The Messiah and the 7 Apostles of Evil (Translated into English) Chapter 5: Martyr, a high school dxd/ハイスクールd×d fanfic

Here I am with a new translated chapter for this story!

We are slowly finishing this arc, probably these will be the last two chapters for this first arc to come to an end.

Without much more to add, it's time to begin.

Enjoy!

Issei's eyes slowly opened. The first thing he did was to bring a hand to his head as he groaned in pain. His eyes opened again, and when he tried to move he realized what a complicated situation he was in.

Raynare was holding him tightly as she slept on his chest with a smile on her face. The next thing he noticed was that they had not returned to the apartment, he only needed to move his leg a little to hear the sound of the water.

His face fell back to earth as he realized that half of his body had fallen into that small lake, so his pants were soaked. And of course, Raynare was not spared.

Before he could do or say anything, his gaze focused on the artificial night through that hole between the leaves. The moon was not visible now, but it marked the huge clock that indicated 5:41. His attention was diverted to his ear when a magic circle appeared in that spot.

"Azazel?" Issei whispered with a frown in confusion.

Intangible words began to be heard from the magical communicator as Raynare gave a small moan of pleasure as she felt Issei unconsciously hug her about the waist.

"What!?" Issei's eyes widened from one moment to the next, and surprisingly the shout wasn't enough to wake Raynare up. "When is he coming?!" Issei remained silent after the question, only to give a slight nod. "Alright, I'll be there as soon as possible." Issei tried to get up, but Raynare stopped him as she hugged him tighter.

That simple action caused a somewhat annoyed sigh to emerge from the protagonist.

"Yuuma! Yuuma, wake up!" Issei shook his shoulders vigorously, but the woman didn't even flinch. "Yuuma!" A loud slap echoed over the pond.

"What the fuck...?!" Raynare sat on Issei's waist as she rubbed her cheek in great anger.

"There's no time to waste. We need to go back and take a bath." Issei's comment made Raynare's anger turn to curiosity.

"What's wrong?" The question made Issei's brow furrow as it rarely did.

"Raiser will be here in two hours."

_ CHAPTER 5: MARTYR _

"You didn't need to come." Issei commented as he entered the tower, being followed by Raynare.

"I want to meet that guy. And don't worry, he sure has no idea what my identity is. And, in any case, this is Grigori. Azazel also protects me, so I'm not at any kind of risk." Raynare commented as she followed closely behind him.

The small hallway turned into a large room with different armchairs surrounding a large round table, the walls were covered with very large pictures, and all of them featured a Cadre with his respective name.

"You are just in time." Commented Azazel, who was cross-legged on the table.

"Don't you think you could warn us earlier?" Issei asked with a frown.

"I forgot." Azazel commented matter-of-factly as he looked away.

"Yeah right, you forgot..." Issei commented with a look covered in suspicion. "By the way, what were you doing up at 6 in the morning?" Issei's question made Azazel look at him like he was an idiot.

"I didn't wake up, I just didn't sleep all night. Now, if you'll excuse me." Azazel stood up, to the puzzled looks of Raynare and Issei. "I have an appointment to keep as my pillow."

"What the hell were you doing all night?" Issei asked with a roll of his eyes.

"I was with my lovelies. I let them attend to our guest." Azazel raised his hand in a gesture of farewell, earning a sigh from Raynare.

"I didn't know Azazel had a harem." Issei commented with surprise.

"They're not women, he's talking about his Sacred Gears." Raynare clarified as she rubbed her temple. "And we seriously have to attend to him ourselves?"

"Most likely it's nothing important, and I guess Azazel did it to annoy me a bit." Issei commented with a slight bow of his shoulders. "Anyway, what's that guy doing here?" This last question he asked with unbelievable suspicion.

Suspicion that evidently meant nothing good according to his deductions.

_LINE JUMP_.

Tower of Hope

A few minutes later...

Raiser entered the great hall and his surprise was not long in coming when he saw Issei and an unknown but very attractive woman waiting for him. The curious thing about them was that both were sitting in different armchairs, as if they wanted to keep some distance. The other really curious thing was that big tray full of food and three cups of coffee.

"What are you doing here, Red Dragon?" His attention was first brought to the young man in the place, who was looking at him calmly.

"I'm the one who will be greeting you today."

"You?" Raiser commented with a dismissive smile.

"Well, Azazel said we already knew each other, so he thought this would be best to make it easier." Issei commented with a slight bow of his shoulders.

"I see, not that it bothers me either." The Demon stated, mimicking Issei's action.

At that moment, all attention was focused on the only woman in the room. He didn't even try to disguise it as he sat down next to her, stretching both of his arms out on the couch as if he were in his own home.

"Wow, such confidence." Raynare commented with a mischievous grin.

"I don't see you disliking me either, beauty." Raiser commented with a half smile. "May I know the name of such a beautiful lady?"

"Her name is Yuuma." Issei answered for Raynare instantly, bringing Raiser's attention back to him. "Not that I want to be rude to you, but why are you here?" Issei asked very curiously.

"As you know, my wedding will take place tonight. In a couple of hours I'll be a married man, but until then..." Raiser fixed his gaze on Raynare, and she shared that flirtatious look he was giving her. "I can still take a few more women as my wives, and I'd like them to be Fallen Angels. That's why I wonder if this beauty here would have no problem accepting me."

"Without even an date? I certainly see you have a lot of confidence in yourself." Raynare commented, playing along, and that simple fact earned a laugh from the Demon.

"Do you know who I am?" Raiser declared as he pointed at himself. "My name is Raiser Phoenix, the heir to the Phoenix Clan. I can make you the happiest woman in the world with a simple snap of my fingers." Commented the man with much pride and smugness.

"Oh? Does that mean you're rich and powerful in addition to being so handsome and muscular?" Raynare continued her game as she rubbed the man's exposed arms. That, coupled with the seductive tone and look she used was more than enough to ignite Raiser's unruly hormones.

"Uh, I see you're a very interesting woman..." Raiser commented, to the watchful gaze of Issei, who preferred to stay on the sidelines. "Would you like to become one of my wives?" Azazel placed a hand on Raynare's thigh to goad her.

"Hum, I don't know. Marriages are so boring. I'd rather be a free soul, get it?" Raynare placed her hand on Raiser's crotch, causing Raiser to startle.

It was the first time he had faced against a woman with such boldness and mischief. Not even Akeno had ever gone that far, and it made it impossible for him not to laugh again.

"I guess they weren't lying about the Fallen Angels!" Raiser exclaimed, handing him a smile.

A smile that indicated he wanted to devour her.

"We're not all the same. I prefer to enjoy the moment, especially if it's a man like you." She commented with a smile that ignited all the man's instincts. "But unfortunately, I'm very busy today." She concluded as stood up, earning a confused look from Raiser.

"Now I get it." Issei was barely able to contain his smile as he saw Raiser's stunned look as he watched Raynare's ass gracefully sway to the nearby toilets. "She was just playing with him." He concluded, taking a taste of the coffee as he turned his gaze back to Raiser.

"Hey, can you convince her to become my wife? Apparently you two know each other." Raiser commented in hopes of having such a haughty woman in his harem.

The idea of breaking her under his own hands was really exciting.

"I'll try, but no promises." Issei commented. "Are there any other women you're interested in?"

"There is one..." Raiser fixed his gaze on a particular painting, something Issei also did.

There was a woman there with long purple hair just like her eyes., her creamy skin was also amazing. A small mole accompanied her on the left corner of her lips as well as a gaze covered with seriousness and stoicism.

"But even I know how to distinguish women far out of my league." Raiser commented, turning his gaze back to Issei.

"To be honest, I haven't even seen Penemue once in all the time I've been here." Issei commented to no one in particular.

"Of course not, why would you go to meet her? She's Grigori's secretary and she's always very busy." Raiser commented with some amusement.

He was amused to think that Issei wanted to meet a woman who was in such a high league.

If he was one step away, then Issei would have to climb the whole damn edifice.

"Anyway, I can promise you that I'll talk to Yuuma, but I don't think I can convince her." Issei commented, making Azazel sip his cup of coffee.

"Just do your job and put in a good word for me. If that's not enough, then she's not worth it." He commented with a somewhat dark look as he tasted the coffee.

That dark look turned into a somewhat surprised one as he looked at the coffee with much amazement.

"This is delicious." Raiser commented with slightly widened eyes.

"I'm glad you like it, I made everything." Commented Raynare with a smile, who was just now coming out of the bathrooms.

"You really are amazing." Commented the man with a half smile as he raised his coffee cup for emphasis on his words.

"Come to think of it, we always went to that restaurant and I never tasted her food." Issei thought looking at the coffee and baked cookies. "She really is a very good cook." He concluded with a smile.

A smile that didn't take long to fade.

His thoughtful gaze lifted to the ceiling, taking one more taste of the coffee.

"I guess that'll be the one thing I'll miss about her..."

_LINE JUMP_

Tower of Hope

An hour later...

"It's been a pleasure chatting with you." Raiser stood up, rearranging his gold tuxedo. "It's too bad no one was available to have a chat with me."

"Perhaps you might have been able to convince some woman if you hadn't come right on the very day you're getting married." Raynare commented as she crossed her legs, earning a short glare from the Demon.

"I would have liked to come sooner, but the marriage arrangements and my position as heir and Upper Class Demon make me an extremely busy man." He concluded, then gave a slight nod to Issei. "I'll expect you at the wedding, Red Emperor." Raiser left without further ado, leaving Raynare and Issei to stand in complete silence.

Once the large door closed, Raynare whistled, something that caught Issei's attention.

"He says he doesn't have time, but you can tell this is an afterthought. I've met too many guys like him to confirm it." The Fall stated, then fixed her gaze on Issei. "How is it that Gremory could fall for such a jerk?"

"Well...I don't have much to say about that." Issei clapped his hands on his knees to let it be understood that he was very confused about that too. "I think he had a lot more time to get to know her, I guess?" Raynare watched him silently as she placed a hand on her chin.

"I wasn't too sure about your plan before, but now you have my full support." The Fall's comment caused Issei to look at her with mild interest.

"And why the sudden change?" Raynare couldn't help but scoff at such a question with a small laugh.

"Like I said before, I've met enough guys like him to know he's a jerk just by sharing a little conversation. He doesn't love anyone but himself. He sure only thinks of that Gremory and the other women as some sort of trophy he can brag about." She concluded, receiving a slight nod from Issei.

"That's why I want to save her." Issei commented as he looked at the empty cup.

"Weren't you just doing it because you were interested in her?" Raynare couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she noticed the drastic change in story that had presented from what they had talked about yesterday.

"Let's go, it's getting late for my last training session." Issei stated as he stood up, and didn't even stop to look to see if Raynare was following him.

In fact, she just sat there, watching his back with a look covered in curiosity.

It was obvious that Issei was keeping things from her, but she preferred not to delve any deeper into it.

_LINE JUMP_

Outside Grigori

A moment later...

"Use all augmentations." Ddraig spoke through the gauntlet, drawing everyone's attention.

"How long ago did you stlike up a connection with the dlagon?" Yung Len commented somewhat shocked to learn this, as were his other companions.

"I always had the connection. Only Ddraig was reluctant to talk to you because of Raynare. I don't think it's necessary to explain why." He concluded, causing Raynare to look away as the others nodded.

"And it will remain that way if we ever meet again. But this is a special occasion." Ddraig clarified.

Issei clenched his fist tightly, getting a rather significant reddish glow from the gauntlet in response.

"Boost!"

"BOOSTOOOO!"

"Twelve increments, that's your new limit. Not bad." Ddraig commented with a tone of acceptance as Issei looked at himself with wide eyes.

"I feel very light..." Issei looked straight ahead and threw a punch at the empty plain, causing a slight rush of air to shoot around his arm. "This is unbelievable." Issei finished his comment, even more amazed than the beginning.

"It's certainly a significant improvement, but it's still a long way off." Ddraig commented wisely. "Now, let's focus on what concerns us: the Dragon Shot." Everyone looked intently at the gauntlet after listening to him.

"That's the new ability?" Issei asked, unable to hide his excitement at the thought of learning a very powerful new technique.

"Each Sacred Gear features an element, a unique ability, or both. In the case of the Boosted Gear, it doesn't feature an element, but replaces that weakness with three very interesting and versatile unique abilities that..."

"Versatile?" Issei raised an eyebrow at that description.

"You're still too weak to focus on that point, and don't interrupt me again." The dragon commented with some annoyance, causing Issei to rub his hair ruefully. "The first and second skills you already know, they are the Boost and Transfer. The next one is the Dragon Shot. This magical ability consists of an extremely fast materialization that doesn't need a magic circle as a summoning. But don't let its speed confuse you, for in the right hands it can be a very destructive and dangerous weapon." The dragon concluded with a tone shrouded in suspicion.

"And how can I use it?" Issei asked with his usual impatience.

"As you know, being a magical attack, the potential depends solely on your magic." Those words discouraged the protagonist a bit, something Ddraig didn't overlook. "Luckily, the current augmentations you possess cause you to gain a large amount of magic. Enough to create a powerful Dragon Shot." Ddraig concluded with a smile as he saw Issei's spirit renewed. "And all you have to do is concentrate that magic on the Boosted Gear."

After hearing the directions, Issei closed his eyes and raised his open hand. Everyone watched in silence as a faint breeze drifted across the stage. After a few seconds, a tiny sphere began to generate in the palm of his hand until it was the size of a soccer ball.

Issei opened his eyes slowly, observing what he had created with much surprise, as in training he had never used magic until now.

"Before you throw it, you need to decrease its power." Ddraig clarified seriously.

"But..."

"No buts, take my advice." Concluded the dragon with a strict tone, receiving a nod from Issei.

Issei reduced the attack by half, hoping that would be enough.

"More." Ddraig was forceful with his word, earning a puzzled look from Issei, though he didn't hesitate to abide by his orders.

"More."

"Draig?"

"All right, that's enough." The dragon commented with satisfaction, something Issei and the others didn't share at all.

After all, the somewhat imposing sphere had transformed into a tiny thing even smaller than a golf ball.

"Don't you think this is...?"

"Too little?" Ddraig shut down his bearer's idea, receiving a nod from him. "First of all, the idea is that you can use multiple Dragon Shots. It's no use if you cast just one only to have you fall down passed out from over-consumption of your magic reserves. And secondly, we don't want to create unwanted inconveniences. Remember that Grigori is right below us." Culminated the dragon, earning a confused look from everyone, who looked at each other.

"But..."

"See that mountain over there?" Ddraig interrupted him again, earning Issei's attention. "Shoot at it."

"O-okay..." Issei didn't look very convinced, but still followed Ddraig's words.

Issei pointed towards the mountain, and his feeling of bewilderment turned to sadness as he noticed that he couldn't make a more powerful Dragon Shot because of his great magical limitations.

"Don't think stupid thoughts. Just shoot." Ddraig read his thoughts, something that surprised Issei a bit.

Finally, the protagonist nodded and his gaze became serious as he pointed towards the center of the mountain.

His eyes closed just as he gave a small sigh. He could feel his hand tighten for seconds, though he quickly found himself tensing his entire arm as he felt a great energy overflowing it.

His eyes widened in shock and he watched in close-up as that ridiculous little sphere transformed into something much larger.

"DRAGON SHOT!"

Ddraig's voice echoed through the gauntlet like never before as a powerful torrent of crimson magic was shot from Issei's hand.

Everyone watched in utter disbelief as the attack advanced at a great speed until it finally slammed into the mountain, generating a loud explosion. The smoke soon dissipated, and everyone's surprise increased even more when they noticed how a considerable crater hovered over the middle of the mountain.

Everyone stood in complete silence observing the great destruction caused by such a simple attack.

"Holy shit." Raynare commented, standing next to Issei, as did Rick, Alan and Yung Len.

Ddraig couldn't help but laugh at the expression of all these brats, or at least that's how he described them.

"You still think that's not enough?"

_LINE JUMP_

Tower of Hope

Several hours later...

"I hope you didn't wear him out that much." Azazel commented suspiciously as he watched the small group.

"Don't worry, we were restrained for the day." Rick commented, then placing a hand on Issei's shoulder. "If you don't believe me, ask him."

"Absolutely. I don't even feel a little tired." Issei replied with a smile.

"Well that's the last thing I can expect. Believe me you'll need every last drop of your sweat tonight." Azazel stated as he folded his arms, receiving a nod from Issei.

A somewhat awkward silence settled among everyone present, something Azazel was quick to notice. And as always, he found a simple solution when he clasped his hands together in a clap.

"Alright, this was your last day here. I don't think you'll want to come back, so you'd all better say your goodbyes now." Azazel commented, observing everyone present.

Issei turned to face Rick, who watched him with a smile as he held out his hand. The protagonist didn't say a word at this, all he did was reply the smile and shake his hand confidently.

"I know the memories in this place can't be the best because of our companion, but we could still pay you some visit." Alan commented as he approached him. "You know, men only." The Argentine clicked his tongue sympathetically as he extended his hand.

"Sounds perfect to me." Issei replied with a smile as he shook the man's hand.

"I've nevel been good at goodbyes, so I simply wish you the best." Yung Len commented as he extended his hand, and Issei didn't hesitate to shake it.

Once the greetings were over, Issei's gaze was fixed on Raynare, and their eyes finally met for this last time.

The silence between the two was more than significant. A sense of awkwardness widened as Issei took a couple of steps until he was facing her.

The two continued to stare at each other in silence for several seconds, until finally Issei decided to speak up:

"I didn't forget." Was the simple comment.

"Of course not." Raynare answered him just as simply.

"Still, this time helped me clear my mind." Issei added, catching everyone's attention, especially Raynare's. "The time we spent together managed to calm me down somehow. I guess it's mainly because I now know that you're not a fucking unhinged, sadistic bitch who loves to spill blood. Or at least, not as much as I thought you were." Raynare chuckled a little at this.

"Are you sure about that? I might still be interested in spilling some of your blood if you keep talking to me like that." The woman commented graciously as she placed her hands on the waist. "You know, people don't change, don't they?"

"Yes, I have no doubt about that, and I'll keep holding it until I die." Issei replied with a half-smile.

"Huh? You want to make a bet?" Replied Raynare graciously as she raised her hand with the intention of shaking Issei's. "I'm sure for next time..."

"Yuuma, there will be no next time." Issei interrupted her, not even looking at her outstretched hand.

The woman's smile turned a little sad, but Issei quickly fixed it when he nodded his head. Raynare responded in kind and her hand dropped.

She had gotten carried away, it was obvious Issei wasn't going to shake hands with her.

The protagonist turned around to greet the last person.

"Azazel, I'm very grateful to..."

"Better save this farewell." Azazel interrupted him with his classic smile. "In case you don't know, I am invited to the wedding by Sirzechs. I'll only accept your words once you do your thing." He concluded, receiving a smile from Issei.

"Alright, then I'll see you later." Issei answered him, then fixing his gaze on those who were his training partners until now. "Thanks a lot, guys. The time here was truly magical." He concluded with a toothy smile, to which everyone responded with a nod, except for Raynare, who remained expectant.

Once everyone left, Azazel and Issei were curious as they noticed that Raynare was still there.

"What?" Azazel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I want to go." Raynare's words surprised the always relaxed Azazel and made Issei gasp.

"What?! Are you crazy?! If you get caught...!"

"You can come." Azazel interrupted Issei, who looked at him with wide eyes.

"You've gone crazy too?"

"She won't be found out, as long as she behaves herself. I'll see to that." The Fallen concluded, watching as Raynare gave him a small nod.

"But...!"

"Come on! I'll just go watch." Raynare interrupted Issei, earning a not at all convinced look from the latter. "You know, it'll be interesting to watch you interrupt the wedding and watch you get your ass kicked by a flaming chicken."

"Really?" Issei asked her unable to believe what he heard.

"What? Are you judging my methods of amusement?" Raynare replied with another question as she placed her hands on her waist.

Issei watched her silently then shook his head as he approached the exit door.

Once she opened it, the protagonist gave the woman one last glance.

"I hope you're still dedicated to this battle thing, Yuuma." He commented, then turned his gaze back to the front as the door slowly closed.

"Because you're definitely not a good comedian."

_LINE JUMP_

Occult Club

A few minutes later...

"Thank you for lending me this suit." Commented Issei, who was sporting a tuxedo along with black pants, shoes and shirt. "It's a pity it's going to get damaged. I promise to pay you back when I get the chance." He concluded, fixing his gaze on Sirzechs.

"The financial situation is the last thing on my family's mind." Sirzechs' words made it quite clear that Issei owed him nothing, so he managed to nod with utmost gratitude.

"You look good in black." Kiba commented, looking at his friend's outfit.

"I'd like to say the same to you, but yellow is far from my favorite color." Commented the brown with a hesitant tone, earning a smile from the blond.

"So, what's the plan?" Issei asked, adjusting his tie.

"There will be a time when we can intervene, and everything will be legal. Like all weddings, although the situation may be much more complicated since it's not a normal wedding." Replied Kiba, who was arranging his sleeves.

"I hate rich people's wedding, no offense." Issei commented, adding those last words as an afterthought so as not to upset Sirzechs, who simply waved his hand to indicate that he didn't mind.

"Well... Is everything ready now?" Sirzechs clasped his hands together as he noticed that the two young men seemed to be ready.

The moment he received a nod, the relaxed atmosphere changed to a much heavier one. All Sirzechs needed to do was to straighten his gaze.

"Just in case, I have to make you remember..." The Demon King commented, gaining the two young men's full attention. "The mission you are about to face is very dangerous and you are not obliged to do it, and I will not be able to intervene to your aid because I am one of the families involved in the wedding. But overall, and I don't want to lie to you on this part, the probability of victory is really low. That said, I have to ask this question for one last time..." Sirzechs' eyes narrowed amidst the darkness of the room.

"Do you know the consequences of failing?"

Kiba and Issei looked at each other after those questions.

"To be honest, I don't completely care what the Demons think about me. I might be a heartless jerk for the rest of my life, but I don't care if I can save my teammates that way." Issei commented confidently.

"I'm of the same opinion as Issei-kun." Kiba commented with a determined smile.

"But...just out of curiosity I want to ask..." Issei commented catching both of their attention. "Why are you doing this? I mean, we're all sure Raiser is a son of a bitch, but he's not such an idiot to risk hurting your sister knowing what that entails."

"Issei-kun, not everything depends of my sister." The Demon King commented, placing a hand on the brown man's shoulder. "I'm not going to let some girls suffer like that, even if they're not Demons." Sirzechs tone sounded with absolute seriousness, impressing Issei a bit.

"I guess I find myself needing to apologize for thinking the whole family was the same." Issei commented with a chuckle as he rubbed his hair.

"What do you mean by that?" The redhead asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What's what?" Issei looked at him with confusion, though Sirzechs confusion was even more noticeable.

"Guys, it's getting late." As usual, Kiba saved just in time for Issei, who thanked him with a subtle glance.

"Then I won't keep them anymore." Sirzechs commented, creating a magic circle at their feet. "Take a few seconds to psyche yourselves up." The Demon King disappeared, leaving a silence behind.

"Right..." Kiba commented, adjusting his tie.

His serious face changed to his typical grin as he began to turn his face away.

"Let's do this, Is-"

"TACK!"

The thud echoed through the room, though the following sound was even more resounding.

Issei watched silently with his gauntlet extended forward as Kiba's unconscious body lay in front of him.

"Don't feel bad, but I think you'll be torn to pieces."

Raynare's words from that night echoed in his head like a drum. His lack of expression said it all.

"Yuuma is right, but I can't give up because of my stupid conscience." Issei commented to no one in particular without taking his eyes off Kiba.

"But I'm not going to let a friend as valuable as you sink into the mud along with me."

_LINE JUMP_

Hell

Wedding party

"There are many guests." Issei positioned himself next to Azazel and a hooded woman, noting the fact that they were in a large, fully packed coliseum, and in the center was a large space where Raiser stood waiting for his future wives.

From the opposite section he watched as Sanji greeted him with a toothy grin, and Issei responded in his own way with a nod.

"You're a little late." The hooded woman pulled her hood up a bit so Issei could see that it was Raynare.

"I had a little business to attend to." Issei commented without even looking at her.

"Where's your blond friend?" Azazel asked curiously noticing that Issei was alone.

Both Raynare and Azazel had to look at him with great uncertainty as seconds passed and they received no answer.

Just as they were about to ask again, ceremonial music resounded over the entire coliseum and applause soon followed.

Issei watched as Rias led the large line of women in a beautiful wedding dress, but didn't pay much more attention. He continued to clap along with the crowd as he averted his gaze to the bleachers. He could quickly notice that Sirzechs was standing with his family and the Phoenix family in a vip plaza. He quickly brought his gaze to Ravel, noticing that the young woman couldn't even hold a feigned smile. The applause suddenly stopped and at that moment Issei realized that all the brides were standing next to Raiser. He immediately noticed the uncomfortable looks and smiles from the women who belonged to his Peerage, and it made him click his tongue.

"We are here to commemorate this moment..."

Issei again turned his attention from the words of the current Phoenix Clan leader to focus his gaze on Sirzechs. Their eyes finally met and the Demon King's confusion was not long in coming as Issei found himself being accompanied only by Azazel.

"After this I'll have a lot of explaining to do..." Issei thought heavily.

"If there is anyone who wants to stand in the way of this union, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Issei's skin suddenly bristled and he jumped to his feet.

Apparently, all that disinterest in the wedding had vanished from one moment to the next.

"I object!"

Everyone looked at the young man with great surprise. Gasps were followed by many murmurs as they made way for Issei to come down.

"What's the meaning of this, Rias?" Raiser watched the redhead with a frown, but he only needed to see her rubbing her temple in frustration to know that this was not planned.

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head, so he couldn't help but smirk.

Once Issei was in front of the women and the man, a rather awkward silence came over the place.

"Isn't there someone else who wants to...?"

"No." Issei interrupted Sirzechs, earning a very puzzled look from the latter. "Just me." He concluded, taking several steps forward.

"So, are you here to fight for the hands of all of them? Or is it just some of them?" Raiser's father watched him with a frown, as this young man was ruining his son's ceremony.

Issei didn't even respond. All his attention was focused on Raiser, and it showed when he stopped a few feet away from him.

"Forget this stupidity. I know perfectly well what's going on here." Raiser commented with a smirk. "The boy is just envious. I've known him before and we've had an equally unfortunate encounter. I just need to say a couple of words to him." Raiser commented as he walked over and placed a hand on Issei's shoulder. "Listen to me, you will most likely never succeed in obtaining a harem like mine, but you are the Red Dragon Emperor. Sooner or later women of your reach will appear who will want to be your wives." Raiser commented as he patted the young man's shoulder. "What do you say we drop this stupidity so I get on with my wedding?"

A silence settled between him and Issei. All the protagonist did was remove the man's hand slowly with that stoic look that didn't let you know what he was thinking about.

Until he finally dropped the bombshell:

"You are nothing but a big piece of shit."

The gasps were not long in coming, even Raiser looked very surprised.

"Hyoudou!" Rias shouted with much indignation and fury as she was about to reach over to slap him, but Raiser's hand stopped her.

"You can still get out of this if you apologize and give up this stupidity." Raiser commented, taking a step to position himself over Issei's right ear. "I don't want to break a slave to my future wife." He whispered to him with a seriousness that reflected a great deal of danger.

But instead of being frightened, Issei guffawed in a way that had everyone watching him as if he were crazy.

The smile on Issei's face was replaced by an expression covered in fury and hatred.

"Do you think I'm going to forgive what you did to your Peerage? YOU EVIL FUCKING RAPIST!"

Murmurs much louder than before planted throughout the coliseum before the stupefied gaze of Raiser and his Peerage. Meanwhile, Rias and the others were so shocked and outraged at the lies and stupidity that Issei was doing right now.

But before Rias could bludgeon him, Raiser's hoarse laughter rose above everything else, something that won the silence of everyone.

His laughter lasted much longer than many thought it would. Finally, his cackle ended and his sharp grin was fixed exclusively on Issei.

"You say so many stupid things and slander because you want to confront me?! Then so be it!" Raiser exclaimed with bloodthirsty excitement as he fixed his gaze on his father, who snapped out of his bewilderment and nodded.

A magic circle appeared over both of their feet and they were sent to a place that appeared to be a giant chessboard with many pieces scattered around the sector.

"What do you want? All the women?" Raiser asked as he cracked his knuckles, prepared for battle.

"Only that all engagements be broken." Issei replied earnestly as he activated his gauntlet, preparing for battle.

"The intervenor's order is already known! The fight will begin on the count of 3!"

"That's it, stand back." Raiser commented with a ghoulish grin as he watched Issei take a little more distance to get ready.

"Boost!"

"¡3!"

"Boost!"

"¡2!"

"Boost!"

"¡1!"

"Boost!"

"Begin!"

"I know men like you. This madness has a name: envy." Raiser commented as he began to approach at a slow pace. "You are envious not only of my girls. You want to have my multi-million dollar house, you want to have the same power and respect as me." Raiser stopped right in front of him and a static, smirk parked itself on his face. "Admit it."

Issei couldn't help but expel a small laugh.

"Me? Envious?"

"I know about your life!" Raiser turned around to take a few steps. "A poor sod that no one knows! A wretch who was even killed by his own girlfriend when they hadn't even been acquainted for a day!" Raiser chuckled as he continued to walk backwards, and Issei's smile began to fade until there was nothing left. "But...!" Raiser turned around and pointed a finger at them. "But, he was lucky enough to have a Longinus in his possession, and now thinks he can have it all."

Everyone watched the chatter in silence, and needless to say, the tables were turning more in Raiser's favor than even before, something Issei could sense from the murmurs spreading through the magic circles that functioned as communicators.

Raiser wagged his finger a couple of times as Issei seemed to be getting more and more annoyed.

"Let me tell you something." The Demon stepped closer, and a wicked smile graced his lips. "You should try praying to the one up there if you want to get love. Not just love from women, but from friends, from family. Because with what you did now it will be very difficult for you to get anyone...Oh, wait a minute..." Raiser's smile widened even more. "It's true that you can't even pray to him because you're a Demon! My bad!" Raiser laughed after his words, causing a grimace to be pronounced on Issei's face as his fists clenched tightly.

"Stop laughing, you fucking bastard!" Issei exclaimed as he lunged at Raiser without being able to contain his rage.

The Upper Class Demon watched with amusement as Issei was replete with gashes from letting himself go, so it wasn't hard for him to dodge his punch and watch him with a sneer-covered grin.

The cheers of the crowd began to resound. Evidently they were all supporting Raiser and some were even insulting the protagonist.

"Issei-kun..." Sirzechs thought with great concern as he saw what was transpiring.

Ravel was not far from the Demon King, and was in a similar situation.

Meanwhile, Azazel and Raynare watched silently as Raiser dodged all of Issei's blows with utmost ease.

"You're nothing but a frustrated child who just ruined his life." Raiser commented graciously as he blocked one of her blows to show him his supremacy, but great was his surprise when the shock forced him to take several steps backwards. "Apparently, the boy is not as weak as he looks." Raiser commented graciously, making Issei even more annoyed.

"I said shut up!" Issei shouted in anger as he threw himself at him once again.

But this time, Raiser reacted.

The Demon dodged the blow as he tilted his body to the side to then give him a hard elbow on the back of the neck so forceful that it left Issei somewhat dizzy. Just as he started to come to his senses, all he could do was turn around to receive a hard kick to the cheek that made him spit out some blood. His body staggered for a second to then fall to the ground, an action that received a great deal of cheers from those present.

"That was a good hit." Azazel commented after what he witnessed.

"Yes, but he still has that." Raynare answered him as he watched Issei slowly get to his feet under the watchful eye of Raiser, who seemed to be having a lot of fun with the starring role in the show.

"Are you all right, partner?" Ddraig's voice echoed across the battlefield, drawing the attention of many, including Raiser himself.

"Don't worry, it's just a scratch." Issei spat blood after those words, his split lip bleeding non-stop. "Let's do it, Ddraig." Issei commented as he pulled himself completely together.

His hand tipped forward at Raiser's attention, who watched him with his hands in his pockets.

"Boost!"

"BOOSTOOOO!"

A small sphere appeared in Issei's outstretched palm, earning a sneer-covered grin from Raiser.

"That's all you can do? You want me to show you what a real magical attack looks like?" Raiser asked, only to shake his head as he noticed he didn't receive an answer, all Issei was doing was moving closer. "Aren't you disappointed to have such a pitiful bearer, Red Dragon?" The question was directed towards the gauntlet, and he waited for the answer patiently.

"This distance is perfect." Evidently, that kind of answer was not what he was expecting, so he blinked in confusion. "Time to fry this chicken, partner!"

"What?!" A vein scored on his temple, but he didn't have time to answer him properly.

"DRAGON SHOT!"

Raiser's eyes grew wide as he noticed how the small sphere transformed into a torrent of powerful energy. He could barely react because of the close proximity, so he could only cross his arms in X to hold back the attack.

"Gggrrrrrr! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Raiser's growl turned into a great shout as he used his flames to enhance the defense and break the attack, causing a small crater to be generated underneath at his feet.

But before he could do anything...

"DRAGON SHOT!"

Raiser's teeth clenched tightly as he was forced to strengthen his stance, causing the crater beneath his feet to deepen even further.

"YOU BARELY TICKLE ME!" Shouted Raiser between growls with a bloodthirsty grin on his face.

"DRAGON SHOT!"

The magical attacks were launched one after another, so Raiser had no time to do anything but defend himself. His teeth began to grind as he felt his arms burn and as the numerous attacks began to drag him down. His gaze went back for a short second to see the ground behind him begin to split and fly.

"DRAGON SHOT!"

"This is..." Raiser's teeth clenched to the point of almost breaking.

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS!"

Raiser's shout was followed by a sea of flames that split and disintegrated the great crimson energy that was overflowing him. His somewhat exhausted breath did not go unnoticed as he focused his gaze through all the dust, and he didn't need to be a genius to notice that he had moved a couple of meters away from his previous position.

"Let's get this over with!" The flames circled Raiser's body perfectly to simulate the figure of a phoenix, indicating that this time he meant business.

Still, Raiser's annoyed expression didn't last long as he noticed Issei's figure slowly becoming visible. In fact, his eyes widened in some disbelief.

"I agree, let's get this over with." Commented Issei, who was in possession of a sphere four times larger than the previous one.

"DRAGON SHOT!"

The magical shot was considerably larger and more powerful than the previous one. He made it clear when debris not far from his position flew out at an impressive speed, and even the ground cracked considerably.

Raiser took an unconscious step backwards, his teeth clenched tightly and a large magic circle appeared in front of him that acted as a barrier.

"I'm not about to use a magic attack to defeat a piece of trash!" Thought the High Class Demon with his eyes widening to the max as the attack impacted against the barrier.

The spectators gasped as they noticed how the Dragon Shot contracted in on itself for a short second only to have a shockwave spread across much of the battlefield afterwards, generating a large crater in progress. The attack was so powerful and large as to shatter everything behind Raiser, who had fanned his flames to the maximum to stop this attack.

Raiser's eyes widened as he noticed how the barrier began to crack, while Issei continued with his hand raised and giving his all in order to break through his defense. In fact, he was already looking quite exhausted.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Raiser's inevitable scream emerged from his lips as the muscles in his arms over-swelled from the sheer amount of force he was using to stop the attack.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Issei responded in kind as he placed his bare hand on his gauntlet with the intent to give him more thrusting force, so it didn't take long for him to start stepping forward.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Both continued shouting at the top of their lungs, until...

Until a huge crimson explosion shook the entire battlefield and blinded all the spectators, who were forced to cover their eyes.

Once the blinding glow dimmed, everyone watched in silence as the battlefield was filled with dust. The sound of the earth and the breeze was the only thing that could be heard in that place, until a figure began to be distinguished among so much chaos.

Issei was very agitated while still in the same posture as a few moments ago. The sudden headache made him fall to his knees as he brought a hand to his forehead with the intention of holding back the pain, something really difficult.

"You overdid it with the last Dragon Shot. You should have saved a little more of your magic." Ddraig commented seriously.

"I don't think holding back at that point could have done any good." Issei commented, trying his blurry vision to let him see through all the dust.

Slowly another figure came into view. His labored breathing was more than evident.

Once the dust gave way, Raiser's figure came into view with great changes. What stood out the most about those changes were the flames surrounding his entire upper body that took care of healing all wounds and burns at a great speed. The next interesting thing was to see that the upper part of his suit was almost completely shredded, so his torso was almost entirely exposed. His eyes were wide as he tried to regulate his breathing, his posture still continued to be defensive even though the attack was over.

Issei could only grit his teeth with some helplessness as he watched the heavy damage on his opponent's arms heal in a few seconds. That made his gasping breath disappear from one second to the next, and the annoyance on his face became more than palpable as he fixed his gaze on his shredded suit.

"You ruined my suit..." Raiser whispered with restrained rage, then fixed his gaze on Issei. "You ruined my wedding..." He whispered again, his teeth clenched in fury. "You're going to pay for this!" The Demon exclaimed as flames ignited much of his body, causing Issei to go on the defensive.

The man approached at surprising speed, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. Issei could barely react in time as he scrambled to his feet. Even so, the headache returned with even more force, so that his posture wobbled and one of his eyes squeezed shut tightly. But, despite having everything against him, Issei tried to hit him.

The result was more than obvious: Raiser caught his fist and released a large amount of flames that set his whole arm on fire. But that wasn't the only thing, as Issei barely managed to expel a small shout due to Raiser shutting him up instantly when he landed a hard right to his cheek that generated a slight flaming explosion.

"This is the least you deserve!" Shouted Raiser as he grabbed him by the neck and delivered another powerful forehand right in the same spot, causing him to spit blood.

Issei tried to defend himself when he hit his cheek, and although he had done some damage, the Demon regenerated almost instantly and responded with a blow with twice the power, causing Issei's red cheek to get a purple and somewhat bloody color.

Everyone watched in silence as Raiser continued to relentlessly hit him in different parts of his body, producing increasingly blunt damage.

"Raiser-Raiser-sama, I think this is already too much..." Asia commented with small tears. "I think we should stop him..." The young girl didn't finish her speech, as she was surprised to see the extreme coldness on the faces of Rias, Akeno and Koneko.

That made her shut up and watch with even more fear and concern for everything that was happening.

Ravel wanted to stop what was happening, but her mother stopped her when she placed a hand on her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Sirzechs could do nothing but look away from what was happening.

But unlike everyone else who feared for appearances and their contacts, Raynare stepped forward.

"Yuuma? Yuuma!" Azazel placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to stop her. "You can't." Was the comment from the Fallen, who watched her with complete seriousness.

"Look." Raynare commented as she pointed to the magic circle that transmitted the fight.

"I..." Issei tried to speak, but again received another blow to his face.

"I..." He tried again, but was silenced with a hard blow to the abdomen that made him spit out a lot of blood.

"Raiser doesn't want to let him give up." Raynare stated, removing Azazel's hand from his shoulder.

"Wait!" Azazel grabbed her hand in a last attempt to stop her. "You can't...!"

"Let go of me." Raynare ordered him in a high pitched tone, causing many people around to look at him uncertainly.

Feeling watched, Azazel had no choice but to let go of the woman.

"This is a bad idea..." The Cadre commented under his breath as he watched Raynare get lost in the crowd, though it didn't take him long to follow her.

Raiser landed a final hook under his jaw, causing Issei to linger at the gates of unconsciousness. However, just as he was about to fall, Raiser grabbed him by the arms.

"I don't know how you found out, or who of all tr said it. But you should have kept quiet." Raiser whispered in his ear to make sure only he heard. "Because of that, this day will be the last day of your life." Issei's extremely blurry vision could make out how a smile covered with malice adorned Raiser's face.

That smile only widened further when he mentioned the following words:

"Sweet dreams."

Raiser brought Issei's arms down as hard as he could and delivered a knee to Issei's chin that generated a great tremor.

Issei's blurry eyes were able to make out how his face pointed skyward as his own blood obstructed his vision.

That was the last memory of that fateful night before everything went black.

_ END OF CHAPTER! _

I hope you enjoyed it!

Next chapter will be the end of this arc. A lot of things will happen, important things.

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I hope to see you soon.

Thanks so much for reading!