The Lone Vigilante Issei – High School DxD

Hey everyone, it's me Hide Shinyama.

I apologize for taking more than six weeks to finish this epilogue, but in case you have been looking into my profile, you will know that I have been busy writing a paper – and making a video for it, too. It took me quite a lot of effort to finish it in time, but now I'm as good as done.

Then there is college. Exams are coming around early next year, so I have that on my mind.

And also, there were other appointments that took a lot of my time.

Also, although I already wrote the draft weeks ago, I ended up adding a lot of things in the process, so that lengthened the chapter.

Anyway, I apologize for the long wait and hope I get it done faster next time.

Now, on with the epilogue of the Hotel Crisis.

What's it going to be about?

Find out in…

Chapter 40 – Hotel Crisis – Epilogue

7th of October, Wednesday, 5:03 pm – bedroom, in the Trio's apartment

"Ugh…" Issei groaned, as he slowly opened his eyes.

What greeted his eyes was the familiarity of his room and the sight of the evening sun coloring everything in its golden rays.

"What…? How did I… Agh!" Issei winced, as he felt a pang of pain upon his attempt to get up.

His body was aching all over the place and not just that. Issei was covered in bandages from head to foot.

"How… What happened?" Issei asked himself as he inspected his body.

It was then, that the Boosted Gear manifested himself.

[Partner, you're awake! Thank goodness!] Ddraig's relieved voice spoke to him.

"Ddraig… what happened? How am I back in my room…?" Issei asked of Ddraig.

[Motohama and Ryuga brought you back. Took you back on the helicopter. After that, they tended to your wounds] Ddraig explained.

"Ddraig… What time is it?" Issei asked this time.

[Partner, you have been unconscious for four days now. Your usage of the Dragon Scale Mail took a huge toll on your body. I did warn you about this before you used it] Ddraig revealed.

Issei froze in shock. Four days?

Issei quickly looked at the alarm clock on the counter near his bed. Sure enough, it was Thursday, 5 pm. He had been asleep for that long?

But then, Issei's head began to fill up with questions, which he promptly shot out like a machine gun.

"What about the hotel? And Motohama? Ryuga? Matsuda? Sanma? What about the other hostages? The terrorists? What about those parasites? And what of…?"

[Partner, calm down! I cannot answer that many questions all at…] Ddraig interrupted him, only to be interrupted himself by the sound of the door opening.

Turning to see who it was, Issei discovered the forms of Matsuda and Motohama rushing to pounce on him.

""IIISSSSSEEEEIII!"" the two of them cried and landed on Issei with a flop.

"GAAAA- OUCH!" Issei screamed in surprise, then yelped in pain upon being crushed by his best friends.

"Thank goodness you're awake, man!" Motohama cried tears of joy, as he hugged him.

"You've been out for four days and we were wondering if you would ever wake up!" Matsuda cried as well, as he hugged him.

Issei, on the other hand, was not as moved and was about to protest when…

[Wow, you really are gay, if you're going to press your manhood against your bro. Hihihi…] Ddraig quipped and giggled.

With this, all three of them looked at the Boosted Gear in confusion and then became flustered and angry.

"F*** YOU, YOU GLORIFIED DINOSAUR!" Motohama insulted Ddraig.

"STOP MAKING EVERYTHING WE DO LOOK GAY, YOU RED VERSION OF BARNEY THE DINOSAUR!"

[How dare you compare me to those extinct beasts? And who is this 'Barney'?] Ddraig bristled at the insult.

Issei, however, ignored their squabble and promptly protested to Matsuda and Motohama.

"Guys… you're killing me… at this moment… get off…" Issei demanded of the two of them.

Upon seeing Issei's glaring eyes, Matsuda and Motohama got off of Issei and tried to play down their actions.

"We… umm… ehehe…" Matsuda tried to laugh it off.

"We were just… overjoyed, that's all…" Motohama tried to explain while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

After a moment of tense silence, Issei spoke up.

"So, tell me, guys. What happened to the others while I was out?" Issei asked Matsuda and Motohama.

Matsuda and Motohama immediately forgot about their embarrassment when it came to that issue.

"Well, it turned out all right. Most of the hostages in the hotel managed to escape, Sanma and his girlfriends included. It turned out all right, so you don't have to worry," Matsuda assured Issei with his answer.

Issei breathed out a sigh in relief.

"That's good to know," Issei remarked. "What about the perpetrators? Were they caught?"

Matsuda and Motohama shook their heads.

"Unfortunately, not. Ryuga and I searched the whole building, but we couldn't find their leaders. It's like they vanished. The terrorists we could find were all small fries, but they were already dead," Motohama answered this time.

"Dead?" Issei voiced surprised.

Come to think of it, Issei did remember fighting and killing quite a lot of gunmen in the upper floors. Were those really all of them?

But then, Issei realized he had an even more important question to ask.

"That yellow slimy thing, what happened to it? And why were you at the hotel anyway?" Issei demanded with urgency in his voice.

Motohama held up his hands. "Yo, chill! That matter has also been dealt with. The yellow slimy thing is contained inside the hotel and won't be able to get out. Neither will anybody break into it."

Issei was confused. "Huh? What did you guys do?" he asked.

Pointing at himself with his thumb proudly, Motohama explained.

"We made sure that place was quarantined. Thanks to Phoebe, we used the liquid from the dark glue bombs of the Chopping Board Type 2 to cover the entire hotel. It took a while to pour it all around it, but it was worth it. It is now covered in solid jelly and I have to say, it looks like a real piece of art…" Motohama boasted.

Issei couldn't help but feel weirded out by the description.

'A fine piece of art, huh? I've got to check it out later…' Issei thought to himself.

"But anyway…" Matsuda interrupted Issei's thoughts. "Hide-san said we should inform him once you've woken up. He said he wants another meeting. He's got some things to share… you know, about this whole incident…?"

Motohama nodded affirmatively.

Issei took this information in.

"A meeting… huh? And things to share? Sounds interesting… When will it take place?" Issei asked.

Matsuda looked at Issei with a raised eyebrow.

"Didn't you hear me? It will happen as soon as you woke up," Matsuda repeated.

"I know…" Issei made it clear he was paying attention. "I just wanted to know if I could eat something first before it starts. I'm really hungry right now…"

"Oh… I'm sure he'll take his time… so… want some toast? I could bring to you, like bread and breakfast," Matsuda offered.

"No need…" Issei declined.

Issei sat up on his bed, ready to stand up.

"I want to get it myself," Issei said to his buddies.

At first, Matsuda and Motohama wanted to dissuade him from sitting up because of his injuries, but upon seeing him sit up just fine, they were reminded…

…that Issei was a fighter with supernatural powers. He'll be just fine.


7th of October, Wednesday, 5:46 pm – living room, in the Trio's apartment

After eating some breakfast – or dinner really – Issei received a pleasant surprise. Not only did the landlord Shinyama Hide come into the apartment, but so did Ryuga and Sanma. After some expressions of relief and friendly chit-chat, they all sat down on the chairs and sofas of the living room to talk about what happened at the hotel.

"So, now that we've all assembled… let's start the debriefing," Shinyama announced. "Motohama? Ryuga? Can you guys start?"

"With what exactly?" Motohama questioned.

"With how things went on your end that night," Shinyama answered calmly.

"Yeah, sure thing. But… where do we start?" Ryuga asked Shinyama, as he relaxed on the sofa.

"You can start with the part where you and Motohama landed on the roof," Shinyama suggested.

Issei took interest at this. "Come to think about it, yeah! Why were you guys up there on that roof? How did you know I was in trouble?" Issei asked.

"Actually…" Ryuga spoke up, as he sat up straight. "…We didn't. Us coming to your rescue was a lucky coincidence."

This took Issei by surprise until Motohama continued for him.

"Yeah, we saw the fight. We saw you fly up into the sky and then smash into the ground with that Fallen Angel. By the time we landed, it looked nasty. The Fallen Angel was a bloody mess… and you were all covered in blood… and had swollen limbs... Seriously, it looked like you were torn apart by a beast! Then again, Fallen Angels aren't humans…" Motohama remarked the last part to himself. "…Anyway, as I was saying… the reason we were there was for an entirely different reason."

"And that reason was…?" Issei wondered.

"One of the reasons was to rescue the hostages…" Ryuga continued. "…After we put you on the helicopter…"


Flashback – 3rd of October, Thursday, 9:06 pm – 12th floor, Hotel Entertainment

Ryuga and Motohama had made their way down the roof, going through several floors, fully on guard for any threats they might encounter. Motohama had his glue gloves out and his seax in his belt. Ryuga had an umbrella with him and his bandanas around his forehead. Their choice of weapons was very… unorthodox to say the least.

Anyway, while on their way downwards, one thing stood out. And that was that they encountered no one. No sign of terrorists, Fallen Angels or even hostages. Weren't all the places supposed to be guarded? What kind of hostage takeover would leave places unmanned?

They checked every room, but there was no one. Not a soul in sight.

Where were they?

It was only when they got to the 12th floor that they finally encountered people. They found them by hearing the sound of talking. However, the door leading to the room they were in was locked. But for Ryuga, it was no problem.

The hostages were startled upon seeing the door kicked open, revealing Ryuga and Motohama with their weapons out. There was tense silence for a few seconds, as the two boys eyed the room for any attackers. They relaxed when there was none.

"Easy there. We're not with the terrorists. In fact, we're here to rescue you," Motohama assured them.

The hostages, all of them men and women in formal wear, looked at each other with inquiring looks, as if deciding whether to trust those two young men.

Using the opportunity, Ryuga asked the hostages some questions.

"Are you all okay? Are there no terrorists here?" Ryuga asked right of the bat.

The hostages remained silent, since they still remained wary of the two boys.

However, one of the hostages, a man with gray hair, mustered his courage and spoke up.

"First off, we're fine. No deaths or injuries whatsoever. Secondly, no, there are none here," the man answered. "After the quakes and fires that have been raging through the hotel, they all panicked and left the room. I think they fled downstairs. Unfortunately, they locked the doors behind us to make sure we stayed prisoners to the end. We sat there hoping that the worst wouldn't come. Thankfully, it seems like our prayers have been answered."

Ryuga and Motohama looked at each other. That explained the lack of terrorists.

Suddenly, Ryuga froze for a second. He turned pale upon seeing something and pulled his bandana down to cover his eyes.

Motohama was taken aback by Ryuga's abnormal behavior. But Ryuga, apparently still capable of sight, gestured Motohama to go on ahead.

He then proceeded to take over with the next questions.

"Are there any hostages here besides you here?" Motohama asked next.

The man shook his head. "If you mean on this floor, then no. There should be more downstairs. Though I don't know if they survived the tremors and the terrorists."

"That doesn't sound good…" Ryuga remarked.

Motohama sighed. "Unfortunately, but at least we can rescue these hostages. It's still better than nothing," he said to raise his friend's spirits.

Ryuga nodded and Motohama resumed his questions.

"Do you know why those terrorists even seized the hotel in the first place?" Motohama asked the man next.

This time, the man looked around him, indicating that he wasn't sure of the answer himself. The men and women around him either shook their heads or shrugged their shoulders. It seemed none of them knew the answer.

It was then that a tall man with broad shoulders came forward. He had an imposing figure.

"I believe I can answer that question," the man spoke with a voice that gave off authority, contrary to the gray-haired man before him, who spoke in a smoother voice. "But before I answer your question, might I know who you are first?"

Ryuga and Motohama looked at each other unsure at first. Then, they shook their heads.

"We're sorry, but we can't reveal our identities. Please understand," Motohama apologized to the man with politely. "For now, you can call me… ummm… Rescuer M…"

Motohama felt weird after saying this, but he came up with it at the spur of the moment. It was the closest thing he could give to an answer that wouldn't reveal his identity for Shinyama had specifically warned them not to reveal their identities.

Thankfully, the tall man seemed to go along with it.

"Well then, 'Mr. M'. The terrorists told me that they were looking for something in the premises of the hotel. I don't know what it was that they were looking for, though. All I know is that in order to get what they wanted, they needed to seize the hotel and then look for it while everything was under their control," the man answered.

"And why resort to resort to taking hostages?" Motohama asked this time.

"That I don't know. Maybe, because it's in their profession. They are criminals and terrorists after all. Perhaps they also wanted to get some money, while they were at it. After all, they went out of their way to round all of us here," the man gestured at his fellow hostages.

Motohama raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I don't get it. All of you? Why would they gather all of you?"

The man was surprised by this.

"You mean, you don't know who we are? We are the VIPs here. And I am the CEO of the Fumitsu Group, which includes this hotel and the entire complex. My name is Sadao Fumitsu," the man revealed.

Ryuga and Motohama were shocked. These people were big shots. And the man before them was the owner of the hotel, too. They had to admit, they didn't expect this.

But despite this revelation, Motohama knew that now wasn't the time to be in awe. He still had some more things to ask.

"What can you tell us about their leader? Surely, someone important like you must have met the terrorist leader, right?" Motohama asked the CEO.

"Well, of course. Unfortunately, I don't know much about him, except that he was a German with brown hair, a beard and seemed particularly cool on the outside, but ruthless and cold on the inside. His men refer to him as the Boss," CEO Fumitsu explained.

"Okay…" Motohama said.

Inwardly, he cursed. He was hoping to find out more about the Boss' identity, but it seemed like the Boss kept his identity well hidden.

"Oh, I ought to mention this," the CEO suddenly spoke up. "While, the Boss is himself a mysterious figure, the men that were with him were even more mysterious."

This caught Motohama's attention. "What men?" he asked.

"Those men with him stood out. They were wearing heavy coats and were tall and imposing. But what was even stranger was that none of them had guns on them, unlike the other terrorists. I don't know how to explain it, but there was something otherworldly about them…" the CEO described it as well as he could.

"Otherworldly…?" Ryuga looked at Motohama after repeating this.

"It's gotta be them…" Motohama replied with a nod and turned his attention back to the CEO.

"What else can you tell us about the terrorists?" Motohama asked.

"All I can say is that there were many of them, probably a hundred. Maybe even two hundred. They're all armed to the teeth and certainly seemed very professional, especially those mysterious men I told you about. So, be careful when you encounter them," the CEO warned the two of them.

"I see…" Motohama said, after hearing this. With that, all his questions had been answered.

"Go up the staircase and head to the roof. Up there, police helicopters will pick you up soon," Motohama told them and turned his way towards the exit. Ryuga followed right behind him.

"Wait!" the CEO called out to them, causing the boys to stand still. "Aren't you going to accompany us?" he asked on behalf of his fellow hostages.

"We... have other objectives. One of which is to check the lower floors for hostages. Please understand that we can't take care of you all the time," Motohama answered as truthfully as possible without divulging any secret information.

"What if we come across the terrorists? They're still out there," the elderly man asked.

"Don't worry. We checked the upper floors earlier. The coast is clear. You just need to head up straight to the roof. Once there, you'll be safe," Motohama answered the man's question.

The hostages began to talk in hushed but excited whispers. They were going to get out of here! After all these hours of horror and uncertainty… it was finally going to be over!

Motohama and Ryuga were about to leave, but the CEO addressed them one more time.

"Wait, there is something I forgot to mention!" the CEO said.

Motohama and Ryuga stopped once more to listen what he had to say.

"The terrorist Boss asked for the schematics of this place, particularly the foundations. Asked about an old bunker. I don't know if that was what they were looking for, but if it was then they must be looking underneath the hotel foundations," CEO Fumitsu stated.

Motohama turned around to face him. "Can you show us the schematics?" he asked.

"I don't have it on me. But if you want it, then please contact me," the CEO said and reached into his suit pocket.

He pulled out a business card and gave it to Motohama.

"I see… Thank you, sir…" Motohama said after giving it a look. "Now, if everyone would line up. We're ready to leave."

Hearing his announcement, all the hostages headed for the door. Motohama and Ryuga showed them all the way out. After the freed VIPs had thanked the boys and said their goodbyes, Motohama and Ryuga went their way towards the staircase leading to the next floor down below.

Just after they turned around the corner, however…

"I know it is you… Ryuga Nabiki… Ohohohoho…" the voice of a young woman laughed.

Motohama turned around to see who it was, but nobody could be seen.

"What was that all about?" Motohama wondered.

Looking at Ryuga, he became even more confused when he saw Ryuga sweating nervously, yet sighing in relief after walking a good distance away. He pulled the bandana from his eyes back to his forehead.

"Ryuga…?" Motohama asked with a frown, demanding an answer.

"Let's check downstairs…" Ryuga said, trying to distract from the issue, quickening his pace.


Flashback end

"Good question. What was that even all about?" Issei asked of Ryuga, the latter who was still a bit white in his face.

Strangely, Sanma also looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Well?" Issei demanded, expecting an answer.

Silence pervaded through the room until Ryuga spoke up.

"Remember the girl in the leotard that appeared a few backs back while we were having classes?" Ryuga asked Issei.

Issei, Matsuda and Motohama frowned at this and Matsuda was the first to answer.

"Of course. Who could forget that chick? I really liked her black long hair in a pony-tail and her leotard. She was kind of loony but also kind of ho- Wait a minute…" Matsuda then connected the dots. "You're not saying that…?"

Both Ryuga and Sanma nodded with stoic expressions.

"That girl was Komachi Kono. For whatever reason she has a thing for Sanma here and constantly stalks him. And when I say stalking, then I mean it in the most extreme sense…" Ryuga said, while fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat.

"And… what does that involve?" Issei asked, uneasy at the direction of where this was going.

"It involves things like… drugging… stealing items from his possessions, attacking her other love rivals from getting closer to Sanma… Basically anything as long as she gets Sanma here," Ryuga pointed at Sanma with his thumb.

"Sanma, is this true?" Motohama asked him.

Sanma said nothing. But he nodded quickly, giving them the answer that they needed.

"I guess we ought to watch out for her in the future…" Motohama remarked to the other boys.

"But… why was she even there at the hotel in the first place?" Issei asked.

"Beats me. All I know is she's filthy rich. Has a villa and servants and even a pet called green alligator. Someone like her would have no problem becoming a VIP," Ryuga explained.

The trio nodded, unsure how to take in this… bizarre information.

Shinyama coughed, getting everyone's attention.

"If you don't mind. Could you please continue?" Shinyama asked of Ryuga and Motohama.

"Oh yeah, yeah… anyway…" Motohama continued the tale.


Resuming flashback

On their way down to the 1st floor, Motohama and Ryuga came across multiple hostages inside the rooms where they had been kept. Similar to the VIPs in the 12th floor, they also had experienced the huge quake. Moreover, their captors, whether it be their leaders or rank-and-file members, had also fled. They probably never expected such a situation when they stormed the place.

Thankfully, the lights were still working or else they would have a more difficult time finding everyone.

Many of the hostages were relieved and thanked the two boys from the bottom of their hearts. Some even went out of their way to search for other hostages. After they had gathered together, Motohama and Ryuga told them to head to the roof where the VIPs were, saying the police will pick them up from there. They seriously warned them to not go downstairs, saying that the entrances were blocked and escape through there wasn't possible. After the hostages left, Motohama picked up a call from Matsuda.

"How are things on your end?" Motohama asked through his watch.

"Doing great. Phoebe sure is amazing. I didn't know she could produce that much glue!" Matsuda said through the line.

Motohama couldn't help but chuckle. "You know the way you talk about her… Why am I thinking that she's your wife?" Motohama wondered aloud.

"Hey! Take that back!" Matsuda protested. "No way I'll ever look her that way!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Motohama snickered, before getting back to business. "How much of the building has been covered?"

"So far, all four sides are being covered as we speak. All that's left are the side buildings on the ground floor," Matsuda replied.

"Yeah, you got that right…" Motohama said, as he looked at the dark gluey liquid flowing down the windows of hallway.

Why all that glue, you may ask? Well, before they had left, Shinyama had told given them four tasks, three for Motohama and Ryuga and one for Matsuda.

The first one was rescuing the hostages. That was Motohama's and Ryuga's job.

The second job was to defeat all remaining hostage-takers. There didn't seem any need for that task thus far.

The third job was to seal the building. That was Matsuda's job. With the help of the Chopping Board Type 2, Matsuda could use the glue bomb function to seal the entrances and the walls. Sealing the entrances was easy. All he had to do was drop a huge glue cube in front of the entrances. He almost ended up hitting bystanders, but nothing too serious.

As for the walls, that was a bit more difficult, though thankfully Phoebe had given him a way. The dark glue producing machinery at the bottom of the helicopter could not only shoot bullets or drop glue bombs, but also let it flow like hot chocolate after being poured out.

Because of that, the sealing of the entire hotel building was about to succeed.

And why the need to seal the building? Well, that was related to the fourth job.

The fourth job being…

"How are the hostages?" Matsuda asked Motohama.

"All good. We've checked all the rooms and found them all. Most of them are fine and will live another day. I sent them up to the roof," Motohama answered.

"That's good to hear. Wish you luck on that last job," Matsuda said to his friend.

"Yeah…" Motohama said, taking a somber tone before hanging up.

Motohama turned to Ryuga. "Let's go. It's time," he said.

"Yeah…" Ryuga affirmed. They both headed downstairs.

By the time they got to the ground floor, it was dark and eerily quiet.

"Man, this is it… get ready…" Ryuga whispered and readied himself.

Motohama nodded and did the same.

The two boys watched each other's backs, even as they moved forward, looking for their objective.

There were no sounds, nor any sign of life. It was like a graveyard and they had a fairly good idea why that was the case.

When they rescued the hostages on the first floor, they were told by some of them that after their captors had escaped the sound of gunfire and screaming could be heard downstairs. It sounded like they were being massacred or something.

The hostages had no idea what was behind all of this, but Ryuga and Motohama did.

And that lead them to the fourth job on their list.

Motohama pointed at something up ahead. They approached it and discovered a morbid sight.

"Oh goodness…" Motohama whispered in horror.

Ryuga said nothing, but also had a look of shock on his face.

It was dark, but they saw it clearly. What they saw was a corridor of dead terrorists, laying there mutilated and bloodied with terror on their dead faces. It looked like they had been slashed and pierced by something – something sharp.

"Could it be…?" Ryuga asked Motohama.

"It's possible…" Motohama answered with a nervous gulp.

They really wanted to back out and head home. But Shinyama had told them it was vital that they do this, so… they didn't have much of a choice.

Taking out a smartphone, Ryuga began to film everything.

Now, normally, Ryuga wouldn't want to film something like that. But Shinyama had (for whatever reason) instructed them to take footage of what was to come. A morbid mission, but a necessity for the mission.

The boys followed the trail of dead corpses, which lead them all the way through hallways and towards the swimming pool area. It was there that they heard the sound of gunshots.

[BANG!] [BANG!] the shots echoed in the hallway.

Ryuga and Motohama gave each other a look and ran towards the hallway, leading to the swimming pool. They arrived at the pool hall and saw a number of gunmen lying dead and bloodied in and around the indoor pool. All around, the pool was slowly being dyed red.

At the other end of the pool from where the two boys were standing, they saw two figures. One was a Fallen Angel. The other was one of the last surviving gunmen doing his best to stay alive. He had a gun in his hands, but was slumped against the wall and bleeding from his stomach. Moreover, he trembled even as he fired.

[BANG!] The bullet flew but was blocked by a magical barrier.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" the man cried hysterically.

But the Fallen Angel remained emotionless. He simply summoned a light spear and cut off his head.

Motohama and Ryuga looked away. But the cries of death could still be heard.

With a turn of his head, the Fallen Angel looked at the boys, who jumped back in fright.

"G-g-get ready!" Ryuga put away his smartphone and took a martial arts stance, even as he suppressed the fear within him.

"Y-y-yeah…" Motohama responded and got his glue gloves ready for action.

"I'll distract him! Pin him down with glue and then we can finish him off!" Ryuga told him of his plan.

"Got it!" Motohama called out.

Both of them split away, as the Fallen Angel threw his light spear at them barely missing them by inches.

Summoning another spear, the Fallen Angel went for Ryuga first.

"HA!" Ryuga swung his umbrella as a weapon and parried the spear.

Although fencing wasn't Ryuga's specialty, Ryuga had a decent amount of experience in it to fight off weapon-users. Using dodges and his special umbrella (which weighed about ten times that of a normal umbrella and was meant to be used as a weapon) he fought to stall the Fallen Angel for time.

But the Fallen Angel was adept. He made many attacks that came close to injuring Ryuga. Plus, his wings gave him a tactical advantage, since he could use them to fly or move around at high speed.

Now, it was Motohama's turn. While Ryuga was still fighting the Fallen Angel, Motohama used this chance to sneak up from behind and…

"Take this!"

…throw a dark glue bomb, covering his wings in dark glob. With his wings immobilized, the Fallen Angel fell forward, leaving him vulnerable to Ryuga's attack.

"You fell for it! Now go to hell!" Ryuga cried and sent his umbrella crashing into the Fallen Angel's skull.

His skull was turned into a bloody mess and the enemy was defeated.

Ryuga and Motohama could finally relax.

"That was too easy…" Ryuga remarked, as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Yeah. You really held your own back there, didn't you?" Motohama commented.

Ryuga chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I did…"

Just then, Motohama received a call.

"Where are you guys?" Matsuda's voice could be heard from the other end of the line.

"We're in the swimming pool place," Motohama replied. "We found a number of dead terrorists on the way and a Fallen Angel. Ryuga and I just defeated the Fallen Angel and to be honest, I was expecting more of a fight from them."

"What about that slime? The one that shapeshifts?" Matsuda asked this time.

"That thing? Still looking for it," Motohama answered. "Don't know where it's hiding."

"Be careful. From what Issei told me that thing is supposed to be dangerous. It's to be contained in this building at all cost. That's why I'm sealing off the building and you're assigned to snap a picture of it," Matsuda reminded him.

"I don't get it. I mean, while I also believe it's dangerous, why do we have to close it off from the outside world – and take pictures of it, too?" Motohama wondered.

"No idea. But if Hide-san says so, there must be a good reason behind it, right?" Matsuda reasoned.

"I guess…" Motohama said.

"Anyway, I just finished gluing up all the buildings connected to the hotel. All that's left is the swimming pool hall. I'm coming to get you," Matsuda said.

"Yeah, I'll see you soon. Over and out," Motohama ended the call and then suddenly…

"What the… BEHIND YOU!" Ryuga cried out.

Motohama swirled around to see what Ryuga meant and saw the dead body of the Fallen Angel transform into yellow slime, which shone eerily in the dark.

"That thing… this must be it!" Motohama pointed at the yellow monstrosity in shock.

"Issei was right. That thing does shapeshift…" Ryuga remarked in awe and fear.

And if that was true, then that also meant that it could devour whatever it touches.

They backed away slowly, moving further towards the emergency exit. Ryuga took out his smartphone and started to film it. Motohama readied to throw glue bombs. At the same time, they both prepared themselves to fight and flee.

"Get ready…" Ryuga said, even as he filmed the yellow slime.

And then, it made its move towards them.

"NOW!" Ryuga cried out.

Motohama threw the glue cubes and enveloped the thing in glue.

Both of them ran out through the emergency exit and shut the door behind them.

They looked back through the glass to see that the yellow slime had remained inside the gluey substance.

Both of them sighed. That was a relief… until it started to slowly drag itself with the dark pile of glue towards the pool.

"Umm… say what happens if your glue comes in contact with water?" Ryuga asked, as he continued his filming.

"Umm… no clue?" Motohama shrugged even as he watched the peculiar sight before him.

The blob of glue fell into the water. Then they could make out that the yellow slime was thrashing and shaking off clumps off the dark glue off its body one by one. And then they were all gone.

"Oh… crap…" Motohama cursed and backed away fearfully.

"Any bright ideas?" Ryuga asked Motohama.

"Ummm… I…" Motohama tried to find an answer, but found himself tongue-tied.

The yellow slime was just about to approach them when they saw something falling down before them.

"WAH!" "NO!" both of them screamed in surprise.

A giant blob of dark glue had just covered the emergency exit. In fact, they just noticed that the whole building was covered in tough sticky glue.

"Wait, dark glue…?" Motohama said and turned his sight upward.

"Oh, thank goodness…" Ryuga said, as he looked into the sky and beheld the sight of the Chopping Board Type 2 descending towards them.

As soon as it landed, Motohama and Ryuga got in.

"Matsuda, thank goodness you're here!" Motohama said with a relieved voice.

"Yeah, really appreciate it. You came just in time, man!" Ryuga said.

"No problem, guys. Did you guys accomplish the mission?" Matsuda asked of them.

Motohama made an OK sign with his hand.

"And you?" Motohama asked back.

"Also, went well. All the places have been glued tight. Nothing is coming in or out of that place. Great job. All we have to do is get Issei back and the mission will be complete," Matsuda answered.

"How is he?" Ryuga asked, as he looked at the back seats where Issei lay.

"Not good. But something tells me that he won't die this easily," Matsuda remarked.

Good. With everything done here, they thought everything was over. Only…

"It landed here!"

"Toyko Police Department freeze!"

A squad of policemen with guns out entered the premises. What's worse was the fact that police helicopters were flying above them. Thankfully, it was dark or else they would have been identified.

"Dang it!" Ryuga swore. "This was not how it was supposed to go!"

"Phoebe, we're in! Take off!" Matsuda said to the helicopter A. I.

{Roger. Taking off immediately} Phoebe's monotone voice were a source of comfort for their ears, followed by the movement of the helicopter, taking off.

"They're taking off! Fire!" the police ordered from below.

[PING!] [PANG!] [PING!]

The sound of bullets hitting the Chopping Board Type 2 could be heard. Ryuga hastily shut the doors before planning their next course of action.

"Police choppers are chasing us! Shake them!" Motohama told Matsuda.

"What do you think I'm doing, genius?" Matsuda replied back annoyed. "Phoebe, full speed ahead."

{Roger, captain} Phoebe replied and the chopper flew full speed into the night sky with three police helicopters in pursuit.


Flashback end

"How did you lose them?" Issei wanted to know.

Matsuda whipped his head, as if he had a mane to show off.

"I'm good!" Matsuda replied as he struck a pose, making everybody laugh. "But in all seriousness, it wasn't easy. We had to head into the outskirts of Tokyo, land and then shrink the helicopter. We all ended up carrying you through fields and forests just to avoid the cops. After we got a good distance away from them, we grew the size of the helicopter and flew back here using a long detour."

That part took Issei off guard. They took that long of a detour? He looked at Ryuga and Motohama.

"It really happened that way," Ryuga answered seriously.

"Yeah, and I was so pooped that night, I slept until afternoon," Motohama admitted.

"…And you didn't get caught?" Issei asked them skeptically.

They all shook their heads.

"Nope. As for you, you were in a coma. We wanted to call an ambulance, but then Shinyama told us not to and let you recover in bed instead. We carried you there. And that's the story on how you got here," Motohama told Issei, finishing his side of the story.

With that, Issei's curiosity was satisfied and he turned his attention to Sanma.

"How did things go on your end? You told me you rescued some hostages?" Issei asked.

Sanma nodded and told in detail how he fought the terrorists in the concert hall, then how he had fought a Fallen Angel named Zaavan in the fashion hall, killed him and freed the hostages. He mentioned the fact that the Fallen Angels were using their human colleagues for their ends and then toss them aside once their goals had been reached. The boys frowned in disgust. Then, he mentioned how he came across the yellow slimes and had to detonate the explosives on the way out. Sanma finished his tale about how he got Ukyu and everyone out in the nick of time.

"You blew it up? That's sweet! You destroyed the… Oh wait! There's more than one of them…" Issei remembered, which dampened his enthusiasm.

"Unfortunately," Sanma shook his head. "But thankfully, the other guys managed to seal the hotel shut, so at least we won't be seein' those things for a while. And we were especially lucky to be out when that explosion came from within the hotel."

"But hey!" Ryuga suddenly cut in. "What about Nakane and Cat Fu. They've been feeling down for quite some time now. What happened there, huh?"

"What about 'em, pig boy?" Sanma retorted rudely.

The two got ready to fight, but Matsuda and Motohama quickly stepped in.

"Easy, easy… But that's a good question. What about you and them? You told me that they were angry about your two-timing scheme and didn't want to talk to you. So… any improvements?" Matsuda asked Sanma.

"You were… what!?" Ryuga voiced in outrage at what he just heard and jumped from his seat. "You were two-timing again? No scratch that, three-timing is the word! You were hanging out with the Ukyu, too, weren't you?" Ryuga demanded an answer and got into Sanma's face.

"I… was… not!" Sanma retorted back angrily and arose from his seat.

Issei and Motohama quickly restrained Ryuga and forced him back, while Matsuda did the same for Sanma.

"Calm down, guys! We're getting off topic here," Shinyama spoke up and sought to put aside their conflicts for the moment. "I know you two have love problems…"

"What!? What are you talking about!?" Ryuga denied with an embarrassed blushing face.

"…But…" Shinyama continued, ignoring Ryuga's protests. "…that is a problem you guys can settle after this meeting. Right now, there are more important matters to discuss. In fact, I have one matter to ask. You mentioned something about those plans these Fallen Angels had. Can you tell me more?"

With this, all tension slowly died down. Ryuga sat back down and Sanma followed him in doing the same. They glared at each other, but decided to leave it be for now. Sanma proceeded to shrug in response.

"That guy didn't tell me much. Just that they were looking for resources… although wait…" Sanma stopped speaking when he remembered something.

"What is it?" Shinyama inquired.

"When I mentioned those yellow monstrosities, he laughed and said something like… 'So that's what is going on'. I don't know, but somethin' tells me those yellow slimes are what these guys are looking for…"

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. But then Motohama raised an objection.

"Hold on. When I asked the CEO that day, he told me they were looking for a bunker underneath the hotel. If that's what they were looking, then why would they look for those yellow slimy things?" Motohama asked Sanma.

"Yeah, he raises a good point. Plus, those slimes killed so many of them. Why would anybody want to look for them? It's like asking for death," Matsuda reasoned.

Sanma just shrugged his shoulders. How was he supposed to know what they were thinking?

"Well, one thing is for sure. Both the Fallen Angels and the terrorists are looking for the same thing. If they are looking for an old bunker in the hotel and they also know what these yellow slimes are and somehow connect the dots because of them, then…" Shinyama reasoned.

"…that would mean that those yellow creatures are related to what they're looking for, right?" Issei finished Shinyama's conclusion.

"Correct…" Shinyama nodded and smiled at Issei's logical thinking.

"Hold on a minute! Why would anybody want to look for these things? I mean it's obvious that those things can kill people in the masses. Why on earth look for them?" Matsuda pointed out once again.

"I didn't say that that was what they were looking for," Issei objected to Matsuda's reasoning. "I was saying that they are related to what the terrorists and Fallen Angels were looking for. And those things have something to do with that bunker."

"But where is that bunker? And what could be in there that would make them take over a hotel and kill innocents, not to mention lose their lives in the process – other than yellow slime?" Ryuga asked this time.

His answer was met with silence. Nobody knew. It could only be speculated what they were looking for.

"Speaking of those jerks. What happened to them?" Issei asked.

Shinyama decided to answer that question. "Gone. I presume they teleported themselves from that place using magic. Fallen Angels are capable of that after all."

"What about the hostages? I was told the hostages were alright when I woke up," Issei queried next.

"That's true…" Shinyama said, his voice becoming somber. "Unfortunately, not all of them came out alive. Many of the witnesses reported the terrorists killing hostages for sport. I'm sure you guys… probably know this by now…"

The boys all looked away or looked to the floor in shame or regret, especially Sanma and Issei. They remembered all the people that had died before their very eyes.

They did what they could, but it felt like it wasn't enough. How many lives could they have saved, had they come a few seconds earlier? What could they possibly tell their families about their failure to save them?

Shinyama sighed and took a moment of silence for the dead.

After the time had finished, he spoke to the boys.

"Guys, despite all that has happened. You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened. You guys did what you could. You gave it your all and saved those hundreds of hostages. I'm sure they won't fault you for it. Heck, you saved the whole world because of what you accomplished back there. All of you," Shinyama addressed them all.

The boys didn't say a word, despite Shinyama's comforting words.

Shinyama sighed again and stood up from his seat. He walked over to Ryuga.

"You got what I asked for?" Shinyama asked of Ryuga.

Ryuga neither replied, nor looked up. He was still feeling down. Nevertheless, he responded by taking out his smartphone and unlocking it. He opened the photo gallery and then opened a particular video.

Then, he played it.

As the sound came from the smartphone, the other guys looked up curiously. They walked up behind Ryuga one by one to take a look. At first, they flinched when they saw the dead bodies and wondered why they were playing such morbid videos at a time like this. And then, they recognized Motohama in the footage. They realized that this was footage of Motohama's and Ryuga's operation in action and became hooked, their attention completely focused on the events of the video.

The screams could be heard and the gunshots. This brought them more discomfort and even more so when they saw the video of the Fallen Angel about to kill the terrified terrorist in it.

And in that instant, Sanma widened his eyes and spoke up.

"Hey, stop it! Stop right there!" Sanma called out.

Everybody was startled by Sanma's outburst, but managed to halt it just before the Fallen Angel killed the terrorist.

"That's that Fallen Angel I fought back earlier!" Sanma declared. "He was already betraying them back then?"

Everybody looked at Sanma in shock and confusion.

"Huh? You mean that was him?" Motohama asked with a frown and looked at the Fallen Angel again. "But hold on, you said you fought and killed that Fallen Angel before the explosion, right?"

Sanma scratched his head a bit and then nodded.

"But everything you see here took place long after the explosion," Motohama pointed out.

"Huh!?" Sanma was stunned. He was pretty sure that he died after being impaled by his attacks, so how was that possible?

"And that's not all. Take a look at the next video. Remember how we said that he transformed into the yellow slime? Well, this is how it looked like. Ryuga show it," Motohama said to Ryuga.

Ryuga swiped to move to the next video. In it, they saw the destroyed body of the Fallen Angel transform and move towards them.

Issei recognized it instantly. "Oh, boy…" Issei covered his mouth in shock. "…it shapeshifted into a Fallen Angel…"

"But how?" Sanma asked perplexed. "How does it do that? And what kind of freak of nature is that anyway?"

"I feared the worst…" Shinyama said, catching everyone's attention. "…I was hoping this wasn't the case, but it is. Luckily, we had that place quarantined and sealed air-tight or else we would have had a catastrophe."

"What do you mean?" Ryuga asked with narrowed eyes.

"Well, it's like this…" Shinyama started to explain. "…the reason I told you boys to film those creatures was for me to confirm what kind of creatures they were. And it seems I was right on the money."

"Wait. Do ya know what those things are?" Sanma asked with interest, leaning closer.

Shinyama nodded. "Yes, allow me to explain. Those yellow things you just saw are known as X-parasites."

"X… parasites?" Matsuda wondered.

"Yes. They are the worst kind of enemy to come across," Shinyama continued his explanation. "As you have already witnessed, they can devour their prey and transform themselves into them. Not only that, but they are also capable of mimicking them perfectly, save for emotions, feelings and language. Because of their transformation and mimicry abilities, they can adapt to any environment and every situation."

"I can imagine. With those kinds of abilities," Matsuda remarked with a shrug.

"It gets even worse," Shinyama continued. "…because they can reproduce themselves asexually through cell division. If it hadn't been for you guys sealing them in your special glue, the X-parasites would have endangered the world. They would overwhelm it by sheer numbers with no one being able to stop it. Even worse, is that they can become as powerful and smart as whatever creature they mimic. You were lucky you guys ran. If you hadn't, you would have been infected and once that happens…"

The boys turned pale at what they just heard.

"So, what you're saying is that if we hadn't done what we did back there… the whole world… would have…" Motohama whispered in horror.

"Yup," Shinyama answered firmly. "That's why I said that you guys may have saved the world."

"Oh, goodness…" Matsuda whispered in horror.

"And to think that we were focusing only on how to the rescue hostages and take down terrorists…" Ryuga remarked with widened eyes.

"That's really…" Sanma said, leaving the sentence hanging there in shock.

"But… where do these creatures come from? And… how do you know about them?" Issei asked of Shinyama.

"Well… let's just say that I am an expert in… otherworldly knowledge…" Shinyama said cryptically.

"Otherworldly…?" Issei wanted to ask, but Shinyama quickly spoke on.

"But there are other things to worry about and that's also why I assembled you guys here. To warn you about what is to come," Shinyama said seriously.

"Like what?" Issei asked wearily. He had enough on his plate as it is.

"It's best you sit down, guys. It's going to take a while to explain," Shinyama told them.

The boys went back to their seats and were all ears.

"Now, there are two things I have to tell you. One, is all the media attention you guys received," Shinyama pointed out.

"Media…?" Issei asked surprised.

"Oh, yeah… that…" Sanma nodded with a smug smile. "I remember the cameramen and journalists begging me tell my side of the story. Not everything they asked was good, but I liked it. What about it?"

"I wanted to warn you guys about what the aftermath of the incident means for you. Now, that the world knows about your exploits, those who take interest in you will know where to find you," Shinyama said to them.

"So…?" Sanma wondered what the problem was.

"When I talk about those who take interest in you, I mean people with no good intentions. And that is especially true for you, Issei," Shinyama looked straight at Issei.

"Me?" Issei pointed at himself. "Why me?"

"Because of what happened at the hotel. Ddraig told me about what happened while you were unconscious and why you were unconscious," Shinyama explained.

"Huh?" Issei became even more confused. What was he talking about?

"Now that you mention it..." Motohama said. "…you haven't told us what happened on your end."

"Yeah, what were you doing back there at the hotel? And why were you in such a bad shape when we got to you?" Matsuda asked as well.

Issei proceeded to explain his side of the story. He talked about how he went up the floors, saved hostages and then encountered five Fallen Angels. This shocked everyone, including Sanma, who had a tough time dealing with one Fallen Angel. After that, Issei explained how he blasted out two, fought a running battle through the floors with the remaining three and a number of gunmen, before being driven to use the last resort.

"I don't remember what exactly happened, though I do remember summoning the Dragon Scale Mail and I felt invincible. Ddraig told me I had seven seconds until the backlash from its use hits. I ended up killing the Fallen Angels within seven seconds. And then I found myself on the roof. I felt like my entire body was overcome by painful cramps. Then, I lost consciousness and the rest you guys know," Issei finished his narration.

After hearing this, Sanma, Ryuga, Matsuda and Motohama were astounded.

"You did all that on your own?" Matsuda whispered in disbelief. "So, all those tremors and beams we saw back then. That was you?"

Issei nodded.

"That's… awesome…" Ryuga remarked in awe.

"I already thought you were strong before, but now? How much powerful could you possibly get?" Matsuda wondered in amazement.

[A whole lot more. And I mean a whole lot more. At the height of my power, I had the power to challenge gods. One day my host here will be able to do the same] Ddraig spoke proudly, as the Boosted Gear manifested itself.

"If that's true, then Issei here might be able to take on the whole world someday. Nobody could stop him," Sanma said, while grinning and triumphantly making a victory sign.

"Yes, that's true in a way," Shinyama acknowledged. "However, it's a long way until then. And until then… well… that brings me to the heart of the issue..."

"What do you mean?" Issei asked.

In response, Shinyama tossed a newspaper in front of Issei with headlines "Figure in Red Identified?".

Issei opened the paper and skimmed through the article. Basically, it talked about a possible discovery of a figure in red armor and another figure being held in a bear hug, while rising up into the sky and then descending above the hotel. Issei also saw the images taking from the ground by reporters. He realized that although it was night at that time, they could see him because the Dragon Scale Mail shone bright red.

Issei's face turned pale.

"I think you realize what I'm trying to tell you with this…" Shinyama said to Issei.

Issei said nothing. He remained there, staring at the newspaper in his hands.

"Now, when I talked about people with bad intentions, I don't just mean the Fallen Angels and those German terrorists. I'm talking about the wider supernatural world. I'm sure Ddraig has already told you about famous he and his past hosts have been. Well, those in the supernatural world will definitely be coming for you. They know you are in Tokyo and they are capable of sensing you. So, I'd suggest you lay low for a while," Shinyama warned Issei.

Issei nodded once. He was still a bit stunned by the information he had just received.

The other boys looked at Issei with concern and so did Shinyama. However, he had to continue for he still had more to say.

"As for the other thing I wanted to warn you about…" Shinyama continued. He wanted to say some more, but then hesitated for a moment, as though unsure about whether to say this.

All the boys noticed this. Even Issei who had been in his own world had broken from his stupor and had his eyes on his landlord.

"I have a confession to make…" Shinyama resumed, deciding to muster up his courage. "I… wasn't honest with you about that green jellyfish from a few weeks ago. Truth is, I knew what that thing was."

Sanma and Motohama looked at Shinyama confused. Issei wrinkled his eyebrows quizzically. But Matsuda and Motohama immediately widened their eyes.

"Wait! You knew all along?" Matsuda voiced incredulously.

"Why did you hide it?" Motohama demanded to know.

"What are you guys talking about?" Issei asked.

"It's about that green jellyfish we encountered at the Arakawa river. You know? That night we fought the Fallen Angels the first time?" Matsuda reminded him.

It was at that that Issei remembered. "Oh yeah… now I remember… You guys had made a crash landing with a Fallen Angel in hot pursuit. You guys even had Nakane with you on board that time…" Issei recounted.

"Yeah, I remember Nakane bein' all quiet and looking traumatized at that time. She never told me what happened, but… ya're telling me it had something to do with those… jellyfish?" Sanma asked, his curiosity growing at what Shinyama had to say.

"Yes, I didn't want to say it, since I didn't want you guys to get involved in those matters. But it seems that now things are getting out of hand, so I guess now the time is ripe," Shinyama answered them.

"Ripe for what?" Ryuga asked this time, also intrigued at where Shinyama was taking this conversation.

"The truth…" Shinyama said ominously. "The truth about the Metroids."

"Metroids? Is that what it's called?" Issei asked for clarification.

"That's right. The Metroids are creatures that may jellyfish but they are completely different species. Unlike jellyfish, they don't live in water but can float in the air. They feed by latching onto their prey with their fangs and sucking them dry. You two," Shinyama looked at Matsuda and Motohama. "…have already witnessed it do that, haven't you?"

Matsuda and Motohama suddenly remembered that horrifying scene playing in their minds. The desperate cries of the Fallen Angel echoed in their memories. The sight of her voices growing weaker, even as she tried to claw it off her head. Her voice growing weaker and weaker… and then turning into dust…

"Guys?"

"Dude? Are you okay?"

Ryuga shook Matsuda by the shoulder, while Issei did the same for Motohama.

Both of them had shaken out of their traumatized daze and nodded.

"I'm fine, I just had some uncomfortable flashbacks…" Motohama answered.

"Thanks, man…" Matsuda thanked Ryuga.

Shinyama sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't want to bring up any uncomfortable memories there…" he apologized.

"It's… no problem…" Motohama played it down. "But… you were saying?"

Seeing that all was more or less well, Shinyama resumed. "As I was saying, the Metroids can kill their victims by draining them. They are a danger on par to the x-parasites. Now, thankfully they don't reproduce asexually, so there's no need to worry about an outbreak any time soon. However, they too need to be dealt with as well. They come from another world…"

"Another world? You mean like the supernatural world?" Issei asked, as he poured himself a cup of water to drink.

"No, a completely different one. A world, which shouldn't even be in contact with this one at all. Normally, a creature like this shouldn't be here. However, the day after that fight you guys had with the Fallen Angels at the Tengu house, I did some snooping," Shinyama revealed.

"What kind of snooping?" Motohama asked this time.

"You fought at a storage room of the Bonsai Mart back then, didn't you?" Shinyama asked Issei.

"Yeah, I did. So?" Issei asked.

"I checked the security cameras at that time to make sure to obscure footage of you, so as to prevent police from using it to nab you. While looking at it, I saw this," Shinyama said as pulled out his smartphone.

He proceeded to show a video, showing the inside of the storage room at a certain angle. It was empty with only boxes and crates being there. Other than a few fallen down boxes and strewn contents it showed nothing abnormal. This must have happened after the fight. And then, they saw something like an egg crack and then floating away. Upon close look they saw…

"That jellyfish! That…!" Motohama cried out startled.

"Exactly. It's a Metroid. Live footage of a Metroid. There's good reason to presume that this is the same one you came across that night, unless there are others like this one," Shinyama reasoned.

"Others like this one…" Matsuda repeated, as he shuddered at the thought.

"I looked at the box from which the egg fell out from. It wasn't even meant to be at the Bonsai Mart," Shinyama pointed out. "It was meant to go someplace else, but what was interesting was who sent it."

"Who did?" Issei asked as he took a sip.

"A janitor working for Hotel Entertainment," Shinyama revealed.

"Seriously!?" Ryuga asked surprised.

"Man, the world is small…" Sanma remarked off-handedly.

"I asked him just yesterday about it. He said he found the egg in the cellar while checking underground water pipes. The man said he found it lying near his feet more than two weeks ago. He didn't know what to do with it, so he had it sent to a friend of his, who works as a zoologist. So much for that I guess…" Shinyama shrugged.

"So… what are you saying…?" Issei asked, unsure as to what his point was.

"I'm saying that the Metroid and the x-parasites came to this world using the same way at the same place. I don't know what it is or where it is, but I know this. It's in the underground of that hotel. And I believe that bunker the terrorists mentioned and their goals are all related to the appearance of the Metroids and the x-parasites," Shinyama concluded. "Now, any questions?"

None of them said a word for a while. It seemed like they were trying to make sense of it.

And then, Ddraig spoke up.

[So, what should we do next?] Ddraig asked.

"First, Issei, you need to recover. You need to be at full strength when the time comes. Secondly, we need to deal with the Metroid larva and make sure it doesn't cause anymore harm to humans. Thirdly, be on your guard for any and all supernatural creatures. They are everywhere. And lastly, you guys will need to watch all news regarding the now sealed-off Hotel Entertainment. Whatever happens, it must remain sealed. Nobody is allowed to break in or remove the dark glue. The x-parasites must not be allowed to leave the building. Got it?" Shinyama asked them.

All the boys nodded firmly.

"When I have a need for you guys, I'll call you. That will be all," Shinyama dismissed them all.

With that, Shinyama left the apartment, leaving the five boys to their own devices.

After a few seconds, Matsuda suddenly realized something. He looked at the others and asked, "Wait, did he just say it was a larva?"


7th of October, Wednesday, 6:53 pm – somewhere in Scandinavia

Normally, he would never watch TV, but this time he was glad he did. After finishing a fantasy movie (out of boredom), he unintentionally ended up switching the channel and coming across the news. And in doing so, he came across the following reports.

"Reports about two teenagers saving CEO Fumitsu and many VIPs from captivity. The CEO sends out a statement of sincere thanks to the young rescuers."

"A young martial artist Sanma Raotome saves hundreds. In an interview with our reporters, he says 'It was nothing much'."

"Female Martial Artist Cat Fu is described to have defeated terrorists 'like in the movies' say witnesses."

"A mysterious helicopter drops illogical amounts of unknown purple glob all over the Hotel Entertainment Complex. Everything is sealed tight and nobody can break through it. The helicopter was also described to be operated by unknown men who managed to escape to the outskirts. Inspector Kogoro reports it all being 'one crazy event after the next'."

"Witnesses reported a young man named Issei rescuing them from certain death. It seems that this person played a huge role in taking down the terrorists."

It was the last report that got his attention. He could still feel the pain of being punched by Freyr and all because this Japanese boy named "Issei" had exposed him.

That kind of humiliation, he swore, would never be left off unpunished. He would have done so earlier, but because of a lack of information as to where that boy was, he was at a dead end even before he could start.

Until now.

The man smiled evilly. Now, he had a location.

Now, Loki, the god of flies and mischief, could get his revenge…


7th of October, Wednesday, 7:00 pm – Occult Research Club, Kuoh

A certain red-haired devil was reclining on the couch with her Yamato Nadeshiko servant attending to her nearby. Also present were a white-haired girl and a blonde pretty boy. They, too, had been aware of what had happened on the news and had followed all the ups and downs of recent news like a soap opera. And like soap operas, there were surprises, twists and turns, especially the one about the shining red figure in armor. That, along with the news about the mysterious black helicopter and the young hero named "Issei" left them with no doubt.

"It is him! It must be him! There's no other way to explain it!" Rias exclaimed.

"Of course, Buchou. Ufufufu…" Akeno giggled.

"We have to find him and recruit him. We should head over there right now," Rias said.

"But Buchou," Yuuto interjected. "Tokyo is a huge city. He could be anywhere or not there at all."

"Besides, it's Fallen Angel territory, right?" Koneko stated. "Lucifer-sama ordered us not to go there for the time being."

"Where there is a will, there is a way," Rias replied and crossed her legs. "He won't notice it if we snuck in there in disguise."

"I don't know…" Yuuto dropped a sweat at that.

"Come on, it's going to be fun. Besides, haven't you guys always wanted to see Tokyo?" Rias asked of her servants, her eyes sparkling in delight as she thought of the World Metropolis like the Japanophile that she was.

Nobody said a word at first, but then they all thought it over and decided to go along with it.

"If you can get me more sweets that would be great," Koneko said.

"It's fine if we get to see the Samurai museums," Yuuto answered.

"Ufufufu… if we can go to an S&M-shop somewhere, it will be worth it," Akeno laughed.

"""And you will be paying for it…""" all three of them said simultaneously.

"Am I your cash cow?" Rias dropped a sweat at that. "Fine, fine… I'll let you guys have it your way…"

With that said, it was all settled.

"I will find you… even if it takes me forever…" Rias said to herself.


7th of October, Wednesday, 8:40 pm – somewhere in Tokyo

"So much for your plan," Dohnasseek said to the man, known as the Boss, with a hostile glare.

Currently, both men were in a dark room talking in private. And the mood wasn't good. Both of them suffered a stinging defeat. Both of them had lost many of their men and failed in their objective. Right now, they were planning their next move.

"I should be blaming you supernatural beings for this. After all, it was one of your own that killed my men," the Boss replied with a neutral face and a calm voice.

Dohnasseek didn't know is the German crime boss was keeping his anger in check or taking it in stride. Not that he cared though.

"Don't blame me for this," Dohnasseek said gruffly. "There were ridiculously capable people back there like that Sanma fellow. But he's not the one I'm most concerned about. There was someone back then, a Sacred Gear user, who foiled our plans. If the news reports are any indicator, then I have a fairly good idea who it is."

"Who?" the Boss asked.

"It is the host of Ddraig Y Goch, the Welsh Dragon Emperor, and one of the two Heavenly Dragons. This is one of the Longinus, one of the most powerful Sacred Gears out there," Dohnasseek explained.

"So…? You're telling me that a defeat was inevitable then? Are you suggesting we give up then?" the Boss asked with a hint scoffing.

"Of course, not. What I said was true about the being in the Sacred Gear, not the host. We shouldn't underestimate him, however…" Dohnasseek walked up to a wall and cracked it with a punch. "…that user is strong enough to kill five of my men in a fight!"

First it had been Yuda and Yuki. Then Zaavan was killed. And then Susa, Zaccai, Laadan, Shealtiel and Elijah. The thirteen of them had dwindled down to five. It was a catastrophe no matter how one looked at it. How could he show his face to the Grigori at this rate?

The Boss kept silent and just stood there thinking.

Silence filled the room. It felt like an eternity before the next words were spoken.

"However, it's not as if our efforts were fruitless…" the crime boss spoke.

"True," Dohnasseek answered. "We now know for sure that what we're looking is there. Zaavan confirmed it before he died. Those creatures that could kill and mimic others… it must be related to what we are looking for…"

"Yes, and they must be from that bunker. My guess it's probably near the swimming pool area. Unfortunately, the hotel has been glued shut with some jelly of some kind," the Boss said.

"Sadly …" Dohnasseek replied with a sigh.

"But…" the German man said with a small smile. "…there is a way..."

"A way to what?" Dohnasseek wondered.

"…a way to reach the bunker…" the Boss said.


7th of October, Wednesday, 8:54 pm – somewhere in the outskirts of Tokyo

In the forests deep in the thick of trees and bushes, one would normally hear the sound of wind or animals moving around in the darkness of the night. One would also expect to hear nocturne birds to be out, too, like the owls.

Instead, there were cries and the sound of fleeing animals, running for their lives.

What was also abnormal was the sound of chirping, but not of birds. Instead, it was the sound of the Metroid floating and moving to search for its next prey. For all it left behind in its area…

…were the gray remains of drained animals and vegetation, eroding into dust.


And that was Chapter 40 of the Lone Vigilante Issei.

Another long chapter, I can't believe it.

But finally, I can get this out and hopefully get to the next arc soon.

Now, about this chapter.

Just like with the last arc, I also ended this arc with another discussion with the boys. As you can see, that was to inform them of what was to come. I included Ryuga and Sanma because of how close they are to the Perverted Quartet and because they, too, will get more involved in the events to come. They, too, will accompany Issei on his path to become stronger and… maybe get involved in other adventures on the way, but that's all I have to say for now.

Now, as for the other characters in this chapter.

Now, you remember Loki from the earlier chapters, right? You might have been asking (since the Gullinbursti Arc) what role he will be playing in this story.

And you're probably also asking the same thing about the Devils of Kuoh.

Heck, and you're probably asking the same about what the Fallen Angels will be doing and their human allies.

Also…

At least one of you guessed it in the comments. Yes. The slimy creatures absorbing and mimicking their victims are the X-parasites from the Metroid series.

Now, you might be wondering: Why did I throw in two different species from the same game series in this High School DxD fanfiction?

Well, the answer is roughly the same for all of them. It's all in the next arc.

And I'm really glad about it, too. Now, the DxD world with all its different factions are finally starting to come together. I've always had the feeling that the DxD fanfiction was becoming less and less of one ever since Issei, Matsuda and Motohama drifted away from Kuoh.

Now, let's get back to the roots. So, stay tuned.

In the meantime, what did you think about this chapter? Did you like it?

Please read and review, I hope to hear from you.

And as always, I hope to see you next time.

Until then.

Hide Shinyama