Sorry for the slight delay, I had to get another injection last week and I basically lost 3 days of writing. The first because I needed to go to bed early, the second because I needed to wake up early and the third so I could get over the dizziness it caused me. I am working on more chapters though and I think for the next few updates, I will be going through my Fairy Tail fics. I will get to all of them in time, have no fear, but I am feeling a bit unmotivated these days, from feeling unwell for so long. Hopefully though, a bit of reading will give me the jolt I need and I'll churn out updates super-fast again.
Well, enjoy the chapter.
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.
Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the High School DxD anime/manga/light novel. All I own are my original characters and plot twists.
'Talking'
"Thinking"
'Ddraig talking and Sacred Gear sounds'
"Ddraig thinking"
*expression*
Flashback
Chapter 6 – Past Mistakes
Issei opened his eyes and found himself in his mind with a weird looking man next to him, who he had never seen before. Teal eyes stared at Issei patiently, confusing him slightly, before his mind started to connect the dots.
'I'm impressed, I didn't think you would figure out who I was without a pointless shouting contest to begin with. You really are improving it seems.' Commented the blue haired man.
'Leviathan? How? You're dead.' Spluttered Issei.
'There, that is more what I expected from you. You know, before I died, I had a body, this is what I looked like. Considering I am only a soul now, it isn't hard at all to reform myself into my own image.' Quipped Leviathan.
'Why did you need to take a form?' Asked Issei curiously.
'I like taking form. Would you enjoy being a blob of energy?' Retorted Leviathan.
Issei conceded the point with a small nod, before shaking his head.
'What did you want me to come in here for?' Asked Issei.
'That is a surprise, for now though, let's go for a walk inside your mind, follow me.' Said Leviathan, before turning around and walking away.
Issei stammered for a moment, before following after the devilish entity.
'As you can see, your mind is structured from the outside in. Your earliest memories are on the outside and as we get closer to the centre, we will eventually see more recent memories. Here is your third birthday, one of your earliest memories that you remember quite well.' Said Leviathan, pausing briefly in front of a mirror.
Issei looked at it and saw a much younger, cuter version of himself, hugging a small teddy bear.
'What is strange though, is most people normally have their earliest memories in the centre, as they are the things they try to protect and hold on to. Your typical collection of firsts usually go into them. First birthday. First stuffed toy. First day of school. First friend. Speaking of your first friend, given what you grew up to become, it is surprising your first friend was a girl, but then again, you thought she was a boy anyway.' Commented Leviathan in amusement.
'It isn't my fault; Irina's hair wasn't girly at all, and she was more excited about playing outdoors than me. That's not normal for a little girl, they are supposed to play with dolls.' Defended Issei.
Leviathan looked back at Issei for a moment, before laughing uproariously.
'Dolls? Her father had a Holy Sword and was most likely an exorcist, I think dolls would have been pushed away in favour of defeating evildoers, or whatever else children like to believe they are capable of in their youth. In any case, let's continue.' Said Leviathan, before continuing on.
'Keeping your most recent memories closer to the centre though, that is strange. Why, you ask? Simple, it means you value the present and what is happening in your life now, more than your past. While that means you should be able to move on from things that happen to you easily, it seems that isn't always the case.' Said Leviathan, stopping in front of a cracked mirror.
'Why don't you take a look inside? See exactly what has damaged your mind.' Suggested Leviathan.
Issei looked at the mirror uncertainly. Whereas before, all the mirrors had been clear and pristine, this one was black, charred and heavily cracked. There had been a few others with cracks, but Issei had thought they would have been the memories of particularly bad beatings from the kendo club, or that weekend his parents had found his stash and thrown it all away. Issei slowly walked up to the mirror, before feeling a hand on his back.
'You'll thank me once this is all over.' Said Leviathan, before shoving Issei into the mirror forcefully. Issei disappeared from view, leaving Leviathan alone. The original Leviathan waited there patiently, before the seconds turned to minutes.
'The memory was not that long, what is taking him so long?' Muttered Leviathan, after five minutes had passed.
When Issei still hadn't returned after fifteen, Leviathan sighed and reluctantly stepped into the mirror.
-line break-
It was the same memory Leviathan had seen before, the memory of Raynare's demise, only Issei was not where Leviathan had appeared, floating in the air, no, he had replaced the version of himself in the memory. Unlike in the memory though, Issei was frozen in place.
'Issei, please help me, I love you. Don't let that Devil kill me.' Pleaded Raynare.
Rias stood behind Issei, practically twitching for any sort of signal from Issei to kill the Fallen Angel, but he wasn't budging.
Leviathan watched for a minute, even as Issei stood there in place, before floating over to him and pushed him to the side. Issei seemed to split in two, one making up the Issei of the original memory and the other Issei consisting of the current Issei.
'So, you got stuck in the past.' Commented Leviathan, as the memory of Issei gave Rias the okay to kill Raynare, as his current form watched on in muted silence.
After Raynare was killed, the memory repeated itself.
'Can you still not think about this moment? Just the memory of it has frozen you.' Continued Leviathan.
Issei said nothing, as he watched Raynare get killed again, before the memory started over again.
'You keep this particular memory very close to your centre, care to explain why, especially since it isn't a good memory?' Asked Leviathan.
The memory repeated itself two more times, before Issei spoke.
'Because it is one that changed me. One of the most innocent people I have ever met was killed, by my first girlfriend, of all people, who then ended up being killed, by the woman who I wanted to become my girlfriend. It was all so confusing and painful… I didn't know what to do… I had no control… powerless.' Whispered Issei.
'Yes, you were fairly powerless, but not completely. Looking back, it was you who defeated your first girlfriend. You have grown even stronger now though, so why are you still hung up on this memory?' Asked Leviathan.
'I… don't know.' Muttered Issei.
Leviathan gave a small snort at this, before placing his hand on Issei's right shoulder.
'Time to leave this memory.' Said Leviathan, before the two left the memory and appeared in front of the cracked mirror again.
'Come along, we are almost to the centre of your memories, and I know there is someone just dying to see you.' Said Leviathan, mirth evident in his tone.
'Wait, if these are my memories, how can there be someone else in here?' Asked Issei in confusion.
'Memories are just that: memories. However, if you supress them, they can grow and fester, mutate, control you, limit you, encourage you, or even break you completely. In a way, your memories did all of these things. You simply don't realise just how your memories have affected your very sense of being.' Said Leviathan, before stopping and turning around.
'This is the end, just a little further ahead is your core. It contains the one thing which you, unwittingly or otherwise, have decided defines you. In order for you to grow, you need to confront it.' Said Leviathan, gesturing for Issei to walk forward, stepping to the side.
Issei tentatively walked past Leviathan, unsure of what to expect. As he started to focus on what he saw, he felt himself go numb in disbelief.
'Hello Issei, will you die for me-augh, bastard!' Cursed, what Issei could only assume, was a figment of his imagination, Raynare.
'Tut, tut little fallen, I told you not to mess with him.' Said Leviathan, recoiling his whip of boiling water that he had struck the scantily-clad Fallen Angel with.
Raynare growled in anger, but didn't let her sharp retort out. He was still holding the whip after all.
'W-what is she doing here? How is she here?' Asked Issei anxiously, never tearing his gaze away from Raynare.
'As it so happened, a fragment of her soul broke off during that memory you just saw. If you haven't learnt by now, strong souls, such as myself, can keep themselves from moving on and later reform through others. The Fallen Angel over there is not a strong soul in the slightest, but it possessed strong desires, enough to latch on to you, well, a part of it at least.' Explained Leviathan.
'That doesn't make sense, she hated me, why would she want to become a part of me?' Retorted Issei.
'It wasn't by choice. Ignorant as she was, she only latched on to what she could. You were the only one there nearby that she could attach to.' Said Leviathan.
'Exactly! Why would I want to remain with a pathetic Devil for augh!' Scoffed Raynare, before screaming in pain.
'I honestly expected you to learn after the first few times, but since you need to hear this again: I am a Devil, stop insulting them before I pluck your little wings and mount you on a wall somewhere.' Admonished Leviathan.
'Why do you want me to see this… see her?' Asked Issei.
'You want a harem, no?' Asked Leviathan, to which Issei nodded.
'Well, I noticed something whenever that girl you rescued would reciprocate any of your advances, you would practically recoil. So, tell me, why does someone who wants a harem, shy away from potential women, who wouldn't mind being a part of said harem? I decided to find out for myself and trawled your mind, eventually finding her. Normally, I would have simply killed her and been done with it, but the point was raised that in order for you to truly move on, you need to confront her. Hence me bringing you here.' Explained Leviathan.
'I get it.' Said Issei quietly, getting a small nod of approval from Leviathan.
'But I can't do it right now, sorry.' Said Issei, causing Leviathan to frown, before Issei pulled himself out of his mind.
'Aw, poor Leviathan, your plan didn't work, Issei still can't bear the sight of me.' Teased Raynare.
'I am this close to chaining you up, don't push it.' Said Leviathan, holding his thumb and index finger very close together.
'Do it, it won't help little Issei get over what happened. In fact, you might even make him have flashbacks to what happened to that foolish Holy Maiden.' Taunted Raynare, before wincing, as the whip struck her again.
'You win this round, but you won't win the war.' Said Leviathan in annoyance, before following suit and disappearing.
-line break-
Leviathan reappeared on the edge of Issei's memories, and sighed in exasperation.
'That did not work well at all.' Muttered Leviathan.
'Yes, but I am surprised at the restraint you showed.' Spoke a voice, causing Leviathan to laugh.
'I thought you said you don't have enough power to penetrate too deeply into this dimensional space, yet here you are, back again.' Commented Leviathan, turning to face the same faceless mass of energy that had spoken to him before.
'True, but I needed to see how you would react to my words. I see you lived up to my expectations and have reaffirmed my idea to recruit you. The use of a whip to try and make Raynare politer… was unexpected, but it seems to be effective, though I do hope you don't go overboard.' Commented the mass of energy.
'I only care for my main ambition, I'm not about to indulge in petty torture of a being so far beneath me. I have more class than that.' Scoffed Leviathan.
'Well, in any case, we won't watch you so closely anymore, but I may pop by occasionally. Good luck.' Said the spectre, before fading away.
-line break-
Issei awoke to find himself seated on the floor, with a blanket loosely draped over him.
'What did I miss?' Asked Issei in confusion.
'It seems your new friend has a softer side to her than you thought. Honestly, did you have to strip her though?' Commented Ddraig, appearing as a glowing green mark, on Issei's left hand.
A soft yawn grabbed Issei's attention, before the sound of frantic shuffling reached his ears.
'What happened, where am I?' Demanded Erza, utterly confused.
Issei stood up from the foot of the bed, which led to him having a pillow thrown into his face, with surprising force, from a girl who was supposed to be near death's door a few hours ago.
'Oh, it's you Issei… why am I in the bed and why were you on the floor?' Asked Erza.
'You collapsed, and I wasn't that tired, so I let you have the bed.' Explained Issei.
'So I inconvenienced you, I'm sorry, please hit me.' Said Erza, bowing her head, only for Issei to sigh.
'I'm not going to hit you, we are in this together, so it is important both of us are strong and healthy. How else are you going to help me create my harem?' Joked Issei, but it seemed it was lost on Erza.
'I see, of course! How could I be so blind? Not to worry, from this moment on, I will not have such a poor lapse of judgement again.' Declared Erza.
'I'm guessing by all that noise the two of you are awake.' Said Moka, entering the room a moment later.
'Ah, you are here. Very well then, as my first step in building Issei's harem, I will defeat you in combat and force you into submission.' Said Erza strongly.
Moka raised a delicate eyebrow in disbelief.
'Perhaps you need to rest a little longer, you seem to be delusional.' Said Moka.
'Nonsense, I will defeat you here and now scoundrel.' Said Erza, before a sword materialised in her right hand, one thrumming with demonic energy.
'How did you do that?' Asked Issei in surprise.
'Oh, it seems I forgot to tell you about just how deep my affinity for Demonic Swords is. In fact, it is so great, that I can materialise them as well. Think of it as the counterpart to the Sacred Gear Blade Blacksmith, except instead of Holy Swords, I make these.' Said Erza.
'Hmm, maybe you are worth something after all… very well, I will humour you with a spar, follow me.' Said Moka, before turning with a swish of her silver hair, and leaving.
'Are you sure you are ready for something like this?' Asked Issei nervously.
'Of course, I recover extremely fast. Now, let us gather a member for your harem.' Said Erza, before getting off the bed and following after the Vampire.
Issei sighed, before following after the two. Moka led them outside and to an open area, just in front of their mansion.
'Ready when you are.' Said Moka, before leaping back to avoid a slash.
'You are quicker than I thought.' Complimented Moka.
Erza didn't respond, simply charging in again, before sweeping her blade from left to right, seeking to bisect Moka. Moka jumped onto the flat of the blade and kicked Erza in the head, causing her to be sent flying back and for her blade to clatter to the ground.
'You're more agile than I thought.' Added Erza.
Erza then materialised two more swords, before lunging at the Vampire.
'It seems despite your natural aptitude for bladed combat, you have no real style and were never taught either. My sister would have already torn you to pieces if you attacked her with this weak offensive.' Quipped Moka, ducking under Erza's dual sword swipe, before lashing out with a mule kick to her gut, sending her flipping through the air.
The red-haired knight dug her blades into the ground, slowing herself down, before pushing off from the ground again.
'Take this!' Shouted Erza, throwing the sword in her right hand towards Moka at blinding speeds.
The Vampire leaned to the side, letting the blade fly by harmlessly, before back-flipping to avoid Erza's vertical slash, with the remaining sword.
'Good, but not good enough.' Admonished Moka.
'Fine then.' Said Erza, slamming her blade into the ground, before sweeping her left arm in the air above her in an arc, causing a dozen blades to materialise.
'Dance, my blades.' Commanded Erza, punching her right fist forward, as her swords flew at Moka.
Moka cartwheeled away to the right, before feeling her senses scream at her, causing her to twist in mid-air, the only thing that saved her from being impaled, by a dozen more swords that had popped out of the ground.
'Impressive, but I've humoured you enough I think.' Said Moka, before rushing Erza and slamming a kick into her head, only for the redhead to tank the hit, blocking it with her right arm.
'I win.' Said Erza, gripping onto the leg, before materialising a sword in her left hand which she stabbed into Moka's thigh.
Moka gave an ear-piercing yell, as the cold steel rammed through her porcelain skin.
'First blood is mine, I win.' Said Erza, pulling the blade out and releasing the Vampire, who slumped helplessly to the ground.
'I approve.' Commented Leviathan.
"That was scary… but strangely arousing… I didn't think I had a blood fetish." Thought Issei.
'You fool! It isn't the blood that you found enticing, it was their fighting prowess. My past hosts had harems, true, but those that made them up were always strong as well. With the threat that comes with being the Red Dragon Emperor, only the strong would risk interacting with my hosts in an amorous way.' Explained Ddraig.
Issei was brought out of his thoughts, when he heard multiple voices approach them, growing louder in intensity.
'There she is!' Shouted someone, gaining the attention of Issei, Erza and Moka.
'So this was your big plan, come and attack me when I am wounded. Exactly what I would expect from a bunch of cowards.' Scoffed Moka, standing up, despite the blood running down her leg, showing no signs of weakness.
'On the contrary, we have come to stop your attacks on us.' Commented a pale man with greying hair.
'My attacks? I haven't attacked anyone in years.' Retorted Moka.
'Yet despite your words Elizabeth and Franz both returned yesterday, beaten and bruised, citing you as the culprit.' Said another man, who possessed black hair.
'They attacked me.' Defended Moka.
'And you expect us to believe your word over theirs, despite the evidence and your past history.' Retorted a woman, with long, wavy brown hair.
'She's telling the truth, we both saw it.' Interjected Issei, drawing the attention of the mob, consisting of approximately a dozen Vampires.
'Who exactly are you? An outsider? Why would we believe your words over the words of our own?' Asked the brown-haired man rudely.
'One of your own is right in front of you telling the truth, but you aren't listening to her!' Protested Issei.
'Indeed, it was clear that Moka was the one being attacked when we stumbled upon her and those two others. Cowards, two against one and they still lost.' Added Erza.
'I believe you should watch what you say to us, we will not take insults to our kind lightly.' Warned the grey-haired Vampire.
The group of Vampires took a step to advance on Erza, who was still standing next to the wounded Moka, only for Issei to walk in front of them and summon his gauntlet.
'I won't let you touch Erza. If you can't believe Moka's words then leave now, she is more than a match for all of you.' Said Issei.
'On the contrary, the twelve of us against her is a rather equal match, however, with that wound you so kindly dealt to her, we can actually defeat her.' Said the brown-haired woman in amusement, before flinching as Issei summoned Ascalon.
'Are you sure about that? Do you really want to make an enemy of the Red Dragon Emperor?' Asked Issei warningly.
The group of Vampires looked slightly cowed at this, before regaining their bravado.
'Not to worry, the Vampire race is of superior blood, you will fall just as easily, Red Dragon or no.' Said the brown haired man.
The two sides glared in anticipation as the tension started to rise, before Moka broke it.
'Very well then, if I leave Romania, will you fools let this nonsense go?' Requested Moka.
'Leave? Why would you leave here? For what reason?' Asked the grey-haired man.
'I've grown bored of this weak place, filled with fools and bravado, with no one to challenge my strength. If my presence is such an inconvenience, I will leave.' Repeated Moka, with a shrug of her shoulders.
'Do you mean that?' Asked the grey-haired man, ignoring the insult.
'As long as no one tries to get revenge through my family, then yes. Believe me though, I will know if someone tries.' Said Moka threateningly.
'Very well, those are agreeable terms. You must leave within twenty-four hours.' Said the grey-haired man, before signalling for the others to leave, which they did with only some grumbling.
'Why'd you offer to leave, we could have taken them?' Asked Erza.
'True, but you did best me, even though I was holding back. A deal is a deal. I was bested, granted, it wasn't by you, but it has been a long time since someone has gone toe-to-toe with me. I will join you two under two conditions. The first, I will train Erza in proper usage of a blade, so she can give me a better fight. The second, I will not join this harem of yours, until you best me personally, Issei. Are those terms agreeable?' Asked Moka.
'That is better than I was expecting, take the deal.' Interjected Leviathan.
'I agree.' Added Ddraig.
'Okay then, we've got a deal.' Said Issei, sticking his right hand out for a handshake.
Moka grasped the hand tenderly, not using her monstrous strength, before pulling Issei towards her quickly.
'I also get to have a snack when I feel like it.' Added Moka, before sinking her fangs into Issei's neck, who could only yelp in surprise.
'Fine, but when I beat you, I get to decide when you get to do that.' Grumbled Issei, rubbing his neck in annoyance, once Moka had pulled back.
'If you beat me. If.' Smirked Moka.
"Leviathan, take us away from this crazy place." Thought Issei, placing his left hand on Erza's shoulder, as Moka was still holding his right hand.
'Very well, two pieces down, several more to go.' Said Leviathan, before the three of them disappeared.