The Lone Vigilante Issei – High School DxD
Hey everyone, it's me Hide Shinyama.
Now, we continue our fight between Issei, Hulk and Loki… sort of.
What do I mean by that?
Find out in…
Chapter 49 – Powerful Foes Part 2
6th of November, Friday, 4:29 pm – somewhere in the outskirts a long distance away from Issei
Loki did not know what just hit him – literally, in a way.
Granted, he did know that it was that giant green man wearing purple pants doing it.
But he had no idea what it was. Where did it come from? And how did it punch him – a literal God – and send him flying a great distance?
And how was this thing fighting him so formidably while taking his powerful spells and attacks head-on?
"HULK SMASH!" the green man, apparently named Hulk given its words, slammed his fists towards where Loki had stood.
Loki had avoided it and sent yet another spell at it. This time, it was a time-freeze spell freezing him in place.
But it had little effect. The Hulk had literally punched or overpowered its way out of whatever spell Loki sent at the Hulk.
And with each attack, it seemed to get angrier and angrier.
"HULK SMASSSHHHH!" it roared and attacked Loki once again.
"This damn thing…" Loki cursed and teleported himself to a place a good distance further and attack.
However, the Hulk would just power through any attack and pursue him.
And thus, the fight would continue.
"This is never going to end…" Loki said with gritted teeth.
Why was he in this predicament? Oh, yes! It was all because of the holder of the Red Dragon Emperor, Issei Hyoudou. It was bad enough that Issei Hyoudou would help Freyr expose his ploy with Gullinbursti and humiliate him by being punched in the face. And it was also bad enough that Loki had lost face among the Nordic Gods.
And just when he could avenge his humiliation by killing the boy, this green monster came and interrupted him. It would be one thing if Loki could kill it and then resume his quest to kill Issei Hyoudou.
But even that had been denied to him!
Instead, this enemy was unnaturally persistent and if this went on, it could go on for hours.
Loki was getting impatient. Hence, why he used his magic to speak to one of his vassals.
"You have noted the scent of Issei Hyoudou? Good, find him and kill him!" Loki ordered his vassal.
Just when he ended his call, the Hulk was immediately in front of him with his fist ready.
"HULK SMASH!"
"UGH!" Loki was sent flying into the distance once more.
6th of November, Friday, 4:36 pm – Hikarigaoka Park, Nerima Ward
The sun was starting to head towards the horizon and showing signs of evening. It was quite windy and cold. However, none of that mattered to Issei Hyoudou, who was on the run and better worse for wear.
"Haah… Haah…" Issei panted as he took a breather.
Issei had run a significant distance away from and found himself in the Hikarigaoka Park near some trees and bushes. He did know what took him to run to this place, but the fear and adrenaline of the foes he met, made him do this.
"Ddraig?" Issei finally spoke after calming down.
[Partner?] Ddraig asked in return.
"What was that… thing?" Issei asked Ddraig.
[I… don't know… The trickster God Loki, I know. But what that… monstrosity in green was, I really have no idea] Ddraig answered honestly.
Issei sighed while shaking his head. He went to a nearby tree and rested his back against it. Slowly, he slid down and sat on the grassy ground.
Things were getting complicated…
First, a God with a grudge. And now a second dangerous creature with an unknown origin and identity.
Issei clenched his fists in anger. How was he supposed to fight them both?
"Why by getting more help, duh!" Issei said to himself and proceeded to call Motohama with his wristwatch.
"Yo, Issei. What's up?" Motohama answered on the other end.
"Motohama. I've got a problem," Issei said to him.
"What kind of problem?" Motohama wanted to know.
"A big one. The kind that involved gods…" Issei briefly explained.
Motohama went silent on the other end, before speaking up.
"Start from the beginning," Motohama said to Issei as a sign that he should tell his story.
And so, Issei explained how he came across Loki and how Issei suffered a one-sided beatdown before the huge green man stepped him. Issei finished how the green man fought Loki, giving Issei the opportunity to flee.
During that time, Matsuda had joined in. To say that they were feeling a pit in their stomach hit the nail right on the head.
"Damn… it just keeps getting worse for you, doesn't it?" Matsuda remarked.
"You got that right. At this rate, the whole universe is going to come after me, stars, novas and all…" Issei remarked grimly with sarcasm.
"So, what now?" Motohama asked this time.
"I don't know… Wait till I get back. We can talk more the-" Issei said but a strange sound made him pause.
Issei whipped his head around to see what was making that sound.
But Issei could not see the source of the sound. For whatever reason, there seemed to be a thick fog covering the entire area.
That was strange… Just a minute ago, this fog was not there.
"Issei?" Motohama asked with concern.
"I thought I heard something…" Issei said as he tried to look deeper into the fog.
And then, another sound was heard.
((HOWL!))
It was the sound of a loud howling. But it was not just any howling. It was the howling of a huge monstruous beast. Issei did not know how, but he could tell that the howl was one crying for blood.
And it was getting closer.
"What the heck was that!?" Matsuda cried out in surprise.
Issei hid himself behind a tree and looked in the distance into a tree-filled area.
It was then, that he saw something huge walking on four legs from the fog.
It had ash gray fur on its back and blue-gray fur everywhere else. It was about ten meters tall. Sticking out of its shoulder were horns. But most notably, the creature had the clear resemblance of a…
"It's a huge wolf…" Issei whispered to Matsuda and Motohama on his wristwatch.
"A wolf? Here in the middle of the city?" Motohama voiced in disbelief.
"I know it sounds crazy, but you heard me right," Issei answered, as he stayed hidden while keeping his eyes on the big wolf. "And I think it's Loki's…"
"What are you going to do?" Motohama asked.
"What I'll always do. I'll talk to you guys later…" Issei said and ended the call.
[Partner, I would be careful if I were you. This wolf is…] Ddraig wanted to explain, but Issei jumped straight into the action.
[Boost!]
With a [Boost!] Issei immediately doubled his strength and stepped out of his hiding place.
The wolf spotted Issei and revealed its fangs.
"Come and get me, you big bad wolf," Issei taunted it.
The wolf rushed towards Issei ready to kill him.
[Partner, wait!] Ddraig called out.
But just before the wolf could reach Issei…
[Dragon Scale Mail!]
Issei transformed and had the armor on.
[Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!]
With repeated [Boosts!] Issei increased in strength and speed and baited the big wolf into attacking him.
The wolf tried to strike him with his claws, which Issei barely dodged.
'It's fast!' Issei remarked, as the wolf's speed took him off guard.
The wolf moved on to snap at Issei with its jaws, which Issei also avoided by jumping back.
[Boost!]
Using his booster on his back, Issei smashed into the wolf, hitting its side with a punch.
Issei was surprised that the wolf was still standing. What was stranger was that its fur seemed to blunt Issei's punch, as if it was an armor and a cushion for attacks.
The wolf whirled around to attack Issei with its jaws, ready to sink its teeth into Issei.
[Partner, get out of here! RUN!] Ddraig roared with uncharacteristically urgency.
Issei was taken by surprise by Ddraig's cry, but the huge fangs were of bigger importance.
Issei jumped back at the very moment when he realized something. Something was up with those fangs. For whatever reason, his body screamed "DANGER!" at the approach of the fangs.
The wolf just barely missed Issei, the latter deciding to make a tactical retreat.
Issei used his heightened speed to escape into the fog.
He whizzed past trees before hiding behind one of them once more.
While Issei was catching his breath, Ddraig reprimanded him.
[Just what were you thinking trying to fight Fenrir like that!?] Ddraig angrily demanded from Issei.
"Who? You know that wolf?" Issei asked in surprise.
[Of course, I do. And I was about to warn you about its fangs, too. How could you have been so stupid?] Ddraig scolded Issei.
"What's up? Why are you so riled up all the sudden?" Issei asked of Ddraig, the earlier being annoyed by the latter's tone.
[I'll tell you why. Those fangs and claws are extremely powerful. In fact, had you been hit by them, you would have died] Ddraig told Issei.
Issei gave a look of confusion.
"What are you talking about?" Issei asked Ddraig.
[What I'm trying to say is that Fenrir is not just some magical beast like that huge golden boar, Gullinbursti. Rather, this beast is leagues above Gullinbursti in strength, speed, experience and knowledge. In fact, compared to me in my prime, even I would be cautious with this wolf] Ddraig explained.
"What!?" Issei almost yelled but managed to keep his voice low.
[And the reason for why I would be cautious is because of those fangs and claws. They are strong enough to kill Gods if they are hurt by them] Ddraig revealed.
"So… that means…" Issei whispered out in shock.
[You were basically trying commit suicide back there] Ddraig finished the phrase for him.
Issei slumped down in shock. He was awestruck that he almost lost his life because of his cockiness.
This… this changed everything. If what Ddraig said was true, he could not stay here.
He had to get the flying Frigg out of here!
Issei stood up and was about to get away when…
"ROOOOWWWWLLLL!"
Out of nowhere, appearing from behind the trees and the mist, Fenrir rushed out with his fangs bared and was about to attack Issei once more.
"YIKES!" Issei yelped and instinctively jumped out of the way.
Fenrir's claws hit the ground, barely missing Issei, who was rolling off the ground. But before Issei could get on his feet, Fenrir moved to the next attack instantly.
It was fast!
[Partner!] Ddraig cried out.
[SLASH!] [CLANG!]
Just then, the sound of a slash, followed by the sounds of something metallic shattering…
…and then the sound of flesh being torn.
"ARGH! AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Issei suddenly screamed out in pain.
Issei fell to the ground. Fenrir's claws had hit Issei's back and his right shoulder with a huge slash. The slash started from his upper arm all the way down to his hip in a diagonal manner. Worst of all, blood was pouring from his open wounds.
"ARGH! UGHHHH! AAAAHHHHH!" Issei cried out as he wailed in pain on the ground.
Issei had felt like he was being opened. It was as if someone had taken a pound of his flesh.
He was in utter agony.
[Partner! It's coming at you again!] Ddraig warned Issei.
True enough, Fenrir was about to finish Issei off with his claws raised like a guillotine's blade.
Normally, one would consider Issei a goner. Yet, Issei had not given up.
The Booster on his armor had remained intact and thus Issei used it to escape.
[Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!]
[Jet Pack Boost!]
Fenrir's attack missed once again, as the Booster on his back shot Issei into the distance.
With high amounts of energy, Issei could propel himself beyond the trees into the air.
"That's…" Issei gritted his teeth while speaking, seeing something in the distance.
[Partner, listen to me. If you want to live you have to do what I say to the letter. Understood?] Ddraig said to Issei, brooking no arguments.
The place where Issei landed was on the other end of the park.
Fenrir gave chase and ran towards where Issei had flown. He hasted past trees and bushes. It was there that he found the location of Issei's landing.
Fenrir arrived at an open area with a huge pond. But what stood out was the pond – or rather what was on the pond.
The huge ice disk in the pond was obviously unnatural. The ice was thick and covered the entire pond.
But Fenrir, being sentient, was no fool. He knew that it was currently still autumn, meaning that ice could not form in these conditions.
And that meant…
"HHHHOOOWWWLLL!" Fenrir let out a huge howl and leapt onto the ice.
Fernir smashed into the ice with its claws. The ice shattered, creating shoals of ice.
Fenrir inspected the waters. The waters were calm and there were no movements or bubbles that would indicate Issei had fallen into it.
He poked his head into the water to see for itself. The pond was only about half a meter deep and there was nothing below the water surface except for some insignificant reeds.
After a few seconds, Fenrir removed his head from the water and reasoned that Issei was not inside the water.
Though, it was strange… Why did this human freeze over the pond? Perhaps, it was to create a diversion to buy time to escape…
No matter. Fenrir would find him. He had to for Loki, his father, had ordered him to.
Fenrir darted off towards another area of the park, fully intent on finding Issei and kill him.
After Fenrir had departed there was quiet in the pond. And that was when Issei had emerged from behind the reeds. Issei gasped for air as he crawled out of the water.
Issei was in pain and his back was still sore from his wounds. His armor had been deactivated and his coat and shirt had been torn into pieces.
Thankfully, he could still use those pieces of garment to clean his wounds and dress them.
After a few minutes, Issei had done exactly that. However, he still had other problems.
First, he had nothing on his body except some pants.
Second, Fenrir was still looking for him. So long as Fenrir was after him, Issei could not be safe.
And third, he still had to deal with Loki and that green man.
Sigh… Issei was having so much trouble…
Issei was about to move out when the pain from his back hit him again.
Oh, yeah… Fourth, he was still badly injured from Fenrir's slash.
Issei wondered just how it was that he had survived.
[You can thank your lucky stars that you have me] Ddraig answered to that thought. [If it was not for me and my plan, you would be dog food.]
"Yeah, thanks… I owe you one…" Issei said tiredly.
Ddraig had told him to stay hidden after landing in the pond by using ice. Then he had Issei hide behind the reeds for the plan.
The plan employed reverse psychology in that Fenrir would be baited into checking out the obvious hiding space under the ice, only to find nothing, even though Issei had been hiding there. This would lead Fenrir to think that Issei had made this ice as a distraction to buy time while running someplace else.
As Fenrir could not smell Issei underneath the water, finding Issei by sniffing him out would be difficult.
Thankfully, Fenrir bought the plan and was looking for Issei elsewhere.
But still, Issei had only barely survived and needed to get out of here.
Issei made his way, limping as he went.
As he was walking, Ddraig warned Issei once again.
[Partner, I forgot to mention. As a wolf, Fenrir can smell you. Although, you have been protected by the water from being detected, on land, the situation is different. Fenrir will find you sooner or later] Ddraig said to Issei.
"Noted," Issei answered. "So, what should I do?"
[Attacking Fenrir is out of the question. You saw how strong it was. If you were stronger, I could recommend guerilla warfare against him. But now, it is too risky] Ddraig advised him.
"Got it, I'll head straight back to the apartment," Issei said to Ddraig.
[No! Don't do that!] Ddraig urged him.
"Why not?" Issei wondered.
[Just going back now would leave the problem unsolved. Plus, it can smell you out, so it can find you and kill you. Even if it does not find you, this wolf is powerful enough that it can cause a major disaster in the city] Ddraig said to Issei.
"Then… what should I do?" Issei asked Ddraig. "You said I shouldn't fight him because it is too strong and I should not leave it alone, so that it won't cause any trouble. What do you want me to do?"
[I don't know… but… we must do something…] Ddraig told Issei.
"Why?" Issei asked of Ddraig.
[Because we are the only ones who can] Ddraig answered.
"But how do we…?" Issei wanted to ask before Ddraig interrupted him.
[For that, you need to think and plan carefully, Partner] Ddraig simply said to him.
Issei sighed before grimacing in pain.
[Are you all right?] Partner asked Issei with concern.
"Yeah, just… ugh… a bit sore… agh…" Issei replied with a sharp inhale.
Issei made his way to a nearby bench and sat there. He did so to think.
He needed to get things straight. He needed to fight Fenrir and yet also avoid it. He had to run away from it and yet also deal with it, too.
It sounded… so paradox! How could Issei possibly create a plan out of this?
Given what Ddraig told Issei about Fenrir, it was so powerful that it could kill Gods. Even Dragons like Ddraig were vulnerable to its fangs and claws. Just how was Issei supposed to beat it?
Then again, Issei had fought plenty of monsters before, such as the Succubus, Gullinbursti, those three Stray Devils, Fallen Angels along with X-Parasites and Metroids of all kinds.
Hmmm… let us see if any of the enemies he had fought before could give him any ideas…
The Succubus was definitely out of the picture, since it was devious and crafty, but not strong. Moreover, it relied on putting people in illusions rather than brute force, so there was nothing Issei could draw from to use against Fenrir.
The Fallen Angels and Stray Devils were significantly stronger and possibly even smarter (or at least just as smart as) than the Succubus. They were formidable, sure. But nowhere near Fenrir's level. Moreover, they worked as a team and Fenrir worked alone. So, they can be thrown out of the picture, too.
Gullinbursti was the one that came closest to being comparable to Fenrir, as it, too, was of Nordic origin and was the familiar of a God. But Gullinbursti was not nearly as strong or fast as Fenrir. Fenrir could kill Gods with its fangs and claws, while Gullinbursti could only maul enemies with its horns or trample them to death – which it failed to do with Issei. As Ddraig had noted earlier, Gullinbursti could not even be compared to Fenrir.
Lastly, came non-sentient beings such as the X-Parasites and the Metroids. If there were any beings compared to Fenrir, it would be those two candidates.
The X-Parasites… maybe not… they were radically different from Fenrir, so Issei crossed them out of his mind.
The Metroids… the one most comparable was the Metroid Queen. Issei remembered how difficult the fight had been. It was strong, but with his new Metroid absorption ability, he could kill it from the inside…
That when Issei finally had something of value.
What if he went inside Fenrir's stomach and kill it from within?
Issei then frowned and shook his head.
No… that would not do… Fenrir would bite him into pieces if Issei tried that. That was what made Fenrir different from the Metroid Queen.
It was too fast. In fact, everything that wolf did was fast from its running speed to its attacks.
So, that plan was off the table, too.
Issei thought deeply. What if he lured it to the green man and let him kill it?
That sounded plausible. Issei had witnessed a glimpse of its strength. It could fight Loki head-on and take on his attacks. If it could do so with Loki, how much more so for Fenrir.
But on the downside…
There was no telling whether the big green man was even willing to help Issei or not.
As far as he could tell, the green man was going and rampaging randomly with no rhyme or reason. It might even see Issei – or everyone and everything for that matter – as a threat and pose a bigger danger than Loki would.
And even if it were not so, that gigantic thing could be anywhere by now. The last time Issei saw the green man, he had punched Loki into the distance and jumped after him. Issei happened to spot the fight while he was a good way off.
Damn it all! Was there nothing and no one that could beat this thing?
Maybe, some of the Nordic Gods like Freyr could help.
No wait! They were too far away and there was no way to contact them!
Damn it again! Was there nobody in Tokyo with unnatural strength and the ability to fight beings that can kill Gods and even Dragons!?
Issei ruffled his hair in frustration.
He was going to die… he was definitely going to die…
After all, why would he not? He was too weak to fight Fenrir and even if he were to recover his strength and heal his injuries, he still would not be able to beat Fenrir.
Heck, even if Matsuda, Motohama, Ryuga and Sanma were here, they would all perish.
After all, in the end, they were only human! Normally, they would perish when a powerful monster would come after them. For the monster, it was as easy as crushing an ant.
And those stories of fighting and killing Dragons, they were basically stories, as far as Issei was concerned. There was no way a human with no power could kill a Dragon…
Right? Nothing more… than…
Wait…
At that moment, something clicked in Issei's mind. Something he had heard earlier today came to mind.
"That's it…´! I know who we can call!" Issei exclaimed as he rose from the bench.
[Call who?] Ddraig wondered, being mystified by Issei's expression. [Do you have a plan?]
Issei nodded and called Matsuda.
"What's up?" Matsuda said to Issei. "Are you all right? How's the issue with the wolf? Have you dealt with it?"
"I'm fine… more or less. But never mind that, I've got something to tell you," Issei briefed Matsuda about what had happened within two minutes.
"Man, that sounds bad…" Matsuda remarked about Issei's injuries. "But why do you sound so excited?"
"I've got an idea on how to beat Fenrir. It's a bit risky but it's our only chance," Issei exclaimed.
"All right, what's the plan?" Matsuda wanted to know.
"Get Motohama here. The plan is this…" Issei started explaining.
After a few minutes of to and fro between Matsuda, Motohama and Issei, they fine-tuned the plan and came to an agreement.
Matsuda thought it was… insane and possibly illegal despite agreeing to it.
"Are you sure about this?" Matsuda asked of Issei with skepticism.
"Positive. It's dangerous, but we don't have much of a choice," Issei answered with determination.
"And you can truly fly with the Armor?" Motohama voiced skeptically.
[Indeed, he can. Though, I would not truly call it "flying", but rather more "propelling into the air"] Ddraig voiced his opinion.
"Are you sure?" Motohama asked again.
"Absolutely. I tried it myself earlier, so don't worry about my flight capabilities," Issei assured Motohama.
"If you say so…" Motohama gave in.
"All right, we'll head out, prepare… that and meet at the agreed place. Check your wristwatch and… be careful, man," Matsuda warned Issei.
"You got it!" Issei replied and the call ended.
With a determined and serious look, Issei said, "Now, I think it is only a matter of time before Fenrir finds me… I should get going… Achooo! I'm getting cold here…"
Issei shivered and decided to activate the Boosted Gear to warm himself. He walked towards a tree.
"Time to recover my strength…" he said with a smile.
6th of November, Friday, 4:48 pm – Hikarigaoka Park, Nerima Ward
Fenrir had been searching around the park and its surrounding region for a while.
He had wondered where the boy had gone. He knew that he had injured Issei so badly that the boy could not have gotten far. What's more, he was bleeding so the smell of blood should have been noticeable to Fenrir.
But if Issei had not left the park, then where was he hiding? Fenrir remembered how suspicious the frozen pond was. It was clear to Fenrir that Issei had landed there. Why else was there no trace of blood anywhere?
Initially, Fenrir thought Issei made the ice to hide himself. Then he thought it was a distraction.
But what if… it really was a hiding space?
If that was the case, that would explain why Fenrir could not pick up Issei's scent. For even after being in the water, the scent of a human would eventually reappear.
Before Fenrir had time to think further, suddenly, it heard something in the distance. It was the sound of a tree that was creaking loudly in the distance. The tree was wilting and then it fell to the ground with a thud.
Could it be?
Fenrir ran towards the area where the tree had fallen and there he was – Issei Hyoudou.
Fenrir bared his fangs once more. He had eluded him once, but this time he was not going to let Issei escape.
Issei, unlike before, was calm upon seeing Fenrir. He immediately equipped himself with the Scale Mail Armor…
[Dragon Scale Mail!]
…and was ready to fight. Moreover, he did not seem injured like before. It appears he had done something to that tree and healed himself. Upon looking closer, the tree had wilted. Did he absorb its life force?
No matter. In the end, it did not matter.
His father's orders were absolute. Issei Hyoudou was going to die.
Issei himself had boosted his strength.
[Boost!] [Boost!]
[Dragon Shot!]
Issei fired a huge Dragon Shot at Fenrir and struck it head-on. Once the smoke subsided it was clear that Fenrir was unfazed by it.
Was this it? Was that all this boy had to offer? If so, this was going to be easy.
Fenrir advanced forward and was about to maul Issei.
[Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] Issei readied for another attack.
Issei jumped back just in time to avoid the attack. It missed Issei by inches.
[Dragon Shot!] Issei fired once more and hit Fenrir's head point blank.
This time Fenrir flinched back from the attack. Its fur had been a bit singed but other than that no damage had been left behind.
[Jet Pack Boost!]
With the Booster on his back, Issei made his escape once more. This time, Issei had used the Booster to fly into the streets over cars and pedestrians.
Fenrir gave chase. Escaping? Not on his watch!
"WHAT THE…!" "WOW!" "WHAT WAS THAT!"
The populace could only look on with shock as they saw the figure in crimson red armor flying over their heads. They experienced even more shock and horror when they saw a gigantic wolf chasing after the red figure.
"RUN!" "DODGE!" "WOLF!"
[CRASH!]
Chaos was everywhere. Cars were swerving. Pedestrians screaming and running away in a panic. All of this happened while Issei was fleeing the pursuing Fenrir.
"WAAAH! MY CAR!" one man wailed as he and his car almost got crushed by Fenrir's weight.
Issei was flying towards a certain route, turning left and right in whatever way he pleased. Fenrir would not give up the chase, nor fall behind. He remained in steady pursuit of Issei and was even gaining on him.
That was when Issei made another left turn and was heading toward a certain building with the name "Neko Neko Restaurant" on its sign.
Did that boy really think flying into a mere restaurant could deter Fenrir, the son of Loki?
Without any hesitation, Issei flew into its door, causing chaos and pandemonium in its dining hall.
"WHAT!?" "ARGH!" "HOT!" "UAAAHHH!" "S***!"
People were either cursing, crying out because of spilled food or drink and jumping in their seats, as Issei landed and skidded to a halt.
Fenrir had also entered, breaking through the restaurant walls while doing so. Without any hesitation, he slammed his claw down where Issei stood. Issei dodged, leading to the floor to break.
"RUN!" "A MONSTER!" "CALL THE POLICE!"
People cried out as they ran for their lives, overturning the tables as they fled.
In doing so, only Issei and Fenrir were left behind. Issei was doing his best to dodge and jump from chair to table to floor and back again, wrecking the entire dining hall into smithereens.
It was then that Fenrir realized that something was off.
Aside from two attacks earlier, the Red Dragon Emperor host was doing nothing but running and dodging.
Why? Was Issei perhaps thinking that he could weary out Fenrir? If he did, the boy should have realized by now that this was not happening.
But then why did he seem so confident?
It was then that Issei spoke to Fenrir.
"You might have been wondering why I have been running away and dodging, right?" Issei asked of Fenrir. "Was it to tire you out and then defeat you? No way! I know I don't have the slightest chance of beating you. In fact, aside from a few beings, nobody can, and I realize that."
Fenrir growled and tried to bite him, only to miss when Issei dodged again.
That was when Issei used the Boosted Gear to propel himself up through the roof…
[CRASH!]
…and up into the air towards the Chopping Board Type 2, which was awaiting him right above the Neko Neko Restaurant.
"Which is why, I lured you here – to one of those few people who can beat you," Issei finished his brief monologue to Fenrir and then turned his face upwards. "Now, I hope this works or I'm dead…"
As Issei approached the chopper, he could see an open door with Motohama holding out two metal poles and a rectangular glob of glue suspended on top of them.
The glob of glue was 30 cm thick, and 1 meter and 2 meters wide and long respectively.
[SHPLOCK!]
Issei smashed right through the glue with his head and shoulders out. His torso remained partially stuck with his legs dangling below – just as intended.
"Dude, it worked!" Motohama exclaimed joyfully.
"Yeah, it di- ARGH!" Issei groaned, as the Boosted Gear deactivated, and the spasms kicked in.
"Are you okay?" Motohama asked worried.
"I'm fine… just the… usual spams… I'll be fine… after I take a nap…" Issei said and fell asleep.
"Well, at least, he's safe and sound…" Matsuda said in relief, who was sitting in the cockpit as usual.
"Yeah, imagine if I didn't come up with the idea to create my glue-mattress-fly-trap. Issei wouldn't even be here!" Motohama reasoned.
"You got that right," Matsuda agreed with him. "If there had been the slightest mistake, Issei or we could be dead!"
"Yeah, like if Issei had missed this by a meter he could have plummeted to his death!" Motohama stated.
"Or if the mattress had been too thick, he would have his head stuck in it and suffocated," Matsuda theorized.
"Or if the mattress had been too thin, Issei would have smashed into the head rotor and broken his head like a watermelon… and caused the rotor to malfunction and kill us, too," Motohama added to the endless possibilities of morbid deaths.
[Boys, as much as I would like to hear you talk about the funniest ways to die, could you pull us in? I don't think it's healthy for Partner to be out there] Ddraig pointed to Issei.
"Oh! Yeah, right…" Motohama agreed and swiftly pulled Issei in.
After closing the door, they headed towards the city outskirts.
"You sure Fenrir is going to be taken care of Issei?" Motohama asked of Issei, only to realize that he was asleep. "Oh… that's right! You can't hear me…"
[Don't worry] Ddraig assured Motohama. [That wolf is truly going to get it.]
"How can you be sure?" Motohama asked curiously.
[Let's just say… that a certain informant girl from the Tengu family told us so – at an exorbitant price] Ddraig answered cryptically.
"Okay…" Motohama simply said and decided to end the conversation there.
Matsuda, Motohama and Ddraig looked towards the horizon.
As it was already November, the sun was already setting. The sunset looked beautiful and yet none of them was in any mood to enjoy the view.
"Now, comes the really hard part, right?" Motohama said to Ddraig.
[Yes] Ddraig said with a serious tone. [We need to check out those two and make sure they don't pose a threat to anyone.]
"You mean…?" Motohama wanted to ask.
[Yes… the God Loki and that mysterious green man…] Ddraig answered with determination.
Matsuda could only nod silently.
This fight… was going to be the most dangerous yet…
6th of November, Friday, 4:49 pm – Neko Neko Restaurant, Nerima Ward
Fenrir was alone now in the ruins of the Neko Neko Restaurant dining hall. It growled in anger, as now Issei could not be reached. Unlike his father, he could not fly and that meant that he let Issei get away.
He failed his mission.
With that, there was nothing more to do here. He might as well go back…
"Just what is going on here!?" an old woman spoke with indignation.
Naturally, with all the commotion going on in the dining room, the staff and the restaurant owner had come out to see what the noise was about. They were Cat Fu, her grandmother and Mouse (Cat Fu's perpetual pesterer for love).
And when they saw Fenrir in the dining hall and the restaurant in ruins, they were naturally shocked.
And then their rage turned into fury.
"Grandma Colon. The restaurant has been destroyed!" Cat Fu raged.
"Is it a demonic beast from the hinterlands of China? Let me have it! I am not afraid," Mouse said, as he stepped forward with much bravado. "For Cat Fu's sake, I can kill all and anything that hurts our love."
Cat Fu glared at Mouse, as she had absolutely no interest in him in that way-
But the old woman held her two juniors back.
"Do not fight it. I can tell that this beast is not something you can handle. Leave it to me," the old woman named Colon said.
Fenrir turned to face them. He was filled with anger because of Issei Hyoudou's successful escape. And so, he saw the three Chinese Amazons before them as a means to vent out his anger.
Fenrir rushed forward towards the old woman ready to bite her into pieces.
Suddenly, Coon vanished and had reappeared to Fenrir's side in an instant. Moreover, she had her staff stretched out and had poked its rear leg.
Fenrir was taken by surprise at the old woman's speed. But quickly turned on his heel to attack her once again. But then…
Fenrir stumbled and fell on his side. For some reason leg which had been touched by Colon had felt numb. He could neither move it nor feel it.
"Do not bother, beast," Colon said to Fenrir while holding her staff towards him threateningly. "I just pressed a shiatsu point and disabled your movements. The chi I poured into your leg would have been more than enough to kill an elephant. But you… you seemed to be doing well despite that. You're quite strong… just like that Dragon in my youth."
Fenrir did not know why. But he felt that senses were screaming at him to run away. Only problem was…
He could not!
"Now…" the old woman looked at him with a sinister expression. "I have lived long enough to know that a beast like you is sentient. You know what I am saying, don't you? You will tell me who you are and why you are here destroying my restaurant…"
Fenrir tried his best to get away. In his mind, the huge wolf was thinking about how he would rather have Loki punish him than this small old woman.
Stop! Don't bring staff near his face!
STOOOOOOOOOOPPPP!
Fenrir desperately called out to Loki with his mental link. But Loki could not help him.
6th of November, Friday, 4:50 pm – somewhere in the outskirts far away from cities
"Curses!" Loki cursed as he heard Fenrir's cries of horror and torturous howls.
Loki immediately ended the mental link just in time for him to dodge yet another strike from the Hulk. He had gotten good and predicting how the Hulk fought. But Loki was also getting tired. Sweat was starting to form from his brows.
How long had Loki been fighting? Half an hour?
It did not matter what Loki threw at it, whether it be ice spells, blizzards, time spells or even explosions. The Hulk simply refused to die.
It wasn't even injured!
And it was not tired either!
It seemed to be fueled by some rage towards Loki. It was rage that kept it going.
But just why was it angry at him? Just what did Loki do to it to make so terribly angry?
What was its relationship with Issei Hyoudou? Was there even any? Well, he could interrogate him later… for now he needed to get away from the Hulk.
Yet even that did not help!
No matter where he flew or teleported, the Hulk would always find him.
Even hiding and using camouflage did not help!
That was it! He was at his wits end! If this did not end soon, the Shinto Gods might be upon him. Worse yet, so might be the other factions!
Loki needed to go all out with this green thing.
"HULK SMAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!"
Loki created a dense circular magic shield to block off the Hulk's attacks.
Yet, Loki knew it would only be a matter of seconds until the Hulk broke through it (Loki had tried it before).
Using his magic, he summoned two more wolves like Fenrir to his side. Moreover, a young woman with long hair of mixed colors of red and blue, dressed in a robe with white and black colors appeared by Loki's side.
"Father?" the young woman asked. "Is something the matter?"
"Yes, Hel," Loki said to the woman named Hel and pointed at Hulk. "I want you, Hati and Sköll to kill that beast now!"
Hel looked at the Hulk with a neutral expression. The wolves named Sköll and Hati bared their fangs and were ready to kill the Hulk.
"As you wish…" Hel said and readied some magic seals to attack.
Just then, the Hulk broke the shield with his fists.
Hulk jumped into the air towards them.
"HUUULK CRUUUSSSSHHHHH FLAAATTT!" Hulk said, finally saying something different.
And that was Chapter 49 of The Lone Vigilante Issei.
I don't have much to say to this chapter…
…other than the fact that Issei is still too weak to fight Loki – or even Fenrir for that matter.
Why?
In the Canon story, the Gremory group and the Vali team had a hard time even hurting Fenrir, so it made sense that Issei alone could not. Hence, it was Issei's challenge to find a way to beat an unbeatable foe.
So, how was Issei supposed to do that?
Easy. He just needed to find someone strong enough to beat Fenrir.
And that someone happens to be the grandmother of Cat Fu, a powerful Chinese Amazon matriarch. In fact, that hint from the last chapter was all building up to this.
But now comes an even bigger problem.
How were Issei and his friends going to defeat the Hulk and Loki – both of whom stronger individually than Issei? What's worse is that Loki has gathered more allies while Issei is unconscious.
How were Issei & Co going to solve this?
Questions upon questions…
You will have to wait next time to find out.
In the meantime, what did you think of this chapter?
Did you like it?
Please read and review, I would like to hear from you.
And as always, I hope to see you around next time.
Until then.
Hide Shinyama