A/N: Music Sync - When playing music over a scene, the beginnings of certain paragraphs and various words are meant to line up with various lyrics during the song.
"Lyrics" - When these are playing, do not read, simply skip to the following paragraph.
Paragraph - When reading, the first word of the paragraph should line up with the first word of the lyrics displayed above.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"Flashback"
"Attack/Name"
"Narrator"
Both figures stood, their respective red and orange auras lighting up the ground below them. One represented the tyranny and oppression a system created, while the other stood for those who were too weak to resist. One smirked, and the other snarled beneath his helmet.
The sky was silent, the only sound was the flames roaring around the two figures. Suddenly both raced at each other, red and orange ripping through the sky before exploding into a flurry of colors.
From the explosion, both raced across the school ground, Riser was in front, facing backward as Issei gave chase. Issei had no idea how fast he was going, all he knew was that he could match Riser. His anger urged him to push for one more boost, but his body was already nearing its limits, and he doubted he could handle another one.
Pushing further, Issei bridged the gap between him and Riser, watching the firm grin turn into a surprised worry. Quickly snagging onto the man's head, he slammed him into the ground, watching as his head turned into a heated mush.
Turning, Issei stopped his momentum, his claw still dragging through the dirt as he watched Riser regenerate. The man stretched his body, his snarky demeanor completely gone. The Devil looked at Issei, who was still in a three-pronged stance, examining him before announcing, "Maybe I was wrong to underestimate you, boy. Looks like I'll have to take you more seriously."
Play: Collective Consciousness (Special Edit) by Dragon of Sparda (Tyrus)
"I was wrong now that I think about it, that Sacred Gear of yours, I should've recognized it immediately." Riser began, subconsciously beginning to flow his magical power outwards. Issei rose from the ground, noticing as fire began to swirl around Riser. His power grew exponentially faster than it had before this point as his clothes began to blow in an artificial wind, his eyes lighting up a fiery orange.
"Yes, I should've recognized it, the Boosted Gear." Riser admitted, before continuing with a sigh, "I suppose it's too late for regrets by now.. oh well, there's still plenty of time for me to show you where you belong, human."
"The unenlightened masses, they cannot make the judgment call."
Flames burst from his hands, his hair started to blow upwards as an orange undertone lit up the base of his blonde locks. His blazer and dress shirt began to blacken, incinerating in the flames.
"Display obedience, while never stepping out of line."
Issei took a cautious step back, watching as his silhouette was highlighted by an eerie glow. Riser took note of this, letting his grin grow at the fact that he instilled fear in the supposed Red Dragon Emperor this quickly.
"LET YOUR COUNTRY CONTROL YOUR SOUL"
"You used rage to power up, boy. How about I do the same?" Riser asked, though the question was obviously rhetorical. Riser stood straight, the fire around him intensifying as his smirk was wiped away with a firm opposition towards Issei.
"Anger towards those who choose to fight back, anger towards those who attempt to belittle the Phenex Household…" The flames around him seemed to have a mind of their own, dancing and convulsing at his every word as if on beat with his anger.
"And rage towards that mindless beast who dared to defile Riser Phenex!" Riser roared, a geyser of orange light erupted from his body before quickly dispersing as a sharp ring of orange formed around him. The man's hair almost resembled the very element he controlled. Flames launched at points scattered evenly around the circle around him for a brief moment before disappearing as though it were an elaborate fireworks display. The aura around his body pulsed to a strange beat, the flames growing more intense with each individual thump before reaching the point which they had previously grown to just instants beforehand.
"The unenlightened masses, they cannot make the judgment call."
Issei's body was harshly pushed back, forcing him to lurch downwards just so he could stay on two legs to watch the blinding display the Devil created. Deciding that was enough, Issei churned his own energy within him, moving his body to a more suitable position for combat.
Darting towards him, both engaged in a battle far too fast for any human to comprehend. Their limbs appeared as blurs, shockwaves launching from every impact.
Spinning on his right leg, Issei landed a brutal kick on Riser's ribs which launched the Devil into a small building of which neither cared to discern the purpose.
Riser quickly burst from the rubble, using his aura to blow the building apart before darting towards Issei. Issei however quickly took hold of the Devil arms, spinning his body before jumping mid-air, using the momentum to throw Riser into the primary school house like he had done moments before.
Taking the offensive, Issei raced into the cloud of dust, launching a beam of red to disperse the smoke. From the rubble, Riser lurched forwards at Issei, landing a sharp cross on Issei's helmet, before uppercutting the boy, though Issei wasn't off his feet yet.
Seeing him still standing, Riser jumped off his right leg, spinning mid-air before landing a kick on Issei's face with his left foot, successfully pushing him back. Deciding he wasn't done, Riser quickly flew over, uppercutting Issei's abdomen, forcing him outside the bounds of the collapsing structure.
"'So you like playing hide and seek you little bitch!',"
Quickly recovering, Issei took hold of the oncoming Devil's arms, both engaging in a test of strength against the other. Neither let go of the other's hands, both straining to push the other back even an inch.
Riser knew that underneath the indifference of the helmet, Issei was struggling. In one swift move, Riser took flight before pushing Issei further into the ground.
Issei could feel his entire body shaking, struggling to overcome the strength Riser presented. He didn't know his limits yet, and he didn't want to tempt using another boost.
"Collective Consciousness controlled as you will see!"
Without a mighty roar, Issei dragged Riser downwards towards his awaiting knee, ramming the extended limb into the man's jaw. While he was still staggered, Issei grabbed Riser's head, slamming it into the dirt before twisting around and repeating.
Stepping back, Issei grabbed onto Riser's ankle, before yanking him forwards and forcing him into the dirt. Riser landed with a thud, barely able to even let out a scream due to the air being forced out of his shredded lungs.
Not letting up, Issei spun around before throwing his body like a ragdoll. Taking the opportunity, Issei channeled his energy into his arms, rings of red forming around his forearms before launching a beam at the Devil.
Riser's face contorted into one of panic, his eyes reflecting the blunt end of the beam before it finally collided with his flames.
"LET YOUR COUNTRY CONTROL YOUR SOUL!"
A massive explosion echoed from his body, the sheer winds contorting the fireball to look like an asteroid that had burnt up in Earth's atmosphere.
Issei stood still, his shadow twitching due to the violent nature of the explosion. The front side of his body was entirely lit up, only the deepest of grooves still cast in darkness.
From the fireball, several streams of flames burst from its clutches before combining into one larger aura hovering above the fireball. With a pulse of energy, the explosion vanished, replaced by Riser's own fire, its vibrancy matching his anger.
Riser seemingly bounced mid-air, similar to how a boxer would before an intense fight. Issei began to float, shrouding himself in a red miasma, before stopping at Riser's level.
Once there, both darted towards the other, streaks of red and orange zipping across the sky as both engaged in combat. The two tossed each other around, jumped and ducked around the other, or even launched minor energy attacks. Even through the imperceivable battle, they managed to toss blows unseeable to the naked eye, merely showing up as blurs.
In the midst of this, Issei squatted down, planting both of his hands on Riser's chest, launching a ray of energy into the man.
"'Crush you like a god-damn bug!',"
Flying up, Issei rammed into Riser, stunning him before grabbing onto the man's arm and tossing him elsewhere. Gathering his bearing, Riser flew backward as Issei gave chase, both leaving spiraling trails of red and orange light comparable to an airshow.
Catching up, Issei threw a right hook at Riser, violently snapping his head before uppercutting the Devil's torso, jettisoning him further. Knowing full well not to let up, Issei attempted to crush his body underfoot, though the Devil dodged back just in time.
Sneering, Issei spun on his left foot, swinging his right into Riser's face. Instead of stopping, Issei took off with the momentum until his left foot was closer to the Devil, jumping off of it while planting his right down, kicking Riser directly in the chest, visibly breaking his body against the taloned foot.
Riser's body tumbled across the ground as he erupted into a show of flames, the blinding spectacle blocking anyone from seeing Riser's body piecing itself back together.
The ground around him began to boil and bubble away. Cracks in the Earth formed before lighting up a fierce orange as the rock melted into lava. Issei planted his foot down, his armor acting as a wedge to prevent the ground beneath him from melting.
"It seems I need more to beat you, boy! I'll give you that!" Riser yelled, Issei surprised at the fact that he could hear the Devil as he began to float into the sky. Even with the distance growing between the two, the ground further melted away, the landscape churning into molten magma resembling a volcanic wasteland.
Riser's body looked as though it was being blown in an immense wind, his hair and clothes turned completely up as his eyes cast hatred onto Issei. Even so, Issei stood strong in his resolution, refusing to fall even if the ground beneath him was merely a sludge by this point.
"The fires will burn in their defeat!"
Lightning began to be cast down from Riser's show, his flames resembling a hurricane about to explode. His fire glowed white before dispersing, revealing his new appearance. His legs and lower torso were covered in a dark burgundy coat of feathers, his skin was a pale white, lastly his hair and eyes were both a deep orange.
Riser sent a sharp pulse of energy at Issei, the boy discarding his helmet as he craned his entire body over as the bolt launched past him. Issei garnered energy into his right arm, rings of red spiraling around the gauntlet before firing towards Riser in a massive wave, bisecting the flames, shadowing the battlefield in a ceiling of red light before showering down.
Riser lurched towards Issei, punching him in the gut, his teeth gritted as Issei reeled over his fist before plummeting into a mountain nearby. Flying after him, Riser forced his body through the landscape, the mountainside exploding from the force. Once he landed, Issei trudged his hands through the dirt so he could stop himself, barely able to catch himself on his feet as he watched Riser emerge.
"LET YOUR COUNTRY CONTROL YOUR SOUL!"
Riser's body looked as though it was about to break, his eyes were glowing red, his body jerked to the right as his hand laid over the left side of his face as though soothing the pain. Suddenly twin beams of energy launched from his eyes, carving into the land aimlessly around him. Issei weaved around the beams, jumping backward, watching as the Devil destroyed the land in a monstrous feat of indifference.
Fireballs littered the environment, rising from the ground surrounding the Phenex. Both stared at the other through the flames, the heat going ignored.
"The unenlightened masses, they cannot make the judgment call!"
The staredown was uninterrupted, both had firm expressions, no longer caring about the reasoning, only the outcome. Even in the moment, it was unbelievable to Issei, but he didn't care, he only cared about winning.
With a sickly jerk, Riser dashed forwards into Issei, slamming the boy back as the two flew over the terrain. Issei grabbed onto his arm, throwing him off before launching a flurry of bolts at the Devil, the resulting explosion distorting backwards from the force.
"Let your country control your mind, LET YOUR COUNTRY CONTROL YOUR SOUL!"
Issei flew after him, his fist careening into Riser's face, Riser throwing a corresponding punch into Issei's gut. Though Issei managed to tank it, grabbing Riser's neck with his right before pulling his entire weight and slamming his left leg into the Devil's temple.
Riser growled before extending his left arm, however, Issei deflected it, watching as a torrent of flames burst past his side.
"Don't you worry you'll be told exactly what to do, I give my people the lives they need! The righteous will succeed!"
With a kick into Riser's left side, the two resumed combat, darting through massive plumes of smoke the two created while launching various attacks at the other.
Issei slammed his knee into Riser's skull, sending him onto the ground as Issei floated downwards, Riser erupted into a booming pillar of light. The flames burnt upwards against his body, the landscape melting underneath the two, massive rocks folding in on themselves before turning into sludge.
Issei looked up, taking a breath of heated oxygen as he witnessed the sky turn a fierce white, only Riser, who resembled a star by now, stood out amongst the sky.
"Be grateful, Issei. For you're one out of a few who have witnessed my most powerful, and final attack." Riser's voice had a strange echo to it, as though it were being played over a warbled loudspeaker. Issei grunted, shouting back, "Then come at me!"
"For the first time, a human has been able to entertain me." Riser commented, a smile on his face before it quickly disappeared as he chanted, "I am the heir to the noble bird, those who attempt to plunder shall be burnt by our flames. I am the Burning Star, Phenex God!"
From Riser's body, a massive pillar of light barreled toward Issei. Looking up, Issei channeled his energy into one final attack, yelling, "Explosion!"
Both beams locked, white and red energy swirling together, however, Riser's began to creep forward, overshadowing Issei's. Issei nearly panicked, thinking, 'This isn't the full power Ddraig has, come on, just one more!'
"BOOST!" With one last power up, Issei's beam finally pushed through, the red wrapping around the white before slamming into Riser's body and the sky above. The sky seemingly cracked before exploding, sending shockwaves of energy through the entire dimension created for the battle.
White streams rained downwards, explosions booming around Issei as he flew upwards, the fireballs catching up to him and enveloping his body. However before the heat could kill him, his aura expanded before he flew past, his body stopping before falling back down into the wasteland.
Song End
Opening his eyes, he saw a strange environment. He was in a vast abyss, strange orange and red bursts of light shone in the distance like a nebula. Looking down, he saw he was standing in a very shallow body of water, at least he thought it was, the liquid was black, only reflecting the light above.
"You did good, boy." A gruff voice stated from behind Issei, turning, Issei saw a sight many would cower at. Standing before him was a massive red and yellow western dragon. Its entire body looked as though it were made from the same material Issei's armor was, which made sense now that he thought of it…
Its neck and back were littered with sharp spines, uneroded even from the immense lifespan the being lived. Its skull resembled a sharp leaf, several horns sprouting from both its jaw and brow ridge.
Lastly, the beast had two massive wings, the softer skin on the inside portion a yellow color. Its green eyes beat down on Issei, even harsher than Riser did, speaking of which…
"Where are we?" Issei asked, the dragon relaxing before answering, "We're within your mindscape, right now you're unconscious after that spectacle of a battle. I'll be honest it impressed me, it was on par with some of the battles I've taken place in."
"Well, that's good to know that I impressed you," Issei remarked, a small smile on his face, one which was overshadowed by his heavy eyes. Ddriag laughed at Issei's answer, stating, "You still have a long way to go before you can compete with him, but for now, one step at a time."
"Yeah, sounds good. Any idea how long I'll be here for?" Issei asked, carelessly plopping himself down onto the water, soaking his cape attached around his waist.
"My guess is until someone wakes you up, this is practically a dream, a lucid one at that," Ddraig answered, Issei nodding while resting his head on his chin. His breathing grew heavier as his eyes closed, as though he was about to fall asleep. Ddraig looked down at the boy, laying his own body behind him, watching as Issei's consciousness left his inner world.
"Issei, wake up! Please!"
His eyes darted open as he gasped for air, coughing up what he guessed was blood, though he'd rather not confirm. His armor was gone, returning him back to the outfit he had on before, albeit completely torn up.
"Issei! What happened?" Rias cried out, Issei looked up at her as he slowed his breathing, doing what he could to relax. Everything in his body hurt, his muscles ached and his chest felt like it was stabbing him every time he breathed.
He didn't even hear Rias ask for him, the ringing in his ears grew louder and louder, his efforts to stop hyperventilating failing. His body wasn't used to the strain he put onto it, not even training with Sekaino felt like this. Was this what his future held? His body, sore because of his humanity, unable to regenerate like Riser or magically heal like Sekaino, and it was all because he was human.
His eyes ventured into the sky as his body pumped adrenaline into his system, telling him to fight. His vision seemed to turn black, just before it could happen, Rias yelled, "Issei!"
Opening his eyes he saw her sitting next to him, a concerned look on her face as Issei's breathing slowed. Rias looked at him, a child-like impatience causing her to ask, "Issei?"
"Did I win, did I beat him, Rias?" The look on her face said it all, disbelief, shock, but most of all, hope. Looking around the two, it was clear a battle had happened, one Rias didn't find herself between, but while finding Issei, she heard it, the announcement she never thought she'd hear. She almost drowned it out, focusing on finding Issei, but she did take note of it.
Rias nodded, tears beginning to form as a grateful smile grew on her face. She leaned down, helping Issei's body onto the ground, one hand around his body while the other was over his chest.
"Yes, you won, Issei." It seemed unbelievable to him. He remembered the site of Riser, the Burning Star. The entire sky was blanketed in white with his form exploding into a torrent of flames, and he won against that?
"Are you certain? I didn't hear Grayfia announce it. Maybe his regeneration kicked in, or he's recovering right now-"
"Issei, he's gone." Rias interrupted, calming down the boy's ramblings. A smile formed on her face, hope returning onto his expression as he replied, "Then, that means…"
"I'm free now." Rias finished, tears beginning to fall from her eyes, causing Issei to panic as he stammered out, "Ah! I didn't mean to offend you or anything! Was it something I said?"
Rias shook her head, as she covered her face with her hands, her tears fully flowing through her fingers. "No, Issei. It's just that.. I felt so hopeless, without you."
Her head tilted down, as her tears landed on Issei's body. Seeing this, she wiped them away, her posh side engraved into her mind by her family telling her to do so. Issei looked up, disbelief on his face at her declaration, a compassionate smile forming on his face as he stated, "Then, I'm glad to have helped you, Rias."
Rias looked down, her tears drying as she smiled down at him, replying, "I'm glad to have met you, Issei."
Opening the door to his room, he moved his way past various nurses checking up on him. Machines monitored his health, and for the past few days, he's been recovering slowly. If he was being honest, he didn't know why they didn't let him go yet, perhaps they knew he would have healed the boy himself.
Looking past the nurses, he saw his student, 'You look as lively as ever…'
He had a firm expression on his face, his arms were crossed as various people meandered past his frame. Issei was chatting with one, sitting up on the manufactured bed he was lying on.
A smile formed on Sekaino's face, seeing he was doing fine without him. Deciding to let the nurses do their job, he walked out of the room, Issei managing to catch a glimpse of his fiery blue hair flowing out of the door.
He walked down the white halls of the hospital, seeing various Devils move past him as they performed their duties. He didn't feel as though he was in a hostile environment, he felt normal, like another person.
Life on this plane didn't seem so bad, in some regard it felt peaceful. He stared out a window of a bridge spanning two sections of the hospital. A road went underneath the bridge, ordained with various shrubbery, decorating the mundane structure.
Sekaino stopped, taking a deep breath as the sun set over the metropolis the hospital was located in. A thought rang through his head, one he hadn't believed would, 'Perhaps these Devils aren't so bad.'
A/N: And it's done, it's over, finally, the Phenex God arc. It took much longer than I had believed it would, at first I thought it would take only four chapters, though I'm not complaining about the length of this arc. Next, I'll be focusing on the Doom Slayer for a few chapters, it's been a while, to say the least. Afterward, I might even start an original arc to kick off season 2 and hopefully do some world-building around the Underworld.
I have to say, sorry for the wait, I haven't had the means to upload as my computer isn't working. I can, luckily, still upload onto Wattpad, meaning that Wattpad's side of the story will be getting updated ahead of FFN's. While I am able to upload this chapter onto FFN, this may be the last for a while, though that does mean that I can upload in bulk when I eventually do have the means to. So, if you're reading on FFN, go check this story out on Wattpad as it'll be ahead of FFN, and if you're reading after I start uploading onto FFN again, just disregard.
Another reason for this hiatus was that this chapter has been difficult to write, to say the least, and that took some motivation out of me in regards to writing this, so I took a much needed break. The biggest culprit for the difficulty being the music sync for the battle, speaking of which, let me know how it went for you guys, because it's something I'd love to do to help you guys further visualize the awe behind these scenes.
There is something else that I'd like to announce, and that's an art page on Instagram! Under the name, gzyzzartist, you'll find various character designs, artworks, concepts, and possibly scenes all drawn by yours truly! So if you're curious to see what some characters will look like, go check them out! Right now, as of May 1st, 2023, there's only a concept sketch of Sekaino, but it'll be expanded as this story does.
Art Page - gzyzzartist
Word Count - 4,244