The Lone Vigilante Issei – High School DxD
Hey everyone, it's me Hide Shinyama.
Six weeks since the last chapter. I did not expect to take so long to release this chapter. I apologize because college has been keeping me very busy and I am afraid that with exams and a paper deadline next month (the latter on which I haven't done anything yet), I may be busier still. At least, the third semester will be the most intense and then things become more relaxed from there.
Anyway…
Issei and the Hulk have finally met. How will this fight turn out for them? And what about the other factions and characters? What role will they have here?
Find out in…
Chapter 55 – Rampage! Part 3
13th of November, Friday, 4:15 pm – Minutes earlier in Bling Bling Plaza, Akihabara, Tokyo
Kasumi was currently standing inside one of the malls of the Bling Bling Plaza. She had just finished a phone call with her father. He had heard the news of violence and chaos downtown and was trying to make sure she was okay. Kasumi assured her that she was fine and was trying to calm down her wailing worried father – which was quite the opposite of what should be happening. She had ended the call after her father told her to stay where she was, so that he could get her.
Kasumi agreed. And after finishing the call, she found herself looking around the area. Kasumi was not feeling well with the situation and all, but she quickly found out that she was one of the calmer and luckier ones. The masses of people that had assembled in the mall were not so calm. They were either watching the rumbling from the distance, fretting about what to do or even trying to comfort their crying children.
Kasumi would get to see even worse things than that.
"Medic! Please! Help!" a man bleeding from his head cried out, as he ran inside the mall area.
Right behind him were other injured people with a variety of injuries.
A group of medics came to tend the wounded people right away.
Kasumi looked away from the sight of those bleeding people. It was not a pretty sight. The worst part was about how she could not help worrying about Issei.
There were times she felt like bolting off now to find him. But she knew that both Issei and her father would not want that. Unlike them, she was no martial artist and could find herself in danger quickly. By now, the police had cordoned off the area where Issei had run off to, so going after him was out of the question.
She really hated how helpless she was…
"Kasumi? Is that you? What're ya doing here?" a familiar masculine voice addressed her.
Kasumi turned to face the person and was surprised to see Sanma with Komachi standing right in front of her.
'Oh, yes… Issei and I were going to spy on him to see how his date was going…' Kasumi remembered sadly. 'To think something like this would happen instead…'
"Sanma, good to see you… and Miss Kono. Good to see you as well," Kasumi greeted politely with a smile, to which Komachi gave a nod to. "I just happened to be in the area, that's all."
Kasumi tried to make an excuse why she was here. She could not just tell Sanma that she was spying on him to see how his date with Komachi was doing.
"Really?" Sanma voiced with a raised an eyebrow skeptically.
Komachi said nothing. She was seething inwardly because her date got ruined by this green rampaging monster downtown. However, she did not show it outwardly. There were too many people and throwing a tantrum would ruin her image. Hence, why she bore it silently and patiently.
Kasumi did not want Sanma to question her further and thus there was a moment of silence between the two. In the end, Sanma decided to let it be.
"And to think all that was caused by some skinny guy that can turn into some giant green monster," Sanma remarked casually, as he turned toward the area of the city where the sound of booming and banging came from.
"Indeed, Sanma-darling," Komachi agreed with Sanma in a calm neutral manner.
That statement raised Kasumi's interest. "What did you say? You two know who is causing this mayhem?" Kasumi asked them.
"Yeah," Sanma answered, as he began to explain. "Komachi were out on a date when we came across my friend Motohama Hide in the streets. Then there was this manager abusing the crap outta this American guy and then he turned into a giant green monster. The green guy just threw the poor guy like a pillowcase. We dunno if he survived."
"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed in shock.
"It scared the heck outta everyone there," Sanma continued. "Everyone started running for their lives, except Motohama. He told us to run. He was gonna fight that thing."
"Just like Issei…" Kasumi voiced out quietly.
Sanma managed to pick that up. "What did ya say? Issei? He's here, too?" Sanma asked her in surprise.
Kasumi nodded. "Yes, he ran after receiving a phone call and ran towards where the sound was coming from."
((BOOM!))
Suddenly, the sounds in the distance grew louder and flashed of light could be seen in the distance. It looked like explosions were being formed in the distance.
All the people looked towards the distance with worried and shocked looks, Komachi and Kasumi included. Only Sanma had a look that said something needed to be done.
"Which way?" Sanma demanded from Kasumi.
"Pardon?" Kasumi asked in confusion.
"Which way did he go?" Sanma asked again.
"Towards where the noise is coming from…" Kasumi finally answered him.
Komachi grabbed Sanma's sleeve at this and was trying to talk him out of it. "Sanma-darling, this is dangerous! You should not put yourself in danger like that!" Komachi admonished him.
"I know, but…" Sanma began to speak. "…somethin' tells me that if things go on like this, then whole city might be destroyed. I may not be as strong as Issei, but I ain't weak either."
Sanma was about to leave, but Komachi clung to him.
"No, darling! I shall not let you leave!" Komachi insisted. "I need you here with me and…"
"Watch out!" a bystander suddenly shouted.
(((BOOOM!)))
A huge gale caused by a huge boom was felt along with dust and fine debris, making everyone present to shield their eyes with their arms.
After the dust had settled, they all opened their eyes to see if those around them were fine. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. They were all fine, except that someone was missing.
"Sanma-darling?" Komachi looked around her and saw that Sanma was gone.
She turned to Kasumi. "Where is he? Did you see him!? Tell me you did!" she practically pleaded Kasumi.
Kasumi shook her head sadly.
Komachi was hyperventilating at Sanma's disappearance until Kasumi took her by the hands.
"Miss Kono," Kasumi spoke to the rich young heiress. "Sanma Raotome is a martial artist and a very strong young man. Just like my Issei, they will go to where the danger is and save people. Until they come back… you should have faith in him…"
Hearing Kasumi's words of comfort, Komachi started to calm down.
"I understand, Kasumi Tengu. I will do so…" Komachi replied as she looked towards the horizon where she knew Sanma was heading to.
13th of November, Friday, 4:25 pm – With Issei and the Hulk
Issei did not waste any time and shot towards the Hulk.
[BAM!] Issei slammed against the Hulk's stomach and sent him flying a good distance away. The Hulk smashed through the doors of a nearby hall and into the empty reception desk.
The Hulk had been surprised at the boy's strength. However, he certainly recovered from his surprise and jumped out from the broken desk, rushing towards Issei.
[Partner, it's coming!] Ddraig warned Issei.
"Yeah…" Issei answered, as he readied himself.
Within a split second, Issei had moved. Within that split second, the Hulk also managed to close that distance between them.
"WHOA!" Issei cried out, as he dodged it by a narrow margin.
The Hulk swooped past him, as Issei threw himself out of the way and landed with a judo roll unto his feet.
The Hulk smashed a marble sculpture of an abstract cube into bits. Realizing, he had missed, the Hulk turned to give Issei an evil glare.
"Dang it! It's fast! Really fast!" Issei said to Ddraig.
[Yes, but the Dragon Scale Mail only lasts for a minute or so] Ddraig said to Issei. [We cannot afford to lose any time or else…]
"Yeah, I know… WHOA!" Issei nodded, then yelled, as he dodged the Hulk's punch by dropping himself on his back and knees.
"You… Take this!" Issei cried out and then proceeded to fire a Dragon Shot.
[BOOM!]
The attack hit the Hulk head-on. The Hulk flinched back from the blast and covered himself with his arms to protect himself. Other than that, he was completely uninjured.
"Dang it!" Issei cursed and started to use the Booster on his back to flee.
[Jet Pack Boost!]
With the propulsion of the armor's booster, Issei shot away.
[Boost!] [Boost!] The Boosted Gear continued to double in power.
"I need to create some distance…" Issei said to himself, as he flew away. "…The Hulk is too dangerous and strong to face head-on. I need to find another way to beat him. And I can only think of this one…"
[Well, this gives us the opposite problem. For this to work, we need more time…] Ddraig remarked at what Issei had in mind.
"I know, but there is no other way…" Issei argued back.
Just after Issei had said that…
"RED MAN! I SMASH YOOOOOOUUUUUU!" the Hulk roared loudly and gave chase with a great fury.
[Boost!] [Boost!]
Issei started to break out in a cold sweat. Even as he whizzed through the streets of Tokyo, the Hulk refused to give up on hurting Issei. Cars, traffic lights, blockades… nothing could stop the Hulk's rampage!
"How is it so fast!?" Issei cried out in terror.
[Partner, I know you have a plan, but do you have another plan just in case? If you do, then you better start doing it!] Ddraig said in a panic. [At this rate, you're not going to have enough time!]
"I… I don't have any other!" Issei answered Ddraig truthfully. "Well, none other than that one…"
[Boost!] [Boost!]
[Which one?] Ddraig asked Issei desperate for some shred of hope.
"The Raotome Secret Technique!" Issei replied, as he looked at the Hulk gaining ground on him with an ever-angry look on his face.
He then saw a tall glass building and headed towards it.
[And how does that wo-? Wait a minute… Don't tell me…] Ddraig then made a deadpanned expression, as he suddenly remembered what this so-called technique entailed.
Issei had used this "technique" once on Planet SR388.
"RUN AWAY!" Issei screamed, as he flew up along the walls of a high-rise building, passing along-side the glassy windows that reflected his fleeing image flying towards the top of the building.
[Boost!] [Boost!]
"However, strong and fast the Hulk may be, at least he can't fly…" Issei reasoned.
[Yeah. Good point] Ddraig conceded, even as he still had a deadpanned expression.
As cowardly as he was, Ddraig reasoned, at least it was a smart move. The nearby glass windows were fragile, so there was nothing to fear about the Hulk using them to climb or run up on them.
And just when Issei was about to breathe easier…
"YOU NO RUN! HULK JUMP!" Issei heard the Hulk yelling.
Issei instinctively looked down to see the Hulk…
[Partner, move!] Ddraig cried out to him to move.
…jump up towards with resounding speed. The Hulk had propelled himself into the air with his powerful legs, making him appear right beneath Issei in an instance.
"Oh, crap!" Issei yelped in fright at the incoming big green monster.
Issei tried to dodge, but…
"OOF!" Issei grunted, as the Hulk had caught him in his arms… and starting to crush him, too.
"HRGH!" Issei almost let out a cry, but thankfully he was building up strength with the Boosted Gear, preventing him from getting crushed.
[Boost!] [Boost!]
"HULK… SMASH!" the Hulk turned on his own axis and hurled Issei towards the ground.
"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Issei screamed, as he fell to the ground helplessly at high speed.
Luckily for Issei, there was an artificial pond near the glass building, presumably part of its front-door park landscape.
(((SPLASH!)))
With a huge splash, Issei ended up plunging right into the water, throwing water ad koi fish into the air.
The Hulk came flying down towards Issei, intending to stomp him flat.
Issei had momentarily lost his bearings under water. But upon seeing the Hulk's silhouette through the blurry vision of being underwater…
[Boost!] [Boost!]
…and sensing the time was ripe…
[NOW!] Ddraig called upon Issei to execute the plan.
[DRAGON SHOT!]
A huge shot wide red beam suddenly emerged from the pond, vaporizing the pond and turning the waterbed and the surrounding grassy area into a scorched land of ashes and fire.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Issei screamed, as he poured everything that he had into that one attack.
The Dragon Shot headed towards the Hulk and was about to engulf him.
"GRAAAAAHHHHHHH!" the Hulk screamed, as the enormous fiery blast enveloped him and burned him with intense heat.
Moreover, the Hulk was being pushed into the air.
But Issei was not done.
"AAAAHHHHHH!" Issei continued his Dragon Shot attack, which was designed for one thing.
And that was to make sure the Hulk was eliminated – or at least, pushed out of Tokyo as far away as possible, in case the Hulk survived.
"RRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" the Hulk screamed even louder, as he became completely engulfed in the red light of the Red Heavenly Dragon, sending him higher and higher into space.
And not long afterward, the Hulk became a tiny dot in the sky.
It was then that Issei stopped firing his beam and fell forwards exhausted. Moreover, the Dragon Scale Mail deactivated itself, as Issei lay there face first on the crater on which the now dried-up pond was.
"Finally…" Issei whispered weakly and exhausted.
[Yes, indeed] Ddraig commented calmly. [And Shinyama says it cannot be beaten. That will show him the might of the Red Dragon Emperor.]
"Yeah… though… I do wonder… That Hulk… Shinyama did say we were supposed to bring it to him…" Issei said to Ddraig, as he turned his body to face upwards.
[Forget him!] Ddraig told Issei. [That thing was a mindless monster. How are we supposed to bring it to him? We'll just say that we had to kill it and that it could not be avoided.]
"Yeah… perhaps… *cough* *cough*" Issei coughed after agreeing with Ddraig.
[Partner! Are you okay?] Ddraig asked with concern.
"Yeah… just… a bit shaken up, that's all… *cough*" Issei managed to say. "Anyway, if only I could get up and walk home…"
Issei weakly tried to get up. He managed to get on his knees and crawl out of the crater when…
[Partner! Watch out! Above you!] Ddraig called out suddenly.
Issei looked at the Boosted Gear in confusion and then looked up. He widened his eyes upon seeing knives flying towards his direction.
Issei promptly rolled with what little strength he had left, making the knives stab the ground right next to him.
Issei readied the Boosted Gear to fight. But he could barely get on his feet, so Issei was not confident that he would fight another round.
That was when two figures landed on opposite sides of him. They were people that Issei recognized.
"You…" Issei voiced out weakly upon seeing them.
"So, you were the one… the man in red…" said Mouse of the Chinese Amazons with a look of hatred on his face.
"Issei… Hide… no… grandmother say your name Issei Hyoudou, yes?" Cat Fu said with a hostile glare on her face.
"What…?" Issei widened his eyes in shock.
[This is bad… How did they find out?] Ddraig said, while becoming panicky.
If things were going the way, he thought it would… It might be the end of his Partner and host.
"I need to… ugh!" Issei tried to get away, but Cat Fu just knocked Issei back down with her foot. "Dang it…"
"You always were a nuisance to me and Cat Fu," Mouse said, as he readied a knife to finish Issei off. "But what you did to our restaurant is your worst insult yet."
Restaurant? Oh, yeah. He remembered luring Fenrir over to the Neko Neko restaurant, so that Cat Fu's grandmother Colon could take it down. It caused quite the havoc in there. So that was their motive? But how did they find out that his name was Issei Hyoudou?
It did not look like they were going to answer his questions…
Just as Mouse was about to finish him off, Cat Fu stopped him, much to Issei's surprise.
"Mouse no finish him. Cat Fu will," the proud female Amazon told him.
"Oh! Yes, anything for you…" the smitten Mouse replied and stepped back from Issei.
"Oh, bother…" Issei voiced out despondently, as he saw Cat Fu raise her sword up, ready to plunge it down into him.
[Partner, move!] Ddraig urged Issei. [You must move!]
But Issei felt too weak to even do anything. The fight with the Hulk took everything out of him.
'Damn it, am I really going to die here?' Issei thought to himself.
"Blame yourself for this," Cat Fu said, as she was about to finish Issei off.
Issei shut his eyes, hoping it would be over soon.
Just then…
"AIYA!" Cat Fu cried out, as a flying red bandana knocked the sword out of her hand.
"What?" Mouse exclaimed upon seeing his crush fall and readied his throwing knives.
Mouse turned to see who was attacking them when…
"OWOWOWOWOWOW! OUCH!" Mouse yelped in pain when a barrage of (non-lethal) bullets fired from a miniature helicopter hit him in the face, making him fall backwards and hit the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.
"You…" Cat Fu grimaced upon seeing two familiar faces.
"Matsuda… Ryuga… you guys are here…" Issei voiced in relief.
Indeed. It was both Matsuda and Ryuga who saved him from being killed. The two of them had run all the way here to see if Issei was all right. Luckily, they saw Cat Fu and Mouse trying to kill him when they arrived.
"Why you try to stop me?" Cat Fu demanded, as she glared at them.
"Isn't it obvious?" Matsuda replied, as he folded his arms before him.
"Issei's our friend. There's no way we're going to let him get killed," Ryuga answered, as he took a stance.
Cat Fu surprised for a bit, before hardening her gaze.
"So, you know about Issei Hyoudou…" Cat Fu realized.
Matsuda widened his eyes, as he heard Issei's real name being spoken from the Amazon's mouth.
"Hyoudou…?" Ryuga looked at Issei in confusion upon hearing Issei's surname.
Issei turned away from Ryuga's gaze in embarrassment. Why did his identity have to be revealed to everyone?
"No matter," Cat Fu pulled out two bonboris to fight. "I deal with you two first before avenge honor."
"Not on my watch…" Matsuda stated, as he tilted his head to the side, causing bullets to fly.
Cat Fu dodged by leaning back and then making a back handspring with her hands. After she returned to her feet, she immediately rushed forward to close the gap between them.
"Tch…" Matsuda clicked his tongue in annoyance, as he had the Chopping Board Type 2 shoot more bullets.
Cat Fu blocked them all off one by one with bonboris, batting them away flies. Matsuda began to back away in fear, just as Cat Fu was about to hit him with her weapons.
[BAM!]
Ryuga blocked her attack with his umbrella.
"Get him to safety! I'll take care of her!" Ryuga told Matsuda.
Matsuda ran and hauled Issei up on his back.
"Wish I wasn't so weak right now…" Issei murmured to Matsuda.
"Yeah, yeah… right now we need to get you to safety…" Matsuda silenced Issei and started running with Issei on his back.
Cat Fu saw them running and wanted to go after them. But Ryuga would not let her. He used his umbrella to hit her, which she immediately blocked.
"Where are you going? You're sticking with me!" Ryuga told her, as he tried to use his brute strength to crush her.
"Tch!" Cat Fu clicked her tongue, as she jumped back and used this opportunity to pick up her sword that was laying on the ground.
"No more playing nice!" Cat Fu declared, as she swung it at Ryuga.
13th of November, Friday, 4:30 pm – With Issei and Matsuda on the run
"Where are we going…?" Issei asked Matsuda weakly.
"Where do you think? Back home, of course! Best place for you to recuperate…" Matsuda replied, drifting off at the end.
"Ah… back to bed… I guess my adventure is over yet again…" Issei noted humorously.
It always happened… Whenever Issei found himself mysteriously back in bed that means he successfully finished an adventure. This time he would be conscious? That was… new.
Unfortunately, the adventure was far from over…
[Young Matsuda! Move!] Ddraig suddenly called out.
"Huh?" Matsuda gave the Boosted Gear on Issei's arm a stupefied look.
{Warning! Incoming thunder bolt from above!} Phoebe informed Matsuda through the remote control in a loud voice (Phoebe was flying right behind him a few meters above ground).
Matsuda instinctively tried to dodge to the side but ended up falling with Issei.
"OOF!" "AGH!" both boys grunted from the pain on landing on asphalt.
Yet, it was better than being fried by lightning…
[KABOOM!]
…for suddenly a lightning bolt hit the ground missing the two of them by a meter.
"What the…?" Issei audibly gasped.
"How…?" Matsuda voiced in shock, before turning to look up into the sky.
The sky was quite clear today. No clouds could be seen, so how…?
"Ara, ara… I missed…" a seductive female voice could be heard saying.
Matsuda and Issei instinctively turned to where the voice was coming from to the side and saw…
"You…!" Issei, despite being tired and weakened, clenched his teeth with renewed strength upon seeing who it was.
"You are…!" Matsuda said, as he recognized the person in question.
""Akeno HImejima!"" both Issei and Matsuda replied at the same time.
Indeed. It was none other than Akeno Himejima, Queen of Rias Gremory's peerage. She was a bit dirty and had a few scrapes on her body from her fight with the Hulk. Other than that, she was fine, standing just a few meters away from them.
"Not just her!" another voice announced and Yuuto Kiba, who was also lightly injured and dirty, arrived at the scene with great speed.
"Not just him," another voice said neutrally. Koneko Toujou joined in by jumping from somewhere and landing on the street with cracks being made on the asphalt.
"And not just them…" another female seductive voice said, followed by Rias Gremory appearing from the air with bat wings out.
All four of them stood in all four directions from them. Issei and Matsuda were surrounded!
"The Devils of Kuoh… They're all here…" Matsuda looked at them in frustration.
"Dang it! If only I was not so tired…" Issei said weakly, as he got on his knees, intent on standing up. However, he could barely do so given how weak he was.
"Ufufufu… How I have long awaited this day…" Rias said, as her eyes lit up with excitement as she laid her eyes on Issei.
"What do you want from us?" Matsuda demanded angrily.
If Issei was fine, the two of them could take these Devils on. But with the way things are, it was going to be a losing battle.
Just when they managed to escape from those Amazons, they had to run into the Devils from Kuoh Academy… What bad luck they had…
"Nothing much. All I want is the Sekiryuutei in my peerage…" Rias answered as she made a big radiant smile.
Issei and Matsuda froze upon seeing her smile. Upon looking closely, they remembered why Rias was considered one of the hottest girls at Kuoh Academy. Beautiful smile, sexy voice, long red hair and big breasts… Everything that a guy could possibly want in a woman…
[Boys, snap out of it!] Ddraig muttered warningly, ending Issei's and Matsuda's mesmerizing. [She's your enemy, not a chick you're on the verge of going out with.]
With Ddraig's reminder, Issei and Matsuda became vigilant. Issei also remembered what being a peerage member entailed. One could lose one's humanity and become a slave to a master. This master might be attractive, but it was still slavery.
'Plus, I have Kasumi, so I cannot leave her behind,' Issei thought to himself.
With that in mind, Issei found the strength to get on his feet. It was wobbly at first, but thanks to Matsuda, Issei was able to prop himself up.
"Hello, Ddraig Y Goch, one of the two Heavenly Dragons. It's a pleasure to meet you," Rias greeted Ddraig with friendly formality, keeping her lewd behavior in check in an instant.
[Greetings to you, too, Rias of the House of Gremory] Ddraig answered with equal formality. [However, I must tell you off the bat that my host here has no intention of joining your peerage.]
"Ufufufu… Don't be like that," Rias giggled. "You will find that being a Devil is quite the privilege with riches, power, longevity… and harems, if you get what I mean."
With this obvious offer Rias tried to tempt Issei and Ddraig into joining.
And although Issei found the offer tempting (especially the harem part), he had one question.
"What about Matsuda here? Will he be given the opportunity as well?" Issei wanted to know.
"Ufufufu… Well, of course not," Rias answered, as if the answer was the most normal in the world. "Why would I want to have a peerage member with no ability, magic or Sacred Gear?"
"You…!" Matsuda said in outrage at that statement, but Issei held his arm out to block him.
Issei then stopped leaning himself up against Matsuda to stand on his own. He was still weak, and his posture was hunched, but his determination to fight made him stand.
"Then my answer is clear. I won't join you. Ever," Issei said, as he took a fighting stance.
[Boost!] Issei boosted himself and was filled with renewed vigor.
"Well, even if you don't want to, it's not your choice anyway…" Rias said and looked at her peerage members. "Get him!"
With that, Rias and her peerage attacked Issei and Matsuda, rushing towards them with great speed.
"I won't let you!" Matsuda cried out, as he gave the order. "Phoebe! Take them down!"
{Roger, captain!} Phobe replied, as the Chopping Board Type 2 started firing a hail of bullets at Yuuto.
Yuuto quickly dodged and swerved out of the bullet's way.
The helicopter's aim moved towards the other Devils as well.
Koneko jumped out of the way of the firing line. Rias and Akeno formed magical barriers which blocked the bullets with ease.
"Let's go!" Issei called out and both he and Matsuda fled.
They ran down the road but…
"OUCH!" "OW!" the two of them suddenly ran into something face first, preventing them from going any further.
To their shock, it was an invisible barrier of some kind.
"Oh, don't bother… Ufufufufu…" Akeno spoke up this time and licked her lips. "We set up this barrier just a while ago. You won't be going anywhere… Ufufufu…"
"Gulp… this isn't good…" Issei gulped upon seeing Akeno make a sadistic grin.
"Any ideas?" Matsuda asked Issei.
"Nope. Ddraig?" Issei hoped Ddraig had the answer.
[Stupid question. Fight, of course!] Ddraig answered the obvious.
"Thanks, genius. I could have guessed that, too," Issei said to Ddraig with a groan.
[Then why did you even ask?] Ddraig asked rhetorically.
They could not argue any more, for Yuuto had lunged forward and tried to slash Issei with his sword.
"WHOA! WATCH IT!" Issei cried out, as he ducked underneath the slash.
Matsuda barely managed to dodge the slash by moving to the side. But Koneko was on him.
Remembered that Koneko was a physically strong fighter, Matsuda instinctively dodged her punch by jumping to the side.
{Opening fire!} Phoebe announced, as the bullets rained on Koneko.
This time, the bullets managed to land on her, but Koneko managed to block and endure those attacks physically.
Matsuda used this opportunity to run, but Akeno…
[ZAP!] [KABAM!]
…fired a lightning bolt at him, making Matsuda fall backward in a fright.
"Ara, ara…" Akeno said, as she formed more lightning in her hands. "…instead of dodging, why don't you take the lightning… like a good boy…"
Akeno's ominous words sent shivers down Matsuda's spine, as he backed away.
Issei, on the other hand was barely able to dodge, duck or parry Yuuto's sword attacks with the Boosted Gear. And the trouble was that Yuuto was fast in his attacks. A bit too fast.
[Boost!] Issei's strength and speed doubled.
However, Issei was still weakened from his fight with the Hulk and was in no position to fight. That Issei was able to stand was a miracle. Additionally, Issei had never fought against a sword user before. Even if he had his strength back, he would have been far too hesitant to attack in the first place.
And then Yuuto managed to find an opening in Issei's defenses. He made a sword attack, which Issei blocked with the gauntlet, however Yuuto followed up with an attack he had not used before, namely a kick to his side. Issei winced in pain and fell down on his knees in pain. Yuuto used the opportunity land make a downward slash at Issei.
But Issei was determined not to go down this easily.
[Boost!]
[Dragon Shot!]
Issei took Yuuto off guard with him being downed, making him switch from offense to defense.
[BOOM!] "AGH!"
Yuuto was knocked backward and fell on his back.
Issei rushed at Yuuto with whatever strength he had left to fight. But…
[Partner!] Ddraig cried out.
Issei barely saw the magical orb of Destruction head towards him. He managed to block it with the Boosted Gear but was himself sent flying and landed on his back.
"AGH! Ugh…" Issei groaned in pain from the landing.
"Ufufufu… Was that it? How disappointing…" Rias mocked Issei, as she walked up to his downed form.
"HELP! HELP ME, ISSEI!" Matsuda screamed, as he ran from Akeno in a frenzy, the latter who was pursuing him with lightning bolts being fired at first.
"Ufufufu… Come here…" Akeno said in a sing-song voice, as she made a sadistic grin.
{Fire!} Phoebe called out, as the bullets continued to rain upon Akeno.
"Oh, this is getting annoying…" Akeno groaned in irritation, as the bullets were bounced off by her magical barriers.
With the precise aim of her arm…
[ZAP!] [KABOOM!]
…she shot down the Chopping Board Type 2, destroying it and leaving it as a ruined husk of its former self.
"PHOEBE! NOOOO!" Matsuda screamed in horror upon seeing his beloved helicopter being fried to a char, only for him to be…
"KEUK!"
…punched in the side of the face by Koneko, who sent the poor boy flying towards Issei.
"Ugh!" Matsuda groaned, as he skidded towards Issei.
Matsuda was unconscious and thus taken out of the fight.
"Damn it…" Issei cursed, as he struggled to get up.
But he was way too weakened and injured to do so. Rias stood right before him, looking down on the brunette.
Normally, Issei would have been able to see her panties from below, but his vision was getting blurry, and Rias had furthermore squatted down next to him.
"I have finally awaited this moment…" Rias said to Issei with a glint of greed and excitement in her eyes.
She pulled out something from her coat. It was a chess piece. More specifically, it was a red pawn piece and it resonated with power.
"What is this…?" Issei asked in fright.
"This is an Evil Piece. With this pawn piece, I can make you into my servant. Don't worry, you will love being in my peerage…" Rias said, as she slowly lowered her hand to place it on Issei.
"No… No…" Issei began to panic, as the pawn piece came closer.
[Partner, you must run!] Ddraig urged Issei.
Issei tried to, but… his body would not listen to him.
Was this how it would end? Him becoming a Devil? A slave?
No! There was no way! THERE WAS NO…!
[CRACK!] [BOOM!]
"What!?" Rias exclaimed, as she turned her head around upon hearing the barrier break.
"Buchou! Enemies have entered the barrier!" Yuuto called out, as he went on alert.
Rias and Koneko did the same and turned to see where the barrier had cracked.
"Enemies…? But who…?" Rias wondered, as she stood up and put away the pawn piece.
'And just when I was about to get a new servant, too,' Rias thought angrily.
The barrier broke, revealing…
"Greetings, Rias Gremory, brother of Sirzechs Lucifer of the four great Maous," a man spoke and with him were three men and a woman, following right beside him.
But what stood out the most about them were their black wings.
"You… you're Fallen Angels!" Rias exclaimed and charged for a magical attack.
Indeed. But for Issei, what stood out even more was that he recognized the Fallen Angel leading the group.
"Dohnasseek…" Issei growled, as he balled his hand into a fist.
[Why do enemies come one after the other?] Ddraig wondered out loud.
"Please, do not be apprehensive. We did not come to fight with you," Dohnasseek told Rias.
"Oh? And why would you be here?" Rias asked of Dohnasseek warily.
"Simple. We came here for him," Dohnasseek pointed at Issei.
Issei widened his eyes in surprise at the sudden turn in events.
The Devils of Kuoh were equally surprised.
"Why him?" Rias asked him.
"It's none of your business, Devil," Dohnasseek replied rudely. "Now, let us through or else…"
Rias did not take too kindly to that threat.
"If you lay a hand on me, my brother will not let you go…" Rias countered.
"Your brother will not know once we are through with you. After all," Dohnasseek said, as he summoned a light spear. "Dead Devils tell no tales…"
The other Fallen Angels prepared themselves to fight, as well, summoning magic or light spears at will.
Koneko , Akeno and Yuuto got themselves ready to fight.
Rias made a serious face. Four of them against five Fallen Angels. Moreover, those were not small fry, but experienced fighters. This was not going to be easy… However, they did not have much of a choice.
"Everyone, attack!" Rias ordered and the four of rushed at their foes.
The Devils and Fallen Angels fought intensely, as blasts, explosions and lightning bolts flew all around.
Issei, meanwhile, could only try his best to get away. Amidst the confusion, he crawled up to Matsuda to stir him awake.
"Matsuda! Come on! Wake up!" Issei shook Matsuda, but Matsuda still remained knocked out.
This was troublesome… How were he and Matsuda supposed to get out of here now?
That was when somebody approached them amidst the fighting. At once, Issei tensed up. For a second, he thought it was either a Devil or a Fallen Angel. But to his surprise…
"Wazzup, Hide No. 3?" Sanma greeted him, as stood over him.
"Sanma? What are you doing here? Scratch that! How did you even get here?" Issei asked question after question.
"Never mind that. Let's get ya two outta here!" Sanma said, as he easily picked up Issei and Matsuda and hauled them upon his shoulders like sacks of potatoes.
"You sure are strong…" Issei remarked, as he lay on Sanma's shoulders.
"I'm a martial artist. This is just a walk in the park," Sanma answered. "Now, let's hightail outta here!"
Sanma proceeded to run with the two boys on him. None of the Devils and Fallen Angels even noticed Sanma or the fact that he was carrying away their target.
13th of November, Friday, 4:38 pm – somewhere on the outskirts of Metropolitan Tokyo
The Hulk was lying in a crater made his fall from the sky. After some time had passed, the Hulk became Bruce Banner again. At first glance, there was nothing unusual about him – except the fact that only his purple boxer shorts remained. All his other clothes were destroyed after his transformation.
"This always happens to me, doesn't it?" Bruce Banner said to himself, as he checked himself for injuries.
Yes, indeed. Someone would always provoke him and then he would transform, go on a rampage and then transform back. He would go someplace else and the same happens again.
Was this… how he was going to live for the rest of his life?
Even more troubling was that he was in Japan for some reason. He had found himself in Columbia because of the Hulk's rampage once, along with many other places. But Japan… was a bit new. It was not easy communicating with the locals, but he needed to give it a shot. And of course, that failed spectacularly after he got that part-time job. All Bruce Banner wanted to do was earn some money to buy a ticket to the US and return home.
But the Hulk always had to ruin things, didn't he?
Sighing sadly, Bruce Banner was about to get moving when…
"Halt!" a voice ordered Bruce to stop.
Looking at who was speaking, Bruce saw a company of at least a hundred yokai with weapons appearing out of thin air. And their aim… was him.
"Is this really the green monster that hurt our people?" asked one of the yokai soldiers.
"Of course, it is!" insisted another. "I can still feel the pain after it punched me in the face!"
"And he can turn into a normal human? What kind of powers are these?" asked a third one.
"No matter," the company leader spoke up. "This monster is too dangerous and must be put down. All men, attack!"
The Yokai charged at Bruce with weapons and magical spells with the intent of killing him.
Bruce sighed… again… This was always going to happen… wasn't it?
And then, his eyes shone with fury, as became the Hulk once more.
"HULK CRUSH!"
"AGH!" "KEUK!" "UGH!" "HELP!" "GAH!"
If one were in the countryside, the sounds of an angry green monster could be heard along with the cries of beaten and bloodied yokai soldiers.
13th of November, Friday, 4:40 pm – inside the Neko Neko Restaurant, Nerima Ward
Loki, disguised as a fly, flew into the restaurant and used his magic to destroy the door to the cellar. Why was he there? Well, Loki was looking for Fenrir and had finally found him. They were bonded by magic and by blood and because of that, finding Fenrir was not all that hard. Granted, there was a mysterious force that blocked Loki's ability to find Fenrir the first time he tried to search him. But after coming back to Kuoh and doing some testing and probing, he finally found Fenrir's location.
"Now, then…" Loki said, as he walked into the cellar, leading him to the chained-up Fenrir.
With a snap of the fingers, Loki destroyed the chains, freeing the exhausted and frightened Fenrir.
"Who did this to you?" Loki asked Fenrir, as the latter lay there panting and whimpering.
"That would be me," Elder Colon said, as she walked in with a stern look on her face. "Now, who are you? And are you the owner of this wolf?"
"A mere mortal like you does not deserve to know my name," Loki glowered at her.
"Mortal? What a joke. I have lived for three hundred years, and you call me a mortal? The youth of today really does not know the immensity of the heavens," Colon mocked and scorned Loki.
Loki, having enough, was really mad now. This was the second human that had humiliated him like this, and he was not going to have any more.
"How dare a mere mortal like you talk like that to me!?" Loki said with fury, as he charged a powerful attack in his hands.
Elder Colon rushed forward to attack with Loki countering…
(((KAAAABOOOOOOOOM!)))
The result was a huge explosion that destroyed the restaurant in a giant blue explosion.
13th of November, Friday, 4:42 pm – back with Issei, Sanma and Matsuda
"How did you find us?" Issei asked Sanma, as the latter ran down the streets towards a certain destination.
"Wasn't too hard," Sanma replied, as he carried Issei and Matsuda with little effort. "I met Motohama along the way and he told me where ya guys were. He said that yer watches help him locate yer positions."
"Motohama? Is he here?" Issei asked Sanma.
"Yeah," Sanma replied. "In fact, he's right over there."
Sanma pointed in a certain direction and true enough, there was Motohama hiding near an alley. Upon seeing Sanma come running with Issei and Matsuda on his shoulders, he waved towards them excited.
"Issei! Matsuda! Sanma! This way!" Motohama called out to them.
Sanma followed him into the alley and behind a big waste bin for cover.
Sanma put the two of them down and laid them carefully on the ground.
"Matsuda!" Motohama called out worried at his unconscious friend. "What happened to him?"
"He's fine. He's just unconscious," Issei answered, as he propped himself up in a sitting position using the nearby wall. "The Hulk has been blasted out of town by me but... so many enemies keep popping up left and right."
"What? You mean the Hulk has allies?" Motohama exclaimed in shock.
"No," Issei clarified. "The Hulk is all by himself. What I meant was that other enemies are coming after me. And it's just one after the other. First off, I've got bad news. Somebody told the Chinese Amazons of my real identity as Issei Hyoudou. They also know that I am the Red Dragon Emperor. And now, they're trying to kill me."
At this revelation, Motohama was shocked, while Sanma was somewhat surprised.
"I knew it!" Sanma exclaimed. "I knew ya were hidin' some kinda secret identity! No way ya guys could be siblings."
Ignoring Sanma, Motohama sought to know more. "What do you mean by Chinese Amazons?"
"I mean Cat Fu, Mouse and their grandmother. I don't know if there are others in their clan that know but…" Issei paused at this, as he was hesitant to say what needed to be said. "That is not the worst part of it. The Devils of Kuoh are here, too. And they almost got me."
"How did you escape?" Motohama asked intrigued.
"The Fallen Angels appeared and fought with the Devils," Sanma answered this time. "I managed to sneak in and get the two of them outta here."
Motohama groaned, as he became filled with dread. "Them, too? Could it possibly get any worse…?" he asked rhetorically.
At this, Issei became shocked and Ddraig was livid.
[You idiot! Why did you say it!?] Ddraig demanded of Motohama.
"What? What are you talking about?" Motohama asked in confusion.
[You said the question "Could it possibly get any worse?". And you should know what happens when any of us asks that question] Ddraig angrily explained to him.
Motohama covered his mouth in realization. It seemed like he remembered.
"Whatcha guys talkin' about?" Sanma curiously asked.
[Whenever one asks if it could possibly get any worse, it always becomes worse. That's why we don't say it – ever!] Ddraig emphasized the last word.
"Really? Just for asking a question?" Sanma scoffed skeptically. "I mean what could possibly happen?"
And that was when…
(((HOOOOOOOWWWWWLLL!))) the sound of a huge wolf howling could be heard.
This caused everybody to become startled and look around.
"What was that?" Sanma asked.
"It sounded like a wolf…" Motohama said.
Issei, on the other hand, had a grim look on his face.
"It's him," Issei simply said.
[Yes, it is. Thanks, Mr. "What could possibly happen?"] Ddraig said to Sanma with a deadpanned voice.
"Him who? What was that?" Motohama asked Issei and Ddraig with concern.
"Fenrir, son of Loki," Issei just answered.
And sure enough, Fenrir came running down the road and skidded to a halt in front of the alley where the four of them were resting.
"Any idea how to get outta this?" Sanma asked the others and backed away from the sight of Fenrir.
"Afraid not. I'm too weak and Matsuda is still unconscious," Motohama said, as he readied his speicla gloves to charge an attack. "But I can buy some time, so…"
But before he could say any more, an invisible force threw him against the wall with full force.
"MOTOHAMA!" Sanma cried out.
Motohama fell down unconscious after impact.
"You won't do anything now," a man's voice could be heard from above.
"Loki…" Issei growled in anger upon seeing the Nordic God floating in the air above them.
"I dunno who you are but take this!" Sanma fired a chi blast at Loki.
But Loki blocked it off with the wave of his hand and used the same hand to choke him with his powers.
"Keuk… gack!" Sanma gagged and coughed, as he felt the life being choked out of him.
"You…" Issei used what little strength he had left to raise his arm and then…
[Dragon Shot!]
The shot traveled towards Loki, who stopped choking Sanma with his powers and shielded himself with magic to black off the Dragon Shot. Through it all, Loki kept a neutral expression, as if they were hardly worth his time and effort.
By then, Sanma had joined the ranks of the unconscious along with Matsuda and Motohama.
"Sanma…" Issei whispered weakly, as he saw his unconscious friends.
"Fenrir, finish them off. And do it right this time," Loki ordered Fenrir.
(((HOWL!))) Loki rushed at them with a howl and was about to kill them all.
"Sanma!?"
"Dang it!" Issei tried to muster up what little strength he had left to fight, but it was useless.
Issei truly was exhausted. He was panting and heaving heavily.
And all he could do was watch Fenrir rush at him with the intent to kill.
Everyone was unconscious and Issei was the only one left. And he was too weak to fight.
[Partner, you can't give up! Get up and fight!] Issei heard Ddraig beg him.
But Issei truly could not do any more.
Time had slowed down for Issei.
There was no way out.
It was over.
As Issei looked at the fangs and teeth that could kill Gods come closer, Issei wondered.
Was this it? Had he truly given it his all that he could just let it end like this?
Issei did not know what to do it except to just end it here.
Nothing that he could think of could change the situation.
No deeds… no thoughts… no words… Nothing could magically change this situation with supernatural coincidental power.
Or… wait a minute…
Issei suddenly had a realization upon his ever-approaching death. This… it was crazy, but… it might just work…
[Partner… Don't you dare...] Ddraig did not like what Issei had in mind.
But for Issei, he had no choice. He was close to death anyway, so why not?
With the last of his strength, Issei cried out.
"COULD IT POSSIBLY GET ANY WORSE!?" Issei yelled the forbidden question.
And as he said that…
A small figure appeared out of nowhere and attacked Fenrir.
Fenrir whimpered, as he was struck by the figure's staff at multiple pressure points.
"What!?" Loki exclaimed upon seeing who it was.
After Fenrir backed away in pain and fear, Issei saw an old woman in front of him.
"Is that…?" Issei wondered upon seeing the old woman from behind.
"Hands back of him. This boy soiled our Amazon honor. He deserves to be killed by us and not you," Elder Colon declared to Fenrir and Loki.
"How did you survive? I could have sworn I killed you back then!" Loki swore.
"It needs more than a simple explosion to kill little old me," Colon explained, as she looked at Issei's downed figure. "I will get my revenge on this boy Issei Hyoudou. But you and your wolf have committed the greater insult by destroying my restaurant."
Colon turned her attention to Fenrir and pointed her staff at the huge wolf. "And as for you… I still need to take you back… I still have a lot of hospitality to show you after your little rampage and I won't take no for an answer…"
Fenrir turned tail and ran away in fright, while Colon gave chase, leaving his father Loki behind.
"This… Fine! I'll deal with you later! Because first…" Loki yelled in anger in Colon's and Fenrir's direction and then turned towards Issei. "I'll kill you myself!"
Loki readied an ice magic attack to kill Issei when…
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" the sound of someone screaming interrupted Loki, followed by the sound of something big and green landing in front of Issei with a big…
[BOOM!]
…revealing it to be the Hulk and the yokai company leader, the latter being beaten and bruised into a bloody pulp.
"What…? You've gotta be kidding me…" Issei voiced out in shock.
"YOU!" Loki flared with anger in evident in his eyes upon seeing the Hulk. "YOU DARE APPEAR BEFORE ME!?"
The Hulk looked up to see Loki and was equally angry.
"HULK SMASH LOKI!" the Hulk roared and jumped to meet Loki in the sky.
The city skies flared with a bright light, as Loki used his magic to fight the Hulk once again.
The brightness of the light attracted the Devils and Fallen Angels who had temporarily stopped their fight to find Issei.
"What is this?" Koneko asked, as she and her comrades flew on their wings.
"Whatever it is, it must be powerful," Yuuto guessed.
"Stay back! It's too dangerous to get closer!" Rias ordered her peerage.
The Fallen Angels were no wiser in this than the Devils were. Flying to the scene, the Fallen Angels were a good distance away from the Devils.
"What should we do?" the female Fallen Angel asked Dohnasseek.
"Stay back for now and see if you can ascertain if it is the Red Dragon Emperor fighting," Dohnasseek said, as the light made it hard for them to see who the fighters in the sky were.
Somewhere on the streets of Tokyo, Ryuga, Mouse and Cat Fu had also come closer to the scene to see what was happening.
"What this is?" Cat Fu asked in her broken Japanese.
"I don't know but this gives me the chills. It feels like the world is ending," Ryuga opined.
"Do not worry, Cat Fu. I, Mouse, shall… OOF!" Mouse was about to spout more nonsense when Cat Fu decided to knock him out with a punch in the face.
"Mouse stay quiet. Want to see scene," Cat Fu said to him.
Even further away at the Bling Bling Plaza, people were taking pictures or recording videos of the exploding flashes of light in the distance. Kasumi and Komachi were among them, but both were worried more about their lovers.
"Issei…"
"Sanma-darling…"
The two of them stood side by side and watched everything unfold in the sky.
Loki and Hulk were continuing to fight, trading punches, kicks, magic and explosions.
The Hulk could not fly, so naturally he was at a disadvantage in an aerial battle. However, due to his immense endurance and physical ability, especially when it came to jumping, made up for his shortcomings. Loki had a difficult time fighting back.
Loki was completely at his wit's end.
First, this boy Issei Hyoudou had indirectly humiliated him by helping Freyr find out the truth behind his little prank. All the Gods in Scandinavia and elsewhere in the world now knew about what he did.
Secondly, Issei had eluded his wrath because of the Hulk.
Third, the Hulk himself had beaten him up in a fight.
Fourth, the old woman captured his son, Fenrir, and did who knows what to him to make him flee like a coward.
Fifth, Loki failed to kill the old woman after she humiliated him.
Sixth, Loki failed at killing Issei – again.
And now, the Hulk was back and was beating him in a fight again.
All of these reasons made Loki utterly and truly furious. He could not take it anymore and was about to unleash a powerful magic spell colored in a dense black magic aura. The sky became eerily dark because of this, as if it truly was the end of the world.
"THAT'S IT! I AM GOING TO GO ALL OUT!" Loki yelled, as he was about to shoot his spell at the Hulk. "IF I CANNOT KILL YOU, I AM GOING TO TELEPORT YOU ALL THE WAY TO TARTARUS!"
The Hulk was not fazed, as he rushed towards him with vigor and anger.
And just then…
A huge powerful lightning bolt struck Loki.
"AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!"
Being in pain, Loki accidentally unleashed his magic, sending the magic he had intended for the Hulk towards two directions. And then… he was gone.
The first magic attack was heading towards the Hulk. The Hulk was hit by the magic and vanished as well.
Issei, who was tending to his unconscious friends, had witnessed the scene unfold right in front of him. He, too, was mesmerized by the fight and the power both Loki and the Hulk exuded until the lightning bolt hit Loki.
And the second magic attack that Loki unleashed… headed right his way.
[Partner!] Ddraig called out.
The magic enveloped Issei, causing him to disappear.
Only his friends remained unconscious on the ground.
With Loki, Hulk and Issei gone, all those present could not help but wonder.
What… just happened? Did the fight just end?
What happened to the fighters?
As the Devils, the Fallen Angels and all the humans remained there in shock and silence, they did not notice a certain man riding a bicycle and a trolley to pick up Sanma, Matsuda and Motohama.
"Get on in, boys," Shinyama said to them, as he picked them up one by one and laid them on the trolley. "We've got a lot to talk about."
And that was the Chapter 55 of The Lone Vigilante Issei.
Please, don't leave yet because there is an epilogue to this chapter down below. It is vital to read it so that you can understand what is yet to come.
Now about this chapter…
A bit of an open ending, I have to admit. But I think now is a good place to end the chapter.
Issei has fought the Hulk in person and has given it his all to push the Hulk out of the city. Given how strong the Hulk is, I thought that would be a reasonable conclusion to their fight. There is just no way anybody is going to kill Hulk anytime soon. And I mean nobody.
As for Issei's interactions with the Devils of Kuoh, you have to understand that Issei has good reasons to be hostile, as he clearly is aware of the supernatural world and has heard things about the Devils that are not good. This is different from canon Issei who is very naïve and ignorant when he became aware of the existence of Devils. By then Issei had already become a Devil.
That is also something I wish to comment on. I really find the Issei of the canon story extremely naïve and simplistic. In fact, the whole DxD universe is too conveniently simplistic, even though it is vast and diverse with a lot of great concepts. And thus, I realize that I dislike the original Issei. It is my strong belief that Issei would not live long in a more realistic universe. And if he did, he would be abused and taken advantage of. Some DxD fanfictions do a good job showing that.
As you can tell, I am bringing the various characters and factions together and the final battle is getting closer.
And when I say the final battle, I mean it. And this brings me to my big announcement.
I am going to finish this fanfiction within the next two or three arcs.
I have a rough idea in mind on how to end "The Lone Vigilante Issei" and plan to carry it out. When I started to write this fanfiction, I had plans to create a backstory on how Issei becomes a full-fledged hero before the start of the canon timeline and then let him be the model protagonist from there. However, I realize now that I have gotten too tired to continue this story. I have a lot of ideas for stories that I wish I could write but could not because of the business in life along with this story.
However, this should be no cause for concern for those fans of "The Lone Vigilante Issei". I am still going to see this to the end and finish this fanfiction to the designated end.
One last point of discussion. Now that the Chinese Amazons have found about his identity, they are going to kill Issei and possibly hurt those closest to him. What is going to happen next?
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.
Please enjoy the epilogue.
13th of November, Friday, 7:00 pm – living room, Tengu residence, Nerima Ward
"Ugh…" Sanma groaned, as he woke up.
Upon awakening, he found himself in the living room of the Tengu residence. That was when he remembered what had happened and shot up. He was about to run out when Kasumi stopped him.
"Sanma-kun, it is alright. The fighting is over," Kasumi calmed him down.
But Sanma did not calm down. "Calm down? Matsuda, Motohama and Issei are injured and ya're telling me to calm down?"
Sanma looked around and then realized something.
"Kasumi…? How did I even get here?" Sanma asked the older girl.
"You were brought here. Matsuda and Motohama are here, too. Both of them are fine, but they are still resting. They are in the guest room upstairs and father is taking care of them. But as for Issei… He said that he was missing." Kasumi said and became visibly worried when it came to Issei.
Missing… huh? This was not good… Wait…
"Who is 'he'?" Sanma asked Kasumi.
"The landlord of the Hide boys, Shinyama Hide. In fact, he was the one who brought you all here. He even helped bring back here, too. He also told me to tell you to meet him in the garden once you were awake," Kasumi told him.
"I see… Thanks, Kasumi," Sanma thanked her and went to meet Shinyama in the garden.
Shinyama was standing near the koi pond, admiring the fish.
"Ya said ya wanted to talk to me?" Sanma said to Shinyama.
"Yes, I did," Shinyama replied, as he turned to face the pig-tailed martial artist.
"What's this about? This isn't about that third favor I've gotta do before ya cancel the debt for the repairs of the dojo, is it?" Sanma asked Shinyama with a wary look.
"Yes, you are correct. This is about the final favor," Shinyama said, making Sanma boil at the thought of doing more of his crazy favors. "Though, this favor concerns yourself and your future more than anything."
At this, Sanma stopped being angry and became confused.
"Whaddya mean?" Sanma asked.
Shinyama looked into the evening sky before speaking.
"I presume you are already aware that the Amazons know about Issei's identity as the 'Man in Red' and how this 'Man of Red' destroyed their restaurant. As you know, the Amazons do not take such an attack lightly, meaning they will do everything in their power to kill him. But now that Issei is missing, they are going to target all those close to him. That is why I brought Matsuda and Motohama here instead of letting them rest at their apartment," Shinyama explained.
"I sorta understand. So, ya want me to fight them off. Is that yer favor?" Sanma sought to clarify.
"Not quite, though that is a part of it," Shinyama answered. "However, given the appearance of powerful enemies such as Loki and Fenrir, Elder Colon knows that she and her two proteges Cat Fu and Mouse won't be enough. They are going to bring their whole clan to Japan to cleanse their honor once and for all."
"What? How do ya now this?" Sanma asked incredulously.
"You don't need to know," Shinyama refused to answer. "What you do need to know is this. As you are now, you and the others assembled, will not be able to defeat them. You need to become stronger - and fast."
"Figures," Sanma raised his hands up in frustration.
"And that leads me to the favor at hand. I want you to learn the ultimate martial arts that I am going to impart on you," Shinyama said to him.
"You? Teaching me martial arts?" Sanma pointed at Shinyama with skepticism. "What could ya possibly teach me?"
"I guess I could tell you. But I think it is best if I show you," Shinyama said, as he turned to see Sanma's dad show up around the corner.
"Boy, it's time to train! Get ready to go!" Gunma Raotome ordered his son.
Sanma was about to say something until Shinyama stepped in.
"I'm afraid not. He's training with me today," Shinyama declared to Gunma.
"Who are you? And who are you to deny me the right to train my son?" Gunma demanded of Shinyama.
"A cowardly lazy glutton like you wants to be a master to someone? What a joke!" Shinyama scoffed.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Gunma yelled angrily and proceeded to throw a punch at him.
But Shinyama was faster and quickly dodged him and poked him in the back of his head. Gunma fell unconscious.
"Shiatsu techniques, huh?" Sanma remarked unimpressed. "Well, I know these techniques, too. So, again. What have ya got that I don't know?"
At that moment, Shinyama lashed out to a kick. Sanma instinctively dodged the attack only to realize the attack was not aimed at him. Rather, it was aimed behind Sanma and hit a small, short figure right in the stomach.
"OOF!" the small figure grunted in pain and jumped back.
It turned out that it was the old grandmaster known as Hentai, trying to steal Sanma's underwear again, only to get kicked by Shinyama.
"You are a fast one. But I'm not done… huh? Wha…? UGH! AGH!" Hentai collapsed, as he clutched his stomach in pain. "IT HURTS! AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!"
"Huh? What did ya do to him?" Sanma asked, surprised and amazed that someone could detect the sneaky old lecher, land a kick on him on the first try and cause to him to feel immense pain.
"I kicked him and pressed a pressure point that causes stomach pains. He will feel like his stomach will burst. It will last for a day or two. Until then, he won't be able to do anything," Shinyama explained.
"Pressure points… by kicking?" Sanma repeated to himself astounded.
Sanma could tell from that attack that Shinyama's detection and reaction skills were better than his own. And the effectiveness of his attacks… If he could take down a martial master and a grandmaster in one move…
"When do we start?" Sanma asked, now interested and ready to start his training.
"We start with the introduction of my martial arts…" Shinyama paused, as he looked at Sanma with serious eyes. "It is a lethal martial art that can kill all and any foe you come across. It is truly the martial art gifted by the Lord of Heaven to maintain balance and peace on earth along with bringing judgment to the wicked. It was created two thousand years ago in another world. Its name… is Hokuto Shinken, the Fist of the North Star."
And as always, I hope to see you around next time.
Until then.
Hide Shinyama