Here I am with a new translated chapter!
This is already the last chapter of this first arc. A lot will happen, so I hope you enjoy it.
Before we start, let's go with the first review of the English version of this story:
Guest: I'm so glad you're liking this story so much, and thank you so much for your wonderful words. I send you strength from here, as I know that things in your country are complicated. I hope the situation gets better soon.
Enjoy!
The darkness had lasted since that time.
He didn't even know how much time passed.
The only thing he heard in the darkness of his subconscious was Ddraig's distorted voice, which somehow seemed to want to reach out to him to wake him up.
Perhaps that was what accelerated the process, so that the darkness suddenly ceased to exist.
Issei's eyes slowly opened. His vision was extremely blurry, so he slowly adjusted to his surroundings. He soon knew that he was in his bedroom, but before he could make any other guesses, his whole body felt very heavy and sore, especially his face.
That caused a whimper of annoyance to emerge from her lips, something that was enough to wake up the sleepy woman who was sleeping in a very uncomfortable way, as she was sitting on the floor while having her face resting on the bed.
It took Issei a couple of seconds to recognize her due to his grogginess.
"Yuuma?"
The unspoken question emerged from his lips. Raynare answered with a very animated smile.
"Issei!" She exclaimed with genuine happiness, but stopped herself just in time as she was about to hug him.
It wasn't just because of the big issue between them. What actually stopped her was the protagonist's considerably injured condition.
"What are you...?"
"I'm so glad you're finally awake!" Raynare interrupted him once again to show her empathy and happiness towards his person, something that overwhelmed Issei a bit. "Have some water, I'm sure you're very thirsty." Raynare held out a glass that was on the floor, to which Issei could only nod somewhat awkwardly as he opened his mouth and allowed himself to be treated by the Fall.
She looked far too content just to be able to talk to him again, to even care for him.
"Care for him"
That word took on a stronger meaning for Issei as he noticed two plates on the floor. One was empty while the other was overflowing with meat and vegetables that looked very appetizing. What really caught his attention, though, was the empty plate.
The suspicions were more than clear.
"How long was I out?" Issei asked plaintively once that cutting dryness had left his throat.
"You were unconscious for four days." Raynare stated, who held out the glass for him to continue drinking, though Issei looked a little reluctant to continue accepting her help. "Luckily your parents were out of town on business trips. In the meantime, we had to create certain stories of a somewhat contagious, but nothing dangerous flu so that your two friends and the Academy you attend wouldn't come to bother you."
"And when am I going to recover from that flu?" Issei made his face to the side to push the glass aside so he could speak.
"At least until the visible bruises go away and the swelling on your face subsides." Replied the Fallen, who was touching the flesh gingerly. "It's obvious it would be cold." She thought aloud with a frown, though that expression didn't last long. "Wait here. I'm going to make you some sweet bread and bring you some lemonade." Raynare commented to him with a cute smile on her face, to which Issei just stared at her.
"Wait..." Issei tried to stop her as he sat down on the bed, but Raynare had already left the room along with the plates of food.
He would have tried to call out to her one more time, but his attention was focused entirely on that person leaning against the wall, apparently he had gone unnoticed thanks to the open door.
"Kiba..." Issei commented quietly with a mixture of astonishment and regret. "I..."
"Save your breath, Issei-kun. And, even though I didn't ask you to, I feel I should thank you." The blond commented with his eyes closed. "I guess your plan went as you wanted it to, since the wedding was delayed by a month due to certain investigations being launched against Raiser for your statements." Issei seemed to relax as he noticed that his friend didn't hold any grudges.
"I don't think they're going to find anything though..." Commented the protagonist under his breath. "I just thought maybe buying us a little more time we could get some of your subordinates to talk. Because let's face it, both you and I know we need a lot more than another month of training to be able to defeat Raiser. Plus they're hardly going to let me break in one more time because of what I did..." Issei interrupted himself as he grabbed his head in pain at Kiba's worried look.
"I'm sorry, but no one wanted to give you a Phoenix Tear to heal you." The blond commented as he took a couple of steps to get closer to his injured friend.
"I'm not surprised. His whole family hates me, excluding Miss Ravel who can't do much either." Issei commented with a dry laugh at the end. "But that headache is not due to my injuries." The brown-haired man's absolute serious tone left Kiba silent. "I just remembered that last punch from Raiser. I'm sure the bastard wanted to kill me. Yet here I am." Kiba was silent for a moment, until he finally managed to let out a sigh after noticing that Issei wouldn't stop bothering him until he told him everything.
"Sirzechs told me that Raynare went to save you. Raiser was initially unconvinced with her intervention, and things got even more complicated when Buchou and the others recognized her. At that point Azazel intervened on your behalf. At first it looked like she was going to be moved to a dungeon, but both Raynare and Azazel worked out a move that Raiser could not refuse..."
"Raynare proposed herself as his wife, claiming that she had intervened only because she had changed her mind in the face of that talk they had previously had." Issei shut down the idea, receiving a nod from Kiba.
The blond wasn't even surprised at such a deduction, since the only clear way out for both of them to make it out alive was, "Raiser's hunger."
They both stood in stony silence. Kiba knew exactly what Issei was thinking about, who all he was doing was rubbing the bandages covering parts of his face.
"What are you thinking?" Even knowing the answer, Kiba decided to ask.
"You know what I'm thinking. I'm screwed." Was Issei's simple answer. "It's obvious that Raiser won't stand idly by, and the fact that Raynare has revealed herself to everyone only complicates things."
"Now you're mad at her? She gave her hand to that man for the sake of saving your life." Kiba commented, who clearly looked somewhat annoyed at his friend's stubbornness.
"As far as I'm concerned, she just bought time." Commented Issei in a very dismissive manner, something that undoubtedly annoyed Kiba even more.
But on this occasion, he wasn't the one who intervened on the Fall's behalf.
"Stop acting like an ungrateful brat." Issei stared at the newly materialized gauntlet with wide eyes. "If it hadn't been for her, you would have been dead long ago."
"Now you're on her side? Didn't you hate her?" Issei asked with a frown, earning a snort from Ddraig.
"How can I hate her after she saved your ass? And who do you think was watching over you all four days without a break? She was the only one who was always there with you! She was the only one who visited you besides Kiba and the bratty nun!"
If Issei was angry before, now he could only be shocked.
She had been watching over him relentlessly?
His inquisitive gaze shifted to Kiba, who was watching him seriously. Issei didn't ask anything, but the blond knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Every time I came over, she would be sleeping next to you, cooking you something or eating at the foot of your bed in the hopes that you would wake up soon. Of all the people who heard you there, she's probably the only one who believes you, maybe also including Azazel." Issei could do nothing but lower his head at such a revelation.
"That empty plate..." He thought, remembering what he saw a few minutes ago.
After pondering for a while, Issei responded to all the acquired information with a big, sinewy sigh.
"Still, this is vain." Now Issei didn't look annoyed, he was just resigned.
Very resigned.
As if he had accepted his fate.
"Don't worry, the Buchou won't let them hurt you. Maybe she'll punish you, but it won't be a big deal." Kiba commented with a smile. "Do you want me to call her to say you've recovered?" Issei looked at him expressionlessly, to what Kiba thought was a positive answer.
The blond nodded and walked out of the bedroom as a small magic circle appeared above his ear.
"Are you sure about this, mate?" Once they were alone, Ddraig decided to ask with utmost concern.
"No use delaying the inevitable." Was the simple answer from Issei, who went completely silent.
Ddraig wanted to continue talking to his bearer, but his inexperience with the current subject caused him to remain silent.
It was the first time he found himself in the need to comfort one of his bearers, but he didn't know how to go about it.
It only took a few minutes for the door to open again. There Kiba appeared with a smile, and behind him appeared Rias, Asia, Akeno and Koneko. They all had a very cold stare on him, except for one.
"Issei-san!" Asia shed a few small tears as she went to hug him, to which Issei was barely able to respond.
"It's good to see you, Asia. Believe me I'm happy, but my body is not fit for hugs." Issei commented with a violet face as he felt the blonde squeeze him, though she quickly broke away after his words.
"I-I'm so sorry!" The blonde exclaimed as she lowered her head in apology.
Issei merely responded with a smile, a smile that transformed a bit the moment he focused his gaze on the newcomers.
"Girls, Buchou." Issei gave a nod as a sign of respect, but none of the three responded to him.
"Buchou?" Kiba asked Rias with some uncertainty as he noticed the extreme coldness around her.
"Hyoudou Issei, you are under death judgment for going against my wishes and leaving a criminal alive."
Asia looked at Rias horrified at her words, so did Kiba, who couldn't believe what he had heard.
Meanwhile, Issei didn't even react. His neutral gaze remained neutral throughout, implying that he was already expecting this development.
A few moments later, Raynare arrived with the freshly baked bread and some oven mitts.
"I hope it's to your liking! It's very soft and rich!" The Fall exclaimed the moment she opened the door.
At that instant, the joyful smile disappeared from her face.
The bedroom was completely empty.
That could only mean one thing.
And that thought caused the sweet bread to fall to the floor with the plate included.
_ END OF ARC - CHAPTER 6: THE FINAL JUDGMENT! _
"To be honest with you this place isn't that bad." Kiba looked around the dungeon. "You have a big cell all to yourself, a lot of straw so you can sleep at ease, you even have a bucket in which you can do your necessities." Kiba looked towards a particular spot. "I was locked in a cubicle along with all my friends for years."
Issei observed him sitting on the straw bed. His clothing now consisted of completely white garments along with handcuffs that denied him the use of magic. What had not changed about his appearance was his battered face, as he had not been healed.
Despite his deplorable condition, the protagonist seemed calm. Or so the look on his face said.
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" He asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
"At least I'm trying." Kiba replied with a tilt of his shoulders, his smile fading a bit as he noticed Issei turn his gaze to the nearby crack.
You could barely see outside, but everything pointed to it being nighttime.
"Sorry I didn't come sooner." Kiba commented with slight sadness.
"No worries. I'm even surprised they let you come." Issei was his usual emotionless self, though he looked grateful. "And... how's my pretty assassin?" Issei's expression changed a little after asking that question.
"I barely got to talk to her. I think she was in shock, and then upset, very upset." Kiba replied, keeping a small silence. "Issei-kun, she really..."
"No." Issei interrupted him with a dangerous tone, something that earned absolute silence from the blond.
That silence stretched out, and the atmosphere became a bit awkward. Still, Kiba found a way to reestablish the talk.
"Have they told you what's coming?" Kiba's question made Issei give slight nods.
"No one told me, but I studied it at the time. From what I know, it will be a judgment for going against Rias' wishes, a judgment consisting of three judges. And I also know that the three most important judges in the Underworld are Sirzechs, Ajuka and Raiser's father, who surely wants to execute me with his own hands. And if we're talking about the blond bastard, he's most likely looking for some way to avoid the trial in order to execute me immediately..."
"Now that you mention it, he did ask for it." Kiba interrupted, earning a glare from the protagonist.
"So what, I should prepare to be hanged at the stake?" Issei asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Sirzechs-sama is the chief judge of your case. He will never allow you to become ashes., or anything close to that." Kiba replied, earning a light chuckle from Issei.
"I guess at least there's something in my favor." He commented, then fixing his gaze on the blond. "The Renegade Demon of the Gremory Family, do you like how it sounds? I like it." He shared with her with a slight smile. "Are you seriously going to ask me if I'm still going to do everything I can to help Rias?"
"Did you seriously think I'd ask you that?" Kiba answered him with another question.
They were both silent after the questions, until Kiba decided to speak:
"How can I help you?"
"Well..." Issei bowed his shoulders. "You could free me." The blond couldn't help but look away after the question.
"You know I can't." The answer made Issei slap his hands on his knees.
"Then there's nothing you can do." He commented as he stood up.
"What do you want me to do? Knock the guards unconscious? Kill them? I am the knight of Rias Gremory." Kiba stated a bit indignantly.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask you something that was so inappropriate!"
"Inappropriate?! Issei-kun, you're accused of letting a criminal go free and going against your mistress's every wish! Trying to free you would be treason!"
"But I never did anything wrong against Rias!"
"And that's why we're going to have a judgment!"
"The judgment...!" A sigh shrouded in annoyance emerged from Issei. "Unless irrefutable proof magically appears today that Raiser is a big son of a bitch, there's no way I'm going to come out looking good!"
"You're not the only one who's on the wrong side of this." These words of Kiba's made Issei calm down a little. "The Buchou wanted to carry out a capture and execution order for Raynare, but Raiser prevented it. Though I don't know how long she'll agree with him, since she's convinced that you two are collaborating to ruin her marriage and her life."
"No, she has nothing to do with this." Issei stated instantly. "I don't think she deserves death either. It's true that she was a ruthless killer, but she's not the same now." He concluded, causing Kiba to stand up.
"Do you think the others will see it right for her to get a second chance?" The question made Issei stare at him.
"Azazel believes in her. That's more than enough."
"Issei-san is right, there's no need to worry about her." Both Kiba and Issei turned around to face a woman the brown barely recognized.
"Aren't you one of the Gremory's maidservants?" Issei asked with much curiosity, though he was taken aback when Kiba perched beside him to duck his head in respect.
"Good evening, Grayfia-sama." The blond bowed his face as well, earning a confused look from Issei.
"I just came to leave a message. Sirzechs-sama assures you that the judgment will be in your favor as one of the main witnesses will testify on your behalf to save your life." Grayfia commented, fixing her gaze on Issei. "The only thing you must do is deny any kind of guilt or contact with the criminal. That's the only point at which they can frame you, though if you do it correctly you will only be punished for negligence, a much lesser punishment."
"I understand." Issei gave a short bow to show his respect. "By the way, who is that girl?" He asked, raising his gaze.
"Her name is Asia Argento. An acquaintance, from what I understand." Issei couldn't hide his smile after what he heard.
"That's right. And please let Sirzechs know that I'm very grateful." Grayfia replied with a nod as she disappeared through a magic circle.
"Well..." Kiba resumed the conversation with his friend, leaving the idea in the air.
"I know, this isn't as bad as I expected."
_ LINE BREAK _
Underworld
A moment later...
Issei entered the jury escorted by two guards. His gaze went from one side to the other, all the Demons present there watched him with disdain, including Rías herself who was with her family, who looked at him like everyone else, although the contempt towards him was more palpable.
But that did not matter to him.
He could not blame them, since they did not know anything.
Issei positioned himself at the desk, placing his cuffed hands on it. His gaze shifted one last time to the spectating Demons, and at that moment he could tell that Sona and all of her Peerage were there as well, and next to them was Kiba, who was chatting with Saji in a low voice.
"Hyoudou Issei, Pawn of Rias Gremory. You stand accused of being an accomplice and letting a wanted criminal go free when you had the chance to kill her." Sirzechs stated earnestly. "Why didn't you kill the Fallen Angel Raynare?" Issei turned his gaze to the front, watching the three judges who were looking at him emotionlessly.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I killed her with my own hands." Issei commented as he shook his head.
"Then how do you explain that she's still alive?" Raiser's father interjected, and though he tried to hide it he looked annoyed.
"I have no idea. I'm sure the final blow was fatal. I guess she was lucky." Issei bowed his shoulders, dodging any guilt.
"Does that mean she survived because of your negligence and not being able to perform a job well?" Raiser's father leaned back in his seat as he narrowed his eyes in great suspicion.
"I told you, it was a matter of luck. Don't blame it on me, but on that very decisive factor." Issei looked away, his nonchalant tone implying that he wasn't taking anything seriously.
"Then, this case is already more than clear." Ajuka commented, then looked at Sirzechs. "Let's proceed with the next accusation." The Demon King nodded at this and fixed his hardened gaze on Issei.
"You are also accused of breaking the pact with Rias Gremory. You have gone against her wishes and wanted to break an engagement to which she had happily agreed. Right now you are recognized as a Renegade Demon." Sirzechs leaned back a little in his seat after leaving a few seconds of silence, in which Issei and he were staring at each other without taking their gazes off. "How do you propose?"
"You know how I propose. I made it quite clear when I barged into the wedding." Issei commented without much interest.
"Can you drop that ridiculous accusation against my son and tell the truth?" Raiser's father spoke with a dangerous tone.
"I never did anything but tell the truth until now. If you don't want to re-educate your son, then it's not my problem." Issei opened both of his cuffed hands to emphasize his words.
"How dare you?! I don't want to listen to how a delinquent talks about education!" Raiser's father slapped his seat, earning a smirk from Issei.
"If I'm a delinquent, then that blond bastard must be the worst sh-"
"Silence!" Sirzechs exclaimed, leaving the whole place in deep silence. "We're not here to talk about Mr. Raiser. He's not even here present now." The Demon King declared, earning a curious look from Issei.
"Now that you mention it..." He commented, noting that Raiser was not, in fact, standing next to his family or anywhere else.
"In short, he pleads not guilty." Ajuka resumed speaking as he held up a piece of paper. "Let the first witness pass." After saying those words, the remaining two judges took some papers and all stood up to receive that person.
Issei turned to watch as Akeno entered through the large doors. From the look on his face, it was obvious that he was not surprised.
Once Akeno took her seat in front of the judges, she told of how Issei seemed to be envious of Raiser from the moment he met him. She also alleged that the protagonist greatly desired all the belongings and power of the Phoenix heir.
The next witness was Koneko, who testified exactly the same, only adding the fact that Issei's unhealthy envy was mainly due to the large harem of women Raiser possessed.
Rias jumped out of the court to be the next witness and again the reports were very similar, adding the fact of those not at all pleasant looks she gave Issei circumstantially. Although there was a moment when she fixed her gaze on him and said that he had barged into Raiser's wedding because there were also many women whom he desired and could not have, mainly herself. Such a presumptuous statement made Issei roll his eyes, but he didn't comment on it.
"That's it?" Ajuka asked as he rearranged his papers.
"Not yet. There's still one more girl remaining." Sirzechs commented as he raised his gaze. "Let the last witness come in."
After hearing those words, a faint smile appeared on Issei's face. Said smile changed to a puzzled expression as he watched Asia enter along with Raiser, who leaned against the side of the door as he watched him with a somewhat mocking smile.
At that moment, Issei didn't know what to think so all he did was follow her with his eyes until she finally sat down at the witness desk.
"First introduce yourself." Sirzechs commented with a friendly smile to the young woman who looked very nervous.
"Asia Argento." She commented in a low tone, not sure if she should curtsy or just sit in her place.
"Do you swear by all present that your testimony will be true and honest?" Sirzechs asked, receiving a nod from the teenager.
"I swear." Sirzechs nodded at those words.
"Do you know this man?" Ajuka asked earnestly.
Asia turned to look at Issei. The look the two shared was indeed a long one.
"He is Hyoudou Issei." She replied.
"And how do you two know each other?" This time the one asking was Sirzechs.
"He is the Pawn of Rias Gremory. We are both Reincarnated Demons who are in his service." Asia replied with a slight stutter.
"You see? With her it's already all the Gremory girls. It's obvious that this guy just wanted to ruin my son's reputation no matter what the consequences." Raiser's father commented with a frown.
"Don't give the sentence before its time." Sirzechs ordered as he raised his hand to stop him from speaking further. "I remind you that a single testimony in favor conditions this judgment to a great extent." The Demon King's cold stare forced Raiser's father to look away.
"I'm sorry for this interruption, miss." Ajuka commented as he rested his hand on his chin. "What do you have to say about this case?"
At that moment, Asia brought her gaze to Sirzechs. The latter answered her with a faint smile. She then looked at Issei, who looked very impatient to hear her words. The look they shared was again very long, but in the end her gaze wandered once more.
And this time, her gaze focused on Raiser.
The blonde brought her gaze to the desk and was silent for several seconds, until:
"He's guilty."
Sirzechs eyes widened at such a statement, Kiba also looked very shocked, but undoubtedly the one who was most affected was Issei, who fell on his seat completely in shock.
"He wanted us, and he didn't care which means he had to use. He had always been obsessed with women, he had been a pervert since he entered puberty and the fact that he had gained power only made that perversity even more dangerous. He didn't care who got hurt, he didn't care if it went against the wishes and even the well being of Rias and us. All he ever cared about was creating his own harem, and that's what drove him to become this. He hated Raiser, he hated not being able to be like him, he hated anything that didn't have to do with his perverse desires."
Asia's testimony raised certain murmurs. Rias and all the others smiled in satisfaction that for the first time Issei looked very hurt in all that had transpired during the trial. Though the one who was undoubtedly enjoying this moment the most was Raiser, who couldn't help but widen his smile.
"I don't think there's anything more to talk about." Raiser's father commented with a satisfied smile on his face.
"Actually, I still have one thing to say." Asia resumed her speech, drawing everyone's attention. "The few times I visited Issei, Raynare was with him." Those words earned a great deal of murmurs.
"That means Hyoudou lied about his complicity with Raynare." Ajuka commented, earning a quick denial from Asia.
"She is not involved in these acts. But I just wanted to clarify that Issei lied about not knowing she was still alive." The blonde concluded, causing the murmurs to return.
"Silence!" Sirzechs exclaimed, a faint sigh escaping him as he began to rub his temple. "In that case, there is no evidence that is in Hyoudou Issei's favor..."
"I want to talk..."
Sirzechs paused to look at Issei with slight surprise as he listened to him.
"You finally want to confess your crimes?" Raiser's father asked with a satisfied smile on his face.
"I just want to talk!" Everyone was surprised when Issei shouted at them, indicating that he had lost control over himself.
"In these circumstances, you're only allowed to speak if you're going to confess." Ajuka insisted, but Issei did not respond.
All he did was turn his gaze to look at the Gremorys, who looked very pleased at the outcome.
"I just wanted to save you..." The venom in Issei's tone of voice surprised the girls.
It was the first time they had heard it like that.
"I just wanted to save your miserable lives!" Issei exclaimed in a higher tone. "And as for you...! As for you...!" Issei fixed his gaze on Asia, who could barely look him in the face.
"I SHOULD HAVE LET YOU ROT ON THAT DAMN CROSS!"
The murmurs of contempt were not long in coming, while Asia could do nothing but look away as small tears adorned her face.
"Hyoudou!" Sirzechs tried to calm him down with a wake-up call, but the meaning of "try" fell far short.
"I'm sorry, Demon King. I'm sorry, but I can't help it..." Issei took several steps forward to approach the judges. "I've had enough!"
"What do you mean?" Sirzechs asked with a confused look.
"I'm sick of everyone treating me like I'm fucking stupid!"
"No one's treating you like stupid." Raiser's father commented, earning a small chuckle from Issei.
"Oh, yes they are." Issei's gaze was filled with fury as he looked at the judge. "They've been taking advantage of my stupid kindness my whole life!"
"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" This time the one who spoke was Ajuka, who gained Issei's attention.
"I didn't." Issei commented with a fake smile that lasted a second. "I didn't do this for my own benefit! I just wanted to save them! But I wish I had never done it!" He exclaimed with a great deal of venom as he focused his gaze on Asia. "Knowing they're going to suffer like fucking bitches gives me more pleasure than having every whore in the world in my bed!" Issei turned around to face the entire audience, revealing a smile covered in falsehood. "I wish I could be the perverse beast you people think I am! I wish I could turn into a fucking insect to infiltrate that fucking rapist's bedroom to watch them choke on his cum and their own blood! I'd gladly watch them all get ravaged endlessly!" The final words no doubt earned many disgusted murmurs and gasps coated in contempt, even Raiser himself looked somewhat incredulous at Issei's over-the-top reaction.
"Guards! Guards! Hold the prisoner and prevent him from saying another word!" Ajuka exclaimed, and the two Demons guarding the gates moved in to restrain Issei.
"Stop!" Issei looked at the Judges before the guards came to restrain him. "I don't intend to waste another second of my life to listen to any more falsehoods, so I'll make their job easier!" The brown man shouted, causing Sirzechs to raise his hand to stop the guards.
"What do you propose?" The Demon King asked, earning a heated look from Issei.
"I demand death by decapitation."
The murmurs returned with more force as Sirzechs and Issei stared at each other. That moment was broken when Raiser's father and Ajuka approached him to discuss the details in private.
In the end it didn't take long, and Issei was able to get his verdict.
"According to the rules of a Renegade Demon, executions are carried out at the stake as it is considered an appropriate sentence. Beheading is a lesser degree of execution that is not allowed for people like you." Commented Ajuka, who took his eyes off the paper. "But two of the three judges agreed to lower the sentence to a painless death, since your actions fell short of critically harming someone." Several murmurs fell with disapproval at the judges' decision.
"Silence!" Sirzechs again silenced the crowd.
The Demon King looked at Issei one last time.
"Today's judgment has come to an end. The execution will take place first thing tomorrow morning."
_ LINE BREAK _
Hell
One hour later...
Issei was lying on the straw bed. At first he appears to be sleeping, but he is not.
"Partner?" The gauntlet materialized in his hand, causing Issei to give a slight sigh the moment he opened his eyes.
"What's wrong, Ddraig?"
"You know... Are you all right?"
"Yeah, it's no big deal." Issei replied as he placed his hands underneath his head. "I mean, how many people really cared about me? Kiba, Matsuda and Motohama... they'll get over it fast. Although I do worry a bit about how my parents will react, but I think they'll be able to move on." Issei laughed after remembering his parents. "They're very strong, I'm sure they'll make it through."
"I see..." Was Ddraig's simple reply. "I, um...for what it's worth, I want you to know that I had a very good time with you. You were one of my best bearers, even though we experienced very little together." Ddraig's comment brought out a small smile in Issei.
"Hehe, thank you. To hear that someone remembered you for centuries is kind of refreshing." Issei's words didn't leave Ddraig very pleased, who showed it when he made a silent sigh.
"Are you really okay? It's just...you... you know... you're going to die in a few hours." Ddraig commented somewhat dejectedly.
"I've told you that before. I don't really care. There are very few people who will cry for me, and everyone will get over it sooner or later." Issei commented matter-of-factly.
"I understand you. But this isn't about them..."
The dungeon grate opened before Ddraig could finish speaking.
Issei immediately sat up as he noticed the new visitors in his cell. His gaze remained neutral throughout.
"I thought they would be celebrating their victory with the great and honorable Heir of the Phoenix Clan at this hour." The protagonist commented without much emotion as she watched Rias and her entire entourage accompany her.
"We will, but I wanted to come talk to you first." Rias dragged a log of wood over to sit right in front of Issei. "How does it feel to be condemned to death?" She asked with a smile.
"Well, I can say I've seen better days." Issei bowed his shoulders dismissively.
"Certainly..." Rias replied with a slight nod. "You know something? I didn't originally want to take this to court, I was just planning on giving you a good private punishment to bring you to your senses. The man you hate so much is the one who convinced me to do it."
"Why am I not surprised?" Issei answered him without much emotion.
"There was a very small moment when I thought maybe I should rethink it. But seeing how everything turned out, I understand that this is for the best." Rias leaned back a little to get closer to Issei's face. "Not only did you make up pure lies, but your true self came out. You want to see us all suffer, you made that clear with your unhinged speech." The redhead commented, leaning forward a little more. "You know something? During your death there will be no one to cry for you, there will be no one to remember you, and there will be no one to care. Answer me one question, how does it feel to have such a miserable life? Or rather, how does it feel to be miserable?" The faces of Issei and Rias were barely inches apart, what was more reflected was that triumphant expression of Rias and the somewhat frustrated and furious face of Issei.
"Are you done?" Issei decided to ask when he saw that the redhead had stopped her speech.
"Yes, I'm done." Rias commented with satisfaction as she stood up.
Rias walked out along with his slave girls. The only ones left behind were Kiba and Asia.
"Issei-san, I..."
"Get out." Was Issei's curt and cold reply, making Asia lower her head very sadly as she left the place.
Kiba remained silent throughout, until he was sure they were alone.
"Do you want to say goodbye?" Issei asked as he noticed the rather awkward silence that had come between them.
"I came to give this to you." The blond held out his hand so that a magic circle appeared above it, and at that moment something round with a wrapper fell on his hand. "Raynare asked me to give it to you. She says it's too bad you couldn't eat it in the morning, but she was able to keep it soft." Kiba walked over to hand him the gift, or what Issei looked at the wrapping in slight amazement.
"Thank you." It was the only word that left his lips, earning a nod from Kiba.
The blond watched as Issei opened the wrapper. He looked somewhat sad and uncomfortable.
"Well...see ya." Kiba waved goodbye as he raised his hand, a gesture Issei responded in kind.
Once he was alone, Issei stared at the sweet bread in silence.
He hadn't eaten all day, so it didn't take long for his stomach to grumble.
Issei slowly approached it to take the first bite. The softness and sweetness was an explosion of life in this moment shrouded in darkness. The fact that this refreshing feeling came from her only made her smiling and friendly face appear in Issei's mind for every bite.
"No matter how hard I tried..."
Issei began to chew slower as the memories that had been forged by the two of them over this past month hit him relentlessly.
"I did everything at my disposal, but..."
Issei's teeth clenched tightly and his tears began to fall relentlessly.
"But it's impossible for me to stop loving you! How could I when you're the only woman who ever cared about me?!"
His crying choked at times, making the scene even more sad and heartbreaking.
"Of course I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I'm so afraid! I'm afraid to forget my friends, my parents! I'm afraid to forget everything! I'm so afraid to forget you!"
Tears were falling from his face even faster as he continued to eat in silence, a silence that was only broken by his crying.
Meanwhile, Ddraig watched all this in silence. He wanted to help him, but he knew there were no words that would do right now.
LINE BREAK
Hell
A few hours later...
Issei turned his face after hearing some strange noises coming from outside his cell.
"Make this quick, you blond bastard son of a bitch." Issei thought aloud with clear anger in his voice as the door to his cell was opened.
"Is that any way to talk to your savior?" Issei's face changed completely when he noticed that it was Kiba.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting you out of here."
The two were engaged in a brisk walk between all the cells. Issei was surprised to notice that all the guards were unconscious, but there was no show of aggression about them.
"Sirzechs-sama is waiting for you in the last cell of the dungeon." Kiba commented in a very hurried tone, earning a confused look from Issei.
"And where will I go?"
"Grigori."
"Grigori?"
"Azazel seems to like you a lot more than you thought."
Kiba and Issei continued moving through the filthy corridors and the unconscious bodies of the guards for long minutes until they finally reached the end of the dungeon.
"Here's the door." Kiba continued to move forward until he was in front of the door. "Touch it and they will attend to you." He commented, then opening the door that led out of the dungeon.
"Then I guess this is goodbye." But before he could leave, Issei stopped him with his voice.
The blond turned around to face him. A silence came between them that didn't last more than a second, as Kiba moved in for a hug, something Issei immediately responded to. The hug lasted for several seconds, until Kiba pulled away slightly to give him a couple of friendly punches to the chest.
"Goodbye, my friend." Kiba waved goodbye, only to pull away.
"Kiba." The blond found it necessary to turn around one last time. "Thank you for being my friend, and thank you for my life."
A somewhat deep silence settled between the two until Kiba looked away again.
"Leave now." The blond declared as he closed the door, disappearing from the scene and leaving Issei alone.
The protagonist continued to watch the door where his friend had left. He didn't know when he would have the chance to see him again, or if he even would. That slight moment of melancholy was left in oblivion when Issei widened his gaze and knocked on the door.
Sirzechs was the one who greeted him, and the moment he entered he was surprised to see that Ajuka and Azazel were also there.
"I understand that Azazel is there, but him?" Issei asked with utmost confusion.
"The Demon Pieces also function as a tracker. They have to be taken from you in order for you to be free." Sirzechs answered his doubts, who was removing his handcuffs.
"Wait, doesn't that mean my death?" Issei asked when he could finally rub his hands together after being handcuffed for a full day.
"It would, but we're going to replace your parts with this." Ajuka commented as he pulled out a Demonic Piece that caught Issei's attention a lot.
"A King? Don't you guys think you're overreacting?"
"Can you think of any other way?" Azazel, who was folding his arms, asked.
"Let's not waste any more time. It's an hour until dawn." Sirzechs declared solemnly, earning a nod from Ajuka.
"I guess we didn't meet in the best way. I am Ajuka Beelzebub, Sirzechs told me everything that is happening. Don't worry, I promise I'm a trustworthy man." Ajuka replied with a smile. "By the way, this is going to hurt." He concluded still with that smile, earning a confused look from Issei.
"What-AAAAGGHHH!"
"Hold him!" Ajuka ordered Azazel, who moved quickly to hold Issei from behind.
"AAARRGGAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Before his piercing scream could continue, Sirzechs covered his mouth with a towel, something that silenced his screams to a great extent.
Ajuka began to sweat the moment he shoved even more magic into Issei's chest. The protagonist could see how the Demon was holding some sort of artifact that seemed to be sucking his blood. He couldn't see it for long, as his eyes went upwards.
His scream ceased and his almost inert body fell on Azazel as the pieces began to come out of his chest one by one, entering that rare black bottle.
Once all eight pawns came out, Sirzechs held out the King Piece to Ajuka at once, who instantly went to work.
At that moment, Issei felt himself recovering from his semi-consciousness, though it was only for a moment as the almost lapidary cold sensation had transformed back into that sharp pain that wrenched his chest, a sensation that rendered him completely unconscious.
But before he passed out completely, he could hear some words from Ajuka that filled him with reassurance.
"We're done now."
_ END OF CHAPTER! _
I hope you enjoyed it!
Things didn't look so good, but it seems that Issei will come out ahead, although he will obviously have a very rocky road ahead of him. In this new arc, there will already begin to be certain appearances and events that will explain the meaning of the title of this story.
Remember to follow me on Patre-on to be aware of new chapters, announcements or anything that has to do with my stories, there will be no other site that will keep you more informed than that. You can search for me as "Jyanzein". You can also become a member to order a double chapter of any story that is in development, all for a dollar.
Hope to see you soon for the continuation.
Thanks so much for reading!
