Issei felt like a stuffed animal. Or perhaps, like an animal stuffed into a tube and forced to walk by waddling.
"Issei-sama, is the suit tight anywhere? Does it pinch?" A gaggle of devils who were apparently affiliated with Phenix family were going over Issei, combing his hair, puffing perfume and whatnot, adjusting his new clothes and so forth.
One of the female devils had even modeled a fake beard on him for a split second, took a picture, before shaking her head and taking it away.
Another devil had styled Issei's upwards-protruding hair into spikes, and shook her head. She had then combed it down to a bowl cut, observed her handiwork, vomited to a nearby trash can, and then combed Issei's hair again which somehow caused it to grow in length to make a ponytail. It didn't seem to work either as she brought out a chainsaw and cut the magically elongated hair off as it came alive and tried to commit tentacle hentai on her.
She then pat her hair on Issei's bald head, and the hair regrew in a flash.
'What is happening?' Ddraig seemed as confused as Issei was as he stood still as if someone had cast a restraining spell on him. Which someone probably had done. He was fairly sure he would have liked to have tentacle hair as it'd make it easier to grope and-
'Shut it, partner. I just took a small nap to calm myself down! Explain.'
'No clue, I was told to wait here for the ceremony to start so… I'm guessing they're just making sure I look the part or something.' Issei wanted to just toss the stuffy clothes and make a scene, but he knew that Rias would suffer if he didn't act the part that was needed of him. '...Dammit, I'm just going to trip Yakitori over on the way to the aisle or something. I'm angry and I need to vent, dammit all!'
'Yeah! How dare they! We'll turn this place into a sea of fire!' Ddraig was cheering Issei on.
'Hold on, weren't you supposed to be the calming influence to my destructive urges?' Issei was confused inside his head.
'Shut up! I'm not a calming influence! The whole equation is all sorts of screwed up! I'm a dangerous and mysterious male dragon of the ancient past! I'm cool! I'm manly! I'm not some girl who does her nails and stuff! I will destroy what I want! I'll turn this place into a sea of fire if I want! No-one tells me what to do!' Ddraig screamed up to the 'ceiling' of Issei's mind while crying! She sounded a bit traumatized, and was opening her arms as if to challenge the very heavens. Or at least the structural strength of Issei's cranium.
'...Is this because you were doing your nails and had some sort of revelation? Are you trying to act dangerous and manly to offset- whoa!' Issei barely dodged a ten-ton hammer that almost flattened him on the surface of his mental-world. 'Hey! I actually dodged that!'
'Why is it that you only become competent when you're either piss-weak or if it's about annoying the life out of me?!' Ddraig breathed fire as she yanked the huge greathammer out of the mental ground! She looked seriously pissed! Issei was going to die mentally! He was going to get mind-broken by Ddraig!
'I- That word, in which I- to you-' Ddraig sounded shaken!
'W-wait, does that mean- Do you know what mind-break means, Ddraig-chan?' Issei was shocked so he added 'chan' to the end of the dragon's name. It looked like it was the last straw.
'Alright, screw this, screw you, screw everything, I'm done for the day. I'm clocking out. See you in twelve hours or something, idiot.' Ddraig seemed to snap! She went back to her pile of blankets and fell down on her back on top of them. Her massive breasts seemed to generate their own gravity as they swayed up and down upon impact, which seemed to cause mental damage to Ddraig as she passed out instantly upon looking down and seeing her huge breasts flopping around.
'Hehehe, Ddraig-chan is going through a chuuni delinquent girl period~ So cute~' Issei's mental representation gained a lewd smirk as he took a step towards Ddraig, intending on putting a mental blanket on her. And also fondling her boobs.
The dragon-woman lifted a finger to point at Issei while completely out cold. Issei felt a wave of killing intent aimed towards him and felt like he'd lose his life for sure if he advanced, so he lifted his hands up in surrender and backed away slowly.
Meanwhile the devil gathering had finished their work with Issei.
"Is this acceptable, Issei-sama?" One of the devils, a cute-looking girl with a modest bust, brought out a huge mirror that allowed Issei to see his entire body.
Issei was clad in a suit that was a strange mixture of a business suit and some sort of weird robe that practically screamed 'chuuni shonen anime villain', complete with red and black color style and gold details. It was so edgy that Issei was certain that if he walked out to the human world, someone would call the police on him for causing papercuts on the observer's eyes.
"Thanks, I hate it." Issei vocalized, causing some of the present devils to pale, others to tilt their heads in confusion, and a few older ones to nod appreciatively as if Issei's words were a compliment. One of the female stylist-devils looked like she wanted to object, but another shushed her down.
"Hm? You don't get it? He's the Red Dragon of Domination! He's practically hate and anger embodied! If he 'hates' something then it must be good! After all, you have to acknowledge the existence of something in order to hate it! It's basically an endorsement!" One of the older devils muttered to the ear of a younger female devil who looked like she had taken offense to Issei's comment, and after hearing the 'explanation', she blushed bright red and sent Issei a cute look.
It was testament enough to Issei's resignation and lethargy for what was ahead of him that he didn't react to the random girl blushing at him. Issei idly noted that he must have had a stoic, emotionless expression of someone who was all high and mighty as a result, which must have further compounded the 'chuuni edgelord' image that the clothes gave off.
'Huh. My hearing's become pretty sharp. Must be part of that whole dragon business Ddraig was talking about.' Issei wondered idly if there would be drawbacks to his current state… Though he was fairly sure he knew what those were, given that his right arm had become numb and felt like it had gotten its circulation cut off, like if he had slept badly on top of it, as soon as Ddraig had passed out. '...if I gave my left nut to Ddraig like I planned I would have been in a world of hurt right now. Pinpricks in my balls, yeuch. Literal testicular torsion if Ddraig clocks out. Sheesh, I dodged a bullet there…'
Issei lifted his right arm to view. The arm was covered in red scales and his fingernails had become thick and claw-like, though the claw didn't cover his entire fingertip. '...Although, I suppose this isn't my arm anymore.'
'...But if it's for Buchou, then… If it's to beat that damn NTR-chicken from taking what's mine, then I don't regret a thing!' Issei twitched as his rage suddenly peaked and he punched the edgy-looking devil in the mirror, causing it to shatter from the middle and sending a spider web of cracks through its entire form. 'Eh- what? W-why did I do that?!'
The gaggle of devils around him reared back with sudden fear in their eyes.
"Let's get to it, then." Issei growled out, pushing out the mirror from his mind with some effort, but not quite able to entirely restrain his sudden and near-uncontrolled hatred for Yakitori from his voice.
It looked like the angry growl was received with mixed emotions, with most of the stylist-devils being afraid or worried-looking, though several of the female devils looked both worried and… horny?
In fact, one of them was looking at him with intense emotion, breathing heavily and looked to be idly folding her own breast, as if she'd forgotten she wasn't alone?!
Issei immediately gained a dreamy, perverted expression as the erotic sight immediately broke his brooding edgelord mood that he had probably absorbed from the outfit via osmosis! It was as if his mind had been covered by salt, but the sight of an office-woman looking devil acting sexy had washed the salt away like a wave of refreshing spring water! 'Haha… Sexy things are the best, after all… Haa~ My mind and spirit is soothed again… If it only was Rias touching herself in front of me~ That's definetely too much to ask, but the mental image is enough~'
The random stylist-devil noticed Issei looking directly at her while giving her a perverted smile, and-
'Um, um? D-doesn't that just happen in hentai?' Issei stared at the devil girl who was dripping on the floor with blood from her nose and with something clear running down her inner thighs, past her pencil skirt? 'Did she just- Did she just cu-'
"M-my lord, Issei-kakka, please be mindful that my lordship has his wedding today! In a few hours actually! T-there would be rumors if I-Issei-kakka- If Issei-kakka did things to my girlfriend just before his wedding!" One of the male stylists stepped between Issei and the devil-girl who had a lewd expression on her face!
"Yes, um, yeah! I'll- go ahead and do that, whatever it is. Yes." Issei nodded several times while feeling suddenly as nervous as the male devil in front of him looked, although for different reasons! 'Dammit! I violated the bro-code by accident! I'm sorry, random devil! I didn't mean to! Ddraig! Help! Something is happening! I don't know what is happening! I need your advice! I'm feeling like an edgelord! This isn't some shonen powerup!'
The mental dragon just lifted a hand and curled it into a middle-finger while snoring loudly in Issei's mind.
Issei realized he had to take charge! The male devil stylist looked miserable! He took a step forward so that he was face-to-face with the cowed-looking stylist.
"...I violated the sacred bro-code. I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry." Issei put his hand on the male stylist's shoulder and leaned closer to whisper his apologies to his ear. He gave the man an apologetic smile while trying to look reassuring.
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POV: Standard-issue NPC devil stylist nr. 20 (who was also about to propose to his girlfriend):
"I casually violated the sacred rules to take your girlfriend, without even meaning!.You'll be sorry if you try to stop me." The Dragon might have used different words, but the message behind them was clear! His aura was oppressive and dominating! The dragon's strike against the mirror had caused the lesser devils to fear for their lives instantly! They all would die in an instant if they tried to stop the Dragon!
The monster gripped his shoulder while giving him a bold, mocking smile, and then lifted the hand to give him a humiliating pat! It was practically a challenge! For a low-tier devil like himself, it was entirely unfair! The Dragon had soundly defeated a High-Class Peerage in combat almost by himself, and only 'lost' via technicality! He knew he'd be dead if he went against the might of the Dragon!
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Issei patted the male devil awkwardly as he seemed to be shaking from relief and was on the verge of tears! Issei was also on the verge of tears from the dedication the man showed to his girlfriend! 'Ahh! He must be relieved! I don't want to become yakitori 2.0! Bro-code is a sacred thing that must be honored no matter what! Your girlfriend- er, or whoever that is, is safe!'
He wanted to say those words aloud, but it looked as if he had caused enough of a scene as the rest of the devils were shuffling about while having a myriad of expressions from worried expressions to pitying expressions that caused Issei to feel depressed! It's as if they were judging him! Although for some reason the pitying devils seemed to be staring at the male devil who had gone between Issei and the devil-girl on the floor!
"Right. Which way to the… ceremony or something?" Issei felt awkward over his sudden outburst so he tried to move things along. 'Ddraaaaaiig! Please! I could really use your advice or something! This high society whatever is causing my brains to wrinkle! I have to think so hard about what I'm doing! It'll become like a raisin at this point!'
Ddraig seemed to have fallen asleep in a posture where one of her arms was pointing upwards and showing a well-manicured middle finger at Issei.
"Please follow me, Issei-sama." One of the female devils who had looked horny earlier bowed to Issei. "I'll take you wherever you need to go."
"Right! In that case I'll be in your care! Please lead me to where I need to go!" Issei shouted aloud! He felt too awkward to act politely after he had caused a scene!
"Ohoho~ Red Dragon Emperor-sama, in my care~ In that case I'll be sure~ to~ take~ care~ of~ his~ every~ need~" The woman licked her lips seductively in response to Issei's panicked plea.
'What's with these people?! They are so… horny! Is this really hell?! The heavens can go screw themselves! This place is the best!' Issei had a loopy smile that caused the pants-wearing devil woman's smile to turn crooked and a predatory blush to spread on her cheeks.
Issei suddenly felt as if he was in danger, somehow.
"Ara? Is Issei-san ready yet?" A new female voice broke the incident before it could properly begin.
"L-Lady Gremory! Issei-sama is ready for the ceremony! Please excuse us!" One of the older male devils quickly bowed to the brunette woman who had appeared into the doorway of the fitting salon. The gaggle of stylists fled out afterwards, with two of the male devils wrangling the pair of horny female devils along with them.
"Hm~ Very good. Your posture could use some adjustment, and perhaps a slightly more haughty look? You need to look strong now, it'll be bad if the guests see the representative of Gremory looking weak." The woman who had been identified as Lady Gremory approached Issei and put her hand on his cheek for a moment. "Rias told me all about you, Issei-kun. I'm sorry that this sort of situation was forced on you… I'll be sure to give my husband a good tongue-lashing."
"Ah, you'd be… Rias's mom, right?" Issei blinked, though his attention was almost exclusively on the woman's gigantic bust.
"That'd be correct. I wished we could have introduced ourselves under better circumstances, but things are as they are." The brunette woman looked slightly resigned. "I am Venelana Gremory, the matriarch of Gremory and marchioness of Clan Gremory. Though I suppose you can call me 'mother', if you wish. I'm certain Rias wouldn't mind."
"I- I couldn't do something so inappropriate!" Issei blustered a bit.
"Ara, but doesn't it look like your eyes have been glued to my chest ever since I walked in through those doors? I'm certain referring to me as 'mother' wouldn't be nearly as inappropriate~" Venelana gave Issei a knowing smirk. "Moreover, it's only inappropriate if you call me 'mommy' or some such~"
"U-um! In that case, I'll try my best! M-mom!" Issei stood ramrod straight! He felt as if he was an insect being pinned into a display board! Venelana's eyes had a coy and dangerous look in them! "M-moreover, d-doesn't that imply that w-we are family?! B-but!"
"Ara, I feel as if Rias wouldn't mind~ In fact, she proposed this funny idea that if she married you before Riser-chan could, then maybe you wouldn't have to go through this whole song and dance~" Venelana said something shocking! Issei felt as if a lighting strike had gone through his body! Rias hadn't mentioned that to him! "Unfortunately it wouldn't absolve Clan Gremory from the debt of the contract, so we had to turn down Rias's heartfelt plea. But somehow I have a feeling she wouldn't be entirely against the idea of a marriage between you two later down the line anyway~"
"I- I would like that! Rias-buchou is incredible! I want to marry her so badly!" Issei couldn't help but speak his honest thoughts on the matter! Venelana was too scary for him to attempt any sort of lie! She looked like she'd eat Issei up and chew him into pieces if he tried to be dishonest!
'Hm. This young man seems eager and strong enough, and Rias told me he's a honest and determined person. He'll do. I just have to make sure my husband doesn't get any ideas about trying to marry Rias off to someone else in the meanwhile.' Venelana's left breast was humming happily.
'Ufufu, as the wielder of the Red Dragon Emperor is a devil, he's certain to live for a long time and grow strong enough to protect Rias as long as he doesn't run off and die like so many other wielders of [Boosted Gear]...' Venelana's right breast had a teasing voice! It was more worrying of the woman's two breasts! 'But seeing as he doesn't look like a battle maniac, he'll likely live a long and pleasurable life. Ufufu, that's good, I wouldn't want to entrust Rias to someone who'd rather run off to die in a meaningless fight than stay to pamper and protect my precious daughter~'
Issei felt awkward and stood ramrod straight, feeling intense pressure under Venelana's scrutiny.
"By the way, does Issei-kun notice that his aura is leaking?" Venelana tilted her head a bit. "Are you getting ready for a fight, perhaps?"
"A-aura leak?" Issei stared at the woman, baffled.
"Your aura is seeping out. It's quite manly and a dangerous-feeling one as well, but I feel as if it's not quite suited for a celebration or a ceremony. It reminds me of the past [Boosted Gear] wielders, they had a similar aura of… well, domination and violence?" Venelana explained while looking thoughtful. "I'm surprised Rias-chan hasn't taught about this, you must have been able to hold your aura down instinctively so it never came up."
'...Or I was too weak to have any 'aura', whatever that is.' Issei felt depressed as he deduced the reason without Ddraig having to point it out. "Uh, something like that. Um, is that a bad thing?"
"Well, it's impolite to have your aura unleashed in a public setting. It's like having too strong a perfume or radiating heat or cold, or having a strong but invisible weight press on the bodies of people around you, depending on how strong and refined your aura is. It might also be considered a threat or such, so it's a good idea to not have your aura leak unless you intend it to." Venelana stroked her chin while sounding thoughtful. "Issei-kun's aura doesn't exactly feel bad, just very intense in all sorts of ways, but it's certain to ruffle some feathers and reflect badly on Rias-chan if her Pawn walks about in public with his aura blasting out needlessly."
"U-um, h-how should I shut it off?" Issei twiddled his thumbs as he felt awkward.
Venelana detained some meditation exercises and such, and at the end of it she placed her hand against Issei's chest.
He immediately felt a calming wave run down his body from the touch and the intense feeling from earlier went away.
"I helped you calm your aura down externally, but you should train on it~ Perhaps ask Rias-chan to tutor you~?' Venelana smiled at Issei, causing him to blush.
The woman then placed her hand on her cheek while looking thoughtful.
"Hm… Well, I believe that we should move on. Oh, I forgot to make certain, but you do know how to dance, right?" Venelana mentioned while she was clearly already thinking ahead.
"Um, I do not! I tried taking dance classes so I could touch girls but I was beaten to pulp!" Issei explained.
"Ufufu, maybe sometimes you're a bit too honest~" Venelana seemed amused. "Well then, we have some time before you are needed at the ceremony. Lady Phenix wanted to take care of everything wedding-related so I'm content to let her do what she wants. In the meanwhile I'll teach you how to dance~ It would look bad on Rias-chan if her precious Pawn couldn't dance properly~ And consider this practise for the future as well, ufufu~"
"Heee?! Me, with Venelana-sama?!" Issei's eyes almost bulged out of his head but before he could stammer anything, the brunette woman had slipped herself against his chest and had guided his arms to hold various parts of her body!
"Now then, take my hand, and put your other around my waist, go on, don't be shy, Issei-kun~ Now, take a step forward~ and then a step backwards~"
'Her breasts! Venelana-sama's heavenly breasts are pressing against my chest! Mom! Dad! I'm so glad to be alive! Thank you for this gift!'
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"Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease nononononono… This can't be happening, this is a bad dream, this can't be reality! My life! It's all crumbling down! This has to be a nightmare!"
"Um, Riser-neesama?" Ravel wasn't sure how she could get her big brother… big sister moving.
Riser was foaming from the mouth, her eyes were wide like that of a cornered animal, and she was huddled into a pile in a corner while wearing what would have been Rias's wedding dress, only changed to blood-red color complete with golden woven inverted cross going down her back to better suit the imagery of Phenix family.
The dress had been adjusted to take into account that Riser's female form was considerably less gifted in terms of bust and was slightly taller than Rias, though her hips were comparable so the refitting hadn't been too big of an issue.
It was still difficult for Ravel to fully internalize that her cool big brother was now a shaky and terrified big sister. She felt as if she'd suffer a whiplash strong enough to crack her neck every time she looked at Riser.
"Yubelluna-san? Do you think you'd be able to help Riser-neesama move?" Ravel plead for help from Riser's Queen, who had been in a shell-shocked state ever since the Rating Game ended and she learned of Riser's current state.
"Mglhm." Yubelluna let out some sort of muted gurgle and Ravel turned to stare at the rest of Riser's Peerage.
"And, um, Xuelan-chan? Are you sure you're not hot wearing that?" Ravel sweated internally as she stared at the Rook who had gone from full-body stockings and qipao into a full-blown winter-padded dress with a helmet-like hood that covered every inch of her entire body and made her look like a walking tank.
"...I- If I don't do this, t-then if I have to fight the insane dragon again, I'll be done for! My strength will be drained like I'm a pack of juice! He'll pop me open like a can of soda and slurp my insides!" Xuelan's traumatized voice was muffled by the layers of padded cloth.
"Right…" Ravel turned to stare at the two Knights.
Karlamine was looking traumatized while wearing black dress pants instead of her usual skirt and was occasionally patting her legs down as if to check that they were still there. Siris, the zweihander-wielder meanwhile looked like she was practically catatonic. Whatever the Red Dragon Emperor had done to her off-screen must have been so damaging that even Ravel's mind had blocked the memory. Riser's Bishop was seemingly also lost in thought as she stared at Riser's cowering form.
The rest of Riser's Pawns were nowhere to be seen.
"Ohohoho~ Everything's ready~ Ravel-chan? How's Riser-chan doing?" Lady Phenix walked into the room where Riser was supposed to be preparing herself, spotted Riser in a wedding dress huddled in a corner, and gave a good-natured sigh. "Hm~! That dress looks good on you, Riser-chan~ I never knew I wanted another daughter~ Now then, I know stiletto's are difficult to walk with when you're not used to them, so let's get you up~ You can first lean on me and then on Red Dragon Emperor-sama when you're walking down the aisle~ Although maybe I should have picked shorter heels than those, ah well, no use crying over it now~"
"Noooo! Please! Don't! If I get close to that damn monster he'll obliterate me! He'll do all sorts of things to me and destroy me! I'm too young to die! I don't want to die!" Riser screamed in terror. "Yubelluna! Help! Please! Anyone!"
"So dramatic~ Here we go!" Lady Phenix gave a good-natured huff and lifted Riser to her feet, and locked their arms together, ignoring that Riser was frothing from the mouth. "Small, careful steps now, Riser-chan! I'll teach you all about being a girl later! Ravel will join us as well! It'll be mommy's and daughter's bonding moment!"
"Riser-sama..." Yubelluna let out a garbled sound and tried to lift her hand up, as if to reach for Riser and to stop her from leaving.
"Oh, yes. Yubelluna-chan, as Riser's Queen, please take the rest of the Peerage and have them mingle with Rias-chan's Peerage. After all, your King will be married to Rias's Pawn so your two Peerages will likely come into contact often in the future~" Lady Phenix turned to speak to the violet-haired woman who began to shake in despair. "Alright, it's time. Ohoho~"
Riser continued to foam from the mouth as Lady Phenix put a veil on the blonde woman, hiding her terrified face from sight.
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There was some song and dance and flame and whatnot as a huge ceremony full of pomp and circumstance unfolded around an unnecessarily large and intricate ceremony hall, but Issei couldn't pay much attention to any of it.
Issei felt like he was like a stuffed animal as he forced himself to walk forward. Venelana walked beside him, arm in arm, and guided him to the end of what looked like a long walkway.
'I could really use some guidance, Ddraig-sama!' Issei practically pleaded, but in vain as the dragon was still sleeping.
"Well then, normally the bride would be accompanied by either the father of the bride or the lord of the clan, if the father of the bride was not a devil, but it looks like Lord Phenix has chosen to absolve himself of the duty as a form of protest. He did seem quite opposed to the idea of one of his spawn marrying a reincarnated devil." Venelana whispered to Issei. "Don't worry too much about him. Lady Phenix is more open-minded and will keep her husband in line. I feel as if she wants grandchildren to pamper and is open to all sorts of solutions, but you didn't hear this from me~"
"I have no clue what you mean, Venelana-sama!" Issei whispered his honest thoughts aloud.
"Hoho~ Very good, Issei-kun~" Venelana seemed amused by Issei's answer for some reason.
Some noble-looking devil in ultra-edgy looking dress with ridiculous pauldrons was making a speech or something at the end of a long corridor in the ceremony hall, and Issei realized that Venelana had led him to the other end of the corridor while loud organ music blared. A large group of devils were present in the ceremony hall, with many of them giving Issei either neutral looks or an arrogant sneer!
"Issei-kun is still a fairly unknown figure to the Underworld, even after the Rating Game, so many of the nobles just see a reincarnated low-class devil being married to a high-class devil of a reputable family, in other words, an insult of highest grade. Specifically, this marriage ceremony was originally intended to be to celebrate the union between Riser and Rias, two pure-blooded devils. However the fact I'm accompanying you to this means they'll have to just stomach it, as objecting would be the equivalent of objecting to the decisions of the entire Gremory clan, and we do retain quite a bit of influence in our little political games." Venelana explained quietly as she must have noticed the glares as well. "Don't pay much attention to them. Rias-chan has told me about your potential, so your reputation and standing are sure to rise rapidly in the coming years, so the nobles who are sneering at you now will likely come to respect you later. Or just fear you, if you're unlucky."
Issei wanted to ask what Venelana meant by any of that but couldn't quite formulate the question at the moment. Moreover, he noticed Rias in the crowd and she gave him a fond, apologetic looking smile. She then looked away while tears fell down her cheeks.
Issei wanted to walk off to comfort Rias, but Venelana's arm was like a steel bar that restrained him from walking away.
"Do try to refrain from making a scene. It'll reflect badly on Rias-chan and will cause her trouble, and we wouldn't want that, hm?" Venelana sent Issei a piercing look while she was still smiling. Issei gulped and nodded his head, cowed by the glare. "Now, Lady Phenix will be bringing Riser out soon. Be a dear and lead her down the aisle, listen to the crucifier, and follow the instructions. Distance yourself from what's happening if it helps, and you can go back to Rias-chan soon afterwards."
"Yes… V- Venelana-sama!" Issei gulped, feeling entirely out of his depth. "I promised to Rias-buchou that I'd go through this for her, no matter what my personal feelings are on the matter! I do not intend to go back on my words, not now, not ever!"
"Ufufu, I'm reassured to know that Rias-chan has such a dedicated admirer, Issei-kun." Venelana chuckled a bit and paused to stand at the end of the aisle.
Loud music blared and Issei sent a glare at a blonde woman who accompanied another woman in red dress towards Issei and Venelana. Or rather, she was borderline dragged, as the red-dressed woman looked to be either barely conscious or crippled by the way she dragged her feet.
"Ohoh~ I entrust my Riser-chan to you, Issei-san~" Lady Phenix gave a small ojou-sama laugh as she came to stop beside Issei and Venelana. "Do take care of her now~ I'll get back to you later on some other matters~"
"...Alright, please do your duty, for Rias-chan, Issei-kun." Venelana whispered to Issei's ear as she pulled her arm from around Issei's and gave him a gentle nudge towards the veiled woman in red.
'Right, just think that it's some one else. Think it's not that damn yakitori. Think it's Rias-buchou and… grhh…' Issei couldn't quite stop his aura from seeping out as he offered his arm gingerly at the red-dressed, veiled woman. '...Grhhh…'
The red-dressed woman froze completely still in response and let out some sort of terrified whimper.
Venelana pinched Issei's flank, causing the aura to disperse forcibly.
"Let's get on with it." Issei grabbed 'Riser's arm and dragged her along the aisle, ignoring the holier-than-thou arrogant looks he was getting from the crowd. 'Damn twink yakitori switch gender-bender rule 63 fake girl! Rias-buchou! Please avert your eyes! I do not want you to see this!'
Issei practically dragged the red-dressed woman down the aisle and in front of the weird-dressed devil, who sent a weirded-out glance at Riser before coughing and continuing with some sort of posh latin ritual. Lady Phenix and Lady Gremory followed after them and stayed a few steps behind them as the not-priests's speech continued.
"Does the devil, Issei Hyoudou, representing Gremory, take Riser Phenix, representing Phenix family, as his wife, blah blah…" The rest of the edgelord-dressed not-priest devil's speech drowned to 'blah's in Issei's mind as he fumed over the whole thing.
"Sure." Issei responded between gnashed teeth. "For buchou."
"P-please… H-help… I'm going to get killed…" Riser whimpered.
"...You may kiss the bride." The fancy dressed devil priest-equivalent didn't comment on Issei's tone or Riser's words and pressed onwards.
"...Let's get this over with." Issei turned towards the red-dressed woman and lifted her veil, revealing a face that was surprisingly pretty, a mixture of lady Phenix and Ravel's features with blonde hair that was just above shoulder-length and delinquent-like. Though something like a pretty face didn't make Issei forget that the woman in front of him was Riser, just as gender-swap Yuuto-chan was still Yuuto-kun.
Moreover she-Riser's eyes were wide with fear and nearly bulging out of her head, and she was foaming from the mouth in sheer unbridled terror as she stared at Issei as if he was going to tear her head off at any second.
A huge crash came from somewhere, drawing the attention of the entire congregation and allowing Issei to put down the veil as if he was covering up something disgusting.
"Halt, cretin!" A strong chorus came from somewhere, causing Issei to glance over his shoulder.
There was a small gaggle of girls with masks on their faces who had burst into the ceremony hall! All of them were clad in different sorts of costumes from maid uniforms to high school bloomers!
"We are the Sentai Anti-netorare Ranger Squadron!" The masked girls yelled aloud in unison with a headstrong voice! "We have come to prevent Riser-sama from getting taken advantage of by the tyrannic Red Dragon Emperor! Halt the procession!"
"Where were you when Riser tried to NTR Rias from me?!" Issei shouted aloud in response! The noble crowd were shocked by the sudden attack on the wedding ceremony! "You're late!"
"It was the Red Dragon Emperor-sama who NTR'd Riser-sama! You NTR'd Rias-chan from Riser-sama!" The masked group of women accused in return! "Riser-sama and Rias-sama were destined to be together from birth! They were 'childhood friends' even!"
"No we were not!" Rias's protesting voice was drowned out by the outraged murmurs of the noble crowd.
"Then Red Dragon Emperor-sama came from stage left at the last moment, and NTR'd Rias-sama away from Riser-sama!" The masked girls accused. "We, the Sentai Anti-NTR Rangers, are here to administer justice upon the Red Dragon Emperor for his NTR-ing ways!"
"Refused! Rias-buchou is mine! I'll never give her up!" Issei yelled back while his rage was reignited! His aura unleashed again, causing the red-dressed woman beside him to flop down on her knees and whimper in terror! "I will marry her and have her virginity, for certain!"
"Ahem, this is Issei-san's and Riser-chan's marriage ceremony." Lady Phenix said while sending a sideways glance at Issei. The present nobles seemed shocked by Issei's words.
"We are the Anti-NTR Squadron, worth eight Pawns in total! We hereby challenge the Red Dragon Emperor's thieving ways in personal combat! One-vs-eight, as it matches the 'value' of our Pieces! It is an entirely fair battle!" The masked squadron struck a sentai power ranger pose as they leveled their challenge!
"Wait, challenge over what?" Issei asked to clarify. "Because if it's for Riser then I'll just throw the match or something."
Lady Phenix gained a vein pulsing on her forehead as she heard Issei's words, spoken in a flat tone.
"A challenge over Red Dragon Emperor-sama's NTR'ing ways! If the Red Dragon Emperor-sama loses, he agrees to let Riser-sama go, and allow the love between Rias-sama and Riser-sama to bloom as destined!" The masked maid-rangers struck another pose.
"I approve of this challenge as Lord of Phenix family." A blonde man from the crowd nodded his head while speaking seriously.
"Husband!" Lady Phenix had a second vein ticking on her forehead as she hissed at the blonde man.
Several other nobles in the crowd voiced their approvals as well, causing Issei to feel betrayed somehow! He had absolutely no support amongst the devil nobility!
"Hey! I object to this!" Rias yelled from the crowd but was once again drowned out. There was a man with long, red hair who had a strange outfit and was standing beside Rias and giving Issei a strangely evaluating look. Issei recognized the gray-haired maid who stood beside them, though- She was the one who had stopped Rias from jumping Issei in his bedroom at night, and had been present in the ORC clubroom when the Yakitori had come to bully Rias!
"I believe that we all agree upon this challenge. The reincarnated devil, Issei Hyoudou versus the defenders of devil blood purity, the anti-scum ranger squadron!" Lord Phenix spoke after the present nobles had voiced their approval. "Does Issei Hyoudou accept this challenge?"
'If I just toss the match then Riser would no longer be my problem…' Issei thought.
Venelana coughed to her fist and used the motion to disguise herself leaning a bit to the side so that she was closer to Issei, and muttered out of the corner of her mouth. "If Issei-kun refuses, or loses, Rias would get married to Riser even if both of them are girls. This is no longer an issue of reproduction, but rather that of pride of noble houses and prejudice over blood purity."
Something snapped inside Issei's head.
"I will massacre you! I sympathize with your cause, Anti-NTR-rangers, but I will not give up on Rias-buchou!" Issei instantly pointed a finger at the squadron of masked girls. "I will fight you all, and break you! I accept your challenge!"
'Oi, are we fighting?' Ddraig seemed to wake up from her nap as fighting was mentioned.
'Yes! We're fighting for real!' Issei fumed and felt his rage grow, causing his aura to also leak out massively!
Riser collapsed further to her side, though she managed to partially catch herself, leaving the red-dressed woman in a maidenly pose. However the frightened babbling that came from under her veil clued Issei that the posture probably wasn't a conscious decision.
'This aura… Huh.' Ddraig seemed to sniff the air. '...Did you… hm… I see… Oi, pervert.'
'What is it, Ddraig?! I have no time for playing games, I have a battle to fight and win!' Issei fumed as some devils led Issei towards a huge balcony of sorts, while some other devils led the group of masked girls to the balcony as well but on the other side of the impromptu 'arena'.
'Did someone kill Issei and replace him when I was sleeping?' Ddraig asked aloud while looking at Issei's mental representation in bafflement. 'You're fighting against some girls, but you aren't perving on any of them? Or thinking about breasts at all?'
'No. But I will massacre these devils who dared to try to take what's mine, and then I'll massacre the Yakitori, and take Rias-buchou as mine! I will murder them all!' Issei felt his hatred overflowing… Until he got hit in the head with the mental baseball bat. 'Ouch! Ddraig! Do not get in my way, you damn lizard! Battle calls for-'
'I see.' Ddraig sounded thoughtful as she had bonked Issei in the head with a new baseball bat, and for seemingly no reason. 'And did you take into account that your body is still weakened by the exertion from earlier? Are you certain you can take on eight Pawns at once?'
'I… well… It doesn't matter! I'm plenty strong enough!' Issei felt his rage peak again, causing dreadful aura to radiate out of his body and causing the eight Pawns on the other end of the balcony-turned-arena to shake a bit.
'...The [Juggernaut Drive]... I see. Entering that dreadful place must have left its claws on you. The resentment and anger, the unresolved regrets, they linger on you. Influence your mind. Your decisions.' Ddraig was muttering to herself. '...This isn't truly you, is it, Issei? I can see it in myself as well. Reaching into the [Juggernaut Drive] to draw your spirit from within also affected me, but unlike you, it is part of me and I can consciously let it flow off of me. You do not have that luxury… And as long as the link exists, that resentment will bleed more and more into you through the arm that is no longer yours. Issei, you need to be very careful.'
"Are the combatants ready?" Some noble called from an observer's pier above the devils standing on the opposite ends of the balcony. "Seeing how it is, as I am the Maou of Internal Affairs of the Underworld, and the highest-standing Devil present and a guest to this wedding ceremony, I am arbitrating this match between Issei Hyoudou and Riser Phenix's eight Pawns, the 'Anti-NTR sentai rangers'. The battle is carried to the point where the other side concedes or is unable to do battle any longer."
"We are ready!" The eight Pawns shouted, though their voices carried a shaky undertone. "For Riser-sama! We cannot agree to the results of this forced wedding! Rias-sama and Riser-sama belong together! The insane Red Dragon Emperor will not have either Riser-sama or Rias-sama, we'll ensure this!"
"I… Will murder you." Issei covered his face with his hand as his vision turned to red. The malice in his voice surprised even himself, and caused the eight Pawns to shake visibly. Internally, Issei felt like something was seriously weird and wrong. "You, who dare to get in my way… I will make you regret ever trying to take what's mine!"
"Begin!" The voice from above rang in the arena, and the eight girls charged Issei.
"[Boost]." [Boosted Gear] materialized around Issei's right arm, and he lifted it up to block the chainsaw of a masked girl. Another girl with chainsaw tried to poke her weapon against Issei's stomach, but he dodged out of the way, and responded by hitting her directly in her chest. The strike caused the girl to fall to the floor while gasping for breath, her chainsaw dropping from limp hands.
'I won't be able to boost you more than two times, or your body will break from exertion.' Ddraig noted. 'You need to be fast and efficient, partner!'
Issei reached to grab the face of a maid-dressed 'ranger', and slammed the woman against the balcony's floor. Hairline cracks spread from the impact, but even though the strike dealt large amount of damage on the woman, she wasn't quite out of the fight yet.
"I got him!" A woman grabbed Issei from behind and slipped her arms under Issei's arms and lifted him upwards, forcing his arms to the side as he struggled to get off the hold.
"[Boost]." The [Boosted Gear] announced again, and Issei ripped himself off the woman's grasp before her comrades could take advantage of the opening. He slammed his head against the masked woman's head, headbutting her down and causing her to crumple on the floor.
"Shuri! Dammit! We'll avenge you!" A pair of masked girls with cat-ears on top of their heads charged in.
"Shut up!" Issei punched one of them in the face, causing the mask to crack and sending the girl flying off against the balcony's railing where she flopped down, unmoving.
"Ni!" The cat-eared girl's cat-partner screamed in fear, distracting herself from the fight at hand, and Issei hit her in the back of the head. The second cat girl fell down on the floor, unconcious.
"Together! Don't attack alone!" A girl with wooden staff struck at Issei's legs, and he tried to jump over it... But wasn't quite fast enough, causing the wooden staff to clip his legs and flip him upside-down in the air.
Issei fell on his back, and as soon as he was down, the remaining Pawn with the chainsaw was on him instantly, alongside the rest of the surviving Pawns!
He kicked the chainsaw, causing it to slam on the weapon's wielder's stomach and causing the girl to scream in pain. But between the girl's durability and the weapon's seemingly mundane nature, she avoided a grisly fate. She fell on her back while rolling around in pain, however.
"[Reset]."
'Wait- what? No! Not now! Not yet! I still-' Issei screamed in his mind as the remaining Pawns ganged up on Issei and began kicking and hitting him while he was down.
'You're not yet recovered enough! I told you of this! This is the extent of what you can do in your recovering state'Ddraig seemed to be as frustrated as Issei as she paced around inside his mind. 'Whatever you do, you must do so calmly! I am serious! You cannot...'
'I refuse! I will not go down like this! Not like this! Not when Rias-buchou is looking at me! Not if I lose her if I lose here! I will not lose her! I will not lose ANYONE!'
'Oh no.' Ddraig's eyes widened in surprise as she seemed to realize something. 'This isn't good. If you overexert yourself right now, when your body is not ready, and when that link still exists, then you might accidentally-'
Ddraig's words faded into tinnitus as the Pawn with the wooden staff hit Issei in the gauntleted hand, breaking [Boostead Gear]'s post-Reset armor and causing it to dissipate as Issei no longer had the strength to maintain the gauntlet.
Blood was rushing through Issei's head.
They were getting in his way.
They were here to take Rias away from him!
They ambushed him when he was still weak! When he was still vulnerable!
They dared to get in his way! In the way of his and Rias's happiness!
He hated them.
Hated them!
He resented them!
Hate!
Resent!
"[I…]"
Issei barely heard the voice that came from the red armor that suddenly covered his entire body.
He barely realized that the remaining Pawns in front of him were shaking uncontrollably.
Something was seriously wrong.
"[...who is about to awaken-]"
And then there was a storm of destruction.