How come the bear thing from Matsuda's dream was here? Who is this guy? How did this guy get here? How did he know about Issei? What about that mastermind the man was talking about? Could it be that the mysterious "she" from Julie's note was the same person that this man was referring to? Did he know what happened to their girlfriends?
They just had so many questions that needed answering and they felt like this man was the only one who could do that.
After the three have rested, Matsuda and Motohama looked at the mysterious man and their eyes met.
"I suppose you have a lot of questions, right?" the man asked the two of them, as if reading their mind.
The two of them nodded. "Yeah. We do," Matsuda replied.
"Yeah, I think I should explain," the man said.
4th September, Tuesday, about 11:48 am – Kuoh Academy, in the hallway
Issei was on his way to class when he decided that while he was on the way, he might as well go to the bathroom to relieve himself. After all, he hadn't gone to the bathroom today. He went into the bathroom and into one of the stalls. He sat down on the toilet seat, pulled his pants down and then…
[BOOM!]
A shock wave rippled through the dimensions, causing Matsuda and Motohama to flinch, as the man suddenly jumped up and punched into the air, causing the shockwave in question.
"ENOUGH OF THIS!" the man shouted suddenly with his fist still raised in the air. He lowered it down and sat down once he was done. "I've had it! No more of your tricks! And certainly… no peeing fan service here – more so from a guy!"
Matsuda and Motohama looked at him with shock and fear. What did he do? Why did he do it? And what was he talking about a guy and a peeing fan service?
Seeing their looks of shock and fear on their faces, the mysterious and obviously overpowered man looked at them with worry.
"Are you guys, ok? I hope I didn't hurt you or anything," the man said worried.
Matsuda and Motohama quickly shook their heads.
"No… not at all…" Motohama replied.
"We were just surprised by what you did. That's all," Matsuda answered.
The man sighed in relief, yet the two of them followed up immediately with a question of their own.
"Say, why didn't you use that punch earlier when that bear first appeared? We could have saved all that running if you had just used it sooner," Motohama commented dryly.
The man chuckled in embarrassment. "Sorry… I didn't know I could do it… Ahaha… I just used it instinctively when…"
The man tried to explain his mishap, but Matsuda and Motohama were glaring at him for his stupidity. It was then that the man dropped his shoulders in defeat and sighed.
"Sorry about that," the man apologized. He straightened himself, as he took a more serious posture indicating that he was now getting down to business.
"But regardless, I don't want to waste time anymore. You need to know. No more delays and no more distractions. It's time you knew the truth."
Matsuda and Motohama looked at the man in surprise.
"The truth?" Matsuda asked intrigued.
The man nodded. "Yes. The truth. The truth about everything you've been going through – your girlfriends, their behaviors and disappearances, the mysterious déjà-vus and visions you've been having, the mastermind in all of this and my identity."
Matsuda and Motohama didn't say a word. They were too baffled to say anything. This man had the answers to the questions they were asking. Just how…? They shook their heads and decided to let the man speak. It was best if they let him speak.
"I think it's best to start with the mastermind. The mastermind is somebody who is after your life," the black-haired man explained.
Matsuda and Motohama looked at him confused. "Why? What did we do to her that she would want to kill us?"
The man looked around for a bit, as if unsure of on how to answer them, before telling them. "The mastermind… originally saw you guys as prey. More victims she could devour. But…"
"Wait," Motohama interrupted. "What is she? Some kind of vampire?"
"No," the man responded. "She's a succubus, actually. Succubus feed on people's lusts until they are drained to death. That was what she had in store for you three."
The man paused, letting the two perverts take it in for a second, before continuing.
"And before you ask. Yes, the supernatural is real. Succubus, Dragons, Devils, Fallen Angels, Angels, Gods, Grim Reapers and so on… They all exist. They all work behind the scenes of our world and keep themselves hidden from our modern world... But enough of that. That's a story for another time. The main point for now is that the succubus has been lurking in the shadows and has been trying to eat you, so to speak."
"Eat us!?" Matsuda exclaimed incredulously.
"Well, how come we don't get to see her? You said she has been attacking us for quite some time now. So why doesn't she just show her face, eat us and get over it?" Motohama asked the man.
The man mulled over what he wanted to say, before answering Motohama's question.
"The succubus could do that, in theory… Often enough they do the seduction themselves. However, this one prefers not rush in head on. Unlike other monsters or other creatures of its kind, she's… more of a sophisticated schemer. That is where your girlfriends come in – oh, and Sally and Monique as well," the man quickly added.
Matsuda and Motohama pursed their lips, but said nothing. They had a feeling that this was the case… But wait… Monique and Sally?
Matsuda and Motohama looked at the man in surprise. Seeing their expression, the man nodded, as if he could read their mind.
"Yup. You heard right. Monique and Sally are also involved into this mess. You see… all four of them are agents of the succubus, trying to get you three to fall for them, get all horny, like having sex with them. Once that happens, the succubus feeds of your sexual energy," the man explained.
"Wait! You mean they are working for the mastermind this whole time!?" Motohama exclaimed in shock.
"W-w-wait! But that means…" Matsuda stammered.
"Exactly," the man interrupted. "Everything about your relationships with Julie and Nathalie – and Issei's relationship with Sally – were based on lies."
Their stomachs dropped upon hearing that.
"Lies…?" Matsuda asked in shock.
"Then that means… everything we've been through…" Motohama said, as his mind drifted away to all the wonderful experiences he had with Julie. Their first kiss, their first date, the wonderful times the two of them had watching anime… All of that… just so that some succubus could eat them?
Noticing Motohama's distraught face, the mysterious man put a hand on his shoulder.
"I… I know it's a lot for you guys to take in. I'm sorry for being so blunt... But you needed to know the truth and nothing but the truth," the man told Motohama.
Motohama just removed the man's hand from his shoulder and looked at him with an impassive expression, as if he was trying his best to stay calm.
"It doesn't matter. Go on," Motohama said quietly, but with insistence in his voice, as though he just wanted to get over with it.
Matsuda, also feeling somewhat down, felt the same way as his friend. On top of that, he shuddered at the thought of some supernatural creature come in and kill by sucking all his energy. He was surprised that didn't happen, yet that didn't take away the sorrow that he felt. Nevertheless, there was no point having a self-pity party, right now, so Matsuda gestured the man to continue.
The man cleared his throat. "Well… Where was I…? Oh, yes! Your girlfriends. Even though they were supposed to be agents doing the succubus' work, her agents seemed to be… rather hesitant in doing her bidding."
Matsuda and Motohama lightened up upon hearing this. Hesitant? So does that mean…?
"Apparently, your girlfriends, despite being the succubus' agents, truly had feelings for you guys. This is why they left you hints about what was really going on, before they left. Perhaps not everything about your relationships had been a lie after all," the young man said with a warm smile.
Matsuda and Motohama were soaking what they just heard. Oh, my goodness… So, they… loved them, after all. A ray of happiness filled their saddened hearts. Sure, the grief of betrayal was there. But a bittersweet feeling, too.
"Because of that," the black-haired man continued interrupting their daydreaming. "The succubus had to remove them. They were essentially foiling her plans and giving you a heads up so to speak – especially Julie and her note. That is why, she… well… made them disappear- URK!" the man said, until Matsuda grabbed the man by the shoulders and started rattling him.
"Disappear!? You mean she killed them!?" Matsuda shouted the man in the face, causing some spit to fly into the man's face.
"No!" the man answered, rubbing the spit from his face. "At least, I'm not sure. Maybe she just made them vanish or teleported them somewhere else. I've seen these things before. Trust me."
"OK, how do you know these things? And who are you?" Motohama demanded, still grasping his shoulders.
The man removed Motohama's hands from him. "I'll get to that. But there are other things I have to explain first. So, calm down, all right?"
Motohama nodded and backed off a bit.
"Where was I…? Oh, yeah. Your girlfriends' disappearances and the succubus' goal of eating you aren't the only things you should be concerned about. Surely, you two and Issei have come across some flashbacks before, haven't you?" the man asked.
The two of nodded. Of course, how could they forget? Those feelings of déjà-vu that they had yesterday… those weird flashbacks of events they had no collections of... What were those even?
"Seeing your faces, I can tell you have," the man spoke up. "Well… what you have been seeing are your repressed memories coming back to the surface. You may not actually remember them. But you can't truly forget them either."
Matsuda and Motohama widened their eyes in shock. "Repressed memories!?" they said startled.
"Yup. You heard right. All those visions you guys have been seeing are really memories of events you had gone through. From Nathalie telling you her last words before she vanished before your very eyes…" the man said, looking at Matsuda, who suddenly remembered his flashback with Nathalie. He remembered how she cried with a tear-stained face at how to leave a prison or something…
"…up to Issei's nightmarish flashbacks about his parents being killed…" the man continued, as the two remembered what Issei had told them about what he had seen.
"…all the way to your sudden flashbacks to Ddraig and his perpetual trolling," the man finished.
At this, the two teens look at the man confused. Ddraig? Who was that?
As if he was reading their minds, the man answered again. "Ddraig is an ancient-old dragon, known as the Sekiryuutei – the Red Dragon Emperor. He is one of the two Heavenly Dragon Emperors, along with Albion – the White Dragon Emperor. Despite his title, however, he is pretty much a jolly fellow who likes to troll people, especially you guys. After all, he was pretty much part of your 'perverted quartet'," the man pointed out.
Matsuda and Motohama looked at him surprised and confused.
"Hold up!" Matsuda spoke up, raising his hands in a bid to slow things down. "How could he possibly be one of us? As far as I'm concerned, we would have remembered if a dragon like him even so much as appeared before us… or something like that."
The man shook his head. "Ahh… you guys," the man laughed. "It's quite ironic, coming out of your mouths… since it was Ddraig who took out that bear monster just now."
""What!?"" Motohama and Matsuda exclaimed shocked. They looked around, as if they were trying to find him.
"Th-that was a dragon?" Matsuda let out startled.
"I didn't even see it, yet I could tell that it was huge! How could have not noticed a being like that, if it hung out with us?" Motohama asked doubtfully.
"Ddraig isn't a dragon that you can just see up ahead flying around. Not normally, anyway… To be honest, Ddraig is normally sealed into a Sacred Gear that appears on the arm of its host. In this case, it would be your friend – Issei Hyoudou."
Matsuda looked stupefied. "Issei carries a dragon on his arm!?"
"Uhuh…" the man simply replied.
"How!? If Issei had someone like that living in his arm, then surely we would have noticed, right?" Motohama questioned.
"Well, you're right about that," the man replied. "However, Ddraig has somehow been separated from Issei here, something that shouldn't be possible, since nobody can survive without their innate Sacred Gear. Which I guess is another measure the succubus took, so that you wouldn't remember the things you were supposed to forget."
"Oh, that reminds me," Motohama said hastily, as he remembered something. "You said our memories were suppressed. Why would the succubus do something like that to us?"
The mysterious man sighed, before answering Motohama's question.
"The succubus… wanted to lull you into a sense of security and happiness away from the dangerous reality that is just outside the illusion you're in. That way, she could bide her time and devour you while you're horny and unguarded, something she couldn't do when you were still awake."
"Wait a minute. Hold right there. What do you mean 'when you were awake'? We are awake," Matsuda corrected, but the man shook his head.
"No, you're not," the man replied. "Tell me something, Motohama. Do you remember Julie's note? And how Issei deduced from it that you were all stuck in an illusion?"
The two of them looked at him with a frown. "Seriously, how do you know everything we've been up to?" Motohama asked him with a stern look.
"We'll get to it. Don't worry. Anyway, do you remember?" the man asked.
"Yeah, I d- Wait. Don't tell me…" Motohama started, before he realized something.
"Yup, indeed," the man nodded. "What Julie tried to tell you and Issei theorized is all true..."
Motohama and Matsuda looked around him, as if trying to confirm what the man said by looking around.
"…You… Matsuda… Issei… and I… are all stuck in an illusion created by the succubus. Everything you've seen around you starting from yesterday morning is all fake," the man revealed dramatically.
"Oh… my…" Motohama responded, being shocked by the revelation.
"But wait!" Matsuda spoke up. "If this is an illusion, I would have woken up at the feeling of pain. I even pinched myself earlier and nothing happened," he argued.
"It's going to take more than that to wake up," the man answered with a shrug.
"So that means… Julie's note… my goodness… it's all true…" Motohama whispered partially to himself quietly.
"Yup, exactly as I said," the man affirmed.
"Hold on, if this is an illusion, then… what is the real world and… how did we get here?" Matsuda asked on.
"Well that's a long story – one that you must hear, however. So… let me start from the beginning," the man told them.
Taking a deep breath, the man prepared and readied himself.
"It all began on the nearly two weeks ago on the 3rd of September whe-" the man began before Motohama interrupted him.
"Wait a minute! But today's the 4th of September. So how ca-"
"I know," the man said slightly irritated at being interrupted. Nevertheless, he tried his best to be patient. "And normally you would be right, except that today is not the 4th of September, but an hour past midnight of the 15th of September – eleven days away from the true date."
"Huh? You mean to say today's date is also a lie?" Motohama asked confused.
"Exactly…" the man nodded. "Now I'd prefer if you let me finish my story, so please don't interrupt, ok?" Matsuda and Motohama, not wanting to anger the man, quickly nodded.
"Where was I…?" the man pondered to himself, as he tried to figure out what else he wanted to say. His face lightened up when he remembered.
"Oh yeah… right…" the man cleared his throat, before continuing. "It all began on the 3rd of September you were going about your day as usual, except that you two and Issei were still the same old perverted trio. You were still whining and moaning about how the three of you couldn't get girlfriends and all that stuff. Anyway, everything changed when Issei and his parents went out to the opera that night, kind of how they did yesterday. Except in this case, Issei never had the fall-out with Sally because she never was in his life before. Issei never encountered that rapist either, thus that situation was a non-factor as well. What did happen was a real tragedy. On their way home, Issei's parents… were killed by a mugger that night… That was the vision Issei saw when he killed the rapist in this reality."
"Holy crap…" Matsuda said dumbfounded. So that was Issei saw…
The man, not minding the interruption, just nodded before continuing on. "Issei would have died, too, that night, if he hadn't fought for his life and then… awakened the Boosted Gear."
"The Boosted Gear?" Motohama asked perplexed.
"It's one out of many Sacred Gears out there. Though this Sacred Gear in particular is a special one. It is a Longinus, one of the eighteen top-tier Sacred Gears, capable of killing even gods. Inside the Longinus is Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor, who I mentioned before earlier. Anyway, he and the Boosted Gear, helped Issei against his parent's murderer and killed him. Unfortunately, his parents' deaths broke him, shattered his life in a lot of ways. He worked hard to train himself in order to become stronger – to be a hero. However, he lost his temper after some girls made fun of his parents' deaths and beat them up-"
"Issei beat up some girls!?" Matsuda interrupted the man. "Now I'm worried. If he does something like that, he's definitely not himself."
"Yeah…" the man tried to let Matsuda's interruption slide. "…but you're not one to talk since you joined into the fray and beat them up. In the end, you were all arrested and put in Kuoh Police Prison for a few days."
Matsuda and Motohama couldn't believe their ears. They went… to jail!? For beating up girls no less!? They wondered what else they did. Break out of prison!?
"Hard to believe, but yes… that happened. It was there that you two met Ddraig for the first time, something Issei tried to hide at first, but had to reveal when he had no choice. From there on you hit off and despite who Ddraig is, he became one of you."
Matsuda and Motohama still looked at the man stunned until they looked in confusion, when they saw how urgently the man looked around, before turning back to face them.
"But… let's speed up here, since we don't have time to go into detail into everything that has transpired. So… eventually you got into a fight with a vengeful police officer who tried to get his revenge on you for putting his sister into a coma…you took him out… then you had to go to court. That was when the succubus made its move. The succubus disguised herself as a lawyer and went on to represent you in court. Using her powers, she manipulated the judge to get you three sentenced to two years prison in a detention facility, called Sakabasu Detention Facility. In reality, though, it was nothing more than a front for the succubus' activities to drain their victims of their life force. That was where Monique… Sally… Julie… and Nathalie first came into the picture. That was also first time you met them by the way."
Matsuda and Motohama looked at the man in shock once again. They thought they could get used to the multiple incredible revelations that the man had told them over the past minutes. How wrong they were!
"Wait! Our first meeting with them was in jail!?" Matsuda bellowed incredulously.
"Indeed," the man confirmed. "As I mentioned earlier, the girls are agents, agents for the succubus. Their main purpose was to make you comfortable in the facility, make you fall in love with them and then have the succubus drain you dry. They succeeded in doing the first two tasks, turning the detention facility into a heaven on earth for you. As the 'prison wardens' of the facility, they took care of your every need – feeding you, teaching you, preparing you for your careers… They even returned your feelings and in Matsuda's case, had sex!"
At this Matsuda widened his eyes. "Wait a minute… if I had sex before I entered into this illusion and then had sex again yesterday, does that mean… I haven't been a virgin all this time?"
At this, Motohama sent him a glare, while Matsuda chuckled nervously.
The mysterious man sighed at Motohama's envy issues and continued. "As I was saying, you should have died back then, but you didn't. I'm certain that the girls' feelings for you played a role. They loved you. They really did. And because of that, they decided to save your lives. Even now, they're still trying to protect you. But they can only do so much to protect you. Now that the girls foiled their mistresses' plan a second time, she won't be as forgiving to them as last time-"
"But they're OK, right?" Matsuda interrupted, his voice quivering with worry. "You said so yourself, they were like… teleported out of here, right? Just… taken somewhere else, right?"
"As I said, I don't know," the man replied somberly. "What I just said was an educated guess which… I believe to be the case, but… there's no guarantee that it may be so… Worst case scenario, the succubus may have eliminated them altogether…If that's the case… I'm afraid there's not much we can do about them… I'm sorry…"
Matsuda and Motohama looked at the man with sorrow and hopelessness. Who could blame them? They had been told that their girlfriends might not be alive anymore. It was bad enough that they had vanished with no warning, but this…
Matsuda was the first to sink down to the ground despondently. Motohama did the same two seconds later. They… had just gone through shock after shock, revelation after revelation… what both of them wanted was to… go home and take a nap… or wake up from the illusion they were in.
"Hey!" the man called out to them. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Leave us alone…" Motohama said quietly, yet still audible enough to the man's ears.
"Nathalie… She's gone…" Matsuda mumbled to himself.
Annoyed the man went to them and scolded them.
"Get up! Now is not the time to get depressed. I need you to pay attention to everything I say. There's more you need to know!" the man upbraided them.
Sighing, Motohama looked up. "Does it involve how to get them back?" he asked sadly.
"No," the man shook his head. "But it does involve your girlfriends, all right."
Matsuda simply looked up to the man with an impassive expression. "Go on. Just get it over with." He said, still on his knees, though at least he was trying to show some interest to what the man had to say, even though he probably wasn't.
The mysterious man sighed and decided to continue, despite their unmotivated attitude. "As I was saying… What you need to know about Monique, Sally, Nathalie and Julie is that they don't come from this world."
At this, even Motohama seemed to lift his face towards the man.
"Not from this world?" Motohama asked.
"Indeed," the man answered. "All four of them, come from another world. A world that is foreign, even to the supernatural part of this one. This world is smaller and limited only to them alone. That world is (in some respect) no different from the world you are living in, but the truth of the matter is… it was a cage of a sort. A cage where they live in this illusion that their world is a happy place – a paradise if you will – and for a time, they believed in it. However, after a certain point in time, Monique realized that the world she and her friends were living in was only an illusion. In it, they were doomed to live forever, trapped in this cage with no end in sight, until… someone from the outside came, opened a way into their world and broke the cycle."
"Someone…from the outside…?" Motohama asked with interest in what the man had to tell them.
"Who was he…?" Matsuda asked next.
"I don't know," the man replied. "But that doesn't matter. What you need to know, is that this person gave them something they never felt before: Love. And it was because of that that Monique somehow managed to find the tools to change the world they were living in. She tried to get that person to fall in love with her by using those means, becoming practically omnipotent in her world. But for all her efforts, she caused a lot of damage and hurt along the way – including to the person she fell in love with. It was then that she realized that all she did was make the problem even worse. That is why she used her powers to end her world in order to end the suffering of her, her friends… and the man she loved."
After the man had ended his tale, he saw that Matsuda and Motohama looked at the man intently, while they were listening to his story. They seemed drawn in… yet they also seemed a bit confused, which is why Motohama raised his hand, as if in class.
"It's an interesting story and all, but… if the four of them really did come from another world… How did they get here?" Motohama asked with his hand raised.
"Yeah, and how come Monique and the others are still alive after the destruction of their old world?" Matsuda asked as well.
"Well…" the man started to explain. "Sometime after Monique had destroyed her world, another person came into the void of the now destroyed world. That person was the succubus. She used her powers to resurrect Monique and the other three girls and brought them into our world. Don't ask me how she did it, though. I myself don't know either. What I do know, is that that power-hungry lecherous woman is now using her powers and the girls to lure men and prey on them. You can consider yourselves lucky to be the first ones to elude her," the man complimented Matsuda and Motohama with a grin, the latter two looking at each other with uncertainty.
"Well… as I was saying… What was it again…?" the man fumbled, trying to figure out what to say next. "Oh yeah! I forgot to mention something that pertained to how you got here. While you were at the facility, Issei was the one who first caught onto the succubus' plan and got you guys involved as well. Together the three of you – and Ddraig – fought bravely against the succubus and temporarily immobilized her. Unfortunately, she managed to set a trap the moment you found her now dead victims. It trapped you into this illusion and… you know the rest."
"So that's what happened…" Motohama simply said.
"But wait! Why would we ever end up looking for the dead victims of the succubus? Wouldn't it have been better if we… I don't know… did a prison break or something?" Matsuda questioned.
"The reason why you went to look for the victims (or in your case a specific victim) was because Julie told you to do so," the man replied.
"What!? Why would she do that!? I thought you said Julie and the other girls were trying to help us?" Motohama bellowed, not believing that his girlfriend would do something that would put them in danger.
The man raised his arms defensively. "Of course, she did," the man replied. "However, I think she thought of the long-term, too. Escaping the prison solves nothing. As long as a succubus lives, she will hunt her prey to the ends of the earth. That's even more true, if the succubus is proud and arrogant as this one is. That is why Julie… had you purposefully trigger the succubus' trap in order to get you in here… although wait… something doesn't add up…" the man though, as he stroked his chin in deep thought.
"What doesn't add up?" Matsuda asked, as he and Motohama stood up from the white featureless ground.
"I wonder why she never told you brace yourselves and kill the succubus… That should have ended the whole affair instantly… Instead, she just tells you to go find the victims' bodies in order to get caught in this illusion… unless… on no… Don't tell me… she… they did not just do that…" the man said in realization and denial.
"What are you talking about? Who is the 'they' you're talking about?" Motohama asked.
"Julie… and Nathalie! Perhaps even all four of them… no don't tell me… Please don't tell me it's true!" the man raised his voice towards the end.
"I don't understand what you're talking about!" Motohama said, indignant at being kept in the dark at what the man just said.
Tk8hIERPTidUIFlPVSBEQVJFIQ==
"""?""" A strange sensation came over them, as all three of them looked around them in bewilderment.
"What was that?" Matsuda asked confused and surprised.
"Yeah, I thought I felt something weird…" Motohama commented, as he looked around to find out what it was.
In contrast, the mysterious man looked around in dread. "Oh no… Not again!"
"What do you mean? Do you know what's going on?" Matsuda pressed the man.
"Listen! Now we're really running out of time! You've got to get out of here! Run! Get to Issei while you still can!" the man told them urgently.
"Wh-What!? Hey! Why? You didn't answer my question!" Matsuda fired back.
"No time! You've got to get going! Before…" Suddenly, the man was interrupted by the appearance of black spots in the vast white void, growing bigger and bigger, seemingly starting to swallow the whiteness of the void everywhere. It seemed like it spawned from somewhere in the distance only to move closer and closer towards them.
"What's happening!?" Motohama asked, as he looked around in a panic.
"The succubus is trying to lock you guys in! Get out of here! Get back to the portal from which you came from!" the man practically ordered them.
"Yeah… but…" Matsuda began in protest. It was easy to for him to say, except that they had no idea where the portal even was. Even if they did know where it was, it was probably too far away. Motohama tried his best to look around for it but he couldn't.
The mysterious man seemed to realize this dilemma and started to ruffle his hair in a panic. What was he supposed to do? If he didn't do something, they would be stuck in here and no one would be able to warn Issei of what is to come.
While he was contemplating, the man had an idea.
"Everybody down!" he yelled. Matsuda and Motohama complied, as the man summoned energy from within him and unleashed a powerful force with his outstretched arms on either side. The force boomed above Matsuda's and Motohama's heads. Motohama and Matsuda looked up and they noticed, to their astonishment, that the blackness was being pushed back significantly. As they looked up at the man from below, they saw that he was straining to maintain his stance, obviously struggling against the darkness that was trying to enclose them once again.
"Guys… I can't… hold this… for long…" the man said, struggling to speak amidst the pressure.
"What do we do? I can't see the portal anywhere! How do we get out!?" Motohama yelled, as he looked around from where he lay.
"Me neither! Is this the end for us!?" Matsuda asked, having given up hope.
Just as they were losing hope, the man saw something somewhere above him, coming down flying from one of white fields that weren't covered up by the creeping darkness. The man wondered what it was, but then smiled when he realized who it was.
"Guys," the man spoke up gaining their attention. "It seems… like your… ride out… of here… is here…" the man said with a smile.
Then something big landed right next to them. Matsuda and Motohama braced themselves from the loud noise that came from the landing. And once they looked up… They saw a huge red dragon before them, like many dragons in popular culture. Matsuda and Motohama yelped, as they scrambled back in fear. The man chuckled, despite the pressure.
"Don't… be scared… This is Ddraig… of whom… I was… talking… about earlier… a good… buddy of… yours. He's gonna… get you… out of… here. Right… Ddraig?" the man spoke, as he tried his best to maintain his hold.
[Indeed. Now, get on me boys. We've got to get out of here, while we still have the chance] Ddraig urged them.
"I don't know…" Matsuda said skeptically.
"Guys! We don't… have time… just… get on…" the man insisted. His voice showed signs of weariness.
"Yeah, but… What about you?" Motohama asked concerned.
"Never mind… me! I'll… be fine! *cough*" the man coughed out under the pressure.
[Come on, boys! You heard the man! Get on, so we can get out of here!] the Red Dragon Emperor told them.
Finally, Matsuda and Motohama obeyed and climbed on top of Ddraig. They had to admit, touching, let alone, climbing on a dragon felt pretty weird, if not dangerous. Yet, what other choice did they have?
Matsuda and Motohama held fast upon the red dragon by the shoulder area near his neck. Once they were holding him tight, Ddraig prepared to take off. Turning to the mysterious man one last time, Motohama called out to him.
"Hey, one last thing, dude! Who are you!? You never did answer that question!"
The man looked at them and gave him a toothy grin, despite the fact that he was losing his strength.
"I'm just… a fan! Nothing more! Someone… who wants… to wish… you the best!" the man called out, which was impressive due to the fact that he felt like collapsing any moment.
The man exchanged one last look with Matsuda, Motohama and Ddraig. There was nothing more to be said. Then Ddraig spread his wings and flew up to the sky, somewhere where the blackness hadn't reached yet.
"WHOA! SLOW DOWN! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING US!?" Motohama cried out, as they soared upwards, going higher and higher.
[To the next portal. It may not be the one you came through, but right now it is the only way for you to get out of this void!] Ddraig answered.
"WHOOOHOOO! THIS IS AWESOME!" Matsuda whooped in joy. He hadn't felt this way, since he, Motohama and Issei went to the rollercoaster three months ago.
[All right, you two! Pay attention! Once we get through the portal you may need to brace yourselves for a significantly high drop!] Ddraig warned them, as Ddraig stopped flying upwards and started moving towards a certain destination.
Matsuda and Motohama froze upon hearing this warning. They slowly turned their faces towards the dragon in shock.
What did he just say?
Ddraig just looked back and made eye-contact. Upon seeing their expression, he replied to their unspoken question.
[For some reason, the succubus told me, while I was in captivity in the void, that once I get into the real world – or should I say the pseudo-real world – I would immediately disappear!] Ddraig told them.
Matsuda and Motohama widened their eyes in shock.
""WHAT!?"" they screamed in shock.
[It's too late to do anything now! We're almost there! We're going through, whether you like it or not! Prepare yourselves! Here we go!] Ddraig told them, as he speeded towards a big circle, which apparently seemed to be the portal.
The two perverts were screaming for their lives, as they and Ddraig disappeared through the portal – just in time before the darkness covered that area in the sky. Had they come two seconds later, they may not have been able to go through the portal.
As the mysterious man saw the three of them disappear through the air from below, he caved in, panting from exhaustion. His surroundings had gone completely black, except for an increasingly shrinking pocket of whiteness surrounding him.
The man smiled to himself, as he closed his eyes, waiting for the darkness to overtake him.
"I've done what I could. The rest… is up to you… Issei Hyoudou…" the man said, as the darkness finally covered him and the entire dimension.
4th September, Tuesday, about 11:58 am – Kuoh Academy, in the hallway
Now Issei was really late for class. He had been in the bathroom longer than expected. Oh, well. He really had to do some business there.
Issei made his way to the classroom, still thinking about Sally – or more precisely, how he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Earlier, he came to believe that Monique was acting way too suspiciously and even had to do with what happened to Julie, Nathalie and Sally. He may have dismissed it at first, but he still can't completely rule it out either. He didn't know why, but he just did.
Speaking of the girls, something else didn't add up. Why was Sally the only one not acting guilty or cagey – before she disappeared with Julie and Nathalie? Nathalie and Julie obviously had guilty expressions, if his buddies' accounts were anything to go by. So, what about Sally? Why did she… practically vanish along with the other two girls? The two girls were obviously friends with her and they did a lot of things together. So, what were they planning? Or rather, what were they doing that made them… disappear?
Issei sighed. All this thinking is giving him headaches. He was nearing his classroom, trying to figure out what to say to the teacher when he suddenly felt a sudden pain.
Issei flinched back, as he put his hands to his head. What? Why did it hurt?
As Issei regained his bearing, he found himself standing not in the hallway, but at a graveyard. Issei blinked. What was he doing in a graveyard? How on earth did he get here?
He walked around, looking up and down, seeing a lot of graves of all different shapes and sizes. It was there that he saw two tombstones right nest to each other. What he saw on them shocked him.
It was the name of his parents.
Issei was shocked.
What were the names of his parents doing on these tombstones? They couldn't be dead. He saw them earlier, healthy and well. So why…?
Suddenly, he saw an image of himself standing right next to him from the corner of his eye. Issei flinched back in surprise, before he recovered and stared at his other self intently. The other Issei wore the exact same uniform that he did and had the exact same face that Issei did.
"Surprised to see me?" his alternate counterpart asked.
Issei didn't say anything. He just stood there flabbergasted at the fact that there stood another version of himself.
"Hehehe…" his other counterpart chuckled. "I guess it's hard to believe that another version of you can exist. And before you ask, yes. I am you."
Issei still didn't say anything. He stood there in absolute silence, as he tried to find something… anything to say to himself. But… nothing came out. His other counterpart chuckled a bit, only for his face to take on a more serious expression.
"But I'm not here to hold small talk with you. I'm here to ask you: Do you remember?" the other Issei asked, as he looked Issei straight in the eye.
Issei frowned. What was this look-alike talking about? How come he was here? How can something like that be possible?
The other Issei shook his head. "That's not important right now," he said, as if reading his mind. "What is important is: Do you remember?"
Issei frowned harder. Remember what?
At this thought, his counterpart just gestured to the graves of his parents.
"Your promise you made to your parents. And also, the reason for that promise. Do you remember it?" Issei's look-alike asked.
Promise to his parents? What was he talking about? No. He couldn't remember no matter how hard he tried.
"*Sigh* It seems like I have to help you in this department," Issei's double sighed. He went towards Issei and touched the side of his head with his arm. Issei didn't flinch, he just let the double do it, having the feeling that this was meant to help him.
The moment Issei felt the sensation of his double's hands on his face, he suddenly felt something rush to his mind – a vision. It was just like the vision of his parents lying dead before him and their killer killed by Issei himself, lying dead with spine broken. Only this vision was… less abrupt… and far less horrifying.
Issei saw himself standing in front of his parents' tombstones, except that it was night.
1. Flashback
"I won't die so easily! I'll make sure to live on – for your sakes! I've got friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors and all of Kuoh, too! I'll protect them so that nobody will have to go through the pain of losing their loved ones, like I did! I'll get stronger… smarter… working hard to achieve my goals, in order to achieve it!" He turned around and was getting ready to leave.
"Rest assured, mum… dad… I won't disappoint you… This will be the least I could do to atone for my foolish behavior in the past… I'll make you proud… So then…" Issei started walking away.
"Until we meet again…" he whispered.
1. Flashback end
Right after the vision had ended, another vision came upon Issei, which was similar to the first one, except this one took place the day after that.
2. Flashback
"I… I failed you... Even, when I had all this power stored inside me… I still could not save you… Yet, you were able to save me… I'm pretty pathetic, am I not?" Issei said in a self-mocking tone.
"Well, I won't stay weak for long." Issei said before wiping his tears away. "I'll become stronger. I will definitely become stronger. I'll make sure that I'll continue to train with Ddraig, even if it kills me." Issei then turned around and adjusted his school bag.
"I won't disappoint you…"
2. Flashback end
Issei widened his eyes, as his double let go of his face.
He looked at his parents' graves and started to tear up. Now he remembered…
He made those promises because his parents had died, right before his very eyes. He said these things because he had the means to protect his parents and yet had failed to do so.
That is why Issei wanted to become stronger… to make sure no one ever suffered the same fate he did…
But hold up! If his parents had died that night when they came back to the theater why did he still see them alive just earlier today? In fact, that incident never happened at all last night, so how…?
As Issei pondered about it, something in his mind clicked.
Julie's note… the suggestion that they were trapped into a world of illusions… of course…
If one were to take this into consideration, then the memories of his parents' deaths must have been of the real world. And that means…
"So… you finally figured it out," Issei's double said with a grin.
"Yeah, I did…" Issei responded with a nod. "…To be honest, I still have a hard time believing all this."
The double nodded in sympathy. "Yeah, it is. But there's more to it. Do you remember what happened after that? The rest of your remaining memories should be coming back by now."
Issei closed his eyes to remember. Little by little he saw flashback after flashback. At first, they were merely flashbacks, but after a few seconds he actually started remembering them – almost as if his memory was being restored. No, rather that was exactly the case.
The brawl that got him and Matsuda and Motohama suspended, their imprisonment, their fight against a vengeful police officer, their court trial, their internment at Sakabasu Detention Facility and his first meeting with Sally…
Issei smiled warmly at the memories of their coaching sessions together. He remembered how the two of them first kissed. Issei remembered how he and Sally were hopelessly in love with each other and wanted to spend the rest of their days together…
But then… that succubus took her.
Yes, he remembered her.
Issei remembered the news at how Motohama told him the shocking news at how Sally had disappeared – right in front of Motohama's very eyes!
Issei clenched his teeth in anger, as he remembered how he and his friends had fought against the succubus with everything they had. How he and his buddies had narrowly managed to beat her… He should have just killed her when he had the chance!
If he had done that they wouldn't be in this mess!
"Getting all worked up about what could have been won't help you," the other Issei told Issei, as the latter focused away from his brooding and unto his double instead.
"But you can still fix it by getting back into the fight," the alternate Issei told him. He raised his arm into the air slowly and formed a fist, before bringing his fist near his own face, as a show of determination and will to fight. "You know what you must do."
Issei nodded. He focused himself, before raising his arm into and forming a fist just like his counterpart did before him. Then Issei brought his fist near his own face and shouted:
"BOOSTED GEAR!"
At once a green light had shone and a red crimson gauntlet had appeared on his arm, its jewel still glowing brightly. Indeed, it was the Boosted Gear, one of the Longinus, powerful enough to kill gods – and it was back to its host where it belonged.
Out of the Boosted Gear rang a familiar voice.
[Partner. It is good to see you again] Ddraig spoke from the Boosted Gear.
"It's good to see you, too… Ddraig," Issei answered with a smile.
[Indeed. But there's no time to lose. The succubus has us trapped in an illusion and…]
"I know," Issei interrupted. "I remember everything now. Everything from the moment we first met up to this very moment."
[Good] Ddraig responded. [Then you know what you need to do.]
"Yes, I do…" Issei stated with a determined look on his face. "We need to find a way to find the others, take the succubus out and get out of here."
"That's the spirit," the other Issei cheered from the side.
Issei looked back at him. He almost forgot that he had a double standing right next to him.
"Thanks… me…" Issei thanked him, hesitating to speak, since he found it strange to talk to a look-alike.
"Hey, no problem," the other Issei replied with a toothy grin. "I'm always there to help."
"Just one more thing before I leave," Issei told his counterpart, who looked at him with a bit of confusion. "Just… who… are you? And how did you get me here?"
The other Issei scratched his head a bit, before answering. "I'm you, of course. I told you that already. Though I see you want a more specific answer… I am… a part of you… think of me as your… rational side… your conscience, if you will… As for how I got you here… I'm not sure of that myself. I guess someone has been pulling the strings behind the scenes," the other Issei shrugged.
Issei nodded in appreciation. "Thanks again, man. I don't know what I would have done without you."
The other Issei returned the nod, before the scenery around them turned blurry.
Issei looked around bewildered, but the other Issei, who was starting to fade, managed to give Issei some parting words.
"One last thing: When you face off against the succubus, it might be best to dragonize your ears and eyes, too. The succubus likes to hide in the dark. That is why you need all the enhanced sense you need. Take care… Remember your promises… remember your friends… never… give… up…" Issei's personified conscience advised him, as he disappeared and vanished like the mist along with the cemetery.
In its place was now the familiar hallway of Kuoh Academy along with its windows and its doors.
But Issei knew better now.
Getting to class was no longer a priority.
Finding Matsuda and Motohama was.
Issei started to run through the hallway to look for his friends, he also looked out of the windows to see if they were there. Right now, he didn't care if someone would stop him on the way or even discovered his Boosted Gear. All he cared was to end this nightmare.
"Ddraig! Any idea on where Matsuda and Motohama are?" Issei asked the Red Dragon Emperor.
[I don't know. All I know is that we were trapped in a white void, before we flew through a portal that led us out of here. After that, I found myself with you. When I was still held captive, the succubus told me that I would end up returning to you if I had escaped from her prison. I fear that may not be the case for those two, though. The portal could have taken them anywhere] Ddraig answered Issei.
Issei raised his eyebrow at that. "Wait, a white void? A portal? How did you guys even get there in the first place?" Issei asked.
[I'll explain later! Right now, we need to find them, then we'll talk] Ddraig told Issei.
"I understand," Issei said. As he continued down the hallway and down the stairs.
Once he came down the stairs, he rushed out the door to find them.
'Guys, wait for us! We're coming!' Issei thought, hoping that he could find them.
Why you little…
*Ehem* Sorry for taking three weeks, but I guess doing it in two weeks is kind of strenuous. So, perhaps three weeks may be the norm. Either way, I'll make sure that it remains three weeks per chapter release at most.
Anyway, I don't know why. But this story seems to be malfunctioning as of late, so now it's spewing all kinds of garbage today.
I'll fix it soon.
And I mean it. I'll fix this problem soon…
In the meantime, please read and review.
Until then.
Hide Shinyama
