Here I present myself with a new translated chapter!
This time, I'll go straight to the reviews:
Cobin Michael: Actually, the wolf is a character created by me, just like the Twelve Gates of Hell (well, or rather I implemented it, since the religion talks a bit about the existence of the twelve circles, but that's another thing besides). So no, he's not a character that appears in DxD. You're going to get more information in the coming chapters, so don't worry because the doubts will be solved.
Vanhellsing9000: Although it may be a valid proposal, I'm not the kind of author who likes a massive harem, four is more than enough. Also, I think this story was formed and developed enough to imply that Issei won't choose other partners, but it doesn't hurt to clarify that.
Rain Dance Jam: A new reader, I see. I hope you can enjoy each and every chapter, and I personally apologize if there are certain translation errors that make you uncomfortable.
Now it's time to get started.
Enjoy!
"That's all the information I have at my disposal." Sirzechs finished his explanation of the events, watching as Vali and Arthur found themselves more focused on watching the destruction than his story.
"What do you think, Arthur?" The albino spoke up, catching the aforementioned's attention.
"I was part of the Heroes Faction before, and I can tell you that they are insane enough to seek out Issei to kill him due to the fact that he was one of the main precursors to the death of their leader." Arthur lowered his head slightly because of the question that had been posed to him. "Still, I'm surprised that they acted just at the time when Hyoudou was in such a bad way..."
"The Asgard Ceremony was a big event. It is almost certain that no one must have missed such an event." Sirzechs cleared the blond's doubts, managing to get him to take his chin.
"True..." Was his simple reply as his mind tried to come up with other possible causes.
Those thoughts stopped when Vali grabbed his shoulder, drawing the attention of those present.
"What's done is done. What I want to know now is more information. Tannin is a dragon and was close to the events, perhaps he was able to discover something thanks to Issei's aura." The albino stated, earning a nod from Sirzechs.
"You're right. I also heard that they had a friendship of sorts, so I'd like you to help me relay this sad message to him. I'll take care of everyone else, it's my responsibility as the faction leader that Issei previously belonged to." The Demon King stated regretfully.
Vali just nodded, making it clear that he didn't mind acting as a messenger.
Finally, the two left the scene, leaving a somewhat pensive Sirzechs on the spot.
"I think I should be somewhat direct with Azazel..." Thought the Demon King, sketching a small smile that did not bode anything good.
Both Vali and Arthur arrived at the Dragon King's territory. The blond could only look at his friend with some concern, as he was much quieter than usual.
"Vali, if you need to talk about this, remember that you'll always have us to support you." Arthur rested a hand on Vali's shoulder, who lowered his head slightly at the act.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
CHAPTER 72: TAKING BACK CONTROL!
"You should have seen how the whole fight went. I'm sure Issei would even be able to kick our Father's ass if he were still alive." Azazel laughed loudly after his words, earning a nervous smile from Michael.
"You know well that we can't abandon our post unless it's for important things." Declared the Seraphim with a bead of sweat. "By the way, I'm still waiting for my stay in this place to actually be for something important." He concluded, causing Azazel to give him a tired look.
"As rude as ever, eh?" Cadre stated, giving a small sigh. "Anyway. I called you here for this katana. As you well know, it is Issei's weapon, and it has a truly mysterious history behind." The man's words made the Angel look at the sheathed katana on the table with great curiosity.
Azazel withdrew the katana slowly, revealing a completely rusted steel with a rather worn hilt. It didn't take more than a second for Michael to realize that something strange had happened.
"From the look on your face, I'm sure you're well aware that Issei's katana didn't look like that." Azazel stated, fixing his gaze on the weapon. "It's true that it used to be rusty, but the blade and hilt part were flawless. I am even sure that the katana had changed once again during the combat, but I was unable to witness it properly and as they did not allow to record the battle is impossible for me to affirm it. Still, the first conclusion was not difficult for me to draw after inspecting it." Azazel raised his gaze, sharpening it quite a bit.
"Apparently, this katana changes and becomes completely useless if it is not near Issei."
Michael's eyes widened slightly at such a revelation.
"Wait a minute, does that mean it's not an ordinary katana?" Angel asked him, fixing his gaze on the weapon with even more curiosity.
"From what Penemue told me, it's a weapon that was created by our Father to be given to the right person. After seeing the various changes it has undergone in Issei's hands, I'm sure this has a great mystery encapsulated in it." Azazel's eyes narrowed at what he was about to say.
"No matter how I look at it, everything tells me this katana is a Sacred Gear. It might even be a Longinus."
Michael looked at him for a short second, then focused his gaze on the weapon once more.
"I understand, but what do you want me to do?" He stated, feeling confused at being called out by Azazel only for him to tell him all this.
"To my mind, this weapon being a Sacred Gear is only the tip of the iceberg. I need you to bring me as much information as possible on this weapon." Cadre stated, getting Michael to look at him with great surprise. "I need to know how it was created, where, what materials, what energy, I need everything." He concluded, earning a serious look from Michael.
"You know I can't do that." Angel stated firmly.
"And you know well that this may be the last connection our father sent us. Perhaps this katana holds a much more important message than we imagined." Azazel clarified, though those words did not seem to change the Angel's mind.
The two stood staring at each other without a word, until finally one seemed to give in.
"Everything tells me you're only doing this for your hobby, but I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't curious." Michael stated, rising from his seat.
The Angel studied him with his eyes for a short second, then returned to his usual smile.
"All right, you win. The only condition I impose is that the information collected will go back to Elysium and all accounts of it will be destroyed after the investigation is complete." Culminated the Angel, receiving a smile from Azazel.
"As far as I'm concerned, those conditions are more than tolerable." Azazel rose from his seat, shaking hands with Michael.
Just as the two were about to discuss the matter some more, a surprise magic circle appeared right in front of Azazel.
"Sirzechs?" Azazel stated with a stunned look on his face at such an unexpected interruption.
That look changed radically as he saw into the wounded condition and destruction towering over the Demon King's back.
"What the hell happened?!" The Cadre exclaimed, demanding an answer.
"Where should I start..." Sirzechs thought aloud, opting for a sad look. "I think I should be as concise as possible. In fact, I'll take advantage now seeing that both Faction leaders are together. We were attacked." They both looked at each other after hearing Sirzechs' words.
"Do you need support? We'll go right now!" Michael exclaimed with complete seriousness.
"Don't worry, we managed to hold them off long enough and they left as soon as they had the chance. After all, their objective was very clear..." Sirzechs gritted his teeth and ducked his gaze after those words, something that alarmed those present.
"What were they looking for?" The one who asked was Azazel, who was very serious about the complicated situation.
"They were looking for the moment where Issei would look most vulnerable..." Azazel's eyes slowly widened after hearing those words. "I guess they were following him throughout the day knowing that he was weak. Then, the Hero Faction didn't hesitate to attack when they saw that he was in the Underworld..."
"Where is the brat?!" Azazel practically shouted at him, not letting him finish narrating what happened.
"Azazel..." Was all Michael could say when he saw the condition the Cadre was in.
He never thought he could see the always carefree Azazel so frightened.
Sirzechs opened his mouth, but closed it instantly. His gaze fell to the ground, an act that clearly meant no good.
An act that nearly stopped Azazel's heart, who was beginning to prepare himself to expect the worst.
"Issei...Issei was a great boy until his last breath..."
A stormy silence arose in the room. A silence that didn't last long, as Azazel could be heard slumped over the chair, wearing a completely lost expression.
"I think I'd better leave you alone for a moment so you can digest this." Sirzechs stated helplessly, then cut the connection.
"Azazel..." Michael commented grimly, but the Cadre didn't even respond.
All he did was lean his elbows on the table and clutch his face in unparalleled frustration.
"Go away, I want to be alone." Were the man's relentless orders, to which Michael couldn't refuse.
"DAMN YOU!" Tannin roared with unparalleled rage as he smashed an entire mountain with a single blow.
"FUCKING FUCKERS!" The dragon roared with even more anger as he threw another punch into the ground, destroying much of the forest he stood in.
"WHEN I FIND THEM, I'M GOING TO TURN THEM TO DUST!" Tannin shouted to the sky with unparalleled anger, causing the entire place to shake from his uncontrolled power.
"I'm guessing from his reaction that he doesn't have the slightest idea what happened." Declared Vali, who was hovering in the air above a magic circle next to Arthur, who watched the huge dragon bursting completely out of anger.
"That can only mean that Issei must not even have had time to react to the attack. This leads me to the conclusion that there's nowhere to look for more clues anymore." The blond declared, watching as Tannin continued to shout and hurl powerful magical attacks that were lost in the sky of the Underworld.
"That's not quite true." Vali declared, catching Arthur's attention. "There is still one person who may know something." The albino lowered his gaze, remembering a certain woman.
"If I remember correctly, Tiamat had a very strong seal of connection with Issei."
Tannin's attacks suddenly stopped, earning a surprised look from both of them.
"Tiamat..." The dragon declared, slowly widening his eyes.
"Tiamat!" Tannin exclaimed with more than palpable concern and fear.
His gaze locked on both men instantly.
"Quick, we have go to her!" The dragon exclaimed, causing Vali and Arthur to look at each other quizzically.
Meanwhile, in an unknown place...
"What the hell is that idiot Azazel doing who won't even answer my calls?" thought Penemue with some annoyance. "Issei doesn't answer me either. And I wanted to talk to him before I went to sleep..." Thought the Cadre somewhat dejectedly.
That expression returned to her usual one as she approached the window of her room.
"Not that it matters much. I'll be home again tomorrow." She thought with an imperceptible smile.
She never thought she would be so eager to get back to that place she called home.
"Now that we're both going to have a little time off, I wonder if we'll continue with the cooking classes." A growing blush crossed her cheeks after remembering her much loved Issei.
It was amazing how her bad mood could be erased in seconds just by remembering him...
"RRROOOOOOARRRGGG!"
"Issei, react!" Ddraig shouted as loud as his lungs would allow, but was only met with another loud roar from the dragon who continued to destroy everything around him with various lightning and magical attacks.
"Issei, stop, you're hurting yourself!" Ddraig continued to shout in great concern.
"Issei!"
The protagonist's eyes suddenly widened as he thought he heard his dragon brother's voice.
"Ddraig...?" Was the only thing that came out of his lips when he saw that he was in a place where only darkness reigned.
Seconds passed, and Ddraig's voice was not heard again. The numerous memories of what had happened recently began to hit him hard.
"Does that mean I'm dead?" Issei's teeth clenched tightly after coming to that thought.
"After all I did for them, they repay me like this. In the end, they used me just like she did..." Issei's fists clenched tightly as the memories of Raynare and what happened recently hit him hard.
"I should have listened to all those warnings about the Demons early on, and then all this wouldn't have happened..." Issei lamented with great regret as he felt a great hatred fuel him.
Just as he was beginning to resign himself to his torturous fate, a voice identical to his own spoke to him.
"Do you think lamenting now will do any good?"
Issei looked in all directions, but could see no one.
"Who are you? Where are you hiding?" Issei demanded to know, looking in all directions.
"Who am I? I already answered that question when we first met." A very strange shade of red made an appearance, leaving Issei very confused.
"Have we met before?" Issei asked rather strangely, as he didn't remember seeing someone with such an unusual shape.
"From now on, I'll be asking the questions." The figure stated, leaving Issei even more perplexed. "Do you want to get out of here?" After hearing that question, the brown focused his attention entirely on that being. "From your face, I can see that you want to. But it won't be easy." The humanoid form approached Issei, until finally standing in front of him.
"To achieve it, you'll have to settle accounts with yourself. You'll have to control everything that torments you. That useless feeling that is bringing you to your end. If you want to face that, if you want to face your own fears, all you have to do is touch me."
At first, Issei was very hesitant, but seeing that there was no other better option, he agreed almost instantly.
He couldn't let it all end this way after what they did to him. And if he had a way to live, he was going to take it to end them.
Just as his hand touched the entity, Issei assured he could see a smile on what was apparently his face.
"Good choice."
Those were the words that started everything.
From one second to the next, Issei was no longer in that completely dark and lifeless place. He was now in a place full of trees with various paths.
A place Issei recognized practically instantly.
"Is this Kuoh's park?" Issei asked himself with quite a bit of surprise as he began to move along the path, until he finally came to a place very familiar to him.
A place that didn't bring back good memories for him, but that wasn't the most important thing now. What really mattered was the silhouette that stood in front of the fountain, a silhouette that Issei recognized instantly.
"I-It can't be..." Issei thought with his eyes widening in shock at the sight of her. "I-I killed you with my own hands..." Torturous memories covered in regret and hatred crossed his mind after remembering how he murdered Raynare with his own hands.
Issei slowly approached in a state of complete awe. An awe that slowly began to replace in the face of uncontrollable rage and hearing.
"If it hadn't been for you..." Issei whispered under his breath as he approached Raynare, who had his back turned.
"If you had never shown up, none of this would have happened!" Issei exclaimed with restrained fury as he placed a hand on the woman's shoulder.
He couldn't see it, but he felt a cheeky, frightening grin cover Raynare's face after hearing his words.
And the moment he tried to hit her, her figure vanished and the place where he stood was replaced by a vast road. Issei's eyes not only widened at that abrupt change of scene, but he also looked quite astonished to see himself riding his motorcycle.
He did not have much time to think about what happened, as a huge amount of magical blasts began to fall on his back at a great speed that completely destroyed the area where they collided, leaving a black abyss in their path. Issei tried to escape by flight, but realized that he could not detach his body from the motorcycle, so he had only one option left.
Issei's teeth clenched tightly and he began to drive at full speed with the motorcycle while a huge amount of devastating magical attacks came closer and closer towards his position, devouring everything in their path.
Just as he began to pull away a bit, he could feel time slow down as he witnessed a woman on the side of the road that he knew very well.
"Tiamat!" Issei shouted in horror as he saw that the smiling dragoness was not going to take long to be sucked into nothingness itself.
the attempt to change direction to go after her was so abrupt that the bike ended up flipping over, sending Issei flying off of it.
The protagonist expected to hit the rough asphalt, but his surprise was more than evident when the impact was less painful than he expected. He opened his eyes, even more surprised to see that he was in the middle of a desert.
"What would you prefer?"
Issei averted his gaze, seeing that the strange entity was between two portable toilets. On both baths he could see that the word "revenge" and the word " love" were written.
"If you want to walk your path of revenge, then you will have to forget those people who always supported you wholeheartedly. You will never be able to get back to them, no matter how hard you try." The entity paused a little dramatically, then continued.
"Just as it happened a moment ago."
Issei could only remain silent at what he heard. He watched both baths for a few seconds, until he finally approached.
All the entity did was watch as Issei entered the bath that had the word " love" engraved on it.
Issei looked inside with some confusion as he saw that it was a normal bathroom. The brown-haired man turned to open the door, and this time he wasn't so surprised to see that he was actually now in the bathroom of a wagon. His eyes went to the windows, seeing that outside there were no walls or ground, just a sort of purple storm.
That could only mean one thing.
He was on a train traveling between worlds.
Issei came out of the bathroom, and the first thing he saw made his blood boil.
There stood Rias and all of his Sequito, with the exception of Gasper. They all looked at him with an air of impressive superiority and mockery, which only served to make Issei even angrier, if that was even possible.
"Fucking bitch!" Issei tried to hit her hard, but his fist went right through Rias' figure, as if she were merely a ghost.
Seeing this, the protagonist tried to activate his gauntlet to blow up the entire train, but his surprise was more than noticeable when he realized he couldn't use any of his powers.
Reluctant to continue watching the faces of those people who betrayed and used him, Issei ran towards the other carriage. When he broke through, he could only manage to be surprised again to see who was there.
"We were waiting for you, Issei." Vali commented with his typical smile, being accompanied by his whole group.
"Guys? What are you doing here?" Issei looked at them in complete confusion.
"Come closer, we need to talk." Vali told him, making him come closer until they were face to face.
"Before that...!" Issei tried to speak, but Vali interrupted him when he raised his hand.
"I know what you want to ask us, we're not going to do that." Hearing the reply, Issei could only get annoyed.
"But...!"
"We're not interested in any of that. The only thing we're interested in is the safety of all of us." Vali stated, interrupting Issei once again. "I think you should understand that more than anyone else, since you taught it to me. First we must always seek the safety of others before our own well-being and selfishness." Vali leaned back on his seat, glaring at Issei.
"Don't you think you're being very selfish right now? You know well that getting carried away with bad emotions and thoughts isn't good for someone who shares certain dragon characteristics."
Issei simply snorted angrily, turning away from the group.
"Those are pure bullshit!" He exclaimed, approaching the other wagon.
Vali's smile changed to a serious look after hearing the response.
"We only care about you, Issei."
After hearing those words, the brown stopped for a short second, but still resumed his walk.
Surprise was now commonplace for him after witnessing that in the next carriage was Gasper, who was apparently waiting for him.
"Boss, I'm glad you're okay!" Gasper hugged him tightly, looking very happy.
"Gasper?" Issei responded the gesture with some stupefaction.
"Boss, I know you want justice right now. But that won't do you any good, remember there are a lot of people who will be crying for you now." Issei's eyes softened a little after hearing those words. "Don't let those bad thoughts keep you away from us. You don't need revenge, and you never needed anything like that." A small smile broke out on the albino's face.
"What you need has always been with you since you began your adventure."
Issei's eyes widened slightly at such words. At first he didn't answer him, but slowly smiled again.
That smile that always characterized him so much.
Issei positioned a hand on Gasper's head, widening his smile even more.
"Thank you."
Was all he said, then watched as Gasper began to fade into particles just before giving him a big smile.
Issei looked around, seeing that the whole place had changed again. This time he had no trouble recognizing where he was either, though he hadn't been to the site many times.
"Grigori's castle." He said to himself, stepping out of one of the doors.
His face shifted from side to side, noticing that the place was crowded. But they weren't Fallen Angels, they were Demons.
Issei watched them with considerable disgust and began to run to get away from the crowd. He pushed a few of them, who slowly began to recognize him.
Issei stopped at one of the railings, and just as he was ready to fight to assassinate them, he could detect something out of the corner of his eye that left him speechless.
"Penemue?" Issei lowered his gaze to the second floor, watching as the Cadre headed for the exit amidst the whole crowd of Demons.
Some Demons tried to grab him as his back was turned, but failed as Issei jumped from the railing to the second floor.
"Get him!" One of them shouted, and at that moment all the Demons became aware of Issei's presence.
All except Penemue, who kept walking towards the exit as if nothing had happened.
Issei ran to try to catch up with her, but several Demons got in his way. He didn't realize it at the time, but Issei activated his gauntlet without realizing it and pushed the two men with a superhuman strength that sent them flying.
Being able to activate his gauntlet, he could assassinate everyone without any problem. But that wasn't on his mind right now.
All his eyes could see was Penemue's figure getting farther and farther away.
Issei began to run through the various Demons, dodging and punching anything that came his way with outstanding skill and power.
Issei ran and ran, until he finally used the head of one of the Demons to make a great leap, standing just a few feet away from the Cadre.
"Penemue!" Issei shouted with the intention of catching her interest, something that seemed to work when she turned her face after opening the huge gate of the castle.
But just as he was about to embrace her, she disappeared in front of his eyes, as did everything around him.
Issei couldn't help but scream as he witnessed him heading towards a seemingly endless fall.
The protagonist fell on an invisible ground amidst the darkness, causing him to spit out some saliva. He quickly got to his feet, watching as various Demons appeared out of the darkness and completely surrounded him.
Issei looked in all directions as he activated his gauntlet silently.
When the Demons got close enough, they all formed a perimeter around their target. That action created a very heavy atmosphere that was accompanied by a thunderous silence.
Issei stood completely still as did the others, until he opened his hand, revealing a tiny orb.
"DRAGON SHOT!"
A large number of Demons were instantly pulverized, and the remaining hundreds rushed at Issei, starting a battle.
And just at that moment, everything around Issei came to a standstill, including himself. The only thing that could be distinguished amidst so much confusion was a rather unique gleam given off by the protagonist's eyes.
"It's time for you to remember."
Issei came to himself and was now facing Azazel.
"Come on, it's your turn." The Cadre declared, implying that they were playing a game of chess.
"Why are we playing?" Issei asked him, who didn't take long to realize that they were in the living room of his club.
"I'm here to guide you, I believe you are still capable of remembering the teachings Penemue gave you through this game." The Fallen One stated with a relaxed smile, getting Issei to frown.
"So you're going to lecture me on what to do too?" He asked, not very convinced of Azazel's intended ideas.
"You know I'm not like the others, that gives me a lot of slack." The Cadre stated, bowing his shoulders. "As far as I'm concerned, you can do as you please, brat." Issei had to admit he wasn't expecting that response, but coming from Azazel it was a common one. "But..." Issei paid special attention when the man became a bit serious. "Remember that I will always support you with whatever decision you make. The problem is, if you follow this path, you won't even remember our talks and my teachings."
"Don't say that." Issei smiled. "I will never forget everything I was taught, let alone everything you have taught me."
Azazel just smiled at his words. The Cadre stood up, to place a hand on Issei's head.
"In that case, I trust you to make the right decision, brat." The Fallen One concluded, drawing a small chuckle from Issei.
"Don't worry." The protagonist commented, watching as Azazel and everything around him began to disappear, including himself.
"I promise I'll always keep in mind all the things you've taught me."
After the whole world was decorated by complete darkness, a voice could be heard among the infinite shadow.
"It's time for you to remember."
The same sentence was heard once again, followed by numerous images that recounted and illustrated all the important moments Issei had spent together with his loved ones. The images passed by very fast like fleeting memories, but it was clear enough to see all those people who were always supporting him.
Finally, an image of Azazel, Tannin, Matsuda, Motohama, Vali, Ddraig and Gasper lingered the longest. All of them around Issei, and they were all very happy.
And the one who turned out to be the happiest, was him.
"Remember the friendship."
The voice was heard again.
The image of his best friends disappeared through particles that were again ordered, presenting an image that paralyzed Issei's heart for seconds.
That image was of Tiamat, Penemue, Rossweisse and Ophis who were embracing him with a love and affection that even he could feel, even though it was all fake.
"Remember the love."
The voice echoed through one last echo, bringing Issei back again to his battle against the Demons.
Issei rolled on the ground, dodging all the attacks, only to leap to his feet. The protagonist threw several punches at everyone around him, until he finally tipped his hand to the front.
"DRAGON SHOT!"
The whole place was covered with a dust that denied him the possibility of looking beyond. Issei remained completely motionless, waiting attentively for the attacks of the Demons that were still alive.
Therefore, great was his disbelief when he was met with a giant fist that sent him flying into a tree, shattering him in the process and causing him to spit blood.
Issei slowly stood up, watching as Tannin looked down at him with a smirk.
"What's wrong, Issei?" The dragon spoke to him as he laughed, trying to throw another punch that Issei narrowly dodged.
The protagonist struggled to his feet, watching as the large dragon slowly approached towards him.
"Is there something distracting you?" Tannin declared, stopping a few feet away from Issei. "You shouldn't have your mind distracted during a fight!" the dragon roared with authority, trying to step on him, but Issei managed to dodge it as he took a leap.
"Over here!" The entity shouted at him, getting his attention.
Seeing that Tannin was starting to create a giant Dragon Shot, Issei didn't hesitate and ran towards the entity.
The humanoid form threw itself into a huge puddle, and Issei did the same instantly seeing that Tannin was nothing away from throwing his attack at him.
The world did a 360-degree turn where Issei emerged from the water again, but this time he was facing the Academy.
"It's time to end this." Rias declared with an evil grin, being accompanied by her entire entourage, with the exception of Gasper.
Issei didn't hesitate and tried to materialize his gauntlet, but was unable to do so.
"Do you need the hate?"
The voice echoed inside Issei's head again, causing Issei to look in several directions.
"The answer is in your hand."
Hearing that, Issei opened his hand, seeing how seven pawn pieces were there, slowly turning into particles.
"Kill him!" Issei didn't have enough time to process what had happened, as he was suddenly attacked by his former teammates.
He dodged them without much trouble, surprising himself at how much strength, reflexes and speed he had without even using his gauntlet.
Issei caught Kiba's sword in his hands and gave him a strong blow that knocked him unconscious, and then threw the sword towards Xenovia. He didn't stop there, as he slid down at a great speed to take down all of his opponents with utmost ease.
But just when he thought it was all over, his former comrades coalesced into a bizarre mass that turned into a giant monster with two horns. This time, his enemy was much more powerful and his blows didn't seem to hurt him.
The monster opened its mouth and began to spew out a barrage of magical attacks, forcing Issei to take cover behind the Academy, watching in amazement as the school structure began to change until it became a giant pawn.
Issei tried to counter with his own magical attacks, but the monster's body swallowed them as if they were nothing. The protagonist gritted his teeth as numerous magical attacks grazed his body, forcing him to hide behind the structure once again.
Issei looked down at himself, seeing that his torso was completely exposed, plus he had slight cuts on the ends of his body.
"Use this!"
The shout of the entity was followed by a large chain that fell on Issei's hands.
The brown-haired man could instantly distinguish that the chain was tied to the huge pawn, so he did not hesitate and pulled it tightly.
The lower structure of the pawn shattered completely, and the large piece slowly fell on the giant monster. Issei couldn't help but scream as the ground shattered at the fall of the large structure.
Issei fell to his feet and quickly realized that he was surrounded by red flames that reached a point that his eyes were unable to distinguish. What he could be sure of was that he could see the large figure of Ddraig behind the fire.
"I'm going to ask you one last time." The entity walked past him, capturing Issei's full attention.
The protagonist lowered his gaze, watching as the last pawn piece appeared between his hands.
"Do you need the hate?"
After everything he went through in this strange place that seemed to be purgatory, Issei could finally understand what he really longed for.
"No." His answer was coated with assurance as he dropped the pawn piece, and a smile on his face took effect as he felt that he was finally free.
"Then..." The entity transformed completely, opting for a body Issei was sure he had seen in one of his dreams.
He was that person almost identical to him that he had seen for a short moment during the confrontation against Cao Cao.
Issei couldn't even ask him a question, as he could see the katana he had always used materialize in his hand.
"Finish the source of your hatred." The stranger declared, pointing towards a particular spot.
There the flames opened up, revealing a bound Raynare on a pole. She could only cry for mercy, as her mouth was covered by the cloths that kept her bound.
Issei slowly approached her, causing her to widen her eyes in horror.
Issei did not hear her muffled screams, only raised his hand and plunged the katana deep into her chest.
At that moment, the brown fell to his knees, feeling lighter than ever before in his life as he watched Raynare's particles vanish into the flames.
"Congratulations." The stranger positioned a hand on Issei's shoulder, then flashed him a smile.
"You are free now."
The world distorted in a stunning way as numerous memories along with his crushes and best friends hit him for one last time.
"RRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOARRRRRGGGG!"
That was the last roar of the gigantic dragon, as he disappeared from nowhere along with all the magical attacks that were being fired from his body.
Among all the destruction, a figure could be seen as he remained on his knees while large wounds covered a large part of his body.
The figure soon stood up, then looked up at the pale sky of the site.
"I would never be able to forget them."
Those were the last words of Issei on that day, who began to look for a shelter to recover.
Without realizing it, he left a trail of blood next to 8 pawn pieces.
END OF CHAPTER!
Everyone is probably a bit confused by what happened to Issei in this chapter. This may perhaps be something that may never be answered completely clear in what is still left of the story, but let's say that the entity is actually Issei's soul, and being a soul much more powerful than any other, it was able to help Issei come out of his subconscious through those memories and challenges. Let's say she brought him to his senses, as his power and hatred had caused him to lose control over his own body. Basically, he had entered a state of uncontrolled madness.
The next chapter will show how Penemue will react to Issei's death.
With nothing more to add, see you shortly.
Best regards!
"The power source disappeared?" One man wondered as he sweated, being joined by several others.
"Most likely it fought one of the two beasts that rule the upper gate." Stated another, who wasn't feeling much better.
"That means he must be weakened right now. We have to finish him off now that we have this opportunity." Stated another man as he adjusted his glasses.
"Shouldn't we wait for Rosswell?" One of them asked, receiving a negative from the man who seemed to have more experience.
"The captain is far below this door taking care of other possible disturbances. Admittedly, it may be risky to go without him, but we need to take care of this job before it's too late." Commented another, who was holding an ice bow in his hands.
"In that case, we'd better get going right now. Seven, you'll stay." Declared the man who appeared to be second in command. "You better not do anything strange, Loki." He concluded, turning his gaze towards the prison where the God was being held.
Loki didn't even answer him, all his attention was focused on what had just happened.
He was trying to find a logical answer, but none of the possibilities seemed coherent enough from his point of view.