Continuing his walk through the dungeon, Issei eventually reached the room at the end of the hallway he took, studying it and entering silently. He could use his ring, but they might have heard the commotion from the central room, so it might be useless anyway. He decided to go in guns blazing, so using a [Power Kick] he knocked the door right out of its hinges. "Stay right there!"

The room, however, was…empty? "The hell?" Issei said to himself as he went inside, slowly and carefully. This place was darker than before, so his [Night Vision] came in very handy. However, he noticed a certain detail: This room was full of cobwebs for some reason. He felt chills going down his spine as he felt like he was being followed or something, then, the notification came that truly allerted him.

Skill Acquired! [Danger Sense]

He narrowly dodged a strange appendage that went for his head, then he looked up to see where it came from…Only to regret it instantly. "My, what a cutie! No one comes into this room anymore, they all just stand outside and order me around to open or close the door! Except when they bring me food…"

By the boob-filled heavens! This Stray he was seeing was heavily mutated, dropping down before him and allowing him to clearly see the monster; it was like a giant spider, black, and a red sign on its back. Black Widow…Additionally, the Stray was like some parasite coming out of the spider's head from the waist up, nude and, although female and with nice knockers, had a crazy look that turned him off big time, not to mention the spider body! He used [Observe] on her swiftly.

[Stray Devil]

[Level 20 D]

[HP: 21000/21000]

[Reincarnated Stray Devil (2 Bishops)]

Flying Jesus Fucking Christ! This was a strong Stray! Realizing this, Issei decided to not take it easy and he deployed his Sacred Gear, the Stray seeming to recoil seeing the Boosted Gear.

"Ddraig!" Issei shouted.

[EXPLOSION!]

He had 2 [Boost] worth of power stored with that Skill, and the power will only last 5 minutes. Regardless, he launched two balls of fire at the Stray, but they summoned forth some kind of barrier that blocked them. Fucking-A, he hated when the enemies also had shit they could use! "Nice trick, here is mine." She said and the head of the spider rose up, spewing some kind of greenish liquid that had Issei jump to the side to dodge it, but looking back at it he noticed how it burned through the floor. Ok, he was NOT getting hit by that. The Stray growled realizing they missed, which made them frustrated. "Stand still!" And tried to hit again, but Issei was not letting himself hit that easily.

Luckily, it seemed like the Stray couldn't maneuver well, and no wonder! They were so large they took up a good amount of room. Still, Issei also suffered from this, as he had limited dodging room. He decided to try something else and threw a [Dragon Grenade] underneath the Stray. "Huh? What is-AH!"

The grenade exploded, which took the Stray off-guard. No one expects the grenade, ha! However, when the smoke cleared, he was met with a nasty surprise. The Stray's HP dropped, yes, and quite a bit, but not as much as he expected. From 21000 it went to 18500. He knows for a fact that the grenade was a BIG HIT, but then he noticed the Stray glowing for a bit. Fuck, what was that? Some kind of self-enhancement for defense?

"I will have your head for that!" She shrieked and aimed her arms at him, firing a couple of magical projectiles. Issei put up his arms to guard his more important areas, but they still hurt, taking out some good bits of HP. When the onslaught was over, he fired one [Fireball] at the Stray, which went past her. She smiled, amused by his attempt. "Is that all you have, Red Dragon? Pathetic!"

"I would look behind myself if I were you." Issei replied with a cocky grin, then, slowly, the Stray looked behind herself. Then the flames raged.

She let out a scream as her webs were caught on fire. This is an idea that Issei had while under her onslaught. Sure, he was hurt right now and his HP was only 1200, but he managed to set her entire nest on fire, flames which went to the ceiling and even on herself, inflicted the [Minor Burn] Status effect.

If there was one true counter to bugs everywhere, then that counter was fire. "You damn mongrel!" She shrieked again, trying to charge at him despite some of her legs being on fire, but Issei reacted in kind and faked trying to send another ball of fire at her, which got her to put up his shield. However, with his feint working, he kept his arm forth. Her shield seemed to be more or less for certain projectiles, but he was confident he could break through it. He decided to fire two [Dragon Shot] projectiles which did not only break through her shield, but also did some good damage to her.

However, as the room continued to burn, and she ended up hitting the wall with her massive abdomen, it caused the ceiling to collapse, falling on her and causing her to scream more. There was more smoke in here now, but the [Minor Burn] turned into [Severe Burn] which was taking 25% of her remaining HP per minute. Thinking she will likely just burn to ashes, Issei rushed out of the room, returning to the main room where he collapsed on his knees and coughed.

That was hard! His [Boost] faded, their effect passing, but Issei needed a pick-me up. He took one of the potions for HP in his inventory and drank it, although he did gag doing so. The taste was horrible! It was worse than damn medicine! However, it did its job and rejuvenated some of his HP, putting him at 1583.

Half HP, but better than nothing. He decided to rest for a bit, waiting for the fire to kill that Stray, but he had no such luck as he heard the door to that room come undone and the Stray charging out of the room and into the main area, looking pissed as well. "You fucking brat, look what you've done!" He could see, alright! And quite honestly, he'd wish to whip himself for damaging her breasts if she was not such a monster! Her humane body was burned, having blisters on it and he could see that her spider body was doing any better either. In fact, he could clearly see some of her legs being held up most likely due to damage.

He checked, and she somehow managed to reduce her effect back to the minor stage, since he still saw some smoke coming off her. But her health was more manageable now, as it was dropping by 3% a minute due to the Status Effect and currently at 9460. He could manage this amount. "I will enjoy killing you now!"

"Keep dreaming!" Issei retorted and grabbed his sword before he used [Power Jump] to quickly get underneath her, her massive body not doing her a lot of favors here now. Using his sword he slashed at one of her intact legs, cutting it off. Weak points found as he got a CRITICAL hit for that and heard her scream. He retreated as quickly as possible, but she launched more of that acid spit at him. He tried to dodge it, but it still got on his leg a bit, making him hiss in pain as he lost some HP.

He got himself back into position, facing her and counting her remaining legs. She only had 2 on the left and one on the right, which was affecting her damage. He was going to charge in and cut her legs some more, but then he noticed a bad detail. The sword he had been using was no more. The acid got to it and destroyed it, forcing him to discard it. It was bad since he just got a new skill as well.

Skill Acquired! [Slash]

A skill made for his swordsmanship. Whenever he manages to slash an enemy he has a good chance to inflict the [Minor Bleed] effect. "Damn it!" He hissed, then he faced the Stray. He was low on HP and quite honestly he didn't want to waste his Balance Breaker on her. She was not the boss, despite this battle being pretty difficult. He needed to think of a good way to take her out. [Fireball] was something she was avoiding, mostly because he now knew how bad she is around fire.

"Issei, we need to finish her quickly! Use your Balance Breaker!"

"What? But if I do that, then I won't have any Stamina left for the boss!" Issei said back, trying to argue.

"Partner, we do not have to defeat this entire dungeon today! After we kill her we can leave!" Ddraig added, and Issei, as much as he wanted to keep going, had to agree they were right. His HP was getting low and his leg could use some healing back home from Kuroka. If he went this banged up to fight the boss he might not survive, even with his Balance Breaker.

"DIE!" The Stray lunged at him.

"BALANCE BREAKER!"

[SCALE MAIL!]

The armor deployed instantly around him and Issei met the Stray's charge with 5 consecutive [Boost] and a singular strike in the form of a [Power Punch], striking her right in the head. The strike only stunned her, but Issei was quick to finish her off by using [Power Kick] to stomp down on her frontal spider head. She let out a scream from the pain, then, as her HP reached 0, she collapsed dead, her giant body twitching all over the place.

However, Issei collapsed on his ass as his Balance Breaker faded. Shit…He was out of Mana and his HP was low, and his Stamina was not holding on very well either. He had to leave, but before he did, he noticed something new beside the body of the Stray. He went to it and picked up a strange looking dagger with a curved blade. He used [Observe] on it.

[Venom Dagger]

[A dagger coated in potent venom. Whenever you [Slash] an enemy with this weapon, you have a 50% chance to inflict the Status Effect [Minor Poison] to the affected target. If you perform a [Stab], then you have a 100% chance. Adds an additional 10% more damage.]

[Durability: 20/20]

A poisonous weapon? Sure, why not? He stored it in his inventory, then he picked up something else. "Nice." A bishop piece. Well, at least the loot dropped by this Stray was not that bad overall.

Issei then turned back towards the exit, looking back to see smoke coming out of the room he set on fire. Hopefully whoever is left here will take care of the fire when he returns. He walked back through the hallway and slowly up the stairs until he came out of the dungeon. That Stray offered him a nice amount of EXP, 1400. He saw the dim light of the night and he eventually reached the outside, being met with a surprising sight.

"Nya, Issei!" Kuroka jumped to him, seeing him in a state that was more or less worse than ever. "What happened down there, nya?! Who did this to you?!"

"A Stray with two bishop pieces." He replied, and Kuroka understood the situation. He likely had a rough fight, and the evidence was there. "What happened here?" He asked as he looked around to see multiple piles of ash all around.

"Nya, Strays." Kuroka replied. "Likely a part of the group that made this place its home. I must have killed around 20 of them, but my mist made short work of them. In rest, I simply got them into the alley and used some magic to burn their bodies since the high number might have attracted attention we did not want."

"20 of them…?" Issei said slowly, then Solomon came with the answer.

"It is likely that, while separated by the fact you need to go in the dungeon, the link that shares EXP between the two of you was also cut." Solomon explained, which seemed like a solid explanation. "Regardless, we need to move. You need to rest and recover, Issei."

"Yeah…Kuroka, let's go home."

"Nya, no need to tell me twice!"

They teleported away, returning to their cozy home.


The next day, Rias Gremory was overlooking some reports on her desk, finding things to be a bit odd. "This is not right…"

"What is it, Rias?" Akeno asked, looking at her king.

"The Stray murders, there were two more last night, and what's more, multiple 'shady people' have walked into an alley, only for them not to come out." Rias said, leaning back on her chair. "Somehow, the Red Dragon Emperor caught the courage to get bolder in his maneuvers."

"Oh my, that is certainly strange." Akeno remarked, noticing the oddity as well. "We stopped our search for him, yes, but they shouldn't have noticed so soon. Do you think he somehow found out about us stopping our pursuits?"

"Seems likely." Rias said. "If he knows we are no longer chasing him, then that means someone tipped him off or, and this is a possibility seeing as he has Kuroka with him, he was still around the junkyard when we got there and heard us talk."

"If so, then Koneko would have sensed them!" Akeno pointed out. "And as far as we are concerned, Sona agreed to keep quiet on the matter of the Red Dragon as well! It couldn't be that one of her peerage members talked, right?"

"I don't know. Regardless, it doesn't matter." Rias said, getting up from her chair to look outside at the early morning sun. "We clearly stated we won't interfere with his actions anymore, and I intend to keep my word. Whoever tipped him off didn't do any harm other than speed the inevitable. We will only keep doing damage control and make sure the secret of the supernatural doesn't leak."

"A bit difficult, considering the police are forced to treat this like a serial killer case." Akeno remarked. "Despite the chief being our client, it is getting increasingly difficult for them to keep this in line as well."

"I don't blame them…" Rias sighed. "The Red Dragon Emperor out of all possible culprits. I feel like the laughing stock of the world right now for having such a powerful being under my nose and not trying to recruit them into my peerage. But I cannot ignore Koneko's feelings here. The dragon is with Kuroka, which only complicates things."

"My, oh my. What a complicated situation we find ourselves in where we can do nothing but watch and wait."

"Indeed."


A new day was here, and Issei was feeling refreshed. As it turns out, sleeping refilled his HP, Stamina, and Mana back up right away. Additionally, the wounds he suffered in that dungeon also healed back completely! It is true what they say about a good night's rest. Now came the time for something else: Revenge. That first dungeon left a sour taste in his mouth after he went through it, or rather, because he was unable to go through to the end.

That Stray forced him to retreat, damn it! And he couldn't defeat them until he busted out his Balance Breaker! Shit, the number of pieces a Stray is in possession of seemed to tip the scales more than he knew. That Stray was using an enchantment or something to protect herself and reduce the damage, which proved a big pain in the ass to get past.

But, right now, Issei and Kuroka decided to try and return there during the afternoon. At first it sounded crazy given that there might be Strays, but Solomon had his doubts about that considering how many of them fell at Kuroka's hands last night. Even if there were more of them back at the nest, it was likely not going to be another difficult run.

Though, he did expect another mini-boss like last time. Still, he prepared himself better. He decided to use 10 of his Stat Points, pumping them evenly between his STR and DUR. And then, with Kuroka teleporting him there, he entered the dungeon again. With his DUR Stat increased, he now had access to a total 6 [Boost] and 3 stored ones, which he kept in his Gear. As he descended, however, he noticed how there was no one at the gates anymore. What's more, the bodies of the Strays he had killed previously were still there.

He half-expected Rias or Sona to sweep the place already, given the commotion last night, but it looks like he was wrong on that front. Or perhaps, they are waiting on something else. It wouldn't surprise him if they decided to let him do the dirty work, but hey, he didn't have anything against that! More loot for him!

He eventually reached the main room, seeing the body of the spider Stray he had killed yesterday. Thankfully, the bodies had yet to start properly rotting, meaning there was no real smell. He decided to walk to the room she inhabited before, and once he was inside he was forced to cover his mouth and cough. "Fuck, this place is full of smoke." He said to himself as he entered, seeing the room in ruins and covered in ash and still fuming here and there. But he saw something else: A lever. Classic, he won't lie. He went to it, using his sacred gear in case the iron was still hot, and pulled it.

Nothing happened, but that was likely because there was another room to take care of. He left the first level room and went to the second one, expecting to be attacked again, but as he entered he got…nothing. There were two Common Chests there, but aside from them there was nothing. Opening them, he found some HP potions, 3 in total; 1 more Stamina Potion; and something which he found pretty interesting, namely some basic iron armor. That was what his [Observe] skill said about it. He found a helmet and chestplate, along with a strange vial.

[Iron Helmet]

[A basic piece of armor made to provide protection to the wearer's head. When equipped, this provides a bonus of -3% damage to the head against physical attacks]
[Durability: 45/45]

[Iron Chestplate]

[A basic piece of armor made to provide protection to the wearer's upper torso. When equipped, this provides a bonus of -3% damage to the upper torso against physical attacks]
[Durability: 50/50]

He decided to equip all of them, making sure to turn on the 'cosmetics' for the armor. Basically, he still got the buffs to his defense and everything, but the armor doesn't show. Then he looked at the vial, but he was shocked to see what was inside of it.

[Venom Cocktail]

[This dangerous mix contains the venom of multiple species across the planet! Not even a High-Class Devil can easily shrug off such potent poison, and that's saying something! This venom can be applied to your melee weapons, giving them the ability to inflict the Status Effect [Severe Poison] to the target. However, if ingested directly, the Status Effect is treated as [Killer Poison] instead]

"Holy smokes!" Issei said, recoiling a bit from the information of the vile.

"That could be very useful…Or very unpleasant if used against us." Solomon remarked. "Issei, please consider putting that in your inventory for now? It is safer stored there."

"I agree. We do not need to get poisoned by this stuff." Ddraig said and Issei listened to them. That was some extra nasty stuff. However, after looting the chest there, he turned the lever as well, and this time they heard the sound of the gate lifting. Going to the central room again, they could see that the door was indeed open, so Issei went inside, pushing open the large gate.

The room he found himself in resembled more like an arena. There were obvious signs of not just renovation of the room, which must have served as a major storage for more important things, but also battle. Dried blood decorated the walls and floor of the room, and as he entered he could see some sort of stairs going up to viewer stands. But there was something else at the other end, sitting on a throne.

His [Night Vision] was not needed here as torches ignited, lightning up the room and allowing him to see the being on the other end. But his breathing hitched as he saw them. Before him stood a large being, easily double the size of a normal human, maybe even three times the size of one! Their skin was of a darker shade, and they sported a beard on their face with their hair being shaved except for a tail at the back of their head. Then came the most interesting detail: Four arms. The being before him had four fucking arms to their name! Lastly, they were dressed in some kind of skirt-like thing, although Issei didn't know what they were called.

Still, it didn't matter. He used [Observe] on them, getting his information about this Boss.

BOSS

[The Asura Stray]

[Level 25 C]

[HP: 40000/40000]

[Reincarnated Stray Devil/Asura (1 Queen)]

"An Asura? Interesting, but…"

"But what, Solomon?"

"Well, Issei, my boy, sorry to say this, but we are going to be feeling a good amount of pain."

"I agree…Asura are the devils of Hindu mythology, being the opposite of the Devas. They seek out chaos and destruction at every turn, but they are no joke. One Asura alone even managed to drive out all Devas from their corner of Heaven, not even the big ones like Shiva or Indra could do anything to him!' Ddraig said, driving the nail through. "That being said, the Asura are strong, both in body and magic."

The asura opened his eyes and looked down from his throne, seeing Issei in the middle of his arena. He didn't think much of him at first, but then he saw it: The Boosted Gear! The kid before him was the Red Dragon Emperor, huh? "I see the Red Dragon himself has come to purge me. Who sends you? The Devils? The Devas? Or perhaps are you here of your own volition?"

"The third." Issei replied. "This nest of Strays is done for, asura!"

"I see, so it was by your hand that my clients were slaughtered." The asura replied as he got up from his throne. "And something tells me you killed the ones stationed to remain every night as well…You are resourceful, young dragon, but foolish!" He jumped down from his seat into the arena, taking a stance against Issei. "Know this! For the insult you brought towards me, I will repay that in pain one-hundredfold!"

"Bring it!" Issei shouted back, activating his Balance Breaker.

[SCALE MAIL!]

[EXPLOSION!]

[BOOST!]

He went full power from the start, not wishing to test this boss or risk underestimating them. They were a rank higher and had a level that was higher than most of the beings he faced so far, not to mention that Ddraig and Solomon spoke highly of this guy's race. This fight was not going to be an easy one.

"Garuda's Wind!" The Boss said before he charged at Issei with impressive speed, catching Issei off-guard. He was able to dodge thanks to his increased stats, but it didn't take long for the boss to twist themselves and grab him by the leg. They were swift on their feet! The Boss threw Issei into the ground, which resulted in some damage, before he brought him in close and began to squeeze hard on him with his four arms combined. "I will be quick to kill you…"

"UGHHHH" Issei could feel the pressure on him and his HP was dropping by the second! He had to act fast, so he ended up using one of his hands and pressing it against the boss' stomach. Then, he focused, trying to use his fire magic for something. He could feel his palm heating up, but it didn't burn him. Granted, the same could not be said about the boss as they let out a painful scream and let go of Issei, allowing him to use [Power Jump] to take some distance.

Skill Acquired! [Scorching Touch]

Skill Level up! [Power Jump] is now level 2!

New Skill, but not exactly something he can use very effectively. Still, Issei watched the asura charge at him with a fist which he was quick to block, being met with a strong right hook. However, he forgot that his enemy has two pairs of arms, as another arm went right under his guard and broke it, resulting in a devastating upper-cut that dazed him, allowing the asura to begin scoring massive hits on him.

He was mainly aiming at his head and torso, delivering furious and heavy fists, then finished with a powerful kick that sent Issei into the wall of the arena, feeling the air being knocked out of him. That also took some good chunks of his health as well. He was about to retaliate when he saw the asura bring two of his hands together in a prayer-like manner then two of them aimed at him. That got his [Danger Sense] to go crazy.

"Infernal Fury!" The asura shouted as a crimson ray of energy was fired at Issei from him, resulting in an explosion that kicked up the dust all around him. The Stray put his arms down. "And so, the dragon is slain- AHHHH!" His words were cut as Issei appeared once again behind him, but this time, he was burying the dagger he got last time into its back. Fortunately, he managed to use the last use of his ring, turning invisible in the moment of the strike and using [Power Jump] to dodge and then fly across, pulling out the dagger for this move.

Skill Acquired! [Stab]

Sub-Skill Acquired! [Backstab]

Issei jumped back with the dagger in hand, the Stray turning back to look at him. Issei used [Observe] once again to check the stats of the boss, seeing that he got some nice strikes in, especially with the dagger. That also counted towards his [Sneak Attack] Skill, making the damage bonus pretty high.

BOSS

[The Asura Stray]

[Level 25 C]

[HP: 36700/40000]

[Reincarnated Stray Devil/Asura (1 Queen)]

[S.E: Medium Bleed(-10% HP/Min); Minor Poison(-3% HP/Min)]

Nice! Those are going to reduce the Boss' health gradually, giving him some more breathing room and advantages. "You- Garuda's Wind!" The Boss used the skill from before, and their speed exploded once again, but this time, with the dagger in hand, Issei was able to dodge better by mostly abusing [Power Jump]. And this time he learned from his previous mistake, so when the Boss reached to grab his ankle again he fired a [Wyvern Shot] at them, nailing them in the head. He landed safely on the ground, letting the Boss turn around to face him once again.

However, Issei was the one who was going to enter the offensive this time as he charged in at the boss and tried to use [Power Punch], but the Stray caught his fist, resulting in barely any damage being dealt then tried to strike Issei with one of his other arms. But Issei was quick to react and brought up his leg into a solid [Power Kick] that had the asura pushed back, then he followed up by using [Wyvern Shot] with both hands, launching them as quickly as possible at the boss and managing to pin them down.

Skill Level-up! [Dual Use] is now level 3!

The Boss put its massive arms up for protection, but due to the Status Effects and Issei's assault, his HP was going down pretty well. But that is what he was relying on. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Suddenly, a crimson aura surrounded the Boss and he began to charge through Issei's attack. He tried to dodge again, but Issei found himself face to face quickly, then he felt the heavy fists of the asura once again into his gut. But there was more. "WRATH OF THE DEVAS!" The asura shouted, then a powerful wave of energy erupted from their fist while contact was still made with Issei, sending him all the way through the door and back into the main room.

"C-crap…" Issei said as his helmet was dismissed, allowing him to cough. But looking down he saw a nasty image. Blood. His abdomen felt like it was on fire as well, then he checked himself. He has the [Medium Bleed] effect, but no external wounds to speak off. He was bleeding internally. But there was more to it. The asura was stronger, he doesn't know how, they were not holding back so far, but they were STRONGER.

"Issei!" Solomon shouted in worry.

"I am fine, Solomon." He replied, getting up and bringing his inventory forth to pull out two bottles of HP for himself. He hated the herbal taste they had, but he still downed them like there was no tomorrow before throwing the empty glass bottles away. He restored some HP, and the pain in his abdomen was better, but he was still hurting plenty.

"You are not disappointing, Red Dragon." The asura said, walking into the room. They sure looked better when Issei first entered the room, that was for sure. They both took good damage. He checked the status of the boss, finding their HP to be standing at 29600. Good progress is in. "However, the more you hurt me, the stronger I get."

What? Issei got his Balance Breaker's helmet back, then he faced the boss. "What do you mean?"

"This is the power that I, Anumba, was bestowed! The more pain I feel, the higher my power rises in the midst of battle!" The boss said, and the pieces fell in place in Issei's mind. Their HP…The lower he got their HP, the stronger they became! Fuck! It doesn't seem to work on their DUR, but come the fuck on, he is already strugglinhg and their HP is not even half way gone!

Damn it! He needs to find a way to damage them more efficiently then, something to balance out the fact that their power rises so much. But there was none. Right now, they were very likely equal in strength, even with his Balance Breaker and 7 active [Boost]. If he wanted to defeat this guy, then…he might need to use THAT.

"Out of the question, Issei!" Ddraig said, being against the idea. "This enemy might be strong, but you are not ready to use the power of the Juggernaut Drive yet! Please, partner, persevere!"

He's right, he needs to keep fighting. He was not dead yet, and while he still had breath, there was hope he could defeat this boss. He got himself into a stance, ready for their next charge, and they didn't disappoint. Issei gave a battlecry in response as he charged at the asura as well, holding the dagger in his other hand as their fists met, sending a shockwave throughout the room before he tried to [Slash] them with the dagger again, only the asura to lean back and dodge the dagger. He knew it was poisoned, he could feel it in his body!

They then tried to strike Issei, but he was quick to pull back the hand with the dagger, making the stray stab themselves with the dagger at the punches. "Curses!" They hissed and jumped back, pulling their hand out of the dagger. That seems to have renewed the poison. Good, because it didn't stack. However, it didn't count for his skills, but it did result in another [Bleed] Status Effect, this time the minor version that only took -2%/min. Not much, as he could do with another medium version.

He charged up his [Dragon Grenade], throwing it at the feet of the asura, but they were quick to notice it and jumped out of the most damaging part of the explosion. Granted, they still took some damage, but not that much. Worst of all, they used the power of the explosion to boost their jump at Issei, coming from above with an axe kick, but Issei was able to block it with his arms and push the asura back, but in doing so he was left open. He saw the asura repeat the same arm motions like before.

"INFERNAL FURY!" The ray came his way again and Issei found himself dodging it, if barely and without much success. It got to his side, taking one of his wings. No more flying for a bit, it seemed. Worst of all, his HP took a big hit from that as well, another one and he was done for!

Things were getting desperate, so Issei decided on an equally desperate move. He checked his Skills, namely the sub-page for the skills granted by the Boosted Gear.

"Issei, no-"

"Trust me." He muttered, then he faced the asura. "You are a worthy opponent."

"Having the praise of the Red Dragon is something." The asura replied. "Despite your youth, I can sense power from you. However, the stance you have taken now is too relaxed. What are you planning?"

"As I said, you are a worthy opponent…Worthy enough for the full power of the Dragon of Domination!" Issei said and he spread his wings, or what was left of them, then he began.


(Ultimate)[Juggernaut Drive] (MAX): The user's most dangerous Skill! Usage of it is not recommended under any circumstance! To activate this skill, the user must use the following chant:

"I, who am about to awaken,

Am the Heavenly Dragon who has stolen the principles of domination from God

I laugh at the 'infinite', and I grieve at the 'dream'

I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination

And I shall sink you to the depths of the crimson purgatory!"

Once done, the seal on the power of Ddraig shall be temporarily removed, allowing the user to use the full power of the Dragon Emperor, but at a terrible cost! While active, this Skill drains 100 HP/Min, PERMANENTLY, lowering the Gamer's HP unless restored, instead of Mana or Stamina and applies the Status Effect, Berserk (+500% to STR, MGI, and DUR ).

The Cooldown on the [Boost] ability is removed.

!WARNING! THIS SKILL CAN KILL THE USER !WARNING!


"I, who am about to awaken…" Issei began, and he could already feel his Sacred Gear pulsating as it recognised the verse. He could feel the power already threatening to spill out and destroy everything in sight. "Am the Heavenly Dragon who has stolen the principles of domination from God."


Outside, Kuroka's tail perked up as she felt the release of power. "Oh no…Issei, what are you doing?"


At the Occult Research Club, Rias dropped her mug as a wave of pure power hit her. "No…What is this power?" She asked herself, shaking. "Is this the Red Dragon? But how? Why?"


"You…You are crazy!" The asura said, backing down a little. "The Juggernaut Drive…Are you suicidal?! No Dragon Emperor of the past could control that power! It will consume you and kill you!"

"I laugh at the 'infinite', and I grieve at the 'dream' " Issei continued, even as Ddraig and Solomon yelled in his head to stop.

"I won't let you!" The asura charged recklessly at Issei, afraid of the Juggernaut Drive. And who wouldn't…That power spells only disaster towards EVERYONE who is unfortunate enough to cross paths with it! He won't die here today, but at least he knows that unless the chanting is stopped, then that is when the Juggernaut Drive comes out! If he can stop the Red Dragon from his chant, then-

"You fell for it!" Issei said, interrupting the chant as he took advantage of the asura's reckless charge and used the dagger, slipping underneath their punches and driving the dagger into their chest, between the ribs, and into their heart. He got a CRITICAL announcement as he did so as well, then the asura fell on its knees as he kept the dagger in.

They coughed out blood as the poison of the dagger was doing its job, yet, they still had fight in them. He drew in air and headbutted Issei, making him stumble back and pull out the dagger, but the asura was quick to put pressure on the wound. "How? I stabbed your heart!"

The asura was letting out labored breaths. "Each member of my race…Has different boons…Aside from more power from damage, I was also born with an additional heart." Oh, for fuck's sake! No wonder this guy was a Queen Piece! "I have to say, Red Dragon…Tricking me into a panic by threatening to unleash the terrible Juggernaut Drive. A clever, if not foolishly risky move." He let out a chuckle, then slowly, his chuckling turned into a laugher. "You are truly one of a kind!"

"Thanks?" Issei replied in confusion.

"The poison you afflicted me with is doing its work too…My vision is growing blurry, and now that you stabbed one of my hearts, I feel weakened." The asura confessed, then, strangely, he smiled. Issei, confused, checked their stats again. His HP was low, being at around 9700. That critical strike really took out a nice chunk of their HP. But what was there to smile for? "I…I ran from my master for selfish reasons. I wanted to fight. I wanted to DESTROY. I wanted to live my eternity in accordance with my race's desire! But, after I was reincarnated by the current Lord of Sitri, I was fooled."

"S-Sitri?!" Issei gasped in shock. Fuck off, there was no way this guy was the Queen of Sona's Father! Then again, he had no way to confirm or prove his words false. And he has no reason to lie.

"They wanted a tool for their rating games…I refused to be one, so I ran." He confessed. "I thought about taking vengeance on the fool's daughter many times, but even more after she had the audacity to set up shop in THIS TOWN! But with her sister a Satan, I was not about to foolishly risk it. So I bid my time, growing in power to eventually hold my own even against Serafall Leviathan herself! But to no use…"

"You desired power." Issei said, summarizing his words. "You wanted power to be able to fight Serafall in case she attacked in revenge."

"You catch on quick." The Stray said, then the crimson aura returned. "But that being said, I will not give up here!" He punched the ground, creating craters under his fist. The power and pressure he was letting out was like a suffocating forest fire! "Come, Red Dragon! Show me your power! If I am to die here, then so be it! This will be my grave!"

"As you wish!" Issei replied and they both charged at each other again, Issei making full use of his [Power -] skills, mainly the kick and punch to try and get this over with, but the asura packed heavy punches and quick ones too! Their power was now through the roof, and Issei didn't have a lot of time left on the clock. The timer of his [Boost] was almost all the way down, not to mention his Stamina was getting dangerously low. However, during their fury of strikes, Issei was able to [Slash] with the dagger and even cut off one of the hands of the asura.

That was a critical strike, but the asura was clearly not done as the next punch right after that was so powerful it broke half of his Balance Breaker's helmet!

Skill Level up! [Power Punch] is now level 4!

Skill Level up! [Power Kick] is now level 3!

Skill Level up! [Slash] is now level 2!

After his helmet was broken, however, he tightened his grip on the dagger and once again [Stab] the stray in his collarbone, going through the bone in the process. His dagger got stuck as a result, however, forcing him to abandon it there. He went back, letting the asura grab the dagger and pull it out, throwing it to the side. Then, they let out another battle cry. "ASURA'S RAGE!"

[Danger Sense] went into overdrive at that one. He saw the aura around the asura turn black as they charged at him, bleeding heavily from the wounds. Issei was no better himself, but he met the charge head on and used [Power Punch] to meet the Stray's own assault. Their fist connected once again, but this time, when the shockwave ensued, most of it didn't leave Issei's arm. A shockwave went through his arm, tearing away at his armor and flesh. Eventually, as he was blown away and staggered back, holding his arm, he collapsed on his knees. He…He couldn't feel his arm anymore!

The asura let out labored breaths as they looked at him, their eyes completely white. However, they were that way because they lost consciousness. He checked…They had the [Berserk] Status Effect, which offered a crazy increase to their stats, but in exchange for their mind. But there was more to it. They collapsed, unable to hold themselves up any longer. They held themselves by their hands, and Issei saw how their massive power seemed to fade.

"You…What was that power?" Issei asked through gritted teeth. He was in pain, but he was thankful his arm went numb, otherwise who knows how bad that one would be hurting right now.

The asura spat out blood, and Issei checked their HP. It was…dropping. As if they received a FATAL strike or something. "Asura's Rage…A forbidden technique of my people which grants us immense amounts of power in exchange for our sanity…I was not ready for it."

"What do you mean 'not ready'?" Issei asked, confused at his words.

"Only the strongest of our race can handle it, and the best can even retain their sanity through that." The asura revealed as he got himself in a sitting position. "If we cannot handle it, it destroys us from within…" Upon hearing that, Issei checked the Boss' stats again, finding something he missed in his Status Effects.

[Medium Bleed (-20% HP/Min) X3; Severe Bleed (-40% HP/Min)]

He was bleeding so much…Likely internally as well. Their current HP was 200 and dropping fast. "You…Why?"

"Like you said before, Red Dragon…You were a worthy opponent. It would have been an insult not to go all out." The Boss said. "You cannot use the Juggernaut due to what it would do, yes…And I didn't wish to use Asura's Rage either, but I saw the direction of our fight. The bleeding, the poison, the commotion - had I won, chances were I would have woken up with one of the two peerages at my door and I wouldn't be able to fight back due to the wounds you inflicted on me. I was dead either way."

"So, you are giving up." Issei said, but the Boss was quick to bark back.

"I am not giving up!" He shouted, then he looked at Issei. "Kill me, Red Dragon. I refuse to die due to my own technique. Give me the death I desire."

Issei remained silent for a bit, using his skill again to check their health. One strike, it didn't even need to be one of his strongest, and he was dead. Issei got up and walked towards him, putting his good arm in front of them and charging up his [Dragon Shot] "For all that matters…You fought well."

"So did you, Young Dragon. Can I know your name, before you strike me down?" The Boss asked.

"It's Issei Hyoudou." Issei replied.

"Issei Hyoudou…I will remember it well in the afterlife." The Stray said before the attack struck them in the chest, dropping the HP to 0. The Boss fell limp on the ground, and Issei dismissed his Balance Breaker. His [Boost] faded just a bit ago, barely a minute after their common strike. He felt tired, and as he looked at his status, he felt lucky he was still alive.


HP: 340/3580 (1HP/Min)

STA: 60/2780 (1STA/Min)

Mana: 3150/3250 (1 Mana/Min)

[S.E: Reset]


Crud. While [Reset] was active he knew for a fact he could not use his Boosted Gear until his Stamina was back at 50%, meaning he was more or less stuck. Not to mention his arm was starting to hurt pretty much. He took an HP potion out of his inventory and drank it, not minding the taste this time around in order to recover some more HP and maybe heal his arm. It looked to be effective for a bit, but not much. Those only restored 10% of his HP, after all, and currently that was not much.

Although, looking at his Mana, maybe, just maybe, he should have considered using his magic more. Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore that much, all things considered. However, he felt like shit…He really needs a place to rest.

"Take all the time you need, partner, you earned it." Ddraig said, congratulating him.

"Ddraig is right, Issei. Although I'd want to scold you for trying to use the Juggernaut Drive, even if it was just a bluff, the damage you sustained here is more than punishment enough." Solomon said. "Since the dungeon is beaten, we should see Kuroka coming down the stairs any minute now as well."

Congratulations on defeating the boss and clearing the dungeon! Here are your rewards:

-10000 EXP
-1 Random Skill Book

-20K Yen

Congratulations! You are now level 15!

Quest updated!


Stray Hunter & Secret Dragon

Main Objective: Level up and grow stronger by defeating Stray Devils around Kuoh! Reach level 15 before starting to attend Kuoh Academy! -Complete!

Additional Objective: Your actions are bound to attract attention from unwanted parties, so you must remain hidden at all cost! Level up your Aura Suppression Skill to 10 and make sure to not blow your cover as the Red Dragon Emperor or attract the direct attention of either Rias Gremory or Sona Sitri!

Quest Time Limit: 4 Months.

Main Objective Reward: 20 SP, Title: Stray Hunter, 20000 EXP - unclaimed

Additional Objective Reward: ?, 5000 EXP.

Failure Penalty: Possible death.


Quest updated!


CONQUER THEM ALL!

Main Objective: Clear all the dungeons market on the map you recovered! Progress: 1/5

Quest Time Limit: N/A

Main Objective Reward: 10K EXP, ?, 2 Skill Books(?), Access to the Shop.

Failure Penalty: Death.


A lot of notifications, but luckily for him, the level-up did help. He felt himself getting healing as his stats were refreshed by the level-up, and his arm and body started to hurt less than before. This perk of leveling up was a blessing in disguise if anything. He drew in a good bit of air into his lungs, then he looked down at himself. Yeah, Kuroka was going to be able to tell easily about the damage due to his clothing.

However, he also looked at the Boss and noticed something near them. "No way!" He kneeled down beside its body and picked up a Queen Piece, adding to his inventory right away. This was going to help him with that other Quest as well! Oh man, this dungeon was very fruitful, as much so he agreed. Granted, there was also the stuff from the quest. Without seeing a reason not to, he claimed the rewards from the main objective. More SP, EXP, and a new Title which he checked out immediately.


Stray Hunter

Strays have witnessed your power and have come to fear it, some even more than Rias Gremory herself! As a result, as long as this Title is equipped, you gain a passive 15% damage boost against Strays and a 5% EXP bonus when killing Strays.


Since he knew he could equip one additional Title along with his [Red Dragon Emperor] one, and since he had no other Title, he equipped this one. More damage and bonus EXP were a good deal.

'Issei!" And on cue, Kuroka arrived as well, rushing to him. "What happened before? I felt your power spike like crazy!"

"Well, you see…"

"He used the Juggernaut Drive as a bluff to trick the Boss." Ddraig said, which was not how Issei wanted to tell her.

"You what?!"

-4 RP with Kuroka Youjou

"Nya, Issei! We agreed before that you won't use that move, remember?" She said, half-shouting at him.

"But I didn't! I merely bluffed, ok? I was not going to finish the chant!" He said, trying to defend himself. "Besides, it worked!"

"If barely…" Solomon said.

"You are not helping!" Issei said back, then he looked back at Kuroka. "Look, Kuroka, you know I wouldn't do something so reckless, but I had no other idea! Please, don't be mad."

Kuroka sighed.

+1 RP with Kuroka Toujou.

"Fine, but try not to do something like that again, alright? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She said,

"I know, and I am sorry. I will try not to pull one like this again." Issei replied. "Now, shall we return home? I am dying for a good rest."

"I guess. However, as punishment for scaring me here, you won't get any cuddling tonight!" Kuroka said, and he could tell she was being serious. "Now, ready to go, nya?"

"Yes…" He replied with a defeated voice. "Let's roll."

They teleported away in an instant, leaving this dungeon behind for Rias and her group to deal with next.