…
…
Look, the only reason I'm doing this one is because it's short.
…
…
Fuck off
-SCENE-
Violence. The Seventh circle of Hell. Deep underneath the crust of the Underworld, that is where the Nine circles reside. And as the circles continue, they only go deeper and deeper down. This place - is the Hell of blasphemers, murderers, marauders, suicide victims, and sodomites. This who were filled with bloodlust and forsook their creator, they are the victims trapped in this Hell.
I am trapped here along with them. Them, and the Dragon host filled with bloodlust, they are the ones I'm stuck here with.
One week. According to my rival, Vali, we are to be trapped here for one week. Around the same amount of time I spent training in Kyoto. I suppose he made it that way for an ironic purpose. Now, I have to remain in this damned place and survive against the bastard's attacks. The unfortunate part is that I don't know how much time is passing in this place. It's because of the nature of this place.
Regardless, I am trapped here and I have to fight Vali to survive.
However, as the time passed, what stood out most to me was not our battles, but rather something else entirely.
DOOOOOOOOOONNNN!
"What's wrong, Hyoudou Issei! Your speed in that form is impeccably faster than mine, but you still haven't fully gotten control over it! Is that not the form you used against Yu-long! Is that not the form meant to honour the Messenger God of Olympus! Show me the skill and control that Sun Wukong blessed you with!"
"Alright fucker! You want it?! You got it!"
Every time we had fought, Vali forced me into using different forms. Every fight was a different fight with a different form. There were even times that we fought in our base forms using our basic gears.
But the times that stuck out to me were usually the times of rest.
"Hmph. I suppose that's enough for now."
Vali dispersed his armor and sat on the floor in the middle of the island. I caught my breath as I dispelled my armor.
"..Haah….now we take a break?…..damn battle crazy bastard…."
I groaned as I sat down back to back against Vali with a sigh.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh? What?"
He eyed me suspiciously for some reason. After a few seconds, he scoffed and looked away.
"Hmph."
What a fuckin weirdo. I looked up to the red clouded sky. I could see the purple lightning sparking through and around it. This whole place is fucking red. Even off in the distance it's just red and I can't even tell if there's an end to this place. I know there has to be because of simply the nature of it, but I can't help but feel it goes on forever.
Honestly, what the fuck is up with this place? I feel like I've been here for two days already, but I can't even tell. Despite the fact that I get tired, I don't feel like get sleepy? Or maybe it's just because I can't tell how much time has actually passed, so it's not time to sleep? I can't fucking tell. Moreover, it feels like my senses are fucked up.
Like, how come I'm not hungry? I haven't gotten hungry at all since coming here. I feel like I've been here for fuckin long enough to be starving. I'm not thirsty either. Don't feel horny either. You might think "Of course not", but hey you know me. Sometimes I fantasize. But here it feels like I can't even fantasize about shit. It feels like my fantasies become fuzzy. It even feels like there are sometimes when I don't remember certain things….Is this place having some sort of fucked up effects on me?
I decided to ask in my curiosity.
"Oi, Vali. Is there something up with this place? I feel like I've been fuckin down here for a while now, but I can't even tell. Ain't hungry, horny, or thirsty. Some kind of explanation for that?"
Vali answered blankly.
"In a place like this, your senses are dulled. You cannot feel hunger, lust, thirst, exhaustion, time, or pain properly. Physical necessities like food and drink become obsolete. The time you feel passing is not real. Despite being a place that is meant to last for eternity anyway, the nature of this place is set so that it may simulate the feeling of eternity even after just being in it for less than an hour. Truthfully, there is no way to know how much time has passed for us until we escape. We can only wait until the magic circle equations I set automatically bring us back once we're done in one week. Until then, we won't know how long we've been here and we won't feel the way we should while we're in it."
So that's how it is huh? This place is fucked up from the start in every way. I can't even use the emergency escape spell Azazel gave me. It won't work to get me out of here. It's not powerful enough. It takes a special kind of circle to bring us here, and Vali somehow obtained that. It's not Azazel's fault. He would never have suspected Vali could bring us here. I'll just have to stay stuck here and survive against him as long as I can.
"Wait, but what the hell's the point of having all these effects anyway? Not getting hungry or thirsty doesn't feel like a terrible thing to me."
"Heh."
He scoffed.
"It's meant to 'sever' you from your being. The senses you are so accustomed to are dulled or completely masked until they feel like they no longer exist. You don't get hungry, you don't get thirsty, you don't get sleepy, and you don't feel all the pain. Soon enough, you start to feel completely disconnected from your body. Your mind will begin to fight it and simulate feelings. Random pains, sounds, and visions that don't actually exist. You'll even begin to have warped memories of events and people in your life, or just lose them entirely. Your brain will start to create all of those things being taken from you, including memories, to feel normal. But you truly can't fight it. The change is inevitable. As time passes, you begin to feel less human. You begin to remember less. You begin to remember differently. You begin to feel less present. You begin to feel less real. And finally, soon enough—"
Vali turned his head back to me. When I peered over my shoulder, he was looking at me with a chilling cold gaze.
"—you will be driven mad."
CHILLS…
"Hmph. Well, luckily for us, the time we'll be spending here will only be enough to drive us a tiny bit mad. We should be relatively sane once we return. Optimistically."
….So that's how it works huh? Fuck me. That ain't nice. I really hope I can retain my sanity while in here. Ravel, please lend me your strength.
"Besides."
Vali spoke abruptly. He was smirking slyly.
"It should be easier to retain our sanity so long as it's the both of us. If only one of us had come in alone, we surely would have lost our minds in less than one day. Isolation makes a good match with disconnection after all, although also ironic."
"...Is that so? Well, I'd prefer if it wasn't you I had to make small talk with to keep my sanity. Maybe I'd rather be alone."
"Kukuku. Is that so?"
The time passed on after that, though I couldn't tell how much. Our battles continued along with our conversations. What was only a week, passed by like a month.
[—]
During one of our fights with Vali.
[Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!]
I boosted my demonic power and breathed in some air. I concentrated the small flame created from my magic and transferred the power to it. Then, I blasted my flames straight at Vali.
FOOOOOOOOMMM!
As the flames engulfed him, I heard him speak through them.
"Stop."
I ceased my flames. Stop? Vali appeared unharmed. Why the Hell did he tell me to stop?
"Those flames, I sense demonic power in them."
I tilted my head at his comment.
"Hm? Well yeah, obviously, they're spawned from my demonic power."
He crossed his arms.
"Tch. Pathetic. You mean to say that the Red Dragon Emperor uses demonic power as a measly substitute for flames rather than his own? What sort of joke is this?"
—?!
"Haaaaaaah?! Of course I used my demonic power! How the fuck else do I use flames then! I'm not a fucking Dragon, I can't spawn flames from my body naturally! I'm a Devil so I have to use demonic power obviously! What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"
Vali scoffed.
"Hmph. What a pathetic excuse. If your body cannot produce it then why not have your Gear do it?"
"You-!...Huh?..."
I was shut up by my confusion. Have my gear do it? What the Hell's that supposed to mean?
"What do you mean 'have my gear do it'? That doesn't make any sense. My gear doesn't have such an ability."
"Then make it."
"Make it? You mean create an ability like that for my gear?"
"Correct."
"Hah? The hell's that? There's no way I can do that. I can't just make changes to the gear Willy nilly."
He scoffed.
"Fff! What nonsense. This is coming from the one who took a jewel from my armor and implemented it within his gear forcefully? A power of an existence that is considered the polar opposite? Not to mention, you ended up unlocking the various forms of Triaina which never existed before and continue to evolve them, yet you say it's impossible? So you are just making pathetic excuses then."
—! This bastard-!
[Is he incorrect, partner?]
Wha-?! Ddraig!?
[The Triaina forms were never something that existed before. They were created as an illegal move within the Evil Piece system. You were the one that created them, though subconsciously. You also implemented the Hakuryuukou gem and Ascalon, which is a Holy-Dragon slaying weapon, into your gear. Do you really find it unbelievable to somehow accomplish this?]
...Well….that's…..oh shit…..
"Won't you try it? I'm interested in watching the odd rapid developments of the God-Killing Sekiryuutei in real time."
Vali asked that with a sly smirk. This damn bishounen.
"But, is this really something I should be trying? I have the Boosted Gear. I can just boost my demonic power to high levels like I always do. Wouldn't it be fine just to do that?"
Vali shook his head to my question, though I wasn't necessarily asking him.
"For someone like me who is the descendant of Lucifer, it is optimal to use my large reserves of demonic and magical power. However, someone like you who was born a normal human with low reserves, even with the Boosted Gear it is a bad method. It's only putting yourself at a disadvantage. Do you remember the first time we fought?"
The first time we fought? Ah, at the school. Yeah, I certainly remember that.
"At that time, I admitted that someone like you was much more compatible with a Dragon's power than me. That was because of your personality and rage being so potent, but in truth, that statement is true in every way. You, who was born a human, automatically had lower reserves than normal after becoming a Reincarnated Devil. Then, it turned out that your reserves were even lower than low amongst Devils. Certainly, this must have been disheartening to learn, but it actually highlights something that you've had something better than I all along."
"Something I've had better than you? Is that even possible? What could it be?"
He smirked.
"Heh. Have you not been listening? It is your compatibility."
"My compatibility?"
"Dragons are an existence that have a natural resistance to magic, most especially the Heavenly Dragons who were practically invulnerable to it in their prime. In turn, the hosts of the Heavenly Dragons also have a resistance to magic in their gears. However, as a result of this, most Heavenly Dragon hosts also tend to have lower than normal magic reserves for humans. This is because of the resistance obviously. Even more than that, there's something that influences the amount of reserves a host has. This is their potential as a host. Your potential as a host was quite low, meanwhile, mine was quite high. We both know this. However, there are times in which potential can become higher. This is where your compatibility comes in. The fact that you are more compatible means that it's possible for your potential to become high. Would you like to take a gander at where I'm getting at?"
"...Um.."
"Your compatibility is naturally high and that influences your low potential to also become high. Do you know what the result of high compatibility is?"
—! Could it be - high magic resistance?
"It seems like you've realized it. That's right. You have low demonic power because you have high compatibility with the Boosted Gear. Which means, you have high magic resistance. Even more than that, the fact that you have high compatibility also means that it's much easier for someone like you to influence your gear directly. You have done it many times before haven't you? Yet someone like me, who has very high potential, has never accomplished something similar. It took a simpleton like you only seconds. You can influence your sacred gear as you see fit. I don't know the limits of that influence, but that's exactly what interests me. So, the point is, you can easily do such a thing. Ah, but there is also an interesting question that I want you to answer for yourself. If you have high compatibility as a Dragon host, exactly how much more powerful will those natural flames be compared to flames spawned from demonic power at their base level?"
—?! The natural flames power….The power of flames spawned from my gear? Hm. Well, the flames I spawn from demonic power are like a match light. They only become feasible during combat because I boost them to that level. So…..how powerful would those flames be at the start?
[Let's concentrate on making the proper modifications first, partner.]
Right….in that case.
"...Fine. Then, let me try it."
Vali crossed his arms and floated across from me silently, waiting patiently. I shut my eyes to concentrate. Okay. Let's try this.
…breathing fire….breathing fire….using my gear..?...How would I even do such a thing?...breathing fire through my mouth? Like a Dragon?...A mouth…..breathing fire….mouth.
I started to imagine the Scale Mail as having a mouth component. A mouth that opens. The mask splits in half. A mouth. Sharp teeth. Teeth made out of red metal, just like the armor. A mouth in the armor. As I imagined it, my power began boosting without my consent, and light began shining from the jewels of my armor.
[Boost!]
Shiin!
Breathing fire out of the mouth…...where would it come from? My body? My body can't make that, it's the body of a Devil. Where would it come from? The armor? It would come from the armor? A component in the armor? What type….
The image of a reptilian suddenly flashed through my mind. It spewed an acidic fluid through a gland in its mouth. Under its tongue. A gland. A small duct that spewed acidic fluid. No - that spewed fire.
The image of the reptilian changed. Instead of spewing acid, it began spewing fire. Fire spewing through the gland. The gland is….The image of the gland changed as well. It was replaced with a small armor like component. Shaped like a cannon. A cannon similar to the ones Triaina Bishop holds.
….Before I knew it, the image of the reptilian was replaced entirely. Replaced by the image of the Scale Mail shooting fire from a small cannon in its mouth.
—I was suddenly enveloped in light and power.
SHIIIN!
[Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!]
Ddraig! What-?! Is it really happening?!
[Hahahahaha! Well done, partner!]
The light flashed bright before dying down. I could what sounded like a pounding sound against metal.
Dun!
When the light died down….
"HmHmHmHmHm….Hahahahaha!"
Vali began laughing in amusement. Why is he…..I lifted my hand to touch the helmet of my armor and….
—?! A mouth! There's a mouth here! A mouth in the middle with sharp teeth! There's something in the middle of it, jutting out. A tongue? No, wait! It's a small cannon like component! This is-! I did it?!
"HmHmHm….Well done, Hyoudou Issei. Truly, you are an interesting rival. Now, let's test out that new function, shall we?"
Without regard for my opinion, Vali forced me into testing out the new upgrade on him. The flames that were released were insane compared to the base level of the flames from my demonic power. They were on par with the average level of flames boosted from demonic power, at their base level. Not only that, but Vali wouldn't even let me boost them anyway. He wants them to become more powerful naturally, so every time I try to boost them he just divides my power. So, I just gave up and shot flames at him without boosting, with as much force as I could. The component in my helmet reaches near my mouth. Whenever I want to shoot flames, I gather as much air as my lungs can handle, and I blow into the component like a whistle. Then, flames burst forth from the other side, out of the mouth.
As Vali was being engulfed by my flames—
"What's wrong! Are these the most powerful flames that the Red Dragon Emperor of True Flames can muster?! They may be on par with those flames from before, but that makes their base level weak! Can you do no better?!"
I began to feel enraged through all of his berating. Ever since entering this dimension, it became much easier for my temper to blow, most likely because of the dimension's influence.
FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!
Come on! Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn! Burn brighter! Burn hotter! Burn wider! Burn more and more! Burn him! Burn everything! Burn it all! Burn, burn, burn, buuuuuuuurn!
—I felt something deep within me stir. Something small and quiet, but certainly tangible.
Burn goddammit! Burn him! Burn a fire that scorches everything! Burn a fire that burns him to the very core! Burn a fire that never dies! Burn, burn, burn, burn! BURN! BURN! BURN!
—Then, the flames became immensely stronger, and the entire island was engulfed in them.
FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!
Before I could continue, my lungs ran out of breath.
"Gaaaassp!"
I brought in air with a sharp inhale and struggled to catch my breath. The flames surrounding Vali's form were blown away by his wings, but the island remained in flames.
Poom!
Vali floated there with a smirk. His helmet was destroyed, as well as various parts of his armor, though he was relatively unscathed besides some burns. He looked down to his left arm and noticed a fire still burning on it. He patted it a few times. He raised a brow when he noticed that it didn't go out. He pointed his finger at it.
[Divide!]
It was snuffed out immediately. He stared at his arm suspiciously for a few seconds. What? What is it? He shifted his gaze back to me and smirked again.
"Heh. Interesting. Tell me, Hyoudou Issei. Have you ever thought of attempting something similar to the attacks of the Meteor Dragon-King, Tannin?"
Hm? Tannin-Ossan? Oh like one of his attacks?
"You mean like a Meteor attack? Ah, well, I have tried it, but as it turns out it's impossible because I don't have a Dragon's body. I can't replicate it the right way. I can do large fireballs, but they don't compare in power, speed, or scale. In terms of combat efficiency, it's just always been more logical to use the regular flames."
Vali nodded his head with an expression that looked like he was contemplating. What is up with this? I'm trapped with Vali in Hell and we're actually training as if we were allies. What the fuck is my life anymore?
"I see. Though it would be most interesting if you could conjure attacks that have more flexibility rather than a blanket of flames, if it's not feasible then there's nothing we can do about it. It's a shame."
Attacks that are more flexible? Yeah, that would've been cool. It certainly would be better if I could do things like Tannin-Ossan with Meteor strikes and such. Things like fireballs…..uuu….I actually can't think of anything else. I'm not very creative. The best I can think of is something like creating fire attacks from my hands like Raiser and Ravel do—
—?!
"Wait! Hold on, Vali. I have an idea."
He smirked lightly.
"I can wait."
Ugh. His damn smile still gives me the creeps. I shut my eyes. Okay. Um. So, let's try making something that can spawn fire from my hands….I think I've gotten a good hang of this?
I began to generate the image of Raiser and Ravel Phenex. Flames spawned from out of the palms of their hands, flames burst forth from their wings. The flames blew intensely. Flames. From the palms of their hands. Powerful flames. Building. Growing. Heat. Flames.
—This time, I boosted my own power intentionally, and the image of the Scale Mail shooting flames from its palms was in my mind.
"Rrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!"
[Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!]
SHIINN!
I could feel a familiar feeling wash over me as I was enveloped by light. When the light died down, I opened my eyes. I looked around my armor. There were small ducts on my palms and the back of my wrists! These-! They resemble the little cannon in my helmet! I did it! These can certainly shoot flames right!?
Ah, hm? What the..? There were also small ducts in between each of the webbing skin of my wings? Huh? Why are there ducts there?...Mm? I can't even use them. When I concentrate nothing comes out. Weird. Maybe they don't do anything. As for the ones on my arms…
FOOOOOOOMMM!
—Flames! I could should flames out from them! In that case..!
POOM—POOOOOMMMM!
I spawned a flame in my palm and it began to grow at my command. Not too powerful, but I can certainly do it! Just like a Phoenix!
"Hoho. Well done then. Alright. Let us fly around some more, shall we?"
After that, more of our battles continued. I continued to train using the new flame components in my Scale Mail. My flames wouldn't grow too much in strength, but at the very least I could boost them now. They were easily more feasible during combat than the ones I used with demonic power. They took a much less amount of boosts to surpass the other flames, considering that I didn't need to boost my abysmal demonic power. In fact, they would surpass the average amount of demonic flames with only a couple boosts.
More immeasurable amounts of time passed.
[—]
Vali and I were sitting back to back, taking a rest from our constant battles. I gazed out into the blood red dimension. I could hear the screams that have become white noise in the distance.
…...Soon enough, I began to see the inside of a club room, lit by sunlight, and filled with familiar people.
…..
"Say, Vali, can I ask a question?"
I decided to start a conversation with Vali as to avoid sinking into the hallucination set before my eyes.
"What is it?"
"What do you think we would've been doing if we were never born as the Sekiryuutei and Hakuryuukou?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Like, what would our lives be like, you know? You ever thought about that?"
Vali didn't answer me. I went on.
"I think if I wasn't the Sekiryuutei, I would probably just be like how I always was. I'd just be a worthless pervert running around peeping on girls, getting beaten up, being hated, and wasting my life away. Hell, I would probably end up an old hermit telling perverted stories to little kids in the park. That'd be quite symbolic wouldn't it?"
"How so?"
"Ah, nevermind. Haha."
I laughed while Vali only raised a brow.
"So, what do you think you'd be doing?"
"Me?"
"Yeah. What do you think your life would've been like, if you weren't the Hakuryuukou? If you were just a pure blooded Devil, you know."
At that moment, Vali turned away from me and went completely silent.
"...What would I be doing huh….."
….
"Vali?"
….
He stood up without turning.
"I've grown tired of resting. Let's continue."
"Huh? We've only been resting for less than a minute, I think."
[Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker!]
"I do not care."
Our battles continued a while after that. Vali did not speak during that time.
[—]
BOOM!
Vali and I were fighting as per usual. He easily dodged one of my Dragon shots and it splashed into the sea of boiling blood. I changed forms into the Welsh Dragonic Rook.
Vali extends his hand outward towards me and spawned a magic circle in his palm.
Shin!
Suddenly, an abundance of magic circles surrounded me. I was caught in a barrier the shape of a cube. They began shining brightly. These magic circle are..!
"Do you recognize them? They are Norse magic circles. Norse magic has always been more efficient. Both for sealing magic and elemental magic. I prefer using them this way."
The circles released brightly the moment he finished his sentence. And without warning, they began shooting powerful shots of demonic power straight at me all together.
BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN!
I was bombarded by an insurmountable amount of power shots to my body. My armor began cracking and breaking apart. I could hear Vali from outside.
"Do you think you would have a chance at escaping this? I wonder how many shots you can take in that Rook form of yours. For now, let's try a thousand."
I continued being bombarded by the shots. Dammit! I decided to use the method taught to me by Sun Wukong and flared my aura while boosting my power.
[Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!]
OOOHHHHHMM—
But in the middle of my burst off my power, my concentration continued being disrupted by the damage caused to me.
BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN!
Argh! Fuck! I can't concentrate like this! I can't focus on controlling my power! I can't even attack the sides because I keep being blown back into the middle of the cube! I can't break out!
As the attacks continued, I could feel a familiar rage building along with my power.
[Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!]
Aaaaaaaaaaaagghh! God! Fucking! Dammit!
"What's wrong! Can you not break free! A Dragon is an existence that cannot be restricted isn't that right?! Are you not the Red Dragon of Domination?!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrghhh!"
[Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!]
As my power increased, my rage began building, and I could feel a certain pressure release from my body. It began to burn my skin and my armor.
SSSSSS!
[Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!]
NO PRISON! CAN CONTAIN ME!
《...》
[Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!]
NOT EVEN!
《..(Voice)..》
THE HEAVENS!
My voice boomed in an echo throughout the dimension. Almost as if I wasn't the only one releasing it.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNN!
…?
It felt like there was red dust covering my view. It began to clear after a short while. It was only then that I noticed my fist was planted inside the ground of the island. The entire island around me had been turned from red sand, into what looked like an island of broken molten rock and steam.
Ssss….
"...What?"
My hand was releasing steam. Most of my armor had been broken off. My arm, which was planted into the ground, was bare of its armor. It was releasing steam as well. More than that...
—My arm was covered in a dark ash skin, like soot, and the circular symbol on it was glowing orange light.
"Who are you?…"
I looked up to Vali who I noticed was floating in the air above me.
"What?...I don't.."
He narrowed his eyes.
"I wasn't speaking to you."
…..
It was silent. Soon enough, red sand began pouring out from the cracks of the island and covering it, essentially turning it back to normal. I had only noticed now that despite originally being made of sand, it had become like a giant molten rock just before. Almost as if the power of the strike crystallized the sand into rock and broke it apart in one fell swoop.
"Hmph."
Vali descended onto the island as I removed my hand from the sand. My arm…..it's the only part of me that has the ash like skin on it…...this is the only symbol that's glowing…..and…...the sand isn't affecting the skin on it….
"...[Strength]?"
I failed to notice it at the time, but unlike before, there was no damage left on the arm after using it.
[—]
"Ise, would you mind handing these out?"
"Yes, Buchou!"
I took the papers Buchou handed me.
Ş́͡h̴̕e̛͢ did̶n͡'͏̢̛t͟͟ ͢h̷͡͝a̧͟vę̸͠ ̕á̵ ̕͢͜fàc̵͟e̵͝.͟
I began handing them out to all of the club members.
N̸̶͘on̸̨e̢̕͟ o̡f͏̨ ̴̕͢th̡̨em҉ ̧̛h͜a͢d͡ ̀͘fàc͏̸͠e̵s.̷̵̧
"What are these, Buchou?"
Kiba asked in his curiosity. Buchou smiled as she began explaining.
"Alright everyone! We—T̵̨͇̘͓͔̮̦̼̹̰̺̬̑̈́͂͋̅͊ͭ̆̆̈ͯ̈́̋͢H̓̑͆ͤͪ̇̒̌̎ͩ̄͑͋̈̿̂͆ͫ҉̨̺̙̺̩̻͓͚̱̻͓̯̱̭͢E̡̛̼̯̫̰͍͓̠̦̿ͧ̓ͦ̂͟ ̛̋͛ͧ̊ͥ̃҉̧̺̟̩̙̳͚̗̠̣͓̦͚̫͢ͅS̢̡̬̘̩̳͙̟͍̤̓͋̉̈́̀̚Ę͇̟̟͚̳͉͔̹̠̯̬͈̜͎̠̖̲̀͗̎͗ͦͨ̌̾̚͡ͅV̨̤͈͕̲̱̫͔̹̲͈̠ͭͭ̋ͩ̾̑͆̂̔ͥ͒ͣ͗́͢͝ͅE̸̵̼̼̙͓̖̺͎̣͇̼̞͍̲͕͉̯̅̍ͦ̉͛ͯͯ̾̇͂ͯ̈́͂̃ͯ͂̈́̉́͘͝ͅN̨͈͇͇̮ͨ̃̋̏̌̍̅ͣ̚͝Ţ͉̳͎͎̮̙̲̼ͩͧͥ̃̔̾͌̾̕͞ͅḨ̱̹̮͈̘̜͎̳̺̗͍̠̖̙͖̤̺͋ͭͫ̓ͮͫͪ̉̐̄̇̽͆ͬ̾̓͐ͣ̃͟͞ ̴͂̄ͮ̾͏̧̬̲͎͇̰͔͚͈̦̤̲̠͕̦̫Ċ̴̨̧͎̠̟̮̬̝̙̜̥̘̦̻ͭ͒ͦͣͭ͋͋̂́̑͑͛ͮ͗̇̚̚͜ͅI̸ͫ̈́̈́ͯ͆ͩ̋ͧ͛̍ͧ̒͢͡͏̴͉̩̯̪̱ͅͅR̋ͤͯ̅̑̓͐͋ͯ̏ͫ̅͒ͤ͑̓͊̔҉̗͔̭̮̩͎̺̬̞͉̙͔̹̭̲̲͍͘͜C̸̥̫̖̥͈̫̠̟͈͙̃̄͛̓ͨͣ̒͜L̵̛͕̬͎̝̻̰̄̔̿̾ͫ̄̀̾̊͆͋ͣͮͯEͯ̓̿͂͐͊ͤ͊ͨ͂ͫ̒̚̕͏̤̩͚̙͔̼̞͖̯̮̙̱͕̘̦
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCHHH!
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《Hyoudou Issei》
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《Hyoudou Issei》
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"Hyoudou Issei."
"HAAH!"
I screamed as I opened my eyes…..What?
"Vali?"
I turned my head back. Vali was sitting back to back with me like when we rest in between battles. Eh? Battles?
"You should refrain from falling asleep from now on. It's easier for this dimension to influence you in your sleep, when your mind is most active. Besides, you do not feel the need to sleep right?"
….What?...I looked around. I was in a red dimension…
"...Ah.."
I realized as I regained my bearings. This is…..Ah, right. That's right. This is the Seventh circle of Hell, [Violence]. That's right. I was brought here by Vali. This is my last trial. My name is Hyoudou Issei. I remember my parents. I remember my friends. My school is Kuoh Academy. Okay. I think I'm alright. Ah, I almost forgot the most important thing.
The woman I love is R—
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R̷͆̊ͫ̍ͤ͊̔͘҉̙̟̮͇̙̟̦͙̻̳̹̫͎̥̯̠̤ͅỈ̴̧̳͎͕̤͇̣͙͍̙̰͍͉͕̺̩̫̜̯̹ͭ̑̾ͦ́̑̀͋̌̓͗́̀͡Ảͣ͆̀͌ͤͬ̓́͟͏̨͇͎̰̯̻͡Ṡ̸̳̤̙̟̫͖͙̺͔̩̬̮͇̦̉̎ͮ̑ͨ̋ͨ́̄̎̂̈́̒̕͢ͅ ̴̶̩̰͔͂̓̃̇ͥ̓̍̋ͫ̏̍̓̄̒͘ͅ
̶͖̩͙̪̥̖͈̺͙̫ͨ͂̽̄ͭ̓̏̒͊͑̿ͮ̾́ͅṆ̶̖͙͚̘̖͙̭̖̪͈̘̺̲͌ͯ̈̉̏̋̌ͨ̾ͫ̀͌̂ͬ͒̕͝ͅO̶̧͙̞̠̲̫̻̼͍̫̥͓̺̗̜͕͉͚͋̆̓̑̑͆̉͑ͮͨ̄͋̿͋͟͜͠ͅ
̴̭͎̖̦͍̗̟̖̫̭̆ͮ͑̂ͤͩ̽ͯ̃̇͘Ṙ̸̹̼̤̪͎̯̮̘̤̳̙̹̀̔̎̋ͯͨ̋̒͟͢Â̸̘̼̹̯͓̫̳̥̗̤̣͖̘̟̗̗̞͔͑̑ͩͩ̆͛ͤͯ͑͂͘V̧͈͚͖̟ͣ̏ͫ́̌̂͆͗́̆ͣ̌͠ͅE̶̜̙̬̰̠̜̗̺̩̝̪̰̝̰̻̝̬̺̊̇̄̏͊̒ͨ́͐͆͌͘L͙̲͍̹͕̝̟̦̝͎̜ͭ̒̅̎̑͆̄̇̄̇ͧ̑̋̒͊͘͢
̶̝̟̼̱̤̤ͨ͗̈̂͝͠H̸͎͈̩̹͖͎͖̤ͧ͑͂̈̓͐̆͆̀͟ͅE̴͚̥̝͕͙̞̣̭̳̋̄͒ͭͭͧ͆͟͠ͅR͆̾͒̒̎ͧ̀̂̅̃̀҉̫̲̼̗͓͖͕̖̥̠̞̬͎̟͚̳̰̠ ̸̯̥̟̘̩̬̮͖̩͈͎̝͖̼̗̖͐ͬͤ͊̽ͥ̀͊̒̆̽͆͐̐̕͟͝N̾͊̐ͧ̑̀͟҉̧̰͓̫̭͢A͗̿͗͗ͩ̓̑͏̢̨̩͓̰̭́͘ͅM̨̮͔͙̪͚̖̲̞̩͈̭̔ͩ̄ͥ̎͋̄̉͗̅ͯͥͣ̎̾͆͝ͅͅẼ́ͩ̓̓̓̓҉̡̢҉̭̩̯͔̖̪̟̘̻̩̪͓̖͉̖̠͡
̶̞̪͍̠̹̬̺͚̤̟͚͕̮̖͇͂ͩ̓̑̐̏͛͂͛͐̑̒̑͘I͇͚̭̣͖͕̊̔̀̓͛̈͂̈́̀̓ͤͥ͘͢S̡̹͓̯̙̲͉͈̲̪͍̮̤̣͒̑̒̈ͭͮ͆̎͗ͧ̀̕͟ ̴ͫͣ̐̈̈̈̈́ͦ̌̈̌͑̈́ͣ̀͟͢͝҉̗̞̥̭̥͖͕̼̹̥ͅR̴̛̪͓̼͉̻̪̟̤̗̜͚̘̥̲̠̮̞̺ͮͧ͌̽͗ͤA̴̡̛̛̗͙̟͉͕͍͋ͨͦ̌̓ͫ͗́ͮͤ̓͋ͮ̆ͩ͂ͨ͐͟V̸̢̨̹̮̪̟͕̻̗̳͚̬̱͍̝͓͕̎̽͛̐́ͥ̉ͫ̒̃̾̽̉̅̆̄͑̐͢͞E̷̞̼͎̩̺̫͓̱̪̮̭͈̘̯̣̿̇̂ͧ̋͆̍̿ͭͧ͂̚̚͢͞L͖͎̝̤̦͉̬̦͈̝͉̆ͨͩ̋̋ͦ̃̌̋̄͛̓̃ͤ̈́ͫ͟͝͞
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"AH!"
I gripped at my head in pain. Ah. What the fuck was that? Ow. Shit. Ugh. I was trying to think of something, but a pain suddenly hit my skull. I saw a distorted image. Who was that? It looked like two people at the same time. I could vaguely make out a color though. Something bright..?
"Hyoudou Issei."
"Eh? A-Ah, yeah. My bad. I'm here. Here in Hell. Sorry. Somehow, I felt really sleepy all of the sudden. I guess it was part of those fake sensations you were talking about earlier."
"I see."
I took a deep breath as I calmed myself. Ah, shit. That was scary. I guess I won't sleep anymore while I'm here. Even if I get "sleepy".
"...Haah..."
I sighed. Well, since I shouldn't fall asleep, I may as well try to keep myself awake. Guess I'll make conversation then.
...
"...Neh, Vali…"
"What is it?"
"How come you became a terrorist?"
"Hm?"
He tilted his head.
"To fight strong opponents of course. It's not possible to fight the strongest people if you're allies with them."
"You….Do you really love fighting that much?"
"Has it not been clear?"
I turned away and looked out into the red sky.
"I don't get it. How can you be so obsessed with fighting? Isn't there anything else you find interesting in your life?"
"Perhaps. However, nothing so much as fighting is."
"Seriously?..."
I didn't understand it. The only thing Vali truly values in his life is fighting. Really? Is there nothing he finds more compelling? What about a person? No one?
What about….
"Hey, Vali….what do you think about Azazel?"
"Hm? Azazel?"
"Yeah, ain't he like….your old man or something?"
"Old man? Yes, he certainly is an ancient being."
"Ah, no, that's not what I meant. I meant like…..he raised you, right? Like for a long time?"
"Ah….Yes, that is true. A great deal of my life was spent under Azazel's guardianship."
"Right. So…...What do you think of him?"
"I still don't understand the question."
"Um….well…to me, he is an irreplaceable Sensei. Even if he is annoying or pisses me off sometimes, I still can't imagine what my life would be like without him. In a way, he is similar to a second father figure to me. Beyond just a mentor…..you know.…..so….."
I went quiet for a bit before asking.
"...Isn't he like.….your father?"
It went dead silent. I couldn't even hear the noises in the background.
….
Vali stood up.
"...Not like him…"
Eh? Vali whispered something I couldn't hear. Huh? What was that? What did he say? After some seconds of silence, Vali spoke.
"I've grown tired of it. Get up."
[Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker!]
Again, similar to the last time, I was forcefully brought into another battle.
[—]
During our rest, same as always.
"So what is it exactly that you find interesting about Butts, Ketsuryuukou?"
"Don't call me that."
"Ah, my apologies, Mr. Ketsuryuukou."
"I will kill you where you stand."
"I am sitting down, Mr. Ketsuryuukou."
[Enough, partner. Stop insulting our rival.]
"Eh?! Even Ddraig is against me on this?!"
[ Much appreciated, Ddraig. I'm afraid that my strength is not enough to withstand the power of the Ket—…..of such an insult… ]
[I understand it, Albion. I understand the trauma. I understand it too well. The pain….it is truly mortifying. Even I, the Red Dragon Emperor, cannot withstand such an overwhelming Evil. None truly deserve such suffering. Not even you.]
[ I see. And yet, I truly do not understand the level of suffering you have withstood all of this time on your own. To believe that my eternal rival has been subjected to such a thing, it is the greatest insult. I cannot fathom the torture. It compels me to evaporate all of those who have referred to you by that name out of existence. ]
[Yes, I as well. If only I had the power….at the very least, I may seek comfort in the truth that you have not been subjected to the same torture. At the very least, your reputation remains untainted.]
[ For you to have said that, Ddraig. Have you truly suffered so, my rival? ]
[I have, Albion. I have….]
[ Disgusting. Unforgivable. Vali, from this day forth, we shall exterminate any of those who dare speak that cursed name. All of those who refer to my rival as the disgraceful "Chichiryuutei", shall perish. ]
[Thank you, Albion.]
[ There is no excuse for such humiliation. I will not allow it. Even if I must destroy the world, I will not allow it. ]
[I see..]
"Oi, oi, oi, what the fuck? Vali, our partners are suddenly bonding with each other in a creepy way."
"Albion….I had never realized you felt that way….Very well. I agree. I shall eradicate any of those who speak that name. If it is for the sake of Albion, then I will make that vow."
"Huuuuuh?! I'm the only one out of the loop here?!"
What the fuck?! Everyone's bonding without me!? What's happening?! Is this some kind of weird fucking dream?! Is this a hallucination from the nightmare dimension?! Ah fuck it!
"Anyway, forget about that! About my question, what is it that you find so compelling about Butts! That's my question."
Vali answered blankly.
"It wasn't necessarily butts, but rather it was the hips that I found most attractive on a woman. Odin was the one that implied I was the opposite of you in that manner."
"Ah, is that so? Well, nevertheless, why do you find such a thing attractive?"
"Well, if I had to say, it is because it is the greatest representation of womanhood. The hips of a woman are what indicates of whether she is of a child bearing nature. Somehow, I find it alluring when a woman possesses that quality."
"Ah, 'child bearing hips'. I see. So that's it. I guess in that way we are the same. I find Oppai to be so amazing cuz they are the representation of womanhood as well. Or motherhood. Since, you know, women breastfeed their children when they're babies. It's the essence of womanhood and motherhood."
"...You have an attraction to your mother?"
"What?! No! No, you shithead! That's not it at all! Egh! There's no way that's the case! My mum's an old hag! I may be a pervert but I'm not that fuckin sick!"
"What a disrespectful way to refer to your mother. The same mother you once called unforgivable for me to threaten the life of."
"Well, yeah, no shit! That is that and this is this! Something like that is still going too far, obviously! I mean, I still love my mum with all my heart, but that doesn't mean I wanna fu— GAG!"
"Hmph. What an odd one you are, rival."
"You're one to talk! Geez! Haah. Anyway, even if I was somehow perverted enough to be attracted to my mum - blegh - then I would certainly not get along with her as a woman. She's too bossy and nosy. It gets really annoying since she's a stickler for the rules. She's simply too uptight. People say that men look for women like their mothers? No way. I prefer women who are laid back or forgiving, not my mother."
"Hmph. Is that so? Well, to draw out such a reaction from you, she certainly seems like an amusing character."
"No way. She's an Oni (Demon/ogre)."
"Hahahaha! Is that so? Well, at the very least you are similar now."
Oh shit he laughed at that. Huh. I've never heard him laugh in one of our conversations. Actually, I didn't even know it was possible to make him laugh in that way. Because of a joke. I guess he likes this topic?
"Well, anyway, that's enough about my old lady I guess. What about yours? What was your mother like?"
It immediately went dead silent.
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…
…
Vali stood up…..
"Haah…"
I sighed. Well, I suppose I've done it again. But along with our battles, our conversations would continue
[—]
"Yeah. That was the first time my old man took me fishing. I ended up breaking his fishing rod like that and I felt unbelievably guilty about it. Even to this day it's something that bothers me sometimes."
"Hm? Something from so long ago in the past?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, that day meant a lot to him you know. And I just ruined it."
"Weren't you a child?"
"Yeah, but still."
"It seems absurd to me to be so concerned with something so minor that happened so long ago. It only proves that your life was uneventful. If you had known true suffering then something so miniscule would have been easily brushed aside by the heftier trauma."
"Don't you think I know that? I know that, obviously. I just…..I can't help but think about it sometimes you know. I mean, yeah it may not have meant much back then, but what if it got worse over the years? Like if it was a festering wound or something. And every time I did stupid things and made my parents lives worse with my antics, it somehow made that one little incident seem so much worse to him. What if that moment began to take on a new meaning because of everything I was doing in the present. What if….What if that was just the first seed of hatred I planted?..."
Vali scoffed.
"What nonsense. You really are a daft Sekiryuutei. As if such a small thought is constantly present within his mind to that point. Relationships aren't so fickle. At the very least not in that regard. It's ridiculous to assume so. An extreme and most likely unrealistic conclusion."
Vali said those harsh words callously.
"Well shit. I mean, I guess. I know that it's crazy to assume my dad would hate me for that, but I can't help think about it sometimes you know. I just…..I guess it's just cuz I felt alone sometimes. You know, being who I was I didn't really get accepted by society very easily and the only friends I ended up having were other deplorable perverts like me. So, there were times when I couldn't help but feel lonely, you know. I never showed it, but I felt that way. Especially since I thought I was ruining my parents lives, I couldn't help thinking that and feeling alone."
"Hmph. Is that so?"
"Yeah."
"I see."
It went quiet for a bit. I started thinking about Vali's earlier words. "True suffering", huh? Vali was raised by Azazel after he found him. And considering what he's like, and the things he says…..I guess his life wasn't nice after all. That makes me think…
"Haah.."
I took a bit of a breath before I spoke. And I said something that I never thought I would ever say.
"Hey…..Vali….I…look...I don't know what you've been through…..I don't know what sort of trauma compelled you to become like how you are now….as a terrorist and as a person…...But…..do you ever think that, if things were different…..if somehow you didn't have to go through what you went through…...you think…..That we would've ended up being allies…...or….maybe….even friends?..."
The familiar silence returned, but this time for much longer. Vali did not make a single move. I couldn't even hear him breath. Nothing but the sound of absolute silence.
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…
…
Vali did not stand. Instead, we remained there in silence for an immeasurable amount of time. Vali did not speak for what felt like many "days".
[—]
"Ptu!"
I spit out some blood and wiped my lip. I dispersed my armor. I had just finished another battle with Vali, like usual. It was a quiet fight. He hasn't spoken since our last conversation a while ago. I wonder if he'll even talk again.
Well, just as I thought that...
"Hyoudou Issei."
Vali called out to me. I turned around, but he wasn't facing me. He was brushing off his arms and shoulders. After he was done, he stood there quietly for a second.
"...I have…."
"Huh?"
I was confused, but he spoke quietly once more.
"...I have thought of it…"
What? He didn't say anything after that. Instead, he just walked to one of the edges of the island and looked out into the red sky silently.
"...Vali?.."
The silence between us, during and after battles, returned.
[—]
[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaghhh!]
I could hear the many screams in the distance as I looked out into the red sky while crossing my arms. How long will we be here man?
"...Ravel…"
I don't want to be here anymore. I want to return. I want….to be with you. And…..I'm afraid. I don't want to forget you...
"...Hyoudou Issei."
Vali called out to me. I turned around. Vali was at the opposite side of the island, standing near the edge with his hands in his pockets. His gaze was set down to the suffering souls of men clutching and struggling to reach the island. I couldn't see all of his gaze, only really his eyes. His usual cold or cool stare, instead there was a kind of hollow look. Almost as if it was loneliness.
"...The first time we had battled, I threatened to kill your family. I said that for the purpose of getting you to hate me. It was an easy method, but also a weak one. It was simply for the purpose of getting you to loathe me as quickly as possible so that you would face me without reservation. Only because I believed that we were destined to hate each other. Because we were rivals. That's essentially all there was to it. I thought no less or no more of it."
I narrowed my eyes, but remained silent. The silence lingered for a few seconds. As I was about to turn back around, he spoke again.
"Hyoudou Issei. Despite being having your life set on other prospects you still plan to face me one day."
"...Yeah, that's right. I promised we'd settle the score."
"I see…..would that mean to be our last fight?"
I scoffed and looked away.
"I never planned to kill you…"
The sound of silence returned to fill our ears. As I was peering off I to the distance he spoke again.
"Hyoudou Issei. I have a question."
"...What is it?"
"...Do you loathe me?"
Silence.
….
….
"...No."
"...I see."
I turned back around and looked up to the sky silently for what felt like an eternity. I truly did not know how much time passed. Until…
"Hyoudou Issei."
I turned back around one last time. Vali was still facing away.
"...I apologize for that time…."
—The silence from before, returned once again. But this time, I was the one left utterly and completely - silent.
[—]
I burned some sand in the palm of my hand with flames until it crystallized into a solid. When it did I tossed it into the sea of boiling blood so that it would skip like a rock. It didn't. It only ended up catching fire immediately upon contact. Well, as expected. I know it may be odd to play this little game here, but if it helps keep my sanity then who cares. It's not like Vali and I have talked in a while anyway. Speaking of…
I looked back. Vali was at what had become his usual spot at the other edge of the island. As soon as I laid eyes on him I got lost in my thoughts again. The ones from what he has said before..
…..
"Vali."
I called out to him from my place. He turned to me, but I did not turn to him. I said only one thing.
…..
"I forgive you."
…..
…..
"I see."
With that, our familiar silence returned. But unlike before, there was a subtle, quiet sense of comfort in it.
-Rivals-
"Sniff, sniff. Ew."
I scrunched my nose as I smelled something absolutely horrid in my surroundings. Must be another simulated smell huh.
"Oi, Vali. You smell this shit, or am I just hallucinating again?"
I asked Vali, but he didn't answer. Was he being silent again? Our conversations he returned though. Maybe he didn't hear me?
"Vali."
I turned around. Vali was looking down at his wrist. A complex magic circle was resting on it.
"Hoh...It seems our time is finally up, Hyoudou Issei."
Shin!
Just as he said that, a small magic circle appeared on my wrist as well. What?! You mean it's over?! I get to go home?! I looked back up to Vali. He was smirking.
"Well, I suppose that's it then. Not only are you the first Longinus user to slay a God, but now you are one of the only living beings to have visited this realm, besides me of course. Ah, but at the least, we are the only two living beings to have resided within it for this long. Congratulations."
That's what he said. Really?! We're the only ones to have really done this?! That's pretty insane. I couldn't imagine what the masses would think if they found out about it. I wonder if anyone would ever know.
"Well then Hyoudou Issei, it's been interesting, but it seems this is where we part ways for now."
"Yeah. Seems like it."
"It looks like I wasn't able to kill you in the end. Fufufu. A shame."
"Heh. Yeah, I guess."
"Well, anyway, I'll make sure to keep my vow to Albion and Ddraig about the issue earlier. I'll be sure to properly eradicate those who speak of that name. On behalf of our honour as rivals and in respect to you I suppose."
"Hmph. Thanks. But if you kill any kids I'll eliminate you."
"Oya, how chilling. Yet amusing. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
SHIN!
Within the next second, magic circles spawned beneath our feet and began to envelop us in light.
"I'll be watching your victory against Bael. Be sure to keep it interesting enough so that you don't defeat him too quickly."
"Yeah, don't worry. I'll make sure to show him what the Heavenly Dragons are made of."
"Heh. I'll be looking forward to it, God-Killing Sekiryuutei."
The magic circle slowly blinded me as I gave my last words to Vali.
"Vali. I —Thank you."
The light blinded me and Vali said one last thing I could not hear.
"...Hmph….likewise…"
SHIIIIIIINNN!
….
….
When I opened my eyes I was only 50 meters from outside of Grigori. I'm home! I immediately ran inside. I didn't pay mind to those people greeting me or asking why I was so torn up and dirty. Instead, I ran to Azazel's office.
"Azazel!"
"Ise! There you are."
He stood from his desk as I entered.
"How long have I been gone?"
"9 days. Where did he take you?"
"Oh shit….that's a long story."
I explained it to him.
Slam!
"The Seventh circle of Hell?! Unbelievable! That damned brat! It's no wonder those emergency return circles didn't work."
Azazel slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
"Azazel. If I've been gone for 9 days…..then that means…"
He nodded his head.
"The game is tomorrow."
He came up and handed me a tiny bottle. It resembled the rejuvenation potion I took before fighting Atlas. Not much, but certainly better than not having it. I downed it quickly.
"I'm afraid we can't be left thinking about this now. You need to go rest. Regain your bearings. It's already evening time by now. Rest your mind and body. Relax and meditate. Tomorrow, the big day arrives. Get yourself ready. This is what we've prepared for. Can you do it?"
I nodded my head firmly.
"Yeah."
He nodded back.
"Alright. Go now. She's waiting for you."
I left without hesitation. I'm back. I'm back, Ravel. I made it to my door in what felt like seconds. I didn't hesitate in entering.
"Ravel."
Ravel was sitting on the bed silently while looking at a photo. A photo we took together during the school cultural festival.
"Ise-sama!"
She immediately jumped off the bed and embraced me despite my physical state.
"I'm sorry."
"No. As long as you come back, I will always be happy."
Possibly because we had been unexpectedly separated, we held no reservations in expressing our current feelings. I looked into Ravel's deep sea blue eyes.
"Tomorrow is the game."
"...Yes."
"Ravel."
I held onto her shoulders.
"Will you stay with me tonight?"
She smiled.
"There is nowhere else I would be."
I bent down and kissed the top of her head. We brought ourselves to the bed and laid in each other's arms without reservation.
Tomorrow is the day. The big day. The game. No, not just that. Tomorrow is the day…...I go home. It's time…...it's time to go home.
But first, I'll have to get through you, Sairaorg Bael. Or, more accurately, you'll have to come through me.
Bring it on.
End
There's not really much to say. It just is what it is. Don't know why I did this. I just know that I feel very proud of it, because to me everything felt very well executed and believable. It feels good to be immersed. So yeah, tell me what you guys thought.
What did you think overall of the developments here. Did you expect anything like this to happen? What do you think this means for the future? Did the interactions feel well executed to you? What do you think of Issei's minor upgrade to the Scale Mail? What happened when Issei broke from Vali's barrier? And what exactly does it mean to be a Rival?
Read, Rate, Review go crazy.
Stay frosty.