The Lone Vigilante Issei – High School DxD
Hey everyone, it's me Hide Shinyama.
I'm really sorry for the delay. I had planned to release this chapter last Sunday, but I somehow ended up being occupied by paperwork and schoolwork for preparatory math classes (for those who are curious, I started my Bachelor studies in Health Management). I think one chapter per four weeks is going to be release rate, but hopefully I'll stop being so lazy in the future to prevent such delays.
Anyway…
In the last chapter Sanma had just freed some hostages in the concert hall. However, his secret double date was discovered by both his girlfriends, Nakane and Cat Fu, which left him feeling down. Meanwhile, Issei had just encountered a suspicious gunman behaving oddly, only to discover an abnormal creature emerge from the now dead gunman.
What's going on? What is that creature?
Find out in…
Chapter 38 – Hotel Crisis – 11th Floor
3rd of October, Saturday, 8:20 pm – hallway, ground floor, Hotel Entertainment
Issei was running down the hall like a madman. He really had no idea who or what those plasma-slime-like creatures were. But if Ddraig thought they were bad news, then that had to be so. That's doubly true if Ddraig had a tone of fear on him like just now.
Issei glanced behind him and saw those… things giving chase. They simmered in the darkness in an ominous yellow sheen as they gave chase. It was creepy because not only were they things had never seen before, but also because they seemed to be doing so without eyes, too!
"It's getting closer!" Issei cried out to Ddraig.
"Issei? What's going on out there?" Matsuda asked through the wristwatch.
[Young Matsuda! Is there any escape route out of this building or out of this floor?] Ddraig asked Matsuda urgently.
"Umm… an escape route outside out of the building is impossible, unless you can survive a hail of bullets… but there is a way to leave the floor," Matsuda said.
[Tell us! How? Where?] Ddraig demanded.
"Just up ahead. Approximately fifty meters away down the hallway to you left. There's a lift there. You can use that," Matsuda explained.
[Thank you] Ddraig replied. [You heard that? Get going!]
"Right!" Issei answered and dashed full speed.
"Hey, you! Stop!" a man's voice could be heard in front of Issei. He was one of those men in black with guns ready to shoot.
"Damn friggin' crap!" Issei cursed.
[Take him out! Getting away from those things at the back is your biggest priority!] Ddraig yelled at Issei.
"Got i-! Urk!" Issei grunted as the gunman fired a bullet at his chest.
It hurt very much, like a gorilla just punched him with its fist. But because Issei had Dragon Scales on his body, the bullet wouldn't be able to mortally injure him.
The gunman was shocked to see Issei get hit and still run. Before he could shoot again, Issei shoved him to the side.
"Out of the way!" Issei cried out.
"A hostage! A hostage has escaped!"
"Capture him!"
"You can't get away from us!"
More voices came from behind Issei from another hallway. Issei gritted his teeth.
"Just what I needed…" Issei murmured and pressed ahead. He just hoped he didn't come across more shooters.
"Grgh!" Issei suppressed a cry of pain as a bullet grazed his left shoulder from behind.
Unlike the chest, he was much more vulnerable elsewhere. Luckily, it was only a scratch but it stung badly. Yet, Issei still ran forward as the bullets came zipping from behind.
And then, he saw it.
"The lift!" Issei said out loud and pressed the button.
Unfortunately, the door didn't open right away.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Issei banged the door in frustration and despair, pleading this door to be opened.
"He's trying to escape to the lift!" said one of the approaching gunmen.
"Surrender or we'll shoot!" another gunman threatened Issei.
Issei looked at them with a fearful face. Was this the end? Should he not have been so reckless? What was Ddraig thinking when he told him to run away like a headless chicken?
Just as the men stepped closer to capture Issei, something unexpected happened.
"What the…? ARGH!" one of the men screamed all the sudden as he concluded and fell to the floor.
"Mark! Mark, what's happening!?" his colleague demanded as he watched in shock.
Before he could help him up, he saw something approach his other colleague from behind. Issei recognized it. It was yellow plasma-like thing from before.
"Look out, Daniel!" the gunman cried out.
At that moment, the thing went into Daniel, sending him convulsing in the same way as his colleague Mark.
The remaining gunman and Issei were transfixed at the horror before them. Both of the convulsing and screaming gunmen cried their last, even as their skin dissolved from their bodies. The poor men turned into skeletons, while the yellow monstrosities emerged from their corpses.
While Issei was gaping and trembling in horror, the lift door suddenly opened. Seeing this, Issei quickly stumbled in and pressed a button to close the door. Just before it closed, he could see those yellow slimes transform. They took shape and became…
"Mark? Daniel?" Issei heard the gunman speak in shock from behind the closed doors.
"Wait! What are do-? AAAAAAAaaaagh!" the gunman asked and then let out a horrifying scream, as if it was his last.
The scream sent a chill down Issei's spine. Issei instinctively pressed a random button and the lift moved up. By then, the screams had subsided and an eerie silence dominated the lift.
Issei checked which floor he had picked. He had pressed the button for the 10th floor. Out of all the floors that could be reached, there was the underground floor and then there was the 12th floor. Issei wondered if he should have picked the 15th floor instead. Something told him that was where the boss was.
But despite having these thoughts, Issei couldn't help but feel… a bit traumatized by the events of just now. Just… what happened? What were those things?
[Partner. I suggest you don't leave the elevator through the door] Ddraig spoke up, interrupting his thoughts.
"Huh? Why?" Issei wondered. His mind wasn't entirely in the mood for sudden instructions, so he came off as a little irritated.
[I have the suspicion that the elevator doors are guarded on each floor. Try finding a vent in the elevator shaft] Ddraig explained.
Issei rubbed his forehead. Great… more vents…
But Ddraig did have a point.
Issei pointed his arm up, charged some [Boosts!] and shot through the elevator roof. It made a hole. The elevator had just passed by the 7th floor when this all happened.
[Get ready…] Ddraig said.
Issei didn't reply. He jumped up, climbed through the hole and waited for the lift to stop. He saw something that looked like a grate covering the ventilation shaft and got ready.
The lift stopped. The doors opened and suddenly…
[RATATATATATTAA!]
…the sound of a machine gun firing bullets could be heard, shooting the inside of the elevator. Issei almost fell backwards into the hole in shock. Looking down, he saw the holes being made in the elevator.
Issei decided that he saw enough. He opened the grate and crawled into yet another shaft.
As he crawled forward, he stopped upon hearing some men speaking down below him.
"I have to say, that's one extreme policy. I mean, this time nobody is in it. Probably just somebody who accidentally pressed the wrong button downstairs. But what if it's one of ours?" one man asked.
"You got a problem with that? Got a problem with the Boss's orders?" another man asked menacingly.
"No, no… just…" the first man tried to explain himself.
"Look. There is no way, we would ever shoot one of our own in there. That's why we notify the other guys on the other floors by walky-talky. If not… you end up like Swiss cheese. Only those who are either not one of us or at worst forgetful, they get this treatment," the second man explained.
"Yeah, but why these measures? Wouldn't it be better to just nab intruders coming through the elevator?" asked a different man this time.
"The Boss is a careful guy. That's how he has lived this long. And considering the setbacks the guys downstairs gave had, I'd say it's needed. Now, anymore stupid questions?" the second questioned his men.
"No, sir," the first man responded.
"Good, now get back to work!" the leader of the men said.
After that, nobody said a word.
Issei took this moment to sigh in relief from all the stress built up in him.
"Thanks, Ddraig. I owe you my life – twice in a minute, no less," Issei said, as he lay down on his stomach.
[No problem, Partner] Ddraig simply replied.
Just then, Issei's wristwatch and his smartphone sounded.
'They're both calling me at the same time?' Issei thought to himself before taking their calls.
"Issei, I…" "Hey, my ma-!" Matsuda and Sanma both spoke at the same time.
There was a hitch in their voices, an indication of surprise upon hearing each other's voices, despite attempting to reach Issei.
"How did I reach you!?" Matsuda asked Sanma in shock.
"How did ya reach me!?" Sanma asked in return.
"Guys, I both picked your calls up at the same time," Issei explained with a chuckle. "It's just like last time. Matsuda is calling me through the wristwatch and Sanma is calling me through the smartphone. Anyway, what's up?" Issei asked, wanting to get back to business.
"Dude, we got cut off during our last call. What happened? Are you okay?" Matsuda asked Issei.
"I'm fine… just had a run-in with some freaky piece of nature…" Issei struggled to explain.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Sanma questioned Issei.
"I don't know… I don't even know where to begin…" Issei rubbed his temples, trying to think. "At the end of our call I ran into one of those terrorists. But something was different about that one…"
"Different. Like how?" Matsuda asked curiously.
"He was drenched and was completely wet like he jumped into the pool with his clothes on. I can still remember the smell of chlorine on him. He was walking like a zombie, too. I shot him down with the Boosted Gear and that's when things got weird," Issei retold his encounter.
"Weird? What, did he come back to life or somethin'?" Sanma joked. But unexpectedly, Issei confirmed that humorous statement.
"Yes… something like that…" Issei answered.
Sanma and Matsuda were taken aback. They hadn't expected an answer like this. Coming back to life? Could it really be…?
"I say 'something like that' because the dead terrorist turned into two living globs of yellow and started chasing me. I didn't know what they were, but Ddraig told me to run, saying they were dangerous. I did. On the way, I came across more terrorists, normal ones at least, and they were attacked by those… slimes… for a lack of a better word. I didn't know what they did, but whatever it was… there were screams coming from the terrorists…" Issei went quiet at the end of his explanation. The unease at the memory made his spine feel the chills.
After a significantly long pause, Sanma spoke up.
"So, where are ya now?" Sanma asked him.
"On the tenth floor in the shafts, yet again," Issei groaned, annoyance replacing his fear in a moment. "I really am going to need back therapy later… What about you guys? How are things on your end?"
"I'm gonna save those hostages in the fashion hall. I'm on my way now," Sanma told Issei and Matsuda.
"What about the other hostages you saved earlier?" Matsuda asked this time.
"They're in the dinner hall. With all the hostages there, it's a bit crowded. Other than that, there are no problems," Sanma reported.
"And Cat Fu and Nakane? How are they holding up? Have you talked to them?" Issei asked Sanma.
Sanma went silent at that moment. The lines were quiet and nobody spoke because of how tense it was.
"I… haven't had the time to talk to them…" Sanma finally answered the question. But he quickly shifted the topic. "Other than that, no problems. I'm on my way. I'll talk to ya guys later."
Sanma was about to hang up when Ddraig suddenly spoke up.
[Wait! Before you go, you need to hear this one thing!] Ddraig said with uncharacteristic urgency.
Matsuda, Issei and Sanma were startled at the sudden outburst, but listened attentively nonetheless.
[Those slimy yellowish creatures are still in the building. If you should encounter them or any unnaturally behaving people on your way, just run! Don't even try to fight them. In fact, you better get the hostages out of the hotel complex as soon as possible!] Ddraig said in a warning tone.
"Wha-? Why?" Sanma asked surprised.
Matsuda was equally as shocked. He has witnessed Ddraig getting serious and using warnings before. But he's never heard Ddraig take such an undertone of fear.
"Yeah, I've been wondering about that myself. What were those creatures? And what's so dangerous about those things anyway? I mean, they do kill people, that's clear, but it's not like we haven't faced worse," Issei reasoned.
[Like I said before, I don't know. But as a Heavenly Dragons, I have been through a lot of fights through the thousands of years. I have grown used to assessing the level of dangers posed by my opponents. And from what I could tell, those lumps of slime were absolutely dangerous, like your mere existence could be destroyed in an instant once they touch you] Ddraig explained in a low voice.
Sanma and Matsuda gulped. Issei reacted by freezing up. At once, the memories from a few minutes ago came to mind. Those slimes forming out of human bodies, them entering, destroying and exiting the bodies, leaving nothing but corpses behind… the identity of the soggy gunman from which the creatures came from… Issei started to link those pieces of information together… and suddenly… it hit him!
"They're parasitic!" Issei exclaimed loudly, much to everyone's surprise.
"Whoa! You scared me there!" Matsuda said to Issei.
[What did you say, Partner? Did you find out something about them?] Ddraig asked fervently.
"Yeah…" Issei nodded and explained his findings. "Whatever those things were, I don't know. But what I do know, is that they're parasites. They latch themselves on their victims and kill them. After they kill them, and it's just my own guess, they shape shift and become their victims!"
"Whoa! That sounds… scary!" Sanma remarked. "But are ya sure that happened?"
"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but from what I know, I'm saying it's likely. That gunman with the wet clothes from earlier, I recognize him… I killed him by tossing him into the pool in the swimming hall. I don't know where that thing came from, but… that's gotta be it… it took on the shape of that man, so that when I shot it with my Dragon Shot earlier, it turned back to its original shape!" Issei deduced.
Matsuda and Sanma were silent on their end of the line, trying to follow what Issei was trying to say.
"Sanma, whatever you do, be careful of these mimics," Issei said to Sanma.
Sanma nodded on his side of the line.
"Sure, got it. Over and out!" Sanma finished the call and hung up.
After Sanma hung up, Matsuda, Issei and Ddraig were the only ones left on the line.
"So, what now?" Matsuda asked Issei and Ddraig.
[I suggest we stick to the plan for now. We have to factor in a plan to stop those creatures from getting out into the open. I have a very bad feeling about those things] Ddraig said ominously.
"You mean like keeping them inside the hotel after the hostages have left?" Matsuda sought to clarify.
[For example] Ddraig affirmed.
"Got it," Matsuda replied. "Motohama and I will brainstorm and see what we'll come up with."
"In the meantime, I have to find a way out of this vent. Hopefully, I'll save more hostages and then give Sanma the signal…" Issei said. "I'll get going. See you!"
"Yeah, good luck, man!" Matsuda said and finished the call.
"Back to crawling…" Issei said to himself and went forward.
He followed the vent wherever it took him, winding left and right and straight. It was after a few minutes of crawling that Issei realized he forgot something.
"Dang it! I forgot to ask Matsuda for directions!" Issei cursed and slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.
Just as he was about to call Matsuda, his ears picked up a distinct sound from below. It was the sound of people talking, leading Issei to listen in. He heard a man trying to plead with their captors, but to no avail.
"No! Now shut up!" a man, presumably a gunman, said and kicked a hostage down.
"You people are animals! All of you! He just wanted to go the bathroom!" a woman shrieked in outrage.
"You shut up, too!" the gunman shouted and pointed his gun at the woman, silencing her. "As far as I'm concerned, he can crap himself to death, since we know he is a nobody."
"What an insult!" another woman could be heard saying. "We are all members of Gold Union, one of the most prestigious business groups in the Kanto region!"
A tense silence followed and then…
[BANG!]
…a gunshot scared the daylights out of Issei, followed by a scream. The woman who boasted about her status was silenced.
There were cries of fear and terror for a few seconds, before they ordered to keep quiet.
"Bastards!" Issei cursed angrily. "They would even shoot their hostages!"
Although he couldn't see it all happening, the fact that he could hear it was more than enough to give him a judgement on the situation and where the gunmen and hostages were located. Just in case, Issei summoned his special glasses and used the thermal mode. Then he used the Boosted Gear and used the ice core to make things colder. He had to hurry…
"Like my colleague said," said another gunman a bit louder, so that everyone in the room could hear. "He's a nobody. And so are all of you. We know you're all assistants of the VIP members in the floor above us. And you don't mean jack to us."
"You're in deep trouble, you criminals!" a man said defiantly. "You think you can escape from the police like this? The building is surrounded by police as we speak. If you thought you could get the ransom and leave unscathed, then…"
Before the man could speak further, he was kicked in the face. His nose bled severely, as he fell down.
"You think you're in a position to threaten us? Huh!? Well, think again!" the kicking gunman threatened menacingly. "Besides, you really think we would risk our lives for some ransom?"
This seemed to catch some people by surprise, if their gasping and sounds of "What?" was anything to go by.
"If you're not here for the ransom of the VIPs, then… why are you doing this?" another hostage asked bewildered.
"Not quite sure…" the terrorist said honestly. "I don't know what it is the Boss and his partners want. But from what I could tell, they're looking for something in this place. Probably something of immeasurable value."
"Hey, Roland!" another terrorist snapped angrily. "Don't go running your mouth about all our secrets here!"
"Hey, it's no big deal…" the terrorist named Roland said nonchalantly. "It's not like any of this is gonna leave the room. Even if the police do come rushing in or in case any of the hostages start to run, well… you know…" he said vaguely. Everybody in the room knew what he truly meant and looked at Roland's gun.
"Speaking of hostages, I heard the hostages on the ground floor have been freed. Why hasn't the Boss ordered us to take care of them?" asked the terrorist who shot the woman earlier.
"Not needed. First, reports indicate that some of the hostages are particularly strong, so the Boss told us not to provoke them. We need to save our strength after all. And secondly, as long as they don't leave the hotel, they're still under our control. Just need to keep an eye on the grounds outside and when the Boss tells us to shoot the hostages or the cops, we shoot," one of the other gunmen answered.
"Well, it's the Boss. He knows what he's doing," Roland said.
"Yeah," the other gunman seconded. "The Boss has always led us to success. What could possibly go wrong?"
All five gunmen nodded in unison (for that's how many there were in the room with about fifty hostages) when it came to their boss. They had a lot of trust in him.
At that moment, they felt something was wrong.
"Yeesh! Who switched on the air conditioner? It's freezing in here!" one of the gunmen near the door complained as he shivered.
"Freezing? What are you…?" Roland was about to say, but then stopped in the middle of the sentence.
He, too, felt the odd drop in temperature in the room. He looked around the room and saw that fog was forming, covering the entire room. Hostage takers and hostages alike were shivering from the cold. Some of the hostages were even huddling together. Roland zipped his coat up.
"That's odd… there's no air conditioner in the world that works this effectively…" the group leader remarked.
The windows weren't opened either. And the doors all around them were closed. That meant the cold air couldn't come from outside. It had to be coming from inside. But where…?
"AGH!"
Suddenly, a shout alerted all the people in the room, both hostages and gunmen alike. They found the source. It was one of the five gunmen in the room. He fell over backwards with a thud and was bleeding from his chest. He was dead.
"Everyone! Stay alert! There's a shooter in the room! Check everyone here!" the terrorist group leader Roland commanded the remaining men.
The men pulled their weapons and checked the room. But because of the mysterious fog, it was hard to see anything. Which was why, they inspected the hostages close up, demanding they show what they have hidden.
"You! Show me your hands! Now!" one of the gunmen demanded from a frightened man., who complied.
Just as the gunman was ready to move to the next hostage…
[Splurge!]
…his head burst open in a bloody mess!
"GYAAAH!" "GOD HELP US!"
The nearby hostages who witnessed the scene were crying in terror. They would never forget this traumatic scene in their life.
"WHAT THE F***! WHAT THE F***!" one of the three remaining gunmen cried in terror, pointing his gun at wherever the shot came from.
"WHO'S ATTACKING US, DAMN IT!?" another one cried out, equally fearful, while trying to locate the shooter.
"Everybody, calm down! It will all be fine! It will all be…" the leader Roland tried to convince his men, but…
"AGH!"
…Roland, too, died with a shot in the head, exploding in a bloody mess.
"Ah… AHHHH…" "Nooo… NO!"
The remaining two gunmen lost their nerves and were about to run out the door. After seeing their comrades die so gorily and having no idea where the shooter was, made them feel terror – the kind of terror they inflicted on their victims.
Just then, the door flew open, revealing a bunch of gunmen – six in total – with their guns ready.
"Just what is going on here!?" the leader of the six demanded from their frightened colleagues.
"Shooter!" "Somebody's killing us in here! But we don't know who!?" the two men blurted out.
"Shooter? Where?" the leader of the six demanded. He took a look in the room with his gun aimed at the hostages.
"We don't know! But he's in there somewhere!" one of the two men replied with a panicked look.
The six newcomers sighed at their perceived stupidity.
"If the shooter is in the room and you don't know who it is, you just have to kill them all…" the leader said to them.
All the gunmen took aim at the hostages. The hostages looked at them in horror and tears at their impending doom.
"No! Don't!" one of the hostages called out.
"Too bad! We aren't taking any risks! Now di-!"
Just before the leader could finish the sentence or shoot, the ceiling came crashing down right in the middle of the room.
All the eight gunmen flinched for a moment, but that was more than enough for Issei to make his move.
"No, you will die!" Issei cried with the Boosted Gear aimed at the gunmen.
[Dragon Shot!]
The beam shot at them hit all eight of them instantly. They gave out one final cry of death before they vaporized into thin air. The Dragon Shot destroyed the wall and left a huge hole reaching to the other side of the hotel. One could see the hotel rooms on the way and the dark outside at the very end.
[Reset!]
At once, Issei's power went back to zero, leaving him tired and panting heavily.
"I hope you scums go to hell… all of you…" Issei said to them, in case their souls could still hear him.
He turned around and saw the stunned and frightened hostages. Unlike the ones he met before, they didn't thank him or approach him in any way. Instead, they stayed where they were, too frightened to do anything. Issei decided to keep his distance. Through the still remaining, yet fading, shroud of icy fog he spoke to them.
"Head downstairs to the dining hall. Use the lift and get there as fast as you can. When you get to the dining hall, tell them I sent you," Issei briefly instructed them and was about to head out.
Just then, a bespectacled woman a red dress called out.
"Who are you?" she asked timidly.
Issei briefly turned around. Nobody could see his face because of the fog, so they couldn't make out his expression. But his voice was reassuring and helped them relieve tension in such a way as they have never experienced it before.
"Call me Issei," the host of the Red Heavenly Dragon said to them.
As Issei walked away, the hostages saw an outline of a gauntlet on his arm, flashing through the mist in an emerald green light.
3rd of October, Saturday, 8:32 pm – hallway, 11th floor, Hotel Entertainment
Issei had just made it to the 11th floor by using the staircase. Curiously enough, he didn't encounter any resistance. No gunmen met him on the way whatsoever. He had to say, it felt good to be walking after being in the vents for so long. It certainly helped his back…
[You revealed yourself to the public with the Boosted Gear…] Ddraig murmured to Issei's annoyance.
"Hey, there was a mist. It helped to protect my identity," Issei pointed out.
[You told them your name…] Ddraig pointed out in return.
"It was just my first name. Not like they can figure out my identity this easily…" Issei said nonchalantly.
[Partner…] Ddraig said in a warning voice.
"Hey, nothing will happen. All right? Besides, it was your idea to freeze up the room, create the mist, just enough to distract them and finish them off easily. So why get so angry when I'm trying to make the most out of it?" Issei retorted in a tone that made it clear he wanted to end the argument once and for all.
Ddraig didn't respond. There was a tense silence when Issei's watch sounded. Issei picked it up.
"What gives?" Issei said.
"Issei, the Boss behind the incident just made an announcement!" Matsuda said with urgency in his voice.
"An announcement? Is it about the ransom?" Issei asked, worried about what he might hear.
"Yes," Matsuda affirmed. "He told the media through a voice message saying that he wants a million dollars for each of the VIP hostages. If he doesn't get what he demands he'll shoot the hostages every half an hour one by one."
"Damn it!" Issei cursed and punched a nearby wall. This was not good news…
"Issei, you better hurry… you need to find out where those hostages are…" Matsuda said seriously.
"Yeah… on my way…" Issei said subdued and hung up.
He ran and used his special glasses. He checked every room. He knew the hostages were here somewhere. Only where?
Time was of the essence and that was something Issei was short on.
"I need to hurry…" Issei said to himself as he picked up speed to find the hostages.
3rd of October, Saturday, 8:35 pm – hallway, ground floor, Hotel Entertainment
Sanma was currently at the doors of the fashion hall. He just arrived there about a minute ago and was trying to figure out what to do next. But not just that, he had to ponder what Issei just told him – about those mysterious creatures that killed and absorbed their prey.
On the way here, just like Issei he had faced no resistance whatsoever. Instead, all he found were the grisly remains of what seemed to be human bones and skulls and black clothing.
"Seriously, what's going on here?" Sanma muttered to himself.
As if the terrorists weren't enough. Because of the grisly discovery, Sanma had to proceed more carefully than he would have liked to. He looked all around, remained vigilant and even took detours just to get to his destination.
Now, if there was one thing Sanma Raotome would have never admitted, it was being scared. Being scared was for losers and cowards… his Dad had always taught him that. There was nothing wrong with tactical retreats, like his family's secret runaway technique. But something about the description of these yellow slimy shape shifting creatures put him on edge. Maybe, it was the tone that Issei and his pet dragon had earlier… they weren't weak, so… maybe they had reason to be scared…?
No matter… Sanma had one priority now…
"Time to save the hostages…" Sanma said and rolled up his sleeves.
He laid his hand on the door gently… and slowly pushed it open.
What he saw made his eyes go wide.
All the hostages were tied up in the strangest ways. Some were tied up to the wall with black feathers pinning the chains binding the hostages to the walls. Others had the same treatment done to them, except that they were pinned to the ceiling. Others were bound to chairs and were looking at Sanma with muffled voices and pleading eyes. Some of them were tied to the floor.
All in all, it looked like the room was covered by people. Not an inch of the room was free from dried-up hostages, except for the catwalk in the middle of the room.
Sanma walked in carefully, making sure not to step on the hostages. He looked around with clenched teeth.
"Who did this to y'all?" Sanma demanded from the hostages. Unfortunately, they couldn't speak since they were all gagged and tied up.
"Anyway, let's get ya untied…" Sanma was about to reach down to untie their shackles, but to their surprise, they shook their heads vehemently and hinted at something at the walls.
Sanma stopped helping them and froze. It was then, that he saw what they were pointing at. He didn't see it at first, but upon closer inspection he saw it.
"Explosives!" Sanma exclaimed.
Indeed. It was a C4. Not just one, but multiple of them. And they were attached to what seemed to be timers. What's worse was that they were everywhere.
"Those hostages are rigged! Damn!" Sanma cursed out loud.
This was much worse than the last rescue missions. One mistake and it would all be over. For him… and those hostages…
"Well, well… it seems our guest has finally arrived…" a voice said mockingly from somewhere in the room.
"Who's there?" Sanma said as he took a fighting stance, looking all over the room.
"Just somebody who wants a little fun…" the mysterious voice said.
Sanma tried to locate the speaker, but he couldn't find him. All he saw were hostages everywhere.
If finding wouldn't do him any good, maybe speaking would.
"Are ya with those gangsters?" Sanma shot out.
The mysterious speaker laughed. "Gangsters? Oh no, no… as if I ever were to be lumped by the likes of cannon fodder…" he said socially, as if Sanma was engaging him in a fun conversation.
"Why are y'all doing this!?" Sanma demanded from the voice.
The speaker laughed again. "'Y'all'… you have a very interesting way of speaking. Are you a country pumpkin by any chance? I always thought they were interesting people," he joked.
Sanma was getting more ticked off. "Answer my question!" Sanma shouted.
The voice sighed this time. "Oh, what a spoil-sport… well, if you have to know, it really depends on who you mean by 'y'all'. If you mean the cannon fodder in black, they're just here because their boss ordered them to… and for money... their boss, on the other hand, wants to get his hands on the resources we told him about."
Sanma raised an eyebrow in confusion, despite being on edge. "Resources? What resources?" Sanma asked.
The voice laughed again. "I'm afraid I can't tell you about that. It's a trade secret. All I can say is that once those humans have done their job, we'll snatch it before they can lay eyes on it…"
Sanma was shocked at what he just heard, in addition to being more confused.
"You're betrayin' them? And hold on, did ya just say… 'humans'?" Sanma asked bewildered.
And then something inside his mind clicked. Could it be…? That creature that can shapeshift... the one Issei and Ddraig had told him earlier… was this… him?
"Betraying them? Oh, no… in order to betray someone you have to be a subordinate or an ally first. I and my comrades were never like those Germans. They do have some interesting accents, though…" the voice said with a laugh.
Sanma said nothing, as he started to think about how to get the hostages free.
"I see you're looking for a way to get them out," the voice interrupted Sanma's thoughts as if the speaker could read his mind. "But don't bother removing those shackles. They'll go off if you rattle the clocks too much. It took me a lot of time and effort to set them up. It wasn't easy… but as you can see, they work. And now that you're here, it's time to play the game!"
After that, the hidden speaker became excited.
And then, unexpectedly, the ceiling opened up, revealing a trap door conveniently placed out of the hostage's way. Sanma realized the, it was the only place in the room that wasn't covered by tied-up hostages.
Sanma tensed up.
'Here it comes!' he thought and readied himself.
3rd of October, Saturday, 8:38 pm – with Issei, 11th floor, Hotel Entertainment
Issei kicked the door open. The Boosted Gear was at Issei's disposal, ready to shoot. Inside, he found a bald man wearing a gray suit, gagged and tied up to a chair in a long room. Judging by the sofas and the billiard table
'Just one?' Issei thought to himself as he raised an eyebrow.
Issei had been looking all over the 11th floor to find the hostages. Those gunmen from the 10th floor said they were up here. So, where were they? No matter where he looked, he found nobody. No hostages or gunmen. It was like it was devoid of anyone or anything – except this man.
'Still better than nothing…' Issei thought to himself and made his way towards the hostage.
"Don't worry, I'm here to free you…" Issei assured the man.
But the man shook his head. Using his eyes and head, he pointed at something at the corner of the room behind him. Issei frowned confused for a moment, but then whipped his head around in alarm out of instinct.
There was a man in a black trench coat leaning against the wall with a relaxed expression. He had a reddish beard and looked like he was in his thirties.
"Stay where you are! Or I'll shoot!" Issei warned the man, the Boosted Gear being aimed at him.
Yet, the man didn't seem fazed by Issei's threat. He, instead, let out a small chuckle.
"I knew you would come here…" the man began to speak in a deep smooth voice.
"Huh?" Issei voiced out surprised at the man's choice of words.
"…we've heard reports of somebody causing chaos in the lower floors and freeing hostages. That was you wasn't it?" the man asked Issei, as he took a step away from the wall.
Issei did not answer. He watched the man wearily, wondering why he didn't express surprise upon seeing him or the Boosted Gear.
"So, we figured out that the best way was to lure you up here. That news report about the hostages going to be shot was meant to do exactly that," the red-haired man explained.
Issei was stunned for a moment, but remained on guard.
"It was all… a lie?" Issei asked.
The man shook his head. "No, the announcement was real, all right," he explained further. "But we told the German crime boss that we would take care of you. You probably heard from the Germans that the VIP hostages were held on this floor, right?"
"Yeah. So…?" Issei answered and wondered what he was getting at.
"Actually, they're on the floor above us. Everyone in this building has been told that the VIPs were held here. What they didn't know is that we had them moved to the floor above us – without their knowledge. We did leave the manager of the hotel here for you," the hostage-taker nodded to the tied-up bald man. "…as bait."
Issei couldn't believe his ears.
"The hostages have been moved. Dang!" Issei said frustrated at being fooled. He needed to leave here and quickly.
"You're thinking of leaving here, am I right? Well, I'm sorry. But you'll have to stay here," the man said. He moved between the door and Issei, leaving Issei to face away from the window.
"I don't have time for this…" Issei growled angrily and impatiently. He already had so many things on his plate that needed his immediate attention. He didn't need more.
"I'm afraid you do," the man in the trench coat said in the same smooth voice, but with an undertone of a threat. "You see, other than stopping you from causing havoc in the hotel and foiling our operation, we have another… more personal reason for dealing with you."
Personal? What was he talking about?
"We sensed your powers all the way from up here, including your ice magic. And seeing this Sacred Gear on your arm there is no mistake…" the man said ominously.
At once, multiple questions went through Issei's brain.
Sensing powers? Ice magic? Sacred Gear? Wait, could it be they were aware of the supernatural?
Issei became wearier than before. Who was this man? And why did he know about this?
[Partner, move!] Ddraig called out.
At that moment, Issei saw something flash above him and move towards him.
Issei jumped back and barely managed to avoid the figures smash the floor where he once stood. With his back towards the window, Issei shot at them.
[Dragon Shot!]
The red beam fired towards the figures. But it got blocked by barriers of light.
Issei, was temporarily blinded by the light of the explosion shattering the windows behind him. Issei managed to stand firm, so that he wouldn't be blown away. Once, Issei recovered, he saw just who or what stopped his Dragon Shot.
3rd of October, Saturday, 8:40 pm – fashion hall, ground floor, Hotel Entertainment
"What in tarnation!?" Sanma said, being taken by surprise.
Landing on the ground on the cat walk was a man wearing a black robe. He had long black hair and glasses. Sanma's impression of him was the same as his voice – freaky, but dangerous.
All the hostages in the room trembled with fear. Even Sanma himself was on edge upon seeing this man.
"It's time to introduce myself. My name is Zaavan. And here are the rules. If you can defeat me without detonating any of the explosives, you'll win. On my body, you will find a remote that has a disabling function. Press it and you will save all the hostages. Of course, it won't be easy… Ahahaha!" the man named Zaavan laughed like a madman. "As the guest of honor, I'll let you have the first move. Come up the stage so you can make your first move against me!"
Zaavan said with his arms wide open as if he were encouraging Sanma to hit him.
"With pleasure…" Sanma smirked and did a jump kick towards the mad hostage-taker.
"Heh… naïve…" Zaavan laughed and smirked.
To Sanma's utter surprise, two things happened.
In a blink of an eye, Sanma missed as Zaavan disappeared.
"What the…?" Sanma voiced surprised as he landed on the stage.
It was as if this guy could teleport, judging by how fast he vanished from the spot.
Sanma looked around and that was when he saw Zaavan floating in the air on black wings.
"Now, you didn't think it would be this easy, did you? Now, let's get started…" Zaavan said with excitement.
Sanma was in shock at first, but then gritted his teeth angrily.
"Ya're just like that guy from before. Ya're…" Sanma said.
At the same time with Issei…
Issei was similarly in shock when he saw the figures before him. There were four of them. Three men and a woman with light spears and black wings out and ready to kill.
"You will die for what you did to Yuda!" the woman among them said, as they took their positions against the cornered Issei.
"You are…" Issei whispered in shock at seeing people like them here.
At that moment, Issei and Sanma said the same words at the same time, despite being in different places.
""…Fallen Angels!""
And that was Chapter 37 of The Lone Vigilante Issei.
Again, I apologize for the late chapter. But the start of college really affected my time schedule significantly – and my sluggishness to write.
Now, about this chapter.
Issei is no longer on the lower floors, but has since moved on to the top floors. That's because the remaining hostages and the mastermind behind the hostile takeover are on the highest floors. Somebody was bound to take the Boss down somehow.
Also, yes, the hijackers are Germans, in case you couldn't tell by their names. Perhaps you can guess what the arc is roughly based on (hint: it's based on a movie).
Regarding the Fallen Angels, yes, they have made a comeback. There is no way, I would have neglected supernatural species like them in a High School DxD fanfic.
But what's their role in this? Why are they enrolled in this? And what about those creatures, Issei, Sanma and all the hostages – freed or captive?
Find out next time.
Until then, please read and review. I hope to hear from you.
And as always, I hope to see you again next time.
Until then,
Hide Shinyama