¡Here I come with this last chapter in a row!
I don't know how long it will take me to update this story again. The other stories are going to demand their time, but I'll try not to delay the next chapter too much.
Since there are no reviews, let's go straight to the chapter.
¡Enjoy!
Issei took slow steps as he looked up at the canopy of trees that were much taller than he was used to. That was not the only difference, as the wind blew with more intensity and it was impossible for him not to feel cold.
Issei brought his gaze to the paper, where he read again the address he had been given. His face lifted again and he watched strangely, as he hadn't heard or seen anything since he had headed deeper into the forest.
"¿Hello?" Issei called out, and soon after his ears picked up a strange sound coming from one of the trees.
His eyebrows contracted with intrigue as he saw a blond, bespectacled man standing at the top of the tallest tree. His expression remained serious and emotionless, something that unsettled the protagonist a bit. But that feeling diminished when he noticed that he was wearing a robe identical to the hooded man he had come across not long ago.
"¿You're the one who's going to train me? My name is Hyoudou Issei, ¿what's yours?" Issei asked in a jovial manner, though his smile disappeared as he noticed the man didn't answer him.
Restlessness returned to his body as he noticed a smile appear on the man's face as he materialized a large sword that emitted a powerful aura.
"Arthur Pendragon." The now recognized as Arthur waved his sword forcefully, causing it to disappear, leaving a magical trail in its former position.
Issei couldn't even react, he only had time to take a step back. When he activated the gauntlet it was already too late, as a large amount of blood emerged from his back.
"¡AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Issei sat up on the stretcher, his terrified expression slowly changing to a dazed one after realizing he was in the infirmary.
Before he could raise any questions, a hand appeared in front of him holding his spear.
"Next time don't talk so much, focus on your opponent and study his skills." Issei watched the hooded man in astonishment, an astonishment that only increased when the fellow removed his hood, revealing a young man with a pale complexion, light blue eyes and silver hair.
"¿Who are you?" Issei picked up the spear, causing a half smile to creep across the stranger's face.
"Perhaps your Celestial Dragon knows how to answer that question." Vali folded his arms and light blue wings emerged from his back.
Issei didn't know why, but his body immediately went on the defensive after sensing the strange power emanating from the stranger.
"I never thought our next encounter would happen this way, Ddraig." The wings emitted a voice that sounded just as imposing and knew as Ddraig's.
"It is a bit frustrating for you to see me in this state, but I can assure you that my bearer will not be long in catching up with you, Albion." Issei's eyes widened considerably after hearing that name.
"¿Albion? That means you..."
"That's right, Hyoudou Issei." Vali's mean smile increased as his powerful aura crushed his rival's.
"My name is Vali, I am the current Hakuryuukou."
CHAPTER 12: DESTINY'S RIVAL! _
"I don't understand, ¿why do you want to train your greatest enemy?" Asked a very confused Issei.
"¿My greatest enemy? Believe me you're far from it, Hyoudou." Vali clarified instantly, now watching him from a nearby seat.
"¿So?" Issei had been annoyed by the comment, but he knew there was nothing to be gained by falling for provocations.
"The idea is to make you my greatest enemy." Those words made Issei's anger change to confusion. "¿You know something? The present is very disappointing. Many of those who were considered the strongest have died, and those who are still alive refuse even friendly combat."
"Of course they will not accept combat. There are still many people who are looking for the slightest excuse to start a new war. You only need to see the constant tension between all the races to realize that." Replied Issei, who wasn't able to understand Vali's thoughts.
"I know, that's why I think I was born in the wrong era. If I had been born a few centuries earlier, then I would have had a chance to have a worthy opponent who can perhaps stand up to me..." Vali's gaze was somewhat distant as he spoke, but he soon came back to himself. "Fortunately, life smiled on me and someone like you had the chance to be born in such a dull time as this."
"To be honest, I think you're a little crazy." Issei felt uncomfortable at the strange conversation, mainly because of how he was being looked at by the one who considered himself his worst enemy.
"You're probably right." A faint smile emerged from Vali's face. "After all, I don't think there is anyone else who would want to give the one who would be considered his greatest enemy a chance to grow up."
"¿So what do you want to train my mate with the eagerness to have a battle to the death when their levels are balanced?" Ddraig's voice echoed through the gauntlet.
"At first it seemed useless to me because I know the limits of my wearer well, and he is without a doubt the strongest Hakuryuukou that ever lived. I mean no offense Hyoudou, but you might be the weakest Sekiryuutei." Issei lowered his head slightly after hearing those words.
"I thought that way too, until Azazel told me about it." Vali pointed at the spear Issei held in his hands. "If that spear chose you, that means you must hold impressive potential." Vali's gaze was covered in elation from one second to the next. "That's why I don't mind having to bring you to the infirmary day after day. I'll make sure to unlock that potential of yours even if I have to rescue you from death's door constantly." Those words scared the protagonist a little, who couldn't hide it.
"He's definitely crazy." Issei reaffirmed that idea from his thoughts. "By-by the way, ¿how are my companions?" Issei decided to change the conversation with the intention of getting Vali to stop seeing him as his personal plaything, something that seemed to work.
"Unfortunately, the old man forced me to train everyone. Not long ago they got out of the infirmary..."
"¿¡Does that mean they're already training!?" Issei didn't let him finish, and even someone like Vali was surprised to see him stand up with fire in his eyes. "¡I can't stay behind! ¡Tell me what I have to do!" The brown exclaimed with great determination.
"I see you're eager to continue..." Vali blinked somewhat shocked at such a drastic change in the protagonist's temperament. "Go to the same place as yesterday. There will be no new instructions until Arthur thinks you're ready for a more complex challenge." The albino concluded, the smile returning to his face.
"¡Understood, I'll go right now!" Issei got to work right away, so Vali was left alone in the infirmary along with his tenant.
"¿What do you think, Albion?" The albino looked at the stretcher where Issei was before.
"Both you and he have an impressive fighting spirit, only the goals are different. Nevertheless, he has to develop his power while you were already born with it." Wings flashed as he uttered those words.
"¿How long do you think it will take?" Vali was the one who asked, watching the window near the stretcher.
"I'm not sure. I just know it would be a great waste to fight just once." Albion said with a retrospective tone.
"Then you agree with me that a fight to the death wouldn't be as much fun because you can only fight once." Vali folded his arms after those words, and Albion's laughter was not long in coming.
"Sometimes I think you're worse than me and Ddraig were in our youth."
LINE BREAK _
Five days had passed.
5 days in which Issei could barely do anything against Arthur.
But that didn't matter to him, as he found himself facing the man once again.
Unlike that time, neither of them shared a word, the only thing that was repeated was watching Arthur disappear from the treetop and reappear behind Issei. The blond's smile changed to a serious face and he was forced to change the attack of his sword for a defense, thus managing to block Issei's attack.
The shock produced forced him to shuffle his feet for several meters until he hit a tree. Arthur's serious face deepened even more as he adjusted his glasses, then began to run against Issei, who was waiting for him with his guard up.
Issei's eyes followed as best they could his opponent, as each time he waved the sword he teleported to a closer and closer position with the intention of confusing him.
But after training with this man for 5 days, Issei knew perfectly what his favorite attack was.
Arthur left his magic flash one last time and this time it disappeared completely. But to everyone's surprise, Issei held onto the spear with both hands, causing an electric circuit to completely surround it. The protagonist spun on himself and threw a powerful electric slash skyward.
At first this seemed crazy, but it soon became clear that this was not the case.
Arthur's eyes widened as the flashing slash slammed into him, creating a small electrical explosion.
Arthur emerged through the ball of smoke, falling to the ground on his feet as if nothing had happened to him. Though that idea was quickly dismissed when a few drops of blood fell to the ground.
Arthur wiped the wound on his cheek, which gave off occasional small streaks. The man's seriousness suddenly turned into a smile, and so did Issei.
Neither of them shared any words, and all they did was throw themselves at each other for hours.
It was the first time Issei managed to endure a long confrontation with Arthur.
Until he finally fell.
Vali was sitting next to him as usual, a woman with feline features accompanying him.
The albino extended him a small notebook, where they indicate the development of the training.
"Day 1: Resounding failure."
"Day 2: Too slow."
"Day 3: Little reaction."
"Day 4: He doesn't know how to use his magic."
"Day 5: Defeat, but learned some interesting tricks."
"Day 6: Passed."
"You're next, Kuroka." Vali voiced his idea, revealing a feline smile from the woman.
LINE BREAK _
The next day...
Issei expected to challenge Arthur once again, but great was his surprise when he did not see him in the tree he always stood in.
A figure passed over his back, causing him to turn around instantly, only to see nothing.
Suddenly, that same silhouette threw itself at him at an impressive speed, but Issei managed to dodge by a miracle.
Kuroka abandoned his 4-legged stance to stare at Issei with a flirtatious and predatory smile, making the protagonist a little nervous.
For some reason, he could sense that this woman was interested in his private parts.
The problem was that he didn't know if it was for something good or bad.
In the end, Issei decided to dismiss those thoughts as he shook his head vigorously, then lashed out at his opponent carelessly.
A thick fog appeared between the two, something that hindered Issei's vision a bit but didn't affect him any further.
The brown did not hesitate to pounce on the Nekomata, and impaled her with his spear.
At first he was scared because he thought he went too far, but out of nowhere that figure vanished in black smoke and another Kuroka appeared on his back. Issei tried to react, but it was too late.
The next thing he knew, he was on the stretcher again. Issei's face was filled with frustration after finding out.
Next to him sat Vali, who was quick to throw the spear at him, to which the brown caught it and his eyes flashed with the same determination as always again.
LINE BREAK _
Days turned into weeks before anyone noticed.
As usual, Issei was training deep in the forest, and the figure of that Nekomata passed behind him again at full speed. Although this time Issei didn't look puzzled, all he did was turn around with a clear competitive smile on his face.
The strange mist made its presence known again, and Kuroka did not hesitate to pounce on him like a great tigress that had already located its prey.
But this time, Issei did nothing.
Kuroka pierced his body as if she were a ghost, thus confirming Issei's suspicions, so he quickly turned around and blocked a swipe from the real Kuroka with his gauntlet, something that damaged it quite badly.
Instead of pushing her away, Issei grabbed her hand and threw it with all his might against the trees, causing Kuroka to spit a bit of saliva as she snapped one in half.
The Nekomata recovered as fast as she could and was surprised to see how Issei was preparing his signature attack.
"¡DRAGON SHOT!"
A loud explosion shook the forest.
Issei did not hold back.
He knew that holding back would be an assured defeat against these individuals.
That was exactly why it was no surprise to see Kuroka appear among the wreckage without a scratch. The Nekomata shared one of her typical cat-like smiles, to which Issei responded with a half-smile.
In that manner, their combat continued, until Issei fell once again.
"Day 15: Passed."
Vali's seriousness turned into a smile after reading the notebook.
LINE BREAK _
In this way, the various confrontations continued to progress.
He met a man who called himself Bikou. He could create copies like Kuroka, but they could do damage. He proved that in his first confrontation, where he received an unparalleled beating for being overconfident, as he was pummeled from all sides.
He also met, or rather, ran into a giant golem and a girl named Le Fay, who, unlike the others, she loved to talk and was quite friendly. It was a pity that their talk lasted no more than 5 minutes in the first few confrontations, because somehow Issei always ended up crushed by the golem.
In that way, their journey continued, and the different confrontations kept repeating themselves with higher and higher degrees of difficulty.
Arthur, Kuroka, Bikou and Le Fay...
When Issei thought that perhaps he was a little close to catching up with them, they always crushed him indiscriminately in a new training.
Days went by, in all of them he always woke up in the infirmary and there was Vali to hand him his spear. That had become a routine.
Occasionally he would break that routine a bit to get to know the other members of Vali's team better, as they would occasionally be in the infirmary waiting for one of Issei's teammates to regain consciousness.
Unlike what he had thought, Arthur was a very calm and analytical guy, you could even say he wasn't very sociable.
Le Fay had already shown how nice and friendly she was, so he didn't discover anything new by talking to her.
Bikou was someone quite friendly and fun. In combat he was like that too, only the fact that he was constantly getting beaten up didn't seem very funny to Issei.
But without a doubt the one that surprised him the most was Kuroka, as he found out that she was Koneko's sister. Besides that, the Nekomata always proved to be interested to everything around Issei, TOO interested. Even in their first talk the first thing she said was that she wanted to have a child with him, something that made Issei blanch. He just couldn't imagine being a father at such a young age.
And as for Vali... he didn't find out much more. He was someone who was only interested in fighting, and his slightly arrogant attitude made him a bit difficult to talk to. I mean, he wasn't a bad guy, but he was definitely overconfident about everything.
But there was something strange...
It had been over a month now, but he had never confronted Vali.
That thought was bothering him as he made his way to the new training sector, where he could see that it was a completely desolate wasteland, a Grigori sector that had been created long ago with the intention of expanding the city, something that hadn't been necessary until now.
Those same thoughts stopped bothering him when a figure stopped hiding behind a rock, causing Issei to stop in his tracks.
There stood Vali, who folded his arms as Albion's wings materialized on his back.
Issei gripped the spear tightly and moved into a combat stance, something Vali mimicked.
The dusty blizzard invaded the ground that divided them, creating an uncertain silence where only the breathing of both could be heard.
Until it finally happened.
Vali moved at a speed that Issei could barely make out, so it didn't take him long to cover his lightning spear to send an electric slash towards the front, but the albino dodged it when he used his wings to fly.
Issei did not stop there, so he continued throwing a large number of magic slashes in an effort to hit him, but Vali dodged each of them with his mere physical aptitude and reflexes.
Seeing that there was no way to hit him, Issei prepared for the melee, but Vali caught his spear before he could finish changing his stance, that allowed him to move it aside a little to then clench his fist tightly.
The impact on the abdomen was so strong that it forced Issei to vomit a large amount of blood. But that didn't end there, as the strong blow produced a shockwave that sent him flying.
The brown-haired man bounced around the floor like a ball, until he finally collided with a large giant rock, generating a loud bang in the process.
Even though the dust was quite thick, you could see how Issei was embedded in the rock with a pained expression on his face. Unfortunately he didn't have much time to curse his rival, as the said person appeared in front of him by a large landing.
Vali returned to his fighting stance, and the mean smile returned to his face when he made a provocative sign with his hand, inciting him to attack.
Issei just gritted his teeth and detached himself from the rock as best he could. The brown-haired man watched him closely, then tossed the spear aside and stood in a combat stance, causing the Boosted Gear to glow with an intensity never seen before.
The gesture caused Vali's grin to widen, while Issei replied with another very similar grin.
In the end they both ran at each other, intending to land a big blow. Issei's kick was easily dodged by Vali, who quickly tried to attack with another devastating punch. His surprise was not long in coming as Issei somersaulted backwards to dodge a blow that a few seconds ago he had not even seen coming.
In this way both were exchanging a couple of blows that ended up being dodged, until Issei finally managed to give him a strong punch in the abdomen that sent him flying.
Issei didn't take long to use his Demon wings to follow him, materializing a large energy orb in his gauntlet.
Vali watched this, so his eyes narrowed for a moment as he created a small barrier over his fist.
Issei didn't take long to catch up and leaned his arm forward as hard as he could, while Vali did the same.
"¡DRAGON SHOT!"
A loud explosion shook the entire desolate area along with a powerful shockwave that followed shortly after.
The crimson glow predominated to the point that it could blind anyone, though it lasted no more than a few seconds.
There was a crater in the center of the explosion, and there Vali stood as he held out his hand to Issei, who was quick to accept the help.
"¿Ready for round two?" The albino asked.
"Can't I rest for 5 minutes?" Asked an Issei who looked quite exhausted from the large amount of magic he had used.
The answer came quite eloquently as Vali squeezed his hand tightly and punched him hard in the face, causing everything to go black.
Issei got up from the stretcher with an exalted expression, and as usual it didn't take long for him to screw up.
"¡I only asked for 5 damn minutes!" Issei's complaints couldn't have gone far, as Vali soon extended the spear along with another piece of paper.
"This will be the last training. I think you already have enough experience to manage on your own." Issei looked at Vali and then at the paper after hearing his words.
It was obvious that he was impatient to know how this last training would go.
LINE BREAK _
Issei went through the usual forest area where he trained with his friends, although he didn't find it strange that no one was there.
He had grown accustomed to ambushes by now.
Though that thought was put on the back burner after seeing someone land in front of him, causing Issei's serene face to change to one of astonishment.
"¿What are you doing here?" Issei asked Raynare, who sharpened her smile.
"Probably the same thing you are." The Fall showed the note she held in her hand, causing Issei's surprise to turn into a smile.
After all, it was obvious why they were both summoned there.
Just like that, Issei tightened his grip on his spear, and Raynare did the same with her sword.
The smile on both of their faces changed to gritted teeth as they rushed at each other, causing their weapons to mingle in flames and lightning, until they finally collided with each other.
Azazel watched from the top of the Tower of Hope as a great explosion of flame and lightning appeared in the forest, an act that brought a smile to the man's face.
"Looks like they're ready now."
¡END OF CHAPTER! _
(OR NOT)
¡I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
As you could read, I decided to close Vali's training in one chapter, since I didn't want to extend much more than this. I'm sure you noticed how certain sections were taken very fast, but that was the idea. Of course I don't know what you guys prefer. If you enjoy having the workouts be more detailed and thus lengthy, then that's what I'll do. The problem is that it might take me several chapters, and I don't know if everyone will be very amenable to this. Obviously this doesn't take anything away from the plot, otherwise I wouldn't do it. The only bad thing is that you can't delve too much between character interactions.
Well, that's something that's bothering me quite a bit right now. Taking advantage of the fact that the next update will be late, I'd like to read your comments about it. After all, you are my readers and it's important that you also feel comfortable and like each chapter. As far as I'm concerned, I honestly don't mind developing one way or the other.
Leaving that dilemma aside, I want to thank Rakei again, since it was thanks to him that we were able to have a quadruple chapter of this story. Thank you very much for trusting me, and I hope you enjoyed every chapter.
Remember that if you want to order an extra chapter of any story in development all you need to do is become a member of my Patre-on for one dollar. You can find me as: Jyanzein. If you want to know more about how those extra chapters work, feel free to ask.
Without anything else to add, I leave you here with the final scene.
¡Hope to see you soon!
Issei and Raynare were eating dinner in silence, the sound of silverware the only thing that could be heard at the moment.
"¿Do you know anything about Penemue?" Raynare broke the quiet silence between them, causing Issei to look at her.
"Azazel spoke to me. He managed to trick Raiser into extending the wedding deadline by another month, but she doesn't think he can do it again. You can tell he's pretty desperate to get married." Issei scoffed as he played with his food.
"The three months had been the initial plan, so that's not bad." Raynare replied calmly, then let out a sigh. "I just hope this ends quickly. I'm tired of being invited by him almost every day. The excuses are getting more and more complicated, though thanks to Azazel's help I'm not finding it so hard to get rid of him." Commented the Fallen Angel with clear weariness in her tone.
"I just hope they manage to convince the Peerage of that bastard. Penemue is trying to gain everyone's trust, but their fear of Raiser is keeping them from acting against him." Issei's eyebrows furrowed after those words, it was obvious that he felt great displeasure when that topic was brought up.
"Let's trust Penemue, I'm sure she'll find a way to get to them." Raynare set the silverware down on the table, and silence returned to them.
This time, Issei looked at her, as he felt that such silence was much deeper and more meaningful than before.
"¿Is something wrong?" Issei didn't hesitate to be as direct as always, causing a small smile to emerge from Raynare's face.
"Tomorrow is the day..." Raynare's appearance was somewhat conflicted after those words.
She seemed to be fighting against herself inside.
Issei managed to understand what she was referring to, so it didn't take long for him to smile.
"I said we'll go together, and I intend to keep that promise." Issei's conviction caused Raynare's doubts to subside to a great extent, so a smile appeared on her face.
"Thank you for helping me with this."