24 hours after Rias had passed, Issei sat on his bed, distraught. He had been given a large guest bedroom within the Gremory estate once he and the peerage arrived. Issei refused to let anyone enter his room; even when the girls asked to speak and stay with him to keep him company, he refused to reply.
"I just want to be alone..." Issei said to himself as he sat at the side of his bed, his head in his hands, having felt the urge to cry but was out of tears.
Since the incident, Ddraig had been silent and had not offered further condolences; even when Issei summoned his gauntlet, Ddriag would not answer.
"Ddraig must be as lost as I am..." Issei sighed as he fell backwards into his bed and closed his eyes, trying to sleep, but every time he tried, Issei just replayed the moment of Rias having her throat cut by Cao Cao and her body lying on the floor as she gave her last words to him, leaving Issei in a pit of despair and self-loathing.
"I just want to die...I want you back, Rias," Issei said through gritted teeth as he started to sob again, slamming his hand into the bed, a mix of grief and anger influencing his action.
This went on for an unknown amount of time, maybe a few minutes or hours; Issei did not notice as the time for him moved as if he was not a part of it. However, a loud knocking on his room door broke Issei from this almost trance-like state.
"I want to be alone; leave me..." Issei said, only for the voice of Akeno to interrupt him
"This is not a request. Sirzechs has insisted that you come to this meeting."
"I can't...I can't face him. I failed to protect Rias, his sister. How could I listen to what he says when I know how much I failed him?" Issei said weakly, standing up from the bed and walking slowly towards the door.
"I understand, Issei, but Rias would want you to be there so that you can stop anything like this from happening again...Issei?" Akeno stated in a tone reminiscent of how Rias would speak, giving Issei a moment to think. Issei, rather than give his answer, took a deep breath and opened the door, showing how worn out he was, as his eyes were bloodshot and swollen from the irritation of his own tears.
"Issei...come here." Akeno gasped quietly before stretching out her arms and slowly embracing Issei, who reciprocated the hug and started to cry again. Akeno, in response, slowly stroked the back of Issei's head and hushed him as if he were a baby,
"I'm here, Issei...shhhhhhh"
"I miss Rias so much, Akeno!"
So do I, Issei...so do I." Akeno whispered before she started to cry.
After this, the pair made their way to a secluded chamber in the Gremory mansion. The chamber was part of a maze-like structure within the estate, protected by a myriad of guards, magical spells, and barriers. Once Issei and Akeno made their way through the chamber and the many magical barriers, they arrived at the room. The room was large and covered in maps and heraldry from royal houses associated with the numerous factions the Gremory faction encountered. The walls were also covered in a myriad of weaponry, armour and trophies collected from the many battles and wars the Gremory household had fought in and won.
The rest of the peerage were in the room and were showing signs of physical and emotional fatigue. Sirzechs Grafia and Azaezel were standing together around a large table. Sirzechs was in his royal attire, specifically in a pure white suit with gold and black trim, with a blood-red shirt underneath his suit jacket. Azaezel was in his well-tailored dark grey suit with a dark purple dress shirt. Grafia was in her maid outfit and stood tall beside her husband.
"You finally made it...How are you holding up, Issei?" Azaezel said, pausing momentarily when he saw Issei's exhaustion, lowering his posture to be on the same eye level as Issei as he placed his hands on Issei's shoulders.
"I feel terrible, but that won't stop me from finding and killing Cao Cao," Issei said coldly with none of his usual energetic enthusiasm or banter, causing Azaezel to pause momentarily to think of what to say. He had not seen Issei be so cold and ruthless, which sent an uneasy chill down his spine. However, Azaezel never got to give his comments as Sirzechs started to speak once everyone was standing around the table upon which many a war, battle and vendetta was arranged and ended.
"Now that everyone is here let us get down to business. I will not bore you all with the minor details as that would be insulting your intelligence, so instead, let's detail what Cao Cao stole." Sirzechs said in his regal tone, as he would when addressing heads of state, after which his wife Grafia generated a magical symbol that produced a replica of the holy Grail and placed it in the centre of the table.
"The Holy Grail. It is a relic of such power that it has started more wars than can be counted and has caused the deaths of thousands just at the mere suggestion that it may have been found. Asia Xenovia, you both worked for the church and know the legends of the Grail far greater than most of us. Would you care to detail its history?" Azaezel looked to the pair of former church members, with the pair giving a nervous look to one another\
"Okay... the Holy Grail is considered one of the most holy relics the church did not possess. It is said that the Grail gained its powers after being drunk by Jesus during his last supper, giving a portion of his life force into the Grail. It is said that whoever drinks from the Grail is blessed with the power of the Lord himself." Xenovia stated. She had been a little girl when she was told the legend of the Grail. She had hoped to return the Grail to the church, but that ambition faded with time as she concluded that it was a relic lost to the passage of time.
The Grail was also fought after for centuries, with the tales from Arthurian legends, leading to many people hunting for the Grail across the globe for the resting place of the powerful relic. in the legends, it is said that one Galahad found the Grail, but what happened after its discovery is likely lost to history." Asia described,
The descriptions of the Grail and its origins, as provided by Xenovia and Asia, are the commonly distributed aspects of the Grail. However, that story is, in fact, a myth in itself. Would you like to take this one, Azaezel?" Sirezechs stated, looking to Azaezel just before he stopped speaking. All the while, Asia and Xenovia had shocked looks on their faces, which were clearly noticed by the group.
"Sure. The story of the Grail predates the church and predates Jesus. For you see, the origins of the Grail are not solely linked to the Christian god but are directly connected to the gods of Celtic mythology."
"But why? We were not taught this by the church?
Because this was an event that the church wished to suppress, and through the church's growth, it became the official narrative. God wanted to spread his belief across the planet, and noticing the power of belief strengthened his resolve. However, he had to match the power of the pagan gods, most notably the Celtic gods of Europe. They had thrived on the worship of humans for millennia. They did not wish for this power to end, so a war occurred between the angels and the Celtic gods to decide who would control the worship of mankind."
"What happened during the war?" Rossweisse asked. Despite the close connection between the Norse and Celtic gods, she had never heard of this war.
"Well, it ended in a stalemate. Both forces were enhanced by the worship of their followers, and neither side could defeat the other; to end the bloodshed, the sides brokered peace. "
"And that's where the Grail comes in, correct?" Akeno said, getting a nod from Azaezel.
"Yes. The sides agreed to be peaceful and allow free worship of both sides in each other's lands. As a sign of this deal, the parties unified their powers to create the Holy Grail to symbolise this peace."
"And that would explain its raw power," Kiba stated. As a failed Holy Sword project member, he had been raised by the church, and the stories of King Arthur were a constant throughout his time in the project. While the focus had been on the Holy Sword Excalibur, the Grail was mentioned as being a relic which, if found, could exceed the power of Excalibur. The Grail had also been used as a tool by the church to keep the children in line, using =the legends to compare the children to the Arthurian Knights of old so the children did not challenge their elders.
"As well as its conditions...the Grail was given the powers to heal all wounds, and it was even said that it could reverse death itself, but the Celtic gods imbued the Grail with the ability to grant those who drank from it with immense godly power, and also imbued it with the requirements for the drinker to make a sacrifice.
"But why the sacrifice?" Koneko asked?
"Celtic magic is powerful, but to access its greater powers, they are bound to make blood sacrifices; the greater the quality of sacrifice, the greater the power gifted, refining the idea that power does not come without a cost and should be considered before making such a decision.
" The ultimate sacrifice for godlike power was someone of noble birth and noble of heart, a rare commodity in the real world," Akeno stated.
"But Cao Cao found his victim," Sirzechs stated, biting his lip as he thought about Rias.
As this was said, Isseis seemingly ignored every point except one that rang in his head.
"The Grail was given the powers to heal all wounds, and it was even said that it could reverse death itself."
With these words ringing in his head, Issei's eyes widened as a warmth of hope grew in his chest, causing his heart to beat furiously.
"I can get Rias back." Issei thought.
"I can get Rias back!" Issei's thought thundered in his head as his mind flashed to the image of Rias Standing tall and unharmed, with the life in her eyes returned and a beautiful smile on her face.
"I can get Rias back!" Issei yelled at the top of his lungs, shocking everyone who had not expected such a response. However, this outburst was not seen as rude but as a sign of Issei returning to his old form, with Azaezel smiling at this response.
"Let me find Cao Cao! I will get the Grail back, and I will bring Rias back!" Issei roared with the conviction that he was known for and rallied the peerage to his side
"I swore on my honour as a knight that I would protect her!
"I owe Rias my life. I have to bring her back."
"Rias gave me a chance to live a good life. I owe her everything, and she was my closest friend; if she can be brought back, I have to help."
"Rias gave me a place in her peerage despite my history with the church, and without her, I would not have the family I have today. I am bound by my morality to fight to bring her back."
"I failed to save her when she was hurt; even if I can't fight, I will ensure everyone will be safe."
"After I was abandoned by Odin, I had nowhere to go, but Rias took me in and gave me a place to call home. I am honour bound to fight for her."
The peerage gave their impassioned reasons for fighting for Rias; however, Sirezechs did not respond as would be expected,
"I cannot allow that. "
"WHAT!" The peerage yelled in shock at the response.
"But why?" Issei said, his voice weakened by the emotional blow of Sirzech's statement.
"As Rias's brother, I would do everything I could to bring her back, no matter the cost. However, I am also the king of hell. I am bound by this title to do what is in the kingdom's interest. War with the hero faction when they have so many powerful allies would only lead to further bloodshed. And while it pains me to say this, a single life does not justify the deaths of millions in an attempt to bring that single life back. "
In a complete turn from his worry and sadness at the moment, Issei roared with anger.
"But I cannot sit here if there is a chance to bring Rias back! I am her pawn. I love her, and I cannot live with myself if I do nothing to bring her back when I know I can do it! "
This response led to a stern reaction from Sirzechs.
"As your king, I command you to stay...I understand your grief, Issei, but think what Rias would do in the same circumstance, knowing the costs. "
"She would find a way...you know that, Sirzechs," Issei said, mumbling at first before glaring at the king of hell, his voice now full of cold anger.
After this, the meeting ended, and the peerage went off in their separate ways, with Issei storming out of the room and making his way to his room, his mind filled with anger and grief as he tried to plan his next steps.
Issei, come back!" Asia yelped as she tried to run to stop him, only to be blocked by Akeno, who stood in front of her.
Issei needs time to himself, Asia. it hurts me to see him like this, but if we keep pushing, he will push us away even more." Akeno said with a concerned tone. Asia, hearing this, started to cry from worry; Akeno held her close, followed by the rest of the peerage, who went to make sure Asia was okay.
"I can't stay here; if I do, Rias will stay dead...I can't leave her like that...I can't."
Issei's mind kept flicking to every moment Issei had with Rias, both the good and the bad, and they caused tears to swell in his eyes. Just as he was about to start crying, a loud yell was heard from the hallway just before Issei got to his room.
"Issei!"
"Sairaorg? What are you doing here?" Issei said in a surprised tone, wiping the tears from his eye
I wanted to check up on you.
Thanks, man.
I know how much you cared for Rias; you announced as such in our rating game, so I can only imagine how much it pains you, given everything you saw. "
Issei was silent, starting to well up in the moment.
"Given what's going on, let me know if there is anything I can do to help," Sairorg said warmly.
"Thanks, Sairorg." Issei whimpered as he wiped the tears from his eyes and went to his room, shutting the door quietly and leaving Sairorg in the hallway. Sairorg slowly walked back to the meeting chamber, his mind processing Issei's condition, Sirzech's words, and the implications of any possible actions.