Issei Hyoudou sat quietly on one of the couches located in the Occult Research Club room. The room was filled with a comfortable yet eerie atmosphere, fitting for a club centered around the supernatural. Most of the occupants were devils who served their King, Rias Gremory, the heir to the Gremory clan, which was part of the 72 Devil Noble Families. Rias herself was currently seated at her desk, meticulously going over the contracts completed throughout the week by her peerage. Standing behind her was Akeno Himejima, a devil-fallen hybrid and the queen of the peerage. The rest of the peerage were scattered around the room, engaged in various activities. Koneko was eating snacks while comfortably perched on Issei's lap, and the others were engaged in discussions.

The days leading up to Issei's fight with Sairaorg had been grueling. Training sessions with Rias and the rest of the Gremory peerage were intense, pushing him to the brink of exhaustion. Yet, in the back of his mind, there was always a nagging feeling, like an itch he couldn't scratch.

As he closed his eyes, trying to shake off the feeling, a sudden flash of light blinded him. His heart raced as his eyes began to gain a golden shine as if they were given purpose once more. His mind was filled with memories that seemed to have been hidden away but had now returned. These memories came back in a painful torrent, causing Issei to grab his head and groan.

"Issei!" his friends called out to him as they witnessed him in apparent pain. However, Issei couldn't hear any of their calls, almost as if they weren't even there with him.

Issei's eyes snapped open, but the clubroom and his friends had vanished. He found himself standing in a vast, desolate landscape. The sky was a perpetual twilight, and the air was thick with an oppressive sense of dread. It was a place he had hoped to forget – the Lands Between.

Memories flooded back in a torrent, each more vivid than the last. He remembered his journey through these lands, the battles fought and won, the sacrifices made. He remembered becoming the Elden Lord, a title that came with immense power and responsibility. But most of all, he remembered the maiden who had been with him during his time within the Lands Between until she made the ultimate sacrifice for him to rise and become a lord.

"Issei!" The voice of Rias Gremory broke through the haze, pulling him back to the present. He blinked, and the clubroom came back into focus. Rias and the rest of his friends were standing around him with concern on their faces.

"Are you alright? You seemed lost there for a moment," she asked, her crimson hair glowing in the evening light.

"I'm... fine," Issei replied, though his voice wavered. The memories were still fresh, and the weight of his past as the Elden Lord pressed heavily on his shoulders.

"Hey, Issei, are you sure you're okay?" Asia asked, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine," Issei repeated, forcing a smile. "Just... the training has been tough." He hoped they would believe his lie, not wanting them to worry about him.

Before Rias or Asia could respond, a sharp, insistent ringing cut through the air, Issei's head snapped around, his eyes widening as he saw a familiar sight – a glowing sigil on the ground, pulsing with an otherworldly light.

"The guidance of Grace… it calls to me once more," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

Akeno Himejima approached Issei, her eyes narrowing in concern. "Issei, you seem too worried. Is something going on?"

Kiba intervened reassuringly, "If it's about Sairaorg, we'll face him together."

Panic surged through Issei. He didn't want his friends to get involved in this battle. He had already seen many people he called companions in the Lands Between fall because of him. He unconsciously clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white, as he recalled their deaths.

"I'll catch up with you guys later," he said quickly, turning away from Rias, Kiba, and Akeno. "I just need some time alone."

Rias looked like she wanted to protest, but she nodded. "Alright. Just... be careful, okay?"

Issei nodded, then walked away, the sigil calling to him with increasing urgency. Once he was sure he was out of sight, he stepped forward, the light enveloping him. The world around him twisted and contorted, and when it settled, he found himself standing at the edge of a dark, foreboding forest.

The Land of Shadow.

His heart pounded in his chest as the memories continued to flood back. He remembered the challenges he had faced here, the monsters he had defeated, and the allies he had made. But most of all, he remembered the power he acquired while on his quest to become Elden Lord. Powers that put many of the people he had met after becoming a devil to shame, especially the power of Destined Death that he obtained after defeating Malikeith the Black Blade, one of his most challenging fights.

He blew into a whistle shaped like a ring. Seemingly out of thin air, a spectral steed appeared and began to nudge its summoner, asking to be petted.

"Hehe, it's been a while, Torrent. I'm sorry, bud," Issei said genuinely to the steed named Torrent. He then climbed on top of Torrent, ready to venture out into the unknown land that is the Land of Shadows. While on top of Torrent, Issei recalled who had passed Torrent to him as he looked towards the stars.

"Melina… I hope you're watching over me and Torrent," Issei said, a tear dropping from his left eye. "I miss you."

In his turmoil, Ddraig, the mighty red dragon within the Boosted Gear, attempted to communicate with him but failed. Ddraig then made a fateful decision, reaching out to an old rival in the hope of aid.