Here I am with another translated chapter!
I was a few days late to post this chapter, so I will focus on the translation these days to update as soon as possible.
I insist again that if anyone is interested in helping me with the translations, please contact me by private messaging. This way, I could make sure that grammatical errors and pronouns are reduced to zero.
Leaving this aside, it's about time to answer the reviews:
The Beast of Sanity: Personally, I'm very happy to see that someone liked Penemue and Tiamat acting as matchmakers. It was an addition that when I did it at the time, no one liked it, since they wanted the relationship to move forward quickly. Of course I understand perfectly those readers, but they should also understand that a story is created based on the author's preferences, and I like a slow pairing much more than a fast one (especially because it gives me much more time to work on the relationship of the characters to the maximum, something that is needed if we are talking about a harem).
Wolfman9623: One of the things I like the most is to read that I am somehow managing to improve the translation. Even so, I will try to keep improving so that it can be enjoyed without annoying clarifications or errors. Thanks for your support!
Guest: I think you are the first person who describes perfectly what I'm doing with this story. Personally I like to play a lot with cannon and non-cannon things, for that reason at first the story lines may be similar but always at one point it ends up branching out to the point of being a completely different story. I hope the reading continues to be to your liking, and I assure you that Penemue will get those manga.
TatsuyaShiva4: You made this comment several chapters back, so I don't know if you're reading this. But I think it's something interesting to clarify to everyone in general. Maybe it hasn't been clear, the hints weren't enough, or I never explained it so far, but the events that happened in the past are relatively different from now, and that makes most of the beings that are supposedly stronger than Tiamat dead. Also keep in mind that this is a Fanfic, so the power line is not followed exactly as the original work. This means that I wanted to make the Dragons this strong completely on purpose. I certainly didn't buff them, I just nerfed all those who were more powerful than them, but even so there is still some stability as to how powerful and hard to beat a God can be. In short, I wanted to make a general readjustment to fit the lore of my story. I hope I have clarified this point and left you satisfied with the answer.
Having answered all the reviews, it's about time to start.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 27: THE PROPHECY OF THE APOCALYPSE!
Azazel watched the night sky with utmost tranquility, until he caught how a violet magic circle appeared behind him.
"They're finally here..." Azazel thought aloud, as he watched the appearance of Issei and his two future lovers.
"And the others?" Issei asked instantly, seeing that Rias and her peerage were not there, not even Sirzechs.
"Sirzechs is entertaining them in Hell." Was Azazel's simple reply. "This is a meeting that does not need their presences. They would only bother with questions."
"I sense the presence of three very strong Angels inside." Penemue commented, fixing her gaze on Azazel. "So they didn't take a second to come, huh?"
After hearing Penemue's words, Issei couldn't help but remember what they talked about in the past about a very important prophecy.
"I am aware that Tiamat knows nothing about this." Azazel commented, causing the dragoness to glare at him. "But, as one of the 3 most powerful entities, I see it interesting that you find out about this." Azazel raised a hand towards the door, inviting them in.
"Shall we go?"
Meanwhile, in the Underworld...
"Are you okay with this, brother?" Rias asked, receiving an exhausted look from the Maou.
"There's nothing to be done. We tried to delay the inevitable, but it was more than obvious that at any moment they were going to look for it." Sirzechs commented, implying that he had no regrets. "Besides, on second thought, we still have plenty of time to accomplish our task. Now that he'll know about the Prophecy, it only remains for us to be a bit more prudent with our movements so as not to be so obvious..." Sirzechs fixed his gaze on his sister, making her a little nervous. "That's a part of your mission... Speaking of which, since we're here, it would be great to go over the points of our plan again..." The Maou stated, positioning both hands on the desk as he looked around at everyone present.
Returning to the Kuoh Academy...
Issei entered through the main doors of the Club, slightly widening his eyes in disbelief as he witnessed three people who glowed in a divine and incomprehensible way. They had an impressive aura around them that came to impose a bit, but at the same time embraced you gently.
Simply put, it was a strange, but pleasant sensation.
There were three entities:
In the center, stood a man with the strongest aura of the three, so it made him seem like the leader. His light blue eyes gave him a compassionate and friendly look. He had a look of being a good guy, as well as perhaps the most beautiful I had seen so far, due to his perfect and refined features.
At his side, there was a man with golden hair and eye color just like the previous one. Unlike his apparent leader, this one had a somewhat dismayed expression, looking back and forth, as if he were a child in a toy store. The man fixed his gaze on Issei, giving him a huge, toothy grin that made him feel a little weird. It was only natural, considering this guy seemed rather strange.
And on his other side... It was unbelievable... A woman who was almost as tall as the guy in the center. She was extremely similar to their apparent leader. The only thing that set him apart, was his completely innocent look, which was only intensified by his tender aura. When she saw Issei, she gave him a cute smile, even though they were natural enemies. Another obvious difference was that she was a woman, and a rather well-endowed woman at that. Somehow, she rivaled Penemue when it came to breast size. In fact, Issei could tell with great ease, that this woman was the perfect counterpart to the Cadre.
The woman averted her gaze from Issei for a short second, fixing it on her side.
"Penemue, Azazel. Long time no see. I really miss you guys." The woman commented in an angelic and utterly pure voice, indicating that every word was more than sincere.
Penemue simply responded with a wave by raising her hand, causing Issei to reinforce the idea that this woman was the perfect counterpart to the Cadre.
Still, Issei didn't have much more time to think about that, as she watched Azazel practically crawl over to the woman, making a bouquet of flowers appear from a magic circle.
"Oh, beautiful Gabriel!" He exclaimed, taking one of her hands and kissing it without her consent. "I've been waiting for you all these years!"
"... Gabriel? Wait..." Issei thought, blinking at the revelation and fixing his gaze on Penemue, where she answered him with a nod, confirming his doubts.
Any woman would respond with disgust at such an act, but Gabriel, being Gabriel, it was simply impossible for him to take Azazel's hint... not so hint, towards her.
She only acted out of her innocence, as she reached down and stroked his hair with her tender smile on her face.
"I've missed you all these years too!" She exclaimed with complete innocence and sincerity. "Without you, Elysium has been very boring..." This alone caused Azazel to hug her tightly, in which the Seraphin did not hesitate to return the gesture.
"Elysium?" Issei wondered aloud.
"It's known as Heaven or Paradise to humans." Penemue replied, receiving a nod from Issei.
"Gabriel is one of the most beautiful and pure women in the whole world." Tiamat commented, seeing Azazel's reaction. "She is the main reason hundreds of Angels have fallen." The dragoness fixed her gaze on Penemue.
"She, and you."
Seeing that Issei wanted to find an answer, Penemue positioned a hand on his head affectionately.
"When I was in heaven, she and I were identical. We differed only in hair and eye color, along with my height. After that, with respect to personality, tastes, thoughts... We were alike in every respect..." Gabriel looked up, giving Penemue a nice smile as she continued to comfort Azazel. "That made us very good friends back then."
Issei looked at Penemue and Gabriel for a short second, unable to believe what he had heard.
"Can the Fall of an Angel really change your life that much?" he couldn't help but think, as the two were now complete opposites.
Michael could only smile nervously at Azazel's attitude, sharing the look with his companion.
A few seconds later...
Everyone seemed to have calmed down, so the Angels decided to introduce themselves to Issei, who still didn't seem entirely clear on who they were.
"My name is Michael. I've been in charge of Elysium since the death of my father, God." Michael pointed to the woman beside him. "As you know, this is Gabriel. Along with me, she is a Seraphim, one of the strongest in her position." Michael pointed to his other side, causing the as yet unidentified man to raise his hand as a gesture of greeting. "He is Dulio Gesualdo. An ancient exorcist who was reincarnated as an Angel thousands of years ago. Ah despite having been a human, his combat strength is on par with ours. He was also known to be my Joker, until he became independent because of his great power."
"Joker?" thought Issei for a short second, then remembered one of the first talks he had with Ddraig. "That's the first example I've seen of a reincarnation other than by Demons..."
"Already once introduced, I would like to tell you the reason for our visit." Hearing this, Issei couldn't help but look at the Heaven's Leader with special attention.
Seeing Issei's reaction, Michael became serious for the first time in the talk.
"Apparently, you already have a bit of an idea about this..."
"Penemue had talked to me a little..." He commented, causing everyone without exception to look at the aforementioned with great surprise.
"Azazel held up his end of the bargain." Commented the Cadre quickly, seeing certain disappointed looks beginning to be directed towards him. "He never commented on it. It was our own Father who told me about the Prophecy, just before his last battle..." Penemue couldn't help but lower his gaze with some sadness after remembering it.
Hearing the answer, Michael and the others seemed to be instantly satisfied.
"Very well. It is only natural that our Father told the Prophecy to the one who would previously be his successor." Michael's comment took Issei by complete surprise, as he knew nothing about it.
Why was Penemue supposed to have been his successor?
"Changing the theme, it's obvious that they must not have all the information we have about her. That's why we came to take Issei with us."
Hearing this, Tiamat became defensive practically instantly.
"What are they going to do?" the dragoness asked, stepping forward.
"I didn't think the rumors of the alliance between the Ice Queen and the Sekeryuutei were true because of their eternal rivalry. But the impossible means nothing these days." Michael commented, handing her a small smile. "Don't worry, we promise nothing will happen to him. Besides, it'll only take a few minutes."
Tiamat took a step back, crossing her arms.
"Very well."
"Hum, are you sure?" Issei consulted the dragoness as he saw that her always hostility seemed to be practically in short supply at the moment.
Tiamat watched Issei with a small smile denoting her beautiful fangs.
"Don't worry. Angels can't lie." She explained, resting a hand on Issei's hair and rubbing it affectionately.
"Well, as you may know, protocols prevent us from bringing any Demons, humans, Fallen Angels, or any other species to Elysium." Michael ducked his head, along with the other two. "I hope you know how to excuse us."
"No problem." Was Azazel's simple reply, as he wiped his ear with his pinky finger and did his best not to look at Gabriel.
"Wait a minute." Issei pointed at himself. "I am a Demon."
"You're the exception." Hearing Dulio's reply, Issei could only look at him with great intrigue.
"You'll understand in the moment." Michael explained, holding out his hand. "Let's go."
Issei looked towards his two future lovers who were quick to nod, as was Azazel. Finally, he took the Seraphim's hand, causing the aforementioned to widen his smile.
"Gabriel, if you want you can stay until we return." He quickly replied, causing the pout on Gabriel's face to instantly disappear into a huge grin.
"What!" Dulio exclaimed. "Wait, I want to stay for a while too!" He pleaded, causing Michael to grab his hand.
"You're coming with us." Was Michael's simple answer, making Dulio do his best to wriggle free, while comical tears appeared on his face.
Followed by that, a strong golden light adorned the Club for a short second, and when it disappeared, three people were already missing there.
"Sis, I missed you so much!" Gabriel practically pounced on Penemue, hugging her very tightly.
"Oh, yes..." Were the only words out of the Cadre's mouth, as she felt herself being squeezed and squished by her best friend from the past.
Meanwhile, in a rather... singular place, to say the least...
After the blinding brightness, Issei opened his eyes, and couldn't help but be immensely surprised by what he was seeing.
Everything was completely white...
He was standing on top of some clouds, or at least, they appeared to be. The solidity was so empty that it looked like he was floating above the ground, as if he wasn't actually stepping on anything. What appeared to be clouds stretched out infinitely, where different structures made by walls with a golden glow could be seen, in what were supposed to be the homes of the beings that inhabited there. The atmosphere, unlike Hell, shared much similarity to the mortal plane as far as color was concerned. The only strange thing, was that there was no hint of clouds around, though perhaps it wasn't so strange, as they seemed to be stepping directly into the clouds.
Next to him, Issei could make out how there was a small gap, and in that place, an infinite fall seemed to be visible, as it was completely dark underneath. There seemed to be nothing below, except for a wall of golden magic circles covering the entire surface below. It was probably to keep the huge structure floating, and perhaps for yet another function.
Issei stopped admiring the entire environment when he felt Michael position a hand on his shoulder.
"It's nothing like what you've been seeing so far, is it?" the Seraphim asked, receiving a quick nod from Issei.
"Follow me."
Issei instantly heeded, following behind him, while Dulio watched him endlessly.
"The magic circles below were created by God. It's what keeps this realm afloat, and also serves as the passage to Earth for those who gave in to sin." Michael explained, as Issei watched as each Angel seemed to be enjoying life here. "These clouds were also created by my Father. If you have impure desires that begin to adorn your heart, your body will feel heavier and heavier, until these clouds can no longer support your weight and eventually, you fall. Because of the magical density of the atmosphere, it is impossible to fly..." Michael paused there, fixing his gaze on Issei with great curiosity. "However, I really expected to have to use a special magic circle to allow you to move around here, but I see that it wasn't necessary. It's a very intriguing thing, being that you're a Demon."
Dulio landed next to Issei, causing him to startle a little.
"Does that mean the Demonic Corruption's disappearance is official?" he asked, bringing a hand to his chin. "There are rumors that because of the death of God and the Demon King, the forces of the divine and the corrupt has greatly decayed."
"Actually, Demonic Corruption does still exist, as does Original Sin..." Issei quickly explained, rubbing his hair with a nervous smile at the Angel's very casual attitude. "What happens, is that I'm lucky enough to have Ddraig, who prevented my soul from being corrupted after reincarnation."
"I see..." Dulio commented, moving a little closer to Issei, piercing him with his gaze. "That I never would have guessed..." A dangerous gleam ran through his eyes. "And tell me, how has mankind advanced? Are the girls of today prettier than the girls of yesteryear?"
"Uh, well..." Issei looked genuinely taken aback at the sudden question. "Let's just say that makeup products help a little... "He didn't know how to continue the conversation.
"Dulio, didn't you have to do something?" Michael asked, causing the aforementioned to turn away from Issei immediately.
"That's right!" Dulio smashed his fist into his palm. "I have to keep an eye on the second bubble of human souls." He commented to no one in particular, disappearing in a jiffy, without first giving a quick salute.
"Sorry." Michael bowed his head to deliver his apology, impressing Issei. "As you may know, he is not an Angel as such. He has great curiosity for human life since he left it, and let's just say that when he was an exorcist, he had a great interest towards beauty, especially the beauty of women. An interest that has not yet disappeared today."
"No problem, really!" Issei quickly waved his hands, feeling slightly uncomfortable that the Leader of the Angels bowed his head to him.
They both continued walking for a few seconds, where Michael presented him with a kind of giant capsule, where there were a large number of human souls living together. He explained that this is the supposed Paradise mentioned in the Bible, and that is where all pure and kind souls end up. He also explained that before God's death, evil or corroded souls had their memories erased, and were introduced into another new body. At least, it was like that until God's death, now they were simply destroyed. Issei was left wondering what was the cause of changing the system, but he kept the question to himself, feeling that the doubt would be answered in a very short time.
Finally, they parked at a small home, which happened to be the home of the God himself. It was curious, as all the home structures were exactly identical, except for the structures that stored the pure human souls.
When he entered, the first thing he distinguished was a small golden structure, where too many things seemed to be regulated.
"This machine was used by God, to create Angels, human souls, clean those souls, create Sacred Gears, and among other very important things." Commented the Seraphim, lowering his head with slight sadness. "Unfortunately, no one in Elysium possesses that much power to use the Projector. That is why, that is why the creation of Angels stagnated, and for that reason is why we are only left with destroying the evil souls of humans, while we can only pray that they continue to reproduce smoothly so that they will continue to subsist organically."
"*It is curious to see that this very small element has wiped out infinitely powerful beings, such as myself and Albion*" Ddraig commented, a bit impressed at the fact.
"We didn't wipe them out. We simply sealed them." Corrected Michael, not detracting from the great power of the dragons. Something that obviously made Ddraig happy, and made like him a little.
Michael opened one of the doors, fixing his gaze on Issei.
"Anyway, this wasn't what I wanted to show you." He gave a small nod of his head, indicating for him to follow.
Issei did so, arriving at a rather small room, where a rather small white and gold colored structure stood in the center, where it possessed different strange symbols in the center, at the same time it had Hebrew writing on the top.
"What distinguished our Father, was not his immense power, but his skill." The Seraphim narrowed his eyes slightly.
"He was able to see the future."
Hearing this, Issei froze completely still.
"See... the future?"
"That's right." Michael nodded. "For that reason, he would make various prophecies of what the future might be like. And, if so, how to change it. Or at least, how we could make a safe change. After all, playing with the future can be quite dangerous."
Michael positioned himself next to what appeared to be a small relic, positioning his hand over the writing.
"The Prophecy of the Apocalypse..." He uttered, causing Issei to widen his eyes in shock.
"A dystopian future, where only the end awaits the Demons and the Fallen Angels. The Angels, Norse, and Yokai will suffer the worst cataclysm in their history. Three thousand years remain, so that the life of every living being is at stake."
"W-wait..." Issei tried to interrupt, but Michael stopped him instantly.
"The symbols belong to each Faction, and the order is indicated by the importance of each in the last battle." Michael started with the last ones. "These are us, the Angels. Of the approximate 40000 of us now, an estimated 2036 are estimated to survive." Michael passed his hand over the next symbol. "These are the Fallen Angels. Of the approximate 35000, an estimated 2 are estimated to survive." He paused at the next circle, looking at it with great attention. "These are the Nordics. Of the 20000, 15000 will survive. Keep in mind that today, the Norse army only numbers 8000, and the rest are citizens." Michael went on to the next circle, frowning slightly. "In this case, it is not the involvement of a Faction, but of an entity. This is the Hakuryuukou, where their survival is an unknown, as are the other singular entities." Michael continued, parking his hand on the other circle, unable to keep from squinting his eyes. "Surprisingly, the Demons have an even larger share. But, the total number of survivors, is 0."
Hearing the figure, Issei felt himself freeze.
"The third, belongs to Ophis, and the second to Great Red."
"I don't understand..." Issei commented. "Why are you telling me something so important?"
Michael positioned his hand over the last symbol.
"Because you are the most important in this battle, Issei. The Sekeryutei, you are the one who will decide the future."
Issei was completely stymied, trying to absorb all the newly collected information.
He would have to bear the burden of saving everyone?
Was this some kind of joke?
"But, don't take it so personally!" Michael exclaimed, seeing that Issei didn't seem to respond to such information. "The Prophecy indicates the beginning of the end in three thousand years. A thousand have already passed, so there are still two thousand years left. Furthermore, it is also specified below that he will be the last Sekeryuutei in existence, so you need not worry."
"The last Sekeryuutei?" Issei couldn't help but ask, receiving a quick nod from Michael.
"We don't know how it will happen, but we are sure that the bearer will have to sacrifice himself along with Ddraig to succeed, or at least, we speculate something along those lines. Something that should destroy the Boosted Gear completely, and take Ddraig's soul with it." Seeing Issei begin to fill with melancholy, the Seraphim quickly reached over and positioned a hand on his shoulder. "You need not worry. The average lifespan of an Albion or Ddraig bearer is equivalent to the lifespan of a human warrior due to the great battles they lead. To be honest, I don't think you should face such a responsibility, as there is still a long time to go. I brought you here, because I think the chances of you getting to face it are very low, but they are there. I know it maybe sounds very discouraging that it's killing you so fast, but it's statistics."
"*Statistics were born to be broken.*" Was Ddraig's simple reply, impressing Michael immensely, as he hadn't expected the dragon to jump to support practically instantly.
The dragon hoped that his words might have made Issei happy, but he grew bitter and worried as he felt nothing change inside his body.
"Before you return, I must show you one last thing." A door opened, causing Issei to turn his drooping gaze there. "Behind that door, there is a message from my Father that is addressed only to the Sekeryuutei. None of us have ever entered there, as we are not allowed to do so. We do not know what the message is, nor do we have any clue, as all previous bearers could not understand the meaning behind it... Although some didn't even try, due to the confidence they had in their power." Michael fixed his gaze on Issei with great seriousness. "That you didn't need a magic circle to be transported here speaks a lot about you. I think you are the most indicated bearer to see this message so far, and perhaps you can find some meaning."
Issei looked at Michael for a short second, then nodded.
Perhaps, there he might find some answer as to how to prevent the death of many...
"Before you go in, I want to tell you one thing." Issei stood in the doorway, fixing his gaze on Michael. "My Father's Prophecies do not decipher destiny, only the future. That is why, depending on how such a Prophecy is taken, the future can fluctuate."
"How many times has it fluctuated?" Issei asked, causing Michael to become slightly sobered after remembering the one antecedent.
"It was only once." Was the Angel's simple reply.
Issei entered the room noticeably larger than the previous ones, where one could see that it was a type of living room with many chairs and a large round table in the center.
Issei just walked a little to the side, looking around the room in detail without being able to find anything interesting. Finally, his gaze was fixed on a kind of orographic player in the center of the table, which gave off a figure of a man who looked to be around 38 years old, already with a couple of gray hairs and a golden beard. His golden eyes stared into nothingness, while he appeared to be very hesitant.
"Well... let's get this started..." God closed his eyes for a short second, looking out the nearby window. "This is a projection, so I won't be able to answer any questions. Just deign to listen, please." Issei just leaned against the wall, listening intently to the projection.
"Today is probably the last day of my life. I saw the future and shared my wisdom and destiny with all the other people on how to stop Trihexa. We just needed to appease her anger to bring her back to her senses, her one weakness..." God lowered his head, heaving a great sigh. "I never thought my own children would use that information against us, just for wanting to extinguish all other species to predominate. My son... The Demon King... How could I have been so blind?" God looked up, giving a small sigh. "Well, there's nothing to do now..." God lowered his head slowly. "The future has fluctuated, and there is only one way to stop Trihexa... Unfortunately, I will have to sacrifice myself..." God looked up, narrowing his eyes slightly. "But it will only be for momentary peace. I have seen who the Sekeryuutei is, I have chosen him myself after seeing his provenance. Still, I'd rather not specify. I will not make the same mistake twice."
God walked over to the window, and looked outward. A small smile appeared on his face. Apparently, he was looking at his sons.
"In closing, I would like to tell you one thing if you are the chosen Sekeryuutei." God narrowed his gaze again. "There are only two beings who know about your identity, and only those two people will help you at the key moment. I put all my faith in them, and from the future I am glimpsing, I believe I was not mistaken." God lightly clenched his fists behind his back. "I worry that there will be another fluctuation, but I also have faith that everything will go as planned..." God gave a big sigh, closing his eyes deeply.
"I know you won't understand this at the moment. But, to be honest, the only thing I hope for in this projection... The only thing I hope, is that you can forgive me..."
Issei could only widen his eyes slightly when God turned around, and seemed to fix his gaze on him just before the projection ended. A very curious thing, since it was just that: a projection.
After a few minutes, Michael quickly approached Issei, seeing that he had finally come out. From the look on his face, he knew he had been debating the information quite a bit.
"Did you understand something?" Michael asked, causing Issei to grimace slightly.
"I only understood that if I am the Sekeryuutei, I should know 2 people who know everything about the future." Was Issei's reply, causing Michael to make a small grimace, indicating that he had already been told that. "Also, during the screening he seemed to be very hurt by the betrayal of his son, the Demon King..."
"That's normal." Was Michael's quick reply. "The betrayal came from the beginning of the Great Holy War, when the Demons wanted to proclaim themselves the sole dominant species."
"But during the battle against the Trihexa the differences had been put aside." Issei's comment made Michael look at him with great intrigue.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean that he seemed sad about something recent." That answer made Michael slightly surprised. "Although, I don't know specifically what he meant. He doesn't specify."
Michael lowered his gaze, thinking carefully about his words.
"I see..." He raised his gaze, staring at him. "But, I think it's kind of absurd what you're bringing up, since the Demon King himself was the one who brought great help to God along with Ophis and Great Red to seal Trihexa. In fact, he died along with God to accomplish the task."
"It's only a hypothesis. After all, it's what I thought I saw..." It was Issei's simple comment, causing Michael not to press further, due to the fact that he looked quite depressed with all the recently undermined information.
Michael decided to put the questioning aside, seeing that Issei didn't seem to be doing too well.
"Do you want to take some time to absorb everything?" he asked, receiving a nod from Issei.
"Let's go somewhere quiet..."
Meanwhile, back at Kuoh Academy...
"So, the Probabilities of a chaotic future are closer than we thought..." Tiamat commented, already having been informed of the situation.
"It's still two thousand years away. We can still prepare and train him without problems." Penemue commented, receiving a quick nod from Tiamat.
"But, it will be two thousand years from now." They all looked at Gabriel, not understanding exactly what he meant.
"I mean, the average lifespan of a Sekeryutei is no more than 30. He will most likely..."
"He won't die!" Tiamat and Penemue stomped loudly, sounding their words with great imposition.
Gabriel could only fall silent at such synchronicity and tone.
"I didn't want to mention it either, but..." Azazel thought, raising his gaze with great seriousness.
"Two thousand years is a long time for a Ddraig bearer, brat..."
Back on Elysium...
Issei sat on one of the many golden benches on the site, while holding a very deep thought.
"If your previous carriers came before, why didn't you tell me about it?" He asked, causing Ddraig to scoff slightly.
"*You know well that my relationship with my previous carriers was never good. I spent much of my journey sleeping with them. It's only natural that I didn't hear about this,*" the dragon commented, causing Issei to lower his gaze a little more.
By now, Ddraig's worry was through the roof.
Knowing that he must sustain such a large amount of lives, he would probably die during the final battle, and even die before. After all, it was still two thousand years away.
Sometimes, the blows of reality are much stronger than one expects...
At least, that's what Ddraig believed. And indeed, those things troubled him. But, they were on the back burner, compared to his real concern...
"*Partner...*" Ddraig began to search for the words to lift his best friend's spirits.
"Ddraig, I don't want you to die." Issei spoke first, leaving no time for the dragon to respond.
Ddraig could only slowly widen his eyes in complete shock.
Of all things...
Of all the worries...
Of his possible death...
Of all the burden...
Was he just fixating on that one little detail?
Of his death?
Ddraig could only close his eyes deeply, at the same time that a big smile appeared on his face.
"*Really... You're one hell of a guy, brat*" the dragon commented. "*Of all things, you only fixate on that?*"
"Only fixate on that?" Issei asked, lowering his gaze sadly. "You're like a brother to me. Of course I'm going to fixate on that."
Ddraig just increased his smile even more at what he heard.
"*Listen, you're like a brother to me too...*" The dragon's gaze grew very serious. "*But you should also think about your future.*" Seeing that Issei didn't seem very convinced about that, the dragon began to relate:
"*Tell me, what do you think Matsuda and Motohama would feel when they learn of your death?*"
Issei widened his eyes slightly at the comment.
"*What would your companions think?*" Ddraig narrowed his eyes slightly.
"*What will Tiamat and Penemue think?*"
Issei's eyes would widen even more at his last words.
"*They would be devastated."
A few seconds silence ensued, until finally Issei decided to speak.
"I..."
"*I'm also not saying you only do it for Tiamat and Penemue, for them, or for us.*" Ddraig interrupted him, in a rather soothing voice. "You should do it for you, too. After all, wouldn't you like to enjoy hundreds of years in the vicinity of Tiamat and Penemue? Don't you mind dying sooner, knowing all that you could enjoy together with them in the future?*"Seeing that Issei seemed to start reacting, Ddraig couldn't help but smile. "*And they are just an example. You can still experience many things together with me, even together with your partners. So, will you stand idly by?"
Issei leaned back on the bench, looking down at his hands. A very determined look crossed his face, as he clenched his fists tightly.
"I'll survive, and I'll make sure you do too!" He exclaimed with complete assurance. "It doesn't matter if I have to sweat blood at every training session!"
"*That's the spirit!*" Ddraig roared with great conviction, seeing that Issei had completely pulled himself together.
"Are they ready to go back yet?" The chatter was interrupted with Michael's arrival, causing Issei to look up at him.
"I just have one question." He commented, causing Michael to look at him with special attention. "Do reincarnations apply within each Faction?" he asked, causing Michael to shake his head.
"It doesn't. All races that possess reincarnations, or are half-bloods, do not count within the numbers. Still, it is specified that the extermination of the Demons and Fallen Angels happens almost entirely, so there shouldn't be more than 4 or 5 survivors, putting the two sides together, of course." Michael explained, causing Issei to lower his head.
"*Just one last question before we go back.*" Hearing the gauntlet, both Issei and Michael were surprised. "*If Trihexa is supposed to be the one causing the extermination, why doesn't her symbol appear in the Prophecy? It's kind of curious, being that it should be the one with the greatest involvement. After all, everything ends up being triggered because of him. "*"
"Well, it's the Prophecy of the Apocalypse. His name may not appear, but he's the Dragon God of the Apocalypse, and it just so happens that the seal will be broken in approximately two thousand years." Michael clarified. "All the clues indicate it's him."
A small "Hum!" was heard from the gauntlet, indicating that Ddraig had been satisfied with the answer.
"Before we go back, I'd like you to promise one thing." Michael commented with great seriousness, receiving a nod from Issei. "I want to keep this strictly between us. Very few know about it, and spreading such information to the entire supernatural world would be very dangerous. Chaos and panic could reign in different sectors if it became known."
Meanwhile, back in Hell again...
"We will take advantage of that fluctuation. The Sekeryutei is the fluctuation." Sirzechs commented with great seriousness. "The Sekeryutei has great power in the coming war, and if we manage to use it carefully, we could survive such a catastrophe. And after the battle..." Sirzechs would narrow his eyes with a mischievous look. "We could take advantage of the weakness of the other races so that we could predominate over them, and control them." Sirzechs fixed his gaze on Rias with great seriousness. "But all that, it's up to you, Rias. You have to control it through love, and keep it ignorant at all times." Sirzechs leaned back against his desk again, opting for a passive look. "At the moment, you've had no progress with it. Something that's understandable, due to the fact that you've had very little time with the carrier because of his training. But that's okay, let's remember that not only do we need control, but we also need him to be very strong."
"What if it turns out that he is not the Sekeryuutei of the Prophecy?" Rias asked, causing Sirzechs to lower his gaze, as he made a seal appear that had the engraving of the Twelve Gates of Hell.
"We would go to plan B..." Sirzechs couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the idea. "Something I wouldn't want to do..." Rias couldn't help but look at him with confusion, as he didn't know what his brother was referring to.
"And what about the Fallen Angels?" Akeno asked, causing Sirzechs to look surprised at the woman's astuteness.
"Gee, I didn't expect you to notice..." She commented, sketching a small smile. "If the Sekeryutei are the biggest pawn in our plan, they are the smallest. After all, they are the only race that looks a little like ours. They would be willing to do anything to fulfill their most repulsive desires. If we show them an idyllic way in which we achieve victory, they would surely join our side. That's why I called Azazel. That way, we will begin to have more and more contacts with the Fallen Angels." Sirzechs narrowed his eyes slightly, remembering the interactions he had with Azazel. "Though he seems to have somewhat different ideas than I had originally thought. But it won't be anything that will cost anything to work out. With a couple of women, he'll surely be happy by now..." The Maou thought, making it clear that he knew nothing about Azazel's full rehabilitation.
"As of now, it's time..." Rias whispered, clenching her fist tightly. "I promise not to let you down, brother!"
"I'm glad to hear that." The Maou commented with a smile. "But remember, we still have plenty of time. Move forward carefully, and don't be hasty."
Rias simply nodded at her brother's words, then disappeared in a magical circle along with her retinue.
Sirzechs leaned back on his desk again, sketching a mischievous little smile.
"Having told all the pure Demons and certain exceptions about the Prophecy was a very good idea. Still, I don't think Michael was wrong in thinking that spreading the information could cause great chaos and panic before its time." He thought, then narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "But, he doesn't remember that we Demons were born out of chaos and panic. It's normal that he doesn't remember, because we've been hiding our true nature for a millennium to find an opening due to his overconfidence towards us. But..." A smirk appeared on the Maou's face.
"I never thought I would have such an opportunity having the Sekeryutei on my side..."
At the Kuoh Academy...
Issei and the others had already taken their leave of the Angels, leaving them alone.
"Issei, are you all right?" Tiamat asked with genuine concern, placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
Issei positioned his hand over hers, giving her a smile.
"After absorbing that information, I just feel like training." He commented, causing Tiamat and Penemue to smile at him, looking quite relieved.
"I can't believe I saw Gabriel again..." Azazel thought aloud, causing everyone to look at him.
"With Penemue's change of attitude, no wonder she's the most desired and pursued woman by everyone." Tiamat shot a glance towards her friend, sticking her tongue out at her. "Apparently, those times when they were evenly matched are over." Penemue simply raised an eyebrow, indicating that she cared little for being less than Gabriel.
"Issei, what do you think?" Azazel asked, causing Penemue to instantly fix her gaze on her pupil.
Something that had no relevance in her mind, became very important from one second to the next.
"Which of the two is prettier?" Azazel issued the ultimatum.
Although, the answer was already decided even before he formulated it.
"Penemue."
He said it with complete certainty and practically to the second, causing everyone to gasp in surprise.
"I like her character type much better. And I think her beauty is more sporadic and special."
Penemue could only blush at such words, then look away. No one could make out that small victorious smile that appeared on her face.
"And you say that with such confidence..." Azazel patted his face with a big smile.
"Hm?" Issei simply looked at him, not understanding why he had said something wrong.
Had he said something wrong in the first place?
In his eyes, both Penemue and Tiamat were totally incomparable to other women.
"Well..." Azazel broke into the mood with a loud cheer. "With this wild night, the training period ends." He concluded, then sketched a somber look, as he knew well that what was to come was not good at all.
Especially, for a certain Cadre...
Issei couldn't help but look at Penemue with some pain, and she shared his gaze completely. They had both spent so much time with each other, having fun, sweating, playing, chatting, and occasionally crying, that they had completely forgotten that training didn't last forever.
Tiamat could only watch without saying a word as Penemue lowered her gaze slightly, while her crimson eyes gave off a rather palpable sadness in the atmosphere.
"Penemue..." Issei reached out his hand to comfort her, whereupon the Cadre stopped him instantly.
"Issei..." Her rather melancholy voice caused a lump to form in his throat. "Would you... Would you like to play one last game of chess with me?" she concluded, raising her gaze.
Issei wasn't going to deny it in any way, but those pleading eyes only made him want to rush to her and hug her tightly to comfort her.
But he knew her well, and he knew she didn't like to show a lot of emotions in public...
Issei held back from hugging her out of respect, only to nod firmly, causing a tiny, imperceptible smile to creep across Penemue's face.
Meanwhile, Tiamat seemed to have been quite satisfied with the outcome.
"Apparently, I'll be spared the explanation about my Heat Cycle for one more day." Thought the dragoness, pleased for both of them.
Azazel drew a half-smile on his face, seeing that the farewell was going to be much more pleasant than he had originally thought.
A few minutes later, in Grigori…
The silence was palpable in the atmosphere, as they were in the main hall, and as was customary, no one would be working there late at night.
Although being frank, what would be unnatural, is for someone to work in the first place...
The chessboard made hollow sounds for every move, and for every piece that was knocked down. Nothing but those emotionless sounds could be heard around, as both players were in complete silence.
"Checkmate." Were Issei's simple words.
He would be very happy to have beaten Penemue for the first time, who had played completely for real, but the situation did not allow it.
Especially, because of the bitter face Penemue had during the whole duel.
"I..." Issei tried to start a conversation, but was quickly interrupted when Penemue grabbed his hand, making eye contact for the first time with him since they arrived at Grigori.
"Can you stay with me...?" Penemue tightened his grip on the chestnut's hand even more. "Just for tonight, please..." He concluded, in a very pleading tone.
A small smile appeared on the chestnut's face, seeing that Penemue had finally decided to open her emotions completely towards him at this moment.
"I'd love to." Issei quickly replied, giving him a big smile.
To be sure, no smile of Penemue's had ever come as close to returning to its origins as this one.
Her smile was so pure and delicate, denoting all her happiness at hearing that Issei had accepted her proposal.
It was such a beautiful smile, that the chestnut couldn't help but file it together with the first smile Tiamat gave him, when he said he would stay with her those three days.
That's how they both went to sleep in the Cadre's room. This time, Issei was not ashamed to look at her face, maybe it was because of the situation, or because she was already irresistible enough in his eyes not to look at her, especially when she was wearing her white pajamas, which made her look much more beautiful than usual.
Penemue didn't take a second to move closer to him, snuggling her body a bit next to the chestnut's.
The distance between them was noticeable, but it was completely cut off by her large cleavage, which pressed affectionately against his chest.
She clasped her hands together and rested them on Issei's chest without any words. They were both content with breathing so close to each other. And not only that, the warmth that was felt, was also too pleasant to go unnoticed.
"Really...?" The silence was broken by a shy Penemue.
"Do you really think I'm cuter than Gabriel?"
Hearing the question, Issei couldn't help but laugh internally. Though that chuckle was especially due to how Penemue twisted her body underneath the blankets, indicating that she attached non-existent importance to the answer.
Penemue couldn't help but tense slightly when she felt Issei's arms wrap around her waist, enclosing her in a weak embrace, but one that meant much more than that.
"Why do you even care about that? You're a hundred times prettier than her."
Penemue felt a huge blush creep up her cheeks from the endless emotions that welled up from deep within her chest. Luckily, complete darkness was on her side so that he couldn't see her in that condition. But, she couldn't help but act on such a gripping feeling...
Issei could only blush slightly when he felt how the Cadre used her legs to wrap around his waist. That didn't end there, as she also wrapped her arms around his chest, enclosing him in an embrace so tight and warm, that one could very easily feel the other's heartbeat. Heartbeats that were perfectly in sync, as if the two were connected.
"Because of your Academy, and my work, we won't be able to see each other. The schedule load is quite dense for each of us, especially for me..." Cadre commented with quite noticeable distress, even her voice sounded a bit broken.
She never thought that distancing herself from someone could become so painful...
"I understand perfectly..." Issei commented, not knowing what to say about it.
"Don't say anything..." Penemue's broken voice deepened even more.
"Just..."
Issei couldn't help but feel his heart begin to tremble, due to the fact that he felt a dampness become palpable on his shirt, indicating that Penemue had begun to cry.
"Just hug me..."
She concluded, causing Issei to tighten his embrace on her even more, feeling tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
But, he wanted to feel strong for once in his life...
He wanted to be strong for her...
The next day...
"And the dynamic brat?" Azazel asked, seeing Penemue enter the great hall, unaccompanied by Issei.
"He already left." Was Penemue's curt reply, sitting down next to Azazel to begin flipping through papers.
"At this time in the morning?" Azazel squeaked. "He must really like the Academy..." He commented to no one in particular, only to feel a bit quizzical at Penemue's attitude.
After all, she didn't have her usual drabness on her face, with her seriousness hiding her emotions.
In fact, on this occasion, you could see for a fact that she was in pain, and a lot of it.
Azazel caught on almost instantly to what was happening, so he stared at her for a couple of seconds, until finally a sly smile shot from his face.
"Hey..."
"Don't talk to me now." Penemue cut him off immediately. "I'm trying to concentrate, and I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone..."
"Would you like to see Issei while you do your work in between?"
Penemue would have told him to shut up or she would kill him, but it was more than obvious that those words had caused the Cadre great interest.
Her piercing, exclusive gaze directed solely at Azazel affirmed it.
END OF CHAPTER!
And before you wonder, no, the way Azazel has in mind to bring Penemue and Issei closer is not through manga.
In the previous chapter someone said it would be a good idea to stop referring to Issei as the protagonist and simply use his name, something I was doing for much of this chapter. I always did it with the intention that the constant repetition of her name wouldn't be annoying, but if you find it more comfortable this way, then I won't have any problem doing it this way.
Without anything else to add, I'll see you in the next chapter.
Have a nice day!