AN: Hey guys and welcome to the 25th chapter of "Switching Sides"!
I want to thank everyone who had followed, favorited, and reviewed!
Some time has passed since the update and I won't try to justify or pull out some excuses. Instead, I'll remind you guys that this is just a hobby and not a full-time job.
This chapter will bring forth a few things, some you already know about, while others are completely new.
I hope that you will like this chapter and the things I've added to its universe.
Now, without further ado, enjoy the chapter!
"..." Talking.
'...' Thoughts.
"..." Quotations.
"..." Attacks.
*...* Actions, i.e., Yawning and Sighing.
(...) Flashback and time skips.
["..."] /{"..."}Talking through the Sacred Gear.
['...'] / {'...'}Talking in the Host mind.
[...] / {...} Sacred Gear Actions and modes.
"..." Sacred Gear evolution trigger i.e., Juggernaut Drive chant.
It seems as if time no longer existed and the sound was a concept long forgotten as Issei and his old peerage stared each other down. Vali stood at his side, tall and proud and ready to fight at a moment notice despite her exhaustion.
The looks that were aimed at Issei by Rias Gremory's peerage spoke of a past that they longed to return to. It spoke of fond memories and ever-growing emotions.
It was clear for Issei – now more than ever – that their resolve to bring him back had remained unchanged and only increased since their last meeting in Romania.
It was a reluctant acceptance that he felt back when he confronted them after his fight with Jeanne. Back then, he would've done everything to come out of the situation with both his new team and his old peerage at his side. However, that was no longer the case as no longer did Issei feel chained by the past and everything that it held.
The memories of his old peerage, of times when the height of his ambitions was being the Harem King and the ever-growing bonds, he shared with the members of said peerage were just that; they were memories and nothing more.
It was at this realization that Issei had felt all the burdens of his past surrendering Rias Gremory and her peerage finally melt away. The changes he underwent ever since that fateful day at Kyoto had defined him as an entirely new person and only now did he truly realized it.
While Rias and the rest clung to remnants of the past, he looked forward into the future that only seemed to become brighter with each day. With new strength, companions, lovers, and even a child on the way, Issei could say for certain that life was finally looking up for him and he'll do everything in his power to maintain the gifts that he was given.
His gaze scanned the peerage members only to stop on Rossweisse. Unlike the others, the emotions that she displayed were different. She did not look at him as someone from her past that she wanted to get back, but rather as someone who she wanted to join and create a future with and that perplexed him; he did not expect to see this kind of look from Rossweisse of all people.
The next group of people he looked at were Sona Sitri and her peerage, and honestly, Issei had to admit that he somewhat missed them.
Sona and her peerage had never done anything to harm him either physically or emotionally and Saji was a great friend who shared a similar goal with him when it came to their King.
Issei struggled to contain his smirk as he saw the way Saji and Sona intertwined hands and the blush that invaded their face when they realized that he caught them.
Finally, the last person Issei had turned to look at was none other than Azazel. Once a mentor, a father figure, and an advisor could now be counted as one of his biggest enemies. Issei was not foolish enough to think that Azazel will spare him for old times' sake and the look that the leader of the Grigori held was a sure indication of that. It showed no mercy or playfulness but rather a serious expression worthy of a leader like him.
"It seems as if you understood just what is stopping me from following up on my words," Azazel spoke.
Issei nodded slightly as his mind continued to race. He knew the situation that they were in was entirely against them. They were outnumbered and overpowered by a large margin. The brunette also knew that if it came to them retreating, that he and Vali could not carry everyone or transport everyone using a magic circle and that brought forward another realization that made his blood turn to ice.
"Whatever it is that you came here for, leave Vali and the rest alone. Take me if needed; I'll even come voluntarily," Issei said, his tone full of resignation and acceptance.
He knew that no matter what, at the state they were currently in, one of them would be captured and he couldn't allow anyone but himself to be the one.
However, it seemed that Vali was not in the same mindset as him. "Issei! What do you think you're doing?!" she screamed at him, her face flush with anger as she stared daggers at him.
"Vali..." He uttered, only to be interrupted by the silver-haired emperor.
"If you think for even a second that I'll just let you turn yourself in like that then you are very much mistaken! I will not let you, or anyone else I care about to be captured after everything we've endured to reach to this point! So please Issei... Fight! Fight like you always do, even when the cost is high like now," Tears started to pour down her eyes and her anger gave way to a desperation that caused Issei to wince.
Azazel sighed. "It seems you are as stubborn as you always were Vali. I had hoped that you would see the advantage of coming in silently but alas, I should've known you would never agree to it," He sent her a small smile, one that she did not reciprocate.
Meanwhile, as Vali and Azazel stared each other down, Issei had begun to talk to Tiamat and Ddraig.
'What do you think I should do? I barely have any strength left after my fight with Rizevim,' He asked, desperate for a solution to his current problem.
{'You may not have enough energy for yet another Heavenly Unity, but you have enough energy to maintain your Scale mail for at least five minutes'} Tiamat gentle voice reverberated through his mind.
['She's right, but you'll have to be careful as to not exert yourself more than you can afford. If you use strong attacks, the time you'll be able to maintain the form will reduce gradually with each attack'] Ddraig interjected.
'I understand. If it were only Rias and Sona then the Balance Breaker would've been enough to at least delay them, but Azazel's involvement complicates things greatly,'
['Due to your condition, the amount of boosting you can do is very limited. However, even a few boosts can amount to something',] Ddraig added.
The Dragons words did little to cheer Issei up. Things continued to look bleak for him and his team.
"I can see the struggle you have with yourself Issei and it is fruitless. Let's spare all the fighting and bloodshed and just come with us," Azazel urged Issei, hoping to spare his old pupil any more pain.
It was never Azazel's way to fight when other options were still viable. It was this that had caused the leader of the Grigori to be one of the main driving forces behind the peace efforts between the three factions. Despite all the chaos Issei and his group had created and all the heartache he had caused to him and many others who cared for him, Azazel was still tentative to use force.
Some of the Fallen angel's thoughts might have been reflected in his eyes as Issei's gaze softened ever so slightly.
"I can't... Not when the lives of my friends are at stake. When I was full of sorrow and self-loathing, they were the ones who helped me put the pieces back together. They have never left me behind even at great risk of their own lives, and I will be damned if I won't return the favor!" Issei cried out. His voice full of emotions as he spoke of his friends and the things, they've done for him.
Azazel grimaced, and with a sigh of resignation had hardened his features. Once he sets his mind on something, Issei's drive is quite awe-inspiring and something that Azazel was very familiar with. It was this familiarity that made Azazel cease in his efforts to convince Issei to give up.
"I truly regret that this has come to this," Azazel lamented before he unfurled his wings.
Issei had barely any time to react as a barrage of light spears headed his way. However, it seems that luck was on his side as the brunette had managed to dodge the barrage while only sustaining shallow injuries.
"It would've hurt much worse if I was still a Devil," Issei joked while flashing an exhausted smile.
He knew it was futile, that Azazel could see beneath the facade he tried to put up, but at this point, Issei couldn't help but question himself whether or not the facade was truly for Azazel or rather for himself.
"However, I am not a Devil anymore, wasn't one for a time now. I am something greater now," Issei said while rising his Boosted Gear upward.
{[Heavenly Dragon King Balance Breaker!]} Ddraig and Tiamat roared, managing to surprise both Azazel and Issei himself at the change in title.
When the bright light of the Boosted Gear had receded, it was clear that the title wasn't the only thing that changed.
Similar to his Heavenly Unity power-up, Issei's torso was crimson-colored, his arms pure white, and his abdomen pale blue. However, there was no crown-like shape on his head nor a cape that looked like a color-changing version of the energy feathers of the Divine Divide and the jewels that adorned his body didn't flash and instead were colored based on the body part and the Dragon it represented.
['It seems that amidst all the chaos of the recent times we had forgotten to tell you that your Balance Breaker and title were changed to represent the current you'] Ddraig informed him.
'What does it mean?' Issei asked.
{'The changes were mostly in appearance and name only rather than power, but one significant change is the improved optimization of the Boosted Gear to the new powers it had received. If Ddraig was once the major power of your Boosted Gear while mine and Albion were only a small part, now the power division is equal for the three of us which means that you can use everything we can offer you to its full potential and with the same ease you draw Ddraig powers,'} Tiamat made clear.
'So that means I can use all your abilities even in Balance Breaker?' Issei couldn't help the bit of drool that escaped him at the prospect of his newfound changes.
{'Of course not! If you recall in the Dimensional Gap when Great Red and Ophis had saved you we told you that due to the joining of your souls you could now communicate with Albion and have his powers at your disposal while Vali has the same with us. However, those changes didn't fully manifest until you and Vali both had entered your Heavenly Unity mode and cemented your connection. It was at the sudden influx of power that came from your unique circumstances that the Boosted Gear had optimized himself to contain it all and allow you to access it more easily',} Tiamat explained, causing Issei to have a tick mark.
'That's cool, but what abilities I can now use and when?' The brunette asked in impatience.
While the inner working of the Boosted Gear was a subject that Issei honestly finds fascinating, it was not the time for that, not when he is currently facing against Azazel.
["In terms of abilities, you are no longer limited to only Divide or a mere boost in your normal powers due to Tiamat's presence. While in your Balance Breaker you can now use a weakened version of Tiamat's "Cataclysm" attack. In your Diabolos Dragon mode, you can use my fire affinity to its full extent and enhance your attacks with it to cause more devastation while also possessing Albion's "Reflect" ability although with some limitations like the time you can hold it and the amount of damage it can reflect. However, those can be increased with enough time and practice. In your Heavenly Unity mode, "Cataclysm" can be used in its full power with its lightning and wind variants. You can also use Tiamat's Chaos affinity and enhance your attacks with it like with my fire."] Ddraig interjected.
'Uh... I don't mean to be rude but what's the difference between your affinities?' Issei asked, completely flustered from the question that he couldn't help but ask.
{'Well, the main difference is the way both affinities dish out damage. Ddraig's affinity dish out damage overtime as its fire is nigh impossible to extinguish while my affinity will provide an overall boost to your attack',} Tiamat explained in slight irritation.
['You should focus on the Fallen Leader as he is preparing another attack'] Ddraig advised not ignorant of the buildup of energy that came from Azazel.
At his Dragon's remark, Issei's gaze snapped towards Azazel in record speed, but it was too late as a Light spear had managed to pierce his shoulder and shatter part of his Scale Mail.
"Argh!" Issei cried out, hunching forward while clutching his shoulder.
The sounds of wings furling and footsteps slowly approaching made Issei to sluggishly lift his gaze to meet that of the approaching Azazel.
"I expected a long fight, ya know," Azazel remarked lazily as he continued his steady approach.
He cast a glance at Vali, who was being successfully distracted by the combined powers of Rias and Sona's peerage. He had to admit, that it broke his aged heart to see the desperation both Dragon Emperors had displayed when it came to protecting their friends and each other from their enemies. The Leader of the Fallen Angel couldn't help but reminiscent slightly of happier times where Issei was only a massive pervert and Vali was being her obnoxious self whose goal was to defeat Great Red.
Each step he takes seems harder to make than the previous one. It was almost as if his body and mind were fighting an internal battle against each other. Instincts versus logic at it's finest for Azazel couldn't deny seeing both Vali and Issei as children figures of his and thus having the instinct to protect them, to give them a way out of any harm. However, his rational part of himself told him of how dangerous they have become both to himself and the three factions as a whole.
Meanwhile, Issei looked behind him towards his fallen teammates, still unconscious from their previous fight against Rizevim. He was the last line of defense that stood between Azazel and them; the means to utterly crush him morally.
"Just give up Issei; it's pointless to struggle any further. Even you should see the clear disadvantage you are at," Azazel uttered as he stood near Issei, his hand on his shoulder. "Just come with me, you and the rest, and we'll see what we can to improve your situation".
Issei retracted his visor, allowing his face to appear and reveal a small smile that he aimed at Azazel.
"Hey Azazel, do you know that old saying about how an old dog can still learn new tricks?" Issei questioned, causing Azazel to cock an eyebrow in bemusement.
"I'll be a fool if I say that I haven't heard it at least a dozen times during my long existence," The Fallen replied with a smirk.
There was a short silence in which Issei had suddenly poked Azazel in the shoulder with his finger, causing the Fallen Angel to look at him in puzzlement, while his smile turned into a feral smirk.
"Well, allow me to show you one example," Issei uttered.
It was too late when Azazel had noticed the glowing where Issei's finger poked him or the sudden surge of power that emanated from him. It was only when he heard Issei's sudden roar that he realized just what was happening.
"Cataclysm!" Issei roared as a beam of highly condensed water pierced cleanly through Azazel's shoulder, sending him back by a few meters.
The sheer magnitude of Issei's action and the damage his attack had caused both to the leader of the Fallen Angels and the surrendering environment was so severe that it was enough for everyone to stop fighting momentarily.
Rias and the rest of the Devils who came with Azazel watched in stunned awe and a bit of sorrow as they witnessed the power Issei now wielded and how they weren't there to witness it or helped him get it.
Moments like these caused the knives in their hearts to turn ever so violently and their drive to return Issei to their midst to become more fierce. Such moments made the line between determination and an unhealthy obsession and mild insanity to blur.
"Well, despite being on the receiving end of the attack, I'll be a fool to admit that I'm not mildly impressed at the least," Azazel said, as he stepped out of the cloud of fog seemingly unhindered, dusting the pebbles of debris that stuck to his clothing.
It would've been easy for anyone who watched to think that Azazel came out unscathed from Issei's devastating attack, however, the medium-sized hole on his shoulder that went all the way to the other side speaks of an entirely different outcome.
"It hurts, you know?" Azazel spoke, a tender smile adorning his face as he approached Issei yet again. "I never imagined that you'll be able to utilize Tiamat's attacks for your use and I can't deny feeling an odd sense of pride for this achievement despite us being enemies. But if you thought that this attack will take me out of the battle entirely then I can't help but think you foolish. After all, you do remember just who exactly I am right? Who I fought? Perhaps, if you'd been at your prime we would've had a decent fight as equals, but the exhaustion you feel after your fight with the son of the Morning star is palpable as the sun is on a bright day,"
Azazel continued his pace, his eyes never straying from Issei as he watched the brunette Dragon Emperor slowly losing his fight against exhaustion.
"It's futile, don't you see that Issei?" Azazel questioned. "There is no such scenario where you all leave this place and it'll be better for you and the rest if you'll just submit. Avoid any unnecessary hurt. Don't you want to spare that from your friends as much as possible?"
Issei hesitated, doubt creeping upon him as he realized that the truth he had reached early on was turning into reality at a steady pace.
The option of all of them escaping the clutches of the three factions relatively unharmed seem farther with each step Azazel took towards him.
A sigh of despair escapes him as he blinked away the tears that threatened to come. Issei spared a glance towards Vali and the tears he tried to hold back came flowing out of his eyes.
Vali was there, kneeling before the combined forces of Rias and Sona, looking utterly exhausted and defeated - much like himself he realized somberly - while the two heiresses secured her with the help of Sona's peerage.
A glance at a different direction showed Rias' peerage approaching his downed teammates to secure them as well.
"It's over Issei; you have fought valiantly. But in the end, mere bravery isn't enough to emerge victorious, especially in a fight where your odds were not in your favor," Azazel told him as he came to a stop before him.
A stretch of a hand was what separated between Issei's freedom and his imminent captivity and as Azazel brought his hand to grab Issei, the latter could only watch helplessly as it happened.
Issei closed his eyes, resignation, and sorrow staining his soul as he accepted the harsh reality that had been thrust upon him.
It was only some short time ago, after Rizevim's defeat that he had felt the contentment he had longed for so dearly and the hopes of a bright future ahead of him and his friends and lovers.
"Don't touch him!" The cry of a familiar voice pierced the silence that enveloped the area, causing Issei to snap his eyes open.
The sight that greeted him, had caused his jaw to drop to the floor.
Azazel stood, his hand barely a millisecond from touching him and sealing his fate. The same hand that was now encased in ice and bound to the ground.
Issei looked towards the one responsible for saving him, barely paying attention to the gasps that came from Rias and the rest.
There she stood with her long, straight silver hair, aqua-colored eyes that shone with utter love and devotion, and the familiar set of Valkyrie armor.
Issei breath hitched the display before him to majestic for him to dismiss as anything ordinary.
"Rossweisse..." He muttered, his voice laced with raw emotions.
"I cannot... Will not let you hurt him!" She shouted, tears cascading down her cheeks.
It all happened so fast...
The heated exchange between Rossweisse and the rest and the short fight that had followed went unnoticed by Issei.
He was so busy thinking about Rossweisse, trying to make sense of everything, that he was ignorant to the outside world.
However, it was the cry of his name from Rossweisse's lips that snapped him from his train of thought.
"Issei! We have to leave! We can't win against them at this condition!" She exclaimed in panic as she ran towards him, slightly battered, but overall fine.
The few seconds that followed next, felt like an eternity for Issei.
One second he was grabbing her hand, and in the next, they were both sent flying by Azazel, who released himself from the ice.
One second he remembered seeing Azazel take Kuroka while Rias and Sona took Vali and Le Fay, and in the next, he remembered fighting with Rossweisse against the members of both peerages to prevent them from capturing Yasaka, Kunou, Arthur, and Bikou.
No matter how fast it had happened, the scream of anguish that came from him upon seeing Vali, Kuroka, and Le Fay captured and the realization that the truth he had reached had been finally transformed into reality.
He hardly remembers the magic circle that he managed to conjure with Rossweisse help and their arrival back at their headquarters.
The last thing Issei remembered before blackness had consumed him, was the feel of Rossweisse hands enveloping him in a tight hug.
When Issei had woken up, he realized straight away that he was not where he was supposed to be.
All Issei could see was whiteness that stretched all around him with seemingly no end.
He knew that he should probably panic, or search for any sign of something familiar or a way out, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
Instead, he crumbled to the floor and sobbed as the last moments of being conscious rebounded through his head, most notably his failure to prevent his loved ones from being captured.
The sound of footsteps approaching him had brought a brief break in his sobbing as he looked up to see none other than Ddraig and Tiamat coming to stand before him.
["Issei, do you know where you are?"] Ddraig asked his possessor.
"Does it matter? Whether I am in my room or anywhere else, it doesn't change anything. Vali, Kuroka, and Le Fay were still captured enduring who knows what!" Issei spat out, self-loathing coloring his words.
Ddraig shook his head, ignoring Issei's bout of self-loathing. ["We brought you here, into the Boosted Gear where the past possessors and we reside,"]
Issei looked at Ddraig in confusion. "Why did you bring me here? Why not just speak to me like you usually does?" He asked the two Dragons.
{"Because, words won't be enough for whatever it is we wanted to tell you,"} Tiamat interjected.
Issei frowned but otherwise stayed silent, allowing for the Dragons to speak.
["Issei, do you remember the day Cao Cao had used the True Longinus to purge your Evil Pieces and what you felt when it happened?"] Ddraig asked.
Issei nodded. "I remember feeling a part of my soul breaking away and leaving behind a void, but it didn't last long because I suddenly felt something else filling up that void and restoring my soul to how it used to be,"
["Yes, you are correct. what you felt was the result of the True Longinus tearing away your Evil Pieces and mending your soul. This is what happened, but I didn't realize until recently that something much more significant had occurred,"]
Issei frowned. "What do you mean?"
["When the True Longinus had made contact with your soul, it had also made contact with the Boosted Gear that was a part of it and when that happened, something changed. It wasn't until I witnessed the Boosted Gear's effects to your emotions that I caught an inkling of that change, and it was only when we brought you and Vali back with the help of Ophis and Great Red that did I finally realize just what I was feeling,"]
Issei swallowed thickly, trying to fight the nervousness that crept upon him. "W-What did you feel?" He asked.
["The True Longinus never mended your soul, but rather replaced the broken part with a piece of itself. A part of the True Longinus had been living inside you, working with the Boosted Gear to make your will into a reality. But it was incomplete, as the Boosted Gear had never fully optimized itself to make use of the fragment of the True Longinus that was inside you. It was only in rare cases when your emotions reached a certain point that the two worked together in synchronization to ensure that the will of their wielder was realized. When you needed power, the True Longinus had provided it while the Boosted Gear had dispersed it. When you wanted Tiamat to be absorbed into the Boosted Gear, the True Longinus had provided the powers for such an amazing feat to occur while the Boosted Gear acted as the conduit and the host of Tiamat's soul. When you absorbed Divine Dividing's jewel during your fight against Vali, you almost died, yet you had managed to absorb a whole soul of a Dragon King no less, with barely any risk,"]
"You mean... That everything that happened, every new form I had acquired, every new power-up was a result of the True Longinus?" Issei asked.
Ddraig shook his head. ["No, the True Longinus wasn't responsible for everything; it worked in such a way that it realizes when it is needed and when it's not. The True Longinus acted like a mean to ensure that your will came to fruition. It covered your shortcomings, boosted your powers just enough for you to reach what you wanted and nothing more. It was passive in its nature, always there to assist you and the Boosted Gear,"]
"You said it was... I assume it's not the case anymore?' Issei asked, catching Ddraig use of past tense.
{"You're right, it's not. When the owner of the True Longinus had perished during your fight, something happened. Instead of just going to its next possessor as the Sacred Gear system was programmed to do, it recognized the part that was in your soul and instead tried to go to you. However, the system had caught this mistake and had managed to prevent it from happening but not soon enough as some part of the True Longinus was still transferred to you,"} Tiamat explained.
Issei sputtered, stunned at the revelations that kept knocking him off his feet.
["The part that had been transferred to you was enough to change the entire nature of the fragment that you already possessed. It changed it's nature to passive-aggressive and had enough power for the Boosted Gear to recognize it and assimilate it into itself. When that happened, the purpose of the fragment had changed. It no longer followed your will but rather the will of the primary soul that resided in the Boosted Gear; me. Just like the Will of God that dwells in the spear of Saint Longinus, the Will of the Welsh Dragon is now a separate part that dwells in the Boosted Gear,"]
As Ddraig and Tiamat finished explaining everything to Issei, they stepped to the sides, revealing an ornate box that glowed with power and sanctity.
"What is this?" Issei asked, as he hesitantly stepped towards the box.
["This box is the answer that you miss in your quest for power. It is your judge, that will either grant you the final piece of the Boosted Gear or lock it from you for the end of days. It can be your greatest form and source or power, or your greatest downfall. This is the Truth Idea of the Welsh Dragon!"] Ddraig roared.
Issei opened the box and everything turned to blackness.