Hey guys we're back. Sorry for the small delay with Lone Dragon Emperor and this story. Had a lot of fuckin family and friendly youngsters graduating from their High schools and a couple of friends from Uni, so I was busy at parties and shit. I'm not gonna lie though, I did write half of Lone Dragon Emperor's latest chapter at one of those lol. I don't get along with the pricks in my family after all.
Anyway, gotta answer a review here, but first let me remind you guys since I've said it in all my stories except this one: If you have questions or concerns that need to be answered, create an account/enable PMs so that I can answer them. If I can't answer something that you ask me, then what is the point of asking me in the first place? Unless it is a question or concern that multiple people share at one time, why would you ask or address something without giving me a way to respond to you? It literally makes no sense. I'm not talking about reviews and analysis. I love and want reviews. I'm talking about asking or addressing something that is incorrect or needs an answer and then not giving me a way to respond to you. It's pretty backwards ass to be honest with you.
So, Guest reviewer, your concerns: "Why is Issei so stupid and whiny? His whole fight was stupid and he was so reckless. Why would he waste his lifespan like that? And he threw Ascalon? Etc."
My response: Ahem. Good sir. NO FUCKIN SHIT DAWG. LMAO! Bro come on. You can't be serious. Did you not reread your own review? You literally stated the entire point of the fight. Issei is stupid and whiny? NO SHIT HAHA! That's the fuckin point dude. Why do you think Ddraig told him: [Partner! I have told you once, I will tell you again, enough foolishness! We do not have the luxury to complain! If this is truly a battle with your life at a stake then treat it as such! Listen to what I'm saying and consider the possibility of victory through any strategy your mind can muster! You may not be the tactical expert, but you cannot move forward as a warrior if you do not develop some skill in it! Do you understand?!] Like, that quote LITERALLY completely invalidates your point. I was making it painfully obvious that Issei from Cannon is too whiny all the time and doesn't adapt well to shocking situations, especially after what happened with the ORC. He lacks the spirit of a warrior and Ddraig pointed it straight out to him. I honestly can't believe that you didn't realize that. 2nd) 'Issei is reckless.' DUH. Come on man that one had to be on purpose like there's no way you weren't aware of what you were saying there. Really? Issei does the most headfast and reckless shit all the time because that's his personality in cannon and he never received permanent damage? But suddenly he almost does in my story with the Hydra and somehow you don't understand that the point of him being damaged severely was to highlight his reckless abandon? Really man? It's seriously obvious what the intentions were behind writing that. 3) 'Why would he throw his only weapon Ascalon?' I'm not sure if you missed it since it was only a couple lines but you know Issei couldn't get close right? He literally stated himself that because there are multiple heads they won't let him damage one or the other. Being the naive reckless bastard he is, he decided to throw a strongly boosted Ascalon (which would've worked if the Hydra didn't eat it) but instead ended up getting it stuck in the Hydra's throat. Which actually would've turned out perfect if he was in Rook mode with thick armor because cutting it from the inside is much more efficient. But again, Issei is not the quickest bulb to light. How did you not get that? 3) 'He wasted lifespan.' Yeah he did. He didn't have a lot of centuries but he wasted a few decades by doing that. That was dumb wasn't it. Except, we've already established that he's terribly reckless. It was the only thing that would really work immediately. That's why it was Ddraig who suggested it. Because if he threw Ascalon it wouldn't have done anything, since he already used up the boosted energy to split the previous Hydra. He didn't have time to think of anything else that would get its attention. And it also was important for his character. Did you miss the line where he said: "The lifespan that Koneko-chan tried so hard to retu-" and he paused mid thought? That was an important insight to his development as a character. It highlighted his reckless abandon when he realized the reality of those he relied on (his support) no longer being there. I'm actually sad that you missed that because of how important I felt that was to know. I always feel that the character developments are the best parts. I'm guessing you also missed the part where Issei felt a small sense of satisfaction from hearing that the ORC was in a depressed state from Rossweisse. That was also important.
All in all, everything you read was intentional. It just seems that the point flew way over your head a bit. I don't think you're spineless like Quotable said, but I do recommend you create an account. I assume you are going to miss out on some of the more complex or subtle concepts and you may need it in the future to get an answer like now. Also I hope I don't have to state that I'm not mad at all. It's not at all a negative thing that this happened. If I seem mad that's just cuz I talk like an asshole but I don't think any less of you or anything. Anyway, my last advice to you would be to try and read in between the lines a bit more critically.
P.S. "Stop with all the exclamation marks, Why are they there?" Okay, this part kinda contradicted you earlier when you mentioned the LN because it seems like you haven't read it if you're complaining about that. This is exactly how Issei thinks in the LN as well. When he's in shock or something serious is happening there's exclamation marks. Since it's all his perspective. How do you expect him to react if his skin is literally melting off of his body? Just saying. Minor thing tho.
-SCENE-
Aaaah….Ravel….You have such nice Oppai…
[Partner]
Aaah...yes...you are growing just fine...
[Partner. Wake up.]
Mm...they are so soft…..
[Out of all things why must it be a dream like this that I cannot pull you from?]
…...C...Can I poke theeeem?!...
[Partner!]
"Aah!"
What the-?! AW! Ddraig! What the Hell?! Why'd you wake me up?!
[Your dreams are night terrors for me.]
Then just go to sleep yourself you overgrown lizard bastard!
[I will. It is no longer your time to sleep after all.]
Huh? I looked to one of the digital clocks to the side of my luxurious bed and saw the time. Oh, it's 8AM. It's early. Time in the Underworld is a bit different compared to the human world since there's not really a sun or anything. But most Devils follow human world time because a majority of the population is Reincarnated. This facility never really sleeps though. There's always scientists and researchers working around the clock. Actually, I'm pretty sure a lot of these guys don't even sleep….
Anyway, I guess I should get up. I usually get up to train early. But I'll have to eat and do only some light workouts if Sensei is gonna be sending me somewhere again. The other day was….terrible.
Just the other day I got unbelievably messed up by a Lernean Hydra. A Hydra I didn't ask for by the way! I asked for a small Hydra, on land, that I've seen before! Not a damn sea monster! But I honestly don't know what I was expecting. No wait, I do know what I was expecting, I just didn't fucking get it. I got something worse. If it wasn't for Ravel I may have had to lose one of my legs or carried some brutal scars for the rest of my life…..I wouldn't have liked to have a robotic limb like Sensei.
I can't do things like that anymore. If Ravel didn't have those Phoenix tears that damage would've been permanent…..You know, even though it hurt to receive all that damage, it somehow hurt even worse to have Ravel yell at me and tell me that she would no longer support me…..
I mean...she did end up taking it back and saying she would support me no matter what...But that hurt even worse. If I had known that she would react so negatively then I wouldn't have been so reckless. I didn't know that it would hurt her so much. At least not to the point of crying discreetly in my arms….I guess what happened to me really scared her huh.
The fact that that makes me happy…..As I thought, I'm a scumbag..
But I have to be careful from now on. At least, if not for myself, then for Ravel. I don't want to put her in such a state. Especially for m….
…...That's not it. I have to cut that out. It's just like Serafall-sama said. It's not that Ravel is just kind hearted, even though she is. Ravel cares about me. A lot. I don't know how much, but possibly more than just a friend. And I also care about her very much. She's not just a comrade to me….She's….so much more….I don't really know how to put it, but I've never really felt so close to someone. Not since Bu…
Anyway, I should get up.
Knock knock.
Hm? Someone's knocking? I haven't even woken up yet as far as anyone else is concerned, right?
"Yeah?"
I heard a gruff manly voice from behind.
"Hyoudou Issei?"
That voice…
"B...Barakiel-san?"
There's no doubt. That familiar voice is certainly the voice of Akeno-san's father...But what does he want?
"May I enter?"
"...Yeah.."
The door opened. It was the tall built Fallen Angel leader just like I assumed. Why is he here?
"Good Morning…"
"H-Hello…"
I couldn't help but answer him awkwardly. What he could even want, visiting me so early in the morning?...
"You have just awoken.."
"Yeah…."
The atmosphere is tense and quiet. There's not much I can say to him. I don't even know why he's here in the first place.
"Hyoudou Issei."
"Eh? W-What?"
He suddenly called out to me.
"Would you like to join me for breakfast?"
…..Hah?...
Part 1
…..It's still morning. Just a bit ago, Barakiel-san suddenly appeared in my room and asked if I wanted to join him for breakfast. I hesitantly agreed and we ate a silent breakfast together. Barakiel-san eats a lot. That's a real warrior for you I guess. I ate across from him, though not as much. We were completely quiet. After that he just asked me to join him on a walk. Right now, we're sitting on a bench in one of the courtyards of the large facility outside. There are various groups of scientists and researchers testing different things that require the open air. Every once in a while there are some that greet us or wave at us from afar.
Why are we here? Why is he even doing this anyway? We're just sitting here without saying anything. I sit on one end with a nervous posture and he just sits there with his arms crossed. I seriously don't get it….
"Hyoudou Issei."
He spoke to me out of nowhere.
"Eh? Ah, y-yeah?..."
He was silent for a bit…
"Do you hate her?"
"Eh?"
He asked that question. I almost wanted to feign ignorance out of habit...But it's obvious what he's talking about…
"...No…"
It was a bit hard to tell, but I could see his shoulders loosen a bit.
"I see…"
After that it went silent again. So he was worried about that after all….well, I suppose it makes sense. He is her father after all. Even if I promised it at that time it would make sense for him to be still be doubtful about it.
"In that case...How is it that you feel about it?.."
-?!...He asked me such a question….that was something I was subconsciously expecting, but didn't want to hear. I'm not sure how to answer it. I may have been thinking a lot about those events after I first got here, but recently I have just been forgetting about them or not thinking about it. I'm not sure I've finalized all of my opinions on it just yet. All I know for sure is that I don't hate any of them….
"I'm….not sure.."
"I see…"
He didn't answer after that. I don't know what I'm supposed to tell him. I didn't even fully know what I feel yet.
"There was once in the past….when I had a similar fallout with Shuri."
-! Wha? He...He's going into a story? About Shuri. About his wife…
"I had become conflicted with what was most important to me...the child growing in her belly...or my duty as a Fallen Angel….My pride for my race was strong...But I did love Shuri….I had never been so conflicted, even in war times….."
I said nothing and listened intently.
"I started to become distant. Even a bit aggressive at times. But Shuri….she did not falter. She did not lose her way. In response to my attitude...She showed me only love and support….the likes of which I could never fathom…..and in my heart….I felt a strength and confidence that could never be compared."
….I could say nothing.
"I knew then what I wanted to do. What I needed to do. What mattered most to me, what I needed to protect most. It all became clear. And I finally had felt like I found my place in the world. Not as a simple warrior who spills the blood of his enemies, but as a father….and a guardian for the future. My family's future…..….But in the end…."
He sighed lightly, but it was a sigh that held immense weight…..I can't believe it….he's getting emotional…..with me….But why?...
"...Why are you telling me this?..."
He sighed again.
"Shuri was an adult. She knew full well what she wanted most. She knew what took priority in her life. Even if she had been conflicted on her duties as a priestess of the Himejima clan, she was able to think deeply on her emotions and her future. She knew what it meant to live as a woman of a Fallen Angel family. She had made her decision. And because of that, I was able to make my own."
He turned to look straight at me. I couldn't help but flinch slightly.
"Hyoudou Issei….Akeno….that girl of mine…..in the end, she is just a child. She is not fully aware of what these things entail just yet. She may think she understands, but she truly does not. That is why a situation like this came to be. She is no more sure of herself than you are. Without her mother or her father to help her mature through her life, she can only remain a child deep inside…..that is why…."
(—?!)
He bowed his head to me!
"I know that you do not hate her…..But even so….I beg of you….please. One day. I ask of you to forgive her."
...F...Forgive...her?...
I averted my gaze instinctually. I can't face him. I held onto one of my shoulders tightly. I could feel a tension in my nerves heighten. There was a long silence that lingered.
"...F...Forgive her?..."
"Yes…."
The silence returned.
…..
Gulp...
"...I…..I don't know...if I can do that…."
"...It is alright. I do not ask that you forgive her tomorrow. Nor do I ask that you make your decision soon either. Only that maybe, one day, you may find it in yourself to forgive my foolish, innocent daughter….."
My grip on my shoulder tightened more and more as images flashed in my mind…
("Ise-kun, say 'aah'~")
Tighter…
("Ise-kun is so warm..")
….
("Ise-kun….I love you…")
"...Uuc…"
A whimper. Like from a pup. A dripping. Like from the sound of a droplet of rain...
[Partner…]
Ah…. It's me… I'm crying.
"..Uuc...hic…..Uu…"
Tap...
A hand lightly placed onto my shoulder. It was Barakiel-san. His other hand hesitantly gripped my other shoulder...and…
Pomf..
He pulled me in..and hugged me silently…at that moment, I felt like i could no longer hold back.
"Uu...Uuuuuu…"
I cried quietly...like a child in his parent's arms…
Part 2
"292...293…"
I'm back inside the facility, in my personal training hall. I'm doing some light training just in case Sensei comes along and give me some grueling task that I didn't ask for.
After what happened with Barakiel-san we walked around and talked for bit about less heavy subjects like training and battles. Around an hour passed and we parted ways. I never expected something like that to happen when I woke up this morning.
Right now, I'm doing some one handed push ups while switching hands each time. I'm getting close to 300 now. I'm not sure how many push ups is a lot at this point, since I don't have a lot of Devils to compare myself with. A lot Devils don't fight like I do with their bodies after all. But I've heard rumors that Sairaorg is able to do 500 push ups easy. I'm not sure how credible that is, but it wouldn't hurt to try and top that. Besides, I've asked some of the researchers around here what would be the best exercises for someone like me who uses the Boosted Gear for his physical strength.
Most of the answers were the same, being about different methods similar to this one for warm ups and light exercises….But I usually had to run away when they began asking me to try some weird experiments that would…"help me". A few of those weirdos also suggested doing insane stuff like what Sensei subjected me to. I swear, the thirst for knowledge is literally just dehydration and insanity.
I don't know if I can catch up to Sairaorg in terms of physical prowess, but I can try my best to close the gap. That's what I would've been doing back home anyway. Maybe that's why Sensei is making me do crazy shit. He wants me to catch up quicker. It was my original plan to overcome special obstacles in battle to improve anyway. It's just that Sensei wants to take it further. Knowing him….I'm still not sure if I should trust him yet or not.
Speaking of which—
"Yo, Ise."
Sensei showed up out of nowhere and started approaching me while I was doing push ups. Guess my times up.
"Ise-sama!"
—! Ravel! She suddenly appeared from behind Sensei! Maybe I just couldn't see her from my angle.
"Ravel!"
I quit doing push ups and sat up straight. Ravel hugged me before I got up.
"What are you doing here, Ravel?"
I asked her as she let go of me and I stood up. I noticed that She was wearing casual clothing since it was a day off from school. She reached into one of her pockets and pulled out some small red item. A bottle.
"Here you are, Ise-sama."
Phoenix tears!
"Woah, Ravel! Another one?! How'd you get this?"
I asked her, but she smiled awkwardly. I noticed then that there was a small amount of redness around her eyes.
"Ravel...did you?..."
"E-Ehehehe….It was a bit difficult to make them come out. The ones that are filled with emotion don't work. So it was hard to make ones that work come out every time I kept remembering what happened to Ise-sama.."
"Ravel…"
I took the bottle from her hands gently.
"Thank you."
"Yes... Please be careful."
"Yeah... I will."
I put the bottle in one of my pockets while Sensei approached me.
"So I'm assuming you're ready for your next one then?"
"Uh, yeah, sure. Are you going to tell me what it is?"
"Nope."
He answered casually as he handed me an envelope. Bastard.
"What is this?"
"Open it and place it on your shoulder."
On my shoulder? I opened the envelope. Oh, it's some sort of magical seal.
"Is this some sort of protection seal?"
"Better."
He answered with a sly smile. So it's worse then. I placed the seal on my left bicep and it stuck to my form fittingly.
Shin!
A small magic circle appeared on it and something popped out.
Zun!
What the—?! Something just flew outta that! I look around. I know I saw it! Something flew out! Where is it?
Zttzzz
What? I hear kind of a very light buzzing sound. A bug? Wait! The thing that flew out did kinda have the shape of a bug! But it looked like it was made out of metal. Am I insane?
"Azazel-sensei….what is that?"
"Curiosity!"
He proudly announced. Curiosity? What the hell is that supposed to mean?! That can only mean bad things coming from you! Speaking of which...you guys are looking behind me! I whipped my head around but there was nothing there. What the? The buzzing is still behind my head!
Zttzzz
I started spinning in a circle like a dog trying to catch its own tail. To no avail. I couldn't see whatever was flying behind me.
"What the hell is this Sensei?!"
He rubbed his chin with a smirk.
"I wouldn't worry about it. It'll only bring good things. Trust me. Just focus on the trial ahead will you?"
Ha! Trust him he says...
"Well, what is my trial anyway?"
"Obviously, I'm not telling you. You'll have to find out when you get there. But I will be giving you some more details this time."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a slip of paper. It's blank on both sides.
"When you get to your location, blow some fire on that slip and wait. Just read the instructions on it afterward."
Gasp! Instructions! I certainly wasn't expecting that.
"So I guess that means I'm going now huh?"
"Yeah. You're ready aren't you?"
I glanced at the paper and then to Ravel. She smiled sweetly at me…
("Neh...Barakiel-san...what do you think made your relationship with Shuri-san...ya know, a relationship?")
("Mm. Well, love is the obvious factor. I'm sure you know that. But besides that...I suppose that would be what I mentioned before. Support and communication. The greatest part of a good relationship is being able to overcome the hurdles that come with life. Hurdles that cannot be overcome alone. For that, both support and communication are vital. Support, for those problems that come individually and should be solved thusly. Communication, for those problems that arise between you, so that you can solve them together. That is the foundation of a healthy relationship.")
…..Support and communication huh…..support…
"Ise-sama.."
I was snapped out of my thoughts. Ravel was still smiling sweetly.
"Good luck.."
…...Heh.
"Yeah. Thanks..."
I suddenly felt confidence fill up my chest.
"So, now you're ready."
"Yeah."
Sensei smirked at my confident response.
"Alright. Did you get a good meal before you came here?"
"Hm? Yeah, why?"
He shrugged.
"Just asking. I'm sure you'd be fine though. You survived on a mountain with Tannin after all."
Why does that matter?...
"Alright then."
Snap!
Shiin!
He snapped his fingers and a magic circle appeared beneath me. I have a bad feeling about this…
"Alright! Good luck then! Try not to die."
"Try not to die?"
"Ah, my bad. Forget I said that."
"Ah, wait, Sensei. I forgot to tell you that you suck."
"Hahaha! I would've thought your last words would be cooler but I guess that's fine."
"I fucking knew i—!"
Shiin!
And with that I was teleported to a random location.
Part 3
"Man...where the Hell am I even going?.."
It's been about 10 minutes since I've been teleported. I'm walking up a mountain. Is this why Sensei referenced my training with Tannin? Because I'm on a mountain? There's no Dragons here. Actually, there are no magical beasts here in general. This mountain isn't even in the Underworld. This most definitely the human world. Where exactly? I have no idea. Europe maybe? There's a lot of green around. Maybe it's Ireland or something like that.
[No, Partner. This is most certainly Wales.]
Ah, Ddraig. You sound like you're in a good mood. So this is Wales huh? Wait, aren't you the Welsh Dragon Emperor? So doesn't that mean…
[Indeed, Partner. This is my homeland. The place of my birth.]
Woah! No way! That's cool huh. Wait...so that means that the Dragon on the flag of Wales is actually you?!
[You realize that now? Did we previously not have this conversation?]
Well, I don't remember! I don't know things about foreign lands! I'm very stupid you know! It's only recently that I've started regularly reading books on things that are important like Mythology and battle tactics. Well...something that obvious is on me.
[So you understand the name Y Ddraig Goch now do you?]
Yeah, yeah. Right. Hold up. You remember this place, but you don't remember your fateful rivalry with Albion?
[Ah, well, this is more of a sense of familiarity than remembrance.]
Is that so? I'm guessing you spent a lot of time here then?
[Of course. Most of my existence was spent in these lands. Most likely flying through the skies or sleeping the mountains or caves. I would later come to encounter Albion and our rivalry started thus forth.]
Wales huh. Crazy that I ended up here. Wonder what Sensei has in store for me. Ah, speaking of which, Sensei gave me a slip of paper to burn when I got here. I burned the top side and it told me to head West, up the mountain. It also said to rip the paper in half when my trial was over. But for now I'll try burning the other side too.
Foo!
I used some of my demonic power and blew a small amount of fire on the paper. The top side started to burn until writing showed up from behind the thin sheet that faded. Instructions? I read the top of the paper.
Conditions:
Huh? Conditions? I look under the title to read the bullet points.
*Boosted Gear: Allowed
*No Flying
*No Ascalon
*No Balance Breaker
*No Triaina
*3 day time limit
I stopped walking and leaned up against a boulder. What the Hell is this? Conditions? You're telling me that he's saying not to use these things? He's saying that I'll only pass this trial if I adhere to these conditions? No Balance Breaker? That's literally my main tool. What exactly is he putting me against here?
Brrr….
Hm? What's that? A little earthquake? Some sort of rumble. Sounded like it shook the boulder behind me a bit.
Brr...pka!...
Huh? A small rock just bounced off my shoulder. What the?
Vuuuuuuuum…
Uh...Ddraig? Is it rumbling?
[Oh. Behind you.]
Vvvuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmm!
The ground started rumbling strongly. I heard the sound of the rocks behind me rumbling and shaking. Or rather, the sound of them sliding against and hitting each other. In fact, it seems like the boulders around me are starting to attract and attach to each other with moss and shrubbery. The formation of rocks began to rise.
Ddraig...what am I seeing here?
[Aaah. A "Stone Golem". How nostalgic.]
The formation created a leg that planted into ground.
DOON!
Nostalgic? So you've fought them?...
[Ah, yes. They were not a very troublesome existence. A low level threat.]
Oh... Is that so?
DOOON!
Another leg stomped onto the ground. It lifted itself as it formed an upper body. That's….A bit tall….
MOOOOOOOOO….
It released a deep rumbling sound resembling a growl or something similar. It finally stood upright as birds flew off of it. It stood at 30 meters tall…...3 red crystal like stones were located at the top of its head. It suddenly took notice of me.
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
It somehow released a roar like wind that almost pushed me back! The wind ripped some of the surrounding trees from their roots and caused them to fly in the air! The wind is blowing everything away! Low leveeeel?!
[Ah, I misspoke. Low level, for me in my early years.]
Are you fucking kidding meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!
The Golem lifted one of its legs and brought it down to smash me!
"Aaaah!"
DOOOOONNNN!
I swiftly dodged and it completely crushed the spot I had been standing on! The crater it left was massive! Holy shit! How the hell am I supposed to defeat this without Balance Breaker?!
[Calm down, Partner. Remember what I've told you. Rationalize. It may be ridiculous that we would be fighting this without Balance Breaker, but there must be a reason to this. Why would Azazel put you up to this?]
How the hell should I know?! He's a damn nut!
[Think about it. What did you originally ask for?]
I asked for one of the things I studied up on! I tried to look up something durable and so I found the monster known as Frost Trolls in the books of Grigori. The Trolls from the north! That's what I asked for!
[!—There it is Partner! The thing you asked for!]
What? A troll?! I don't fucking see it! Unless you mean Sensei!
[No, Partner. Something else. What you truly asked for!]
What I truly asked for? Uh? Something durabl—
….Eat a dick, shitty Sensei.
[Partner, dodge!]
"Gah!"
DOOOOONNN!
The Golem smashed its fist into the ground I was previously standing in. This thing can easily crush me!
[Enough Partner. You must learn to adapt to these situations. No matter how troublesome or difficult. That is what it means to have a warrior's spirit.]
Aaaaaagh!
Smack!
I smacked my cheeks harshly.
"Okay! Fuck it! Ddraig! Give me a rundown!"
[Good! Listen well, Partner. We are facing a Stone Golem. The only Golem more durable is an Iron Golem, but luckily that is not the one we are stuck with. That one would surely be impossible to defeat without Balance Breaker.]
"Okay! Well how about this one?!"
[It is possible. We were allowed the use of the Boosted Gear, which means that we are tasked with defeating this Golem using only your base form and base strength multiplied to the necessary amount. This is the challenge. This Stone Golem is extremely durable and solid. Not as durable as the Hydra, but that is another tale. Regardless, in your Triaina Rook form this would be no trouble to defeat. With Balance Breaker it would prove to be a troublesome opponent, but in the end it would be our victory. Without Balance Breaker, this is truly an arduous challenge.]
Yeah! I figured as much!
[But do not forget Partner! Your base form may be substantially weaker than Triaina Rook form, but it is not terribly weaker than your regular Balance Breaker form. It is still your body under that armor after all. Some of that strength is simply your own. I would say you are near half of your strength in Balance Breaker normally, without counting for boosts or the jetpack propulsion momentum. We can try our best to close that gap as narrowly as possible with the Boosted Gear. It may be difficult, but we can certainly cause damage to this Golem using your base fists.]
My bare fucking fists eh….
[Exactly Partner. Do you see it now? This trial was not simply a petty trick by the Governor. Golems are the essence of durability. To defeat this one in your base form is more than just a trial. It is the perfect test. Your opponent is Sairaorg Bael. A Devil who trains his body to the absolute limit and fights with his bare fists. Someone of his level could certainly topple this Golem. A Golem that can toss aside most High-Class Devils. Do you understand Partner? That Governor is not setting you to reach Sairaorg's level, as you intended. He is setting you to surpass him.]
Heh…..is that so?...
MOOOOOOO….
The Golem stood high over me. It cast a shadow over a good chunk of the area behind me.
[The more you train in your base form, the more your overall strength increases. It is important to refine your skills in different areas especially. But for the enemy we will soon come to face, this is the perfect method.]
I remembered Sensei's words.
("The simple way works best for idiots like you.")
Hehe…
"Hehe….Hahahaha…..Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Ddraig…. What was that quote you gave me? About when a warrior smiles...
[A warrior smiles in the face of adversity, and scoffs at the sound of death.]
Heh….. Well shit….
[Boost!]
Let's just hope that I can keep death away long enough so that I don't have to scoff at him.
[Well said, Partner.]
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
"Azazel-sensei."
"Hm? What is it, Ravel?"
"What exactly are you having Ise-sama do?"
"Eh? A-Ah, you don't have to worry about that. It's nothing like with the Hydra. It's much less dangerous this time, I think."
"...You think?..."
"W-Well, I mean he always has his Balance Breaker you know? I mean, I did give him the condition that he can't use it if he wants to pass, but that doesn't mean he can't use it if things get dicey ya know! I'm sure Ise knows to use it if it comes down to it! Probably….well knowing him he wouldn't even use it because of his integrity but….W-Wait! Calm down Ravel! I swear he won't need it! And even if he does, Ise knows what to do! I mean he isn't stupi…..Wait! Wait! Ravel put that fire out! Ah! My legs! Wait! He'll be fine I swear! I gave him a time limit of 3 days so he has plenty of time to make cautious deci-! No Wait! That doesn't mean he'll be gone for that long! It doesn't mean it's that difficult! I just wanted to be lenient ya know! He should be back really soon! Maybe like 2 days! No! Wait! After today! I swear! He'll come tomorrow! I believe he will! Don't you believe in him Ravel?! Ah! Ah! Wait! Ravel! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"
Part 4
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONN!
It's been over a full day and a half since I started this fight with the Golem. It's getting close to nighttime at this point. Man...that time limit wasn't lying….it's almost been two damn days. And realizing that I could end this fight using one good Dragon shot to obliterate its head just makes me feel even more drained.
I've been running around and hitting this thing for 2 fuckin days. My power has reset twice and I haven't even gotten any sleep. I've done some considerable damage to the Golem in various places. One of its arms is cracked and both of its legs are cracked all around. A few more good hits at full power and I should be able to bring it down. I never thought I could do damage to this thing with my bare hands. It's tough as shit. So this is how Sairaorg trains all the time huh. It's ridiculously hard.
Ya know something odd, I felt like when I hit the Golem, sometimes the power of the strike would randomly increase. It would happen at times when I put my all into the strike and my aura was at its most powerful. Ddraig told me to make sure and tell Sensei. Whatever that's about.
[Partner, another chance has come. You remember where to hit?]
Yeah! Got it!
[Then let us go.]
Right!
I got up and ran from my spot on the ground after dodging the Golem's strike. It hasn't been striking me with its legs because it knows that it may lose them soon. So now it strikes mainly with its arms. Now I'm running towards the arm that it planted into the ground. I'm glad this damn thing is slow!
MOOOOOOOO…
The Golem "growled" as it lifted its arm from the ground. Too late! I'm already running up on its arm! Ddraig told me about its weakness being the 3 small crystals for eyes on its head. In order to kill this thing I have to smash in its head right where the crystals are. We've been holding it off so that we could get as much use possible out of this thing, but I'm reaching my absolute limit soon. I've never used so much power in my base form, lose it, and then use it again without downtime. At least Tannin gave me breaks you damn Rock monster!
[Now Partner!]
I reached the Golem's shoulder and jumped into the air to land on its face. You're mine!
[Boost!]
I lifted my gauntlet and sent multiple strikes into the Golem's face where the jewels were located.
DON DON DON DON!
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
"Wah!"
I was suddenly blown off into the air by the intense roar of wind released by the no mouthed Golem. Ah damn!
KRRRRRR!
Large roots and earth on the ground way below me starts crack and form tentacle like appendages. It's wraps itself tightly into some spike like hazard. This shit again! This damn Golem has the ability to control the environment around us and everytime I dodge one of its attacks with its main body, it fucking attacks using the earth! That's where a majority of my damage is taken from! If I took damage from its main body in my base form I would be fucking pulverized!
Shit! There's spikes below me, but I can't use my wings! Alright then! Improvise! Right Ddraig?!
[Right!]
[Shot!]
I aimed my gauntlet at the ground below me and used a Dragon shot to propel myself away from the death trap below me.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
I landed away safely away from the hazard, but was covered by a large shadow above me.
[Partner!]
The Golem brought down one of its legs on top of me!
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNN!
[Partner!]
"RRRGH!"
The right leg slammed down on me, but I held it up above my head with my arms to keep it from crushing me. I could feel my legs wanting to give out from under me as the large crater formed from the impact began to increase in size.
BRRRCCKK!
[Partner!]
Rrrrrrrgghhhhhh! This—! Fucking—! Thing—! Is—! Heeavvyyyyyyyyyy!
BRRRCCKK!
One….more...second!
[Boost!]
"RRRRRGGHHAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
I pushed up the leg with all of my strength and tossed it back. The Golem fell back and crashed into one of sides of the mountain while trying to maintain its balance.
DOOOOOOONNNNN!
[Partner, try doing that again!]
"Haah! Hah!...Right!.."
I brought back as much air lost from my lungs as I could, and I pressed my feet into the ground. I launched myself from the ground and landed on the trunk of a tree. Then I launched myself from tree to tree, bouncing around diagonally across the forest of the mountain to build up momentum. I can't fly to build momentum, I'm not a runner or naturally fast type like Kiba, and to even match up enough with this Golem I gotta stay in Rook promotion. So to make up for that, I'll just bounce around like a damn pinball using the strength in my legs until I'm going fast enough to bring you down!
BRK!
Soon enough, my strength and momentum was too much for the trees to handle. Alright then! That should do it!
BRK!
I launched myself off the last large tree that broke under my pressure and flew straight towards the Golem's left leg!
"Haaaaaah!"
BRRCCCKK!
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I broke straight through the cracked leg of the Golem and it shattered. The Golem roared as it fell to its knee.
DOOONNN!
I landed against the mountain side and put all of my power into my legs to launch myself once more.
BRCCK!
I didn't hold back my strength and launched off the mountain side, breaking the rock beneath my legs. I was propelled straight towards the back of the Golem.
DOOOOOOOOON!
I collided my gauntlet with the Golem's back and caused it to crash forward onto the ground.
DOONNNN!
[It's time for the final hit Partner!]
Yeah!
[Boost!]
I ran up the backside of the Golem as it slowly tried to lift itself. I made it to the Golem's shoulders and put strength into my legs to power jump into the air.
BRCKAA!
I launched myself high into the sky above the Golem while breaking the pieces of its shoulders I was standing on. I lifted my gauntlet above my head. Gravity, take care of the rest!
[Boost!] [Explosion!]
Shiiin!
I began free falling quickly straight above the Golem's head. I descended with power flowing through me. The Golem reared its head back at me.
[As you humans say, "the bigger they are—]
—The harder they faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!
"HHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
And with that, the Golem's head was smashed straight into the ground.
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNN!
…..
"Hah…..Hah…..Hah…."
[It is over. You win, Partner.]
The Golem's head was smashed into the ground below me. The place with the crystals was completely, and utterly, caved in.
"Ah."
And I fell onto my back.
Thud!
"Ow…"
[Reset!]
Ah, there's goes the power up from Explosion. I'm going to completely lose power soon. Fuck.
[Well done, Partner.]
"Haah….Hah….can't….breathe…"
[Then perhaps you should not speak.]
"Haah….Hah….can't...think…"
[Hmph. Is that so?]
"Neh...Ddraig….how many….boosts am I at?..."
[Somewhere beyond 50.]
"50?!..."
[I estimate. To be completely honest with you I did not find it necessary to count once you passed that threshold. Also, your limit increased substantially since you achieved Balance Breaker and beyond, but since you never use your base form you would not know that.]
"I think I'm gonna throw up…"
[That may be starvation. You have not eaten in 2 days.]
"Oh yeah…"
[I suppose we should return soon. Your boosted power will leave you imminently. Also, just to warn you, you may experience some light, crippling exhaustion and bloody regurgitation.]
"Ah….that sounds nice~….My everything hurts.."
[HmHmHmHm…]
"...Are you laughing at me?..."
[Of course not…..HmHmHmHmHm….Hahahahahahaha!]
"Stop…. You scare me when you laugh…."
[There are times when you terrify me as well, Partner.]
"Like when I use the power of Oppai?..."
[Well, I meant more in the sense that you are a monster who experiences serious improvement in only 2 days. But yes. That is especially true.]
"Ah... I think I'm gonna pass out…"
[Call for the Governor. Else you freeze to death out here.]
"Right…."
I pulled out the slip of paper from my torn pants and ripped it in half. After that a magic circle appeared under me to take me away.
"Well….at least I didn't need the Phoenix tears….."
Shiin!
…..
Shiin!
...I opened my eyes. Ah, it's not my room. What is this? An infirmary? Ah, it spawned me standing up.
"Ise-sama!"
Huh? That voice. I turned my head to see Ravel running up to me…..in...a...nurses outfit…..
"Ise-samaaaaa~!"
The world moved in slow motion as the air around her sparkled…..The chest area of the outfit was pressed up against her nicely maturing breasts….
Boing~!
…
[Burst!]
Thud!
"Ise-sama?!"
Yeah…. I'm okay with dying here.
Part 4
"Nnnnn…..Uuu…"
I groaned in pain as I struggled to open my eyes. Ah, man. Now that's sore.
"I-Ise-sama?"
Ah? I open my eyes fully to realize that I'm back in my room. My body is half naked and covered in bandages. There's an IV in my right arm. Ah, Ravel is sitting in a chair next to my bed.
"A-Are you alright?"
"Ravel?...Ugh."
"Please try not to move."
I laid my heavy head back into my pillow as I inspected things. Ravel is no longer in the nurses outfit. Dammit…..I should've just died there. Mm. I've had my clothes changed. I'm only wearing some soft black sweats and socks. The rest is bandages. Wait.
"Ravel. How did I get into these clothes?"
I asked her curiously. Her face became red and she lowered her gaze to her twiddling hands in her lap.
"I-I-I-I-I d-d-did not want to leave the r-responsibility of Ise-sama to anyone else!..."
"...But my body has been washed and changed fully…"
"Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes…."
Ah…
"I-I see…"
I just smiled awkwardly while averting my gaze. W-Well, at least it was Ravel...But somehow I feel so unbelievably embarrassed by it.
Dakun.
"Yo, Ise. You've awakened."
The door opened and the one who entered was Sensei. He really has some good comedic timing doesn't he? I struggled to lift up my upper body.
"W-Wait, Ise-sama! Please do not push yourself."
"You should rest. Your exhaustion is probably abysmal."
"Urgh. You're damn right it is."
I lowered myself back down while groaning. Sensei approached us.
"Neh, Sensei. Why do I have an IV?"
"You were dehydrated. Didn't you notice?"
"Nah. Hard to notice it when you're facing off against a damn giant sentient rock."
"Ah, speaking of which, did you kill it?"
"Yeah, obviously. But I couldn't destroy it entirely. I unfortunately had to just crush in its head and defeat it using its weakness."
"Ah, that's alright. I wasn't expecting you to destroy it like that in your base form. I just wanted you to learn some things. Did you learn anything?"
"I guess?"
"Good. I'll take this then."
He reached for my shoulder and peeled off the seal he placed there originally. Never found out what that was for. Didn't it spawn something? Hm?
"What the hell's wrong with your hair?"
I pointed at Sensei's head which looked like it had been kinda burnt not too long ago.
"Ah, this. Yes, well, when I was working in the morning Ravel happened to show up and ask me if you had returned yet. And you hadn't."
"Yeah, I wasn't here."
"Yes. You weren't."
Oh.
"But that doesn't look like it happened in the morning."
"It did. Until you got back."
"Ah."
I could see Ravel pouting cutely while going "Hmph!" from next to me. So that's how it is. I got it. Good. He got what was coming to him.
"Alright then. You rest up. Try not to overwork yourself, or else you may not be able to take on your next trials. Make sure to eat something too. I think you're starving."
He started to walk out with only that. Ah, that's right I almost forgot.
"Ah, Sensei. Ddraig wanted me to tell you something. He told me to tell you about times when I fought the Golem and my strength randomly increased."
"Golem?!"
Ah, I guess Sensei never told her what it was huh. Sensei turned back to me.
"Describe what it was like."
"Um. Well, at times it felt like my strength was increased spontaneously even though I hadn't boosted just yet. It only happened at times when my aura was at its fullest."
"Hooooh~"
He made an intrigued expression at that. He rubbed his chin and a familiar devious smile came onto his face. Uh oh. That may have been a mistake.
"Is that so? In that case, I'll have to make some modifications to the list. A quick add-on is what I have in mind."
"I would really rather you didn't."
"Hm? Ah, no, don't worry. I wasn't asking permission."
"Mm. Fuck you."
"Alright. I'm out. I've got some work to do now."
Dakun.
He quickly exited the room. I should've kept my mouth shut.
"I-Ise-sama."
Hm? I switched my attention to Ravel who was fidgeting in her chair. I only then noticed her casual outfit. She was wearing a light brown cardigan with white shirt, a blue skirt, and some dark stockings. Uwaaaaah~ Stockings are a serious threat to my health. And here I thought all my perversion had disappeared. But somehow when Ravel is wearing something like this I can't help getting excited.
"May I…"
She see me like she was going to ask something, but she suddenly shook her head vigorously and looked like she was gathering up her courage.
"I-I will stay with you tonight!"
She said that with a determined blush.
"...Uh, okay."
...Her face brightened into a smile.
"Yosh!"
"Ah! W-Wait! Hold up! What're you-!"
Out of nowhere she started crawling over me onto the bedside next to me. Aaaaaaah~ Stockings~! She slipped into the blanket and pulled it up to her neck. She was smiling with stars in her eyes.
"...Ehehe...Welcome, I guess."
"Mm!"
She nodded happily. Well, at least she seems content. If I recall, tomorrow should definitely not be a day off from school. Meh. What do I care? If Ravel wants to stay here I'm fine with it. I'm already skipping school myself anyway.
Gyerooo~
Ah. My stomach growled.
"Ah!"
Ravel shot up.
"Ise-sama's dinner!"
She quickly bolted out of bed and ran up to the door.
"Please wait here Ise-sama! I will return with some food shortly!"
Dakun!
…..I caught a glimpse under her skirt when she bolted out…..
…...Ddraig…. I will now be known as the Ketsuryuutei—
[No.]
…
[Ah! Asia! Over here! Record that part! Buchou wants footage of it!]
….
"Rias-Oneesama. Please stop watching those videos and get some sleep…."
"Hm? Ah...Asia...I'm sorry...was I keeping you up?.."
"You have been watching those videos for too many days….and you haven't been doing well when we are at school either…..people are starting to notice…"
"I…..I'm sorry Asia…..But….I simply do not care…"
"Onee-sama…."
"What any of those students say or think of me…..I no longer care…..it doesn't matter to me….not anymore…..not even those of the Underworld….not even my mother or my father…."
"B-B-But, don't you remember what Rossweisse-san said? He does not feel that way about us. S-So, maybe there is no reason for us to be this way?"
"...Please Asia…..You don't need to patronize me…..Why do you think it was Rossweisse that he called? She was not there at that moment. She didn't have a negative opinion to hurt him with. It's obvious that he doesn't want to speak with us….There's only one person he wishes to see…..and it isn't any of us…."
"..."
"...I'm sorry, Asia….."
"No…. It is alright Onee-sama…...would you like to go to sleep now?"
"Yes…. Let's…"
-DxD-
"Nn…."
Ah...ow. My back. Damn. It hurts. I really wore myself out against that Golem.
"Mm...Ise-sama…"
Hm? Ah, that's right. Ravel is here with me. She's latched onto my arm as we sleep. I almost forgot about that. Well, I was asleep to be fair. I turned to the clock beside my bed. 3AM huh. Pretty late. I've been asleep for quite a few hours. Are? What's that?
There's some disk case on the stand, sitting next to the clock. I sat up and removed the IV. Don't need this anymore. I grabbed the disk. It had a note attached. It's from Sensei.
[This one will broadcast probably tomorrow or the next day. Make sure to watch it alongside of Ravel in the private theater here with some food and drinks when it airs!]
Hah? What the Hell does this mean? Hm? There's a little metal ball that came along with the note. It's referenced right here.
[P.S. Try not to break the equipment. Though, I do have spares if you do.]
Equipment? Broadcast? What the Hell are you up to, Governor? I stood up and decided to watch whatever was on the disk. I went up to the place right below the flat screen where all the electrical systems for video games and movies were. I placed the disk in and turned on the TV. I made sure to lower the brightness and volume as not to wake up Ravel. Alright Sensei. What is this?
Soon enough, a visual appeared on the screen. Text. It's in Devil writing. Uh, it reads: Adventures of the Foolish Sekiryuutei! - Part 1
Huh? What the Hell is that supposed to—
[Okay! Fuck it! Ddraig! Give me a rundown!]
…
….What?...
[Okay! Well, how about this one?!]
…
…...What I was met with…..was somehow footage of myself…..and my battle with the Golem….with some sort of arbitrary view over my own shoulder, like some sort of video game character…..
….What is this?...
I looked back down the metal ball in my hands which made a noise. It suddenly transformed into something similar to a lady bug. Its eyes resembled camera lenses…..
PTTZZZ!
I crushed the metal mechanism in my hand and destroyed it.
[By the way, this one will be probably be rated maturely instead of your usual audience. You know, since this is in real life and not some Tokusatsu where you can play around and edit the events. Too bad we couldn't get the Hydra one Huh? Hahahahaha—]
I also burned the paper note left by Sensei.
End
Alright! There goes that one! Again, sorry for the delay guys. Been busy. Hopefully things won't get busier. There's a lot of events that go on in summer so delays may happen once in a while. But those of you who ask for the stories to be updated soon are clearly new here cuz if you were a fan for a while then you'd know that I update more often than 95% of the authors on this site. I literally updated every one of my stories about 3 times just last month in May. I mean Jesus fucking Christ I didn't even realize myself how unhealthy that is.
Anyway, for those of you wondering how many trials we'll have before we get back to Cannon. Don't worry. Not every trial will be shown (since there's over like fuckin 10) but only the most important ones. Some of them will be referenced but not highlighted or experienced as the are minor. But in terms of which ones will be shown (aka the most important ones) there should only be about 3 at most. So, in other words, we should be all caught up with Cannon in 3 chapters. Next chapter will be the quick run through of the more minor trials that will be quickly referenced/skimmed over, along with one major trial, and also Issei's temporary return to school for the festival. Not necessarily in that order. Rather, it should be: Minor trials - School festival - Major trial. So basically, that's gonna be quite the longer fuckin chapter than usual I think, lol. And in case you're asking why I'm still going to be mentioning the minor trials, it's cuz they all have some sort of importance, in case you haven't noticed.
If you're more of a tentative reader then I'm sure you've noticed what Azazel is trying to do with all of the crazy trials. He's not just making Issei plainly get stronger like originally planned. He's trying to eliminate each one of Issei's major weaknesses one by one. The Hydra? His recklessness. Being put up against a strong beast like that without an overall advantage, Issei only had to wing it and learn about his recklessness the hard way. The Golem? Issei's base state is something he seems to have forgotten. If there were ever an enemy that could disable his Balance Breaker, he wouldn't win. If he wants to face off against Sairaorg on his own turf, then he's gotta treat it like it's his turf and get an idea of what he needs to surpass even before they fight. The oncoming trials will continue to highlight everything Issei needs to become a greater fighter through unconventional, but perfect for Sacred Gear user, means. Azazel is a dickhead, but he knows what he's doing. Even if Issei doesn't.
So yeah, got some more development for Issei as a fighter and as a character in general. A small event with Barakiel. I felt it was necessary because it didn't seem to make sense that all of Barakiel's worries would fade away after one conversation and I'm sure he wouldn't feel at ease at all until he confirmed it 100%. Especially since he is naturally a good man who would want to be considerate towards Issei as well. So it was a nice moment for me to write. It seemed quite logical for Issei to respond the way he did as well. After that, we got the Golem. I did skim over that battle a bit, but that's only because not only did it take over a day and a half to defeat it, but it wasn't a strategically driven fight like the Hydra. It was just a lot of boosting hitting boosting hitting repeat. It only got strategic towards the end when it was necessary to defeat it. Issei had to forcefully learn some new tricks and use his bare fists old fashioned style. Then we got a little bit of foreshadowing and some sweet Ravel justice! Nurse outfit! Stockings! JUSTICE! Hopefully Sona won't be annoyed with Ravel for skipping school, cuz she's done it a couple times already, yikes. Also, looks like Issei has a new show filmed and aired without his consent. Lmao. Fucking Azazel man. We can guess that it's gonna be shown all over the Underworld for no reason other than Azazel is a true troll. He'll probably say something like: "Cool right? If you wanna rebrand your image then you should like this".
So tell me what you guys thought about this chapter. I personally think it is one of the stronger chapters of this story, but honestly a lot of this story is strong, not to toot my own horn. So what do you guys think will /should happen next? What other developments will Issei go through as a character? How will his and Ravel's relationship evolve? Does Issei's recovery feel natural and nice to read? How will Issei develop as a warrior? What is the thing Azazel needs to adjust based on Issei's odd report? How will the ORC recover in comparison? Is Ravel best girl? Would you watch the Adventures of The Foolish Sekiryuutei?
Read, Rate, Review go crazy.
Stay frosty.
P.S. I've seen your questions, the answer is no. This ain't gonna be single pairing. It still is DxD after all. Well, actually the real reason is because this is meant to mimic the LN obviously, so it wouldn't make much sense to make it so.