Chapter 1: The Weight of a Hollow Victory

The night air was cool against Issei Hyoudou's skin, but the fire inside him burned hotter than ever.

He sat alone in the training grounds behind the Gremory estate, his breathing steady, yet his mind was anything but calm. His right hand curled into a fist, trembling as he stared at it. Beneath the illusion magic, it wasn't even human anymore. His arm—his flesh and bone—was gone. In its place was a dragon's limb, the price he had paid for power.

And he still barely won.

His victory over Riser Phoenix was a lie. He had crashed the wedding, saved Rias from a forced marriage, but only through desperate tricks, sheer luck, and an incomplete Balance Breaker that cost him part of his humanity. If Riser hadn't been so arrogant—if he had taken Issei seriously from the start—he wouldn't have stood a chance.

That thought disgusted him.

"…Damn it." His whisper carried through the empty courtyard. His other fist slammed into the ground, cracking the stone beneath it. He felt no satisfaction, no relief—only shame.

[You're angry, Partner.]

Ddraig's voice rumbled in his mind, steady and knowing.

Issei exhaled harshly. "Of course I'm angry! I thought I was strong. I thought I won. But I only won because I gambled everything. I don't want to rely on luck to win anymore." He clenched his hands, his concealed dragon arm flexing beneath the illusion. "I don't want to feel that helpless ever again."

A deep chuckle echoed in his mind.

[Good.]

Issei frowned. "How the hell is that good?"

[Because, Partner, realizing your weakness is the first step to overcoming it.]

Issei's breath caught for a moment.

[You fought with desperation, not skill. You relied on power you barely understood, thinking it would be enough. But tell me, was that truly the strength you want? Strength that comes at a cost, only for temporary victories?]

"…No." His voice was quiet but firm. "I don't want temporary power. I don't want to rely on tricks and sacrifices to win." He exhaled, his frustration melting into cold determination. "I need to train. For real this time."

There was a pause before Ddraig spoke again, his voice laced with approval.

[Then let's begin.]

The First Step

The next morning, Issei didn't waste a single second.

He didn't lounge around with Matsuda and Motohama. He ignored the temptation to spy on the kendo girls. Instead, he went straight to the training grounds, wearing nothing but training pants and a sleeveless top.

Kiba had offered to spar with him, but Issei refused. He wasn't ready for that yet. This wasn't about immediate results—this was about building himself from the ground up.

[Before you start swinging your fists like a madman, listen carefully.] Ddraig's voice commanded his attention. [Power without control is nothing. Strength without purpose is wasted. You rely too much on my Boosted Gear, thinking it's a shortcut to victory. That is why you lost. That is why we will forge your body into a true warrior's weapon.]

Issei nodded. "Where do we start?"

[Your footwork is garbage, your stance weak. If you cannot even stand your ground properly, how do you expect to fight?]

And so, it began.

For the next several hours, Issei drilled the same basic movements over and over. Ddraig forced him to correct every imbalance in his stance, every wasted motion in his punches. He had always relied on brute force before, but now? Now he was forced to focus on precision.

His legs burned from maintaining a proper fighting stance. His arms ached from striking at the air with control rather than mindless force. Sweat dripped down his forehead, but he refused to stop.

Every time he staggered, Ddraig corrected him. Every time his form slipped, the dragon's voice scolded him.

And through it all, Issei kept going.

By the time the sun began to set, he was exhausted.

[You lasted longer than I expected, Partner.]

Issei collapsed onto his back, his breathing ragged. "That… was just the warm-up… right?" he panted.

Ddraig chuckled. [Hah! You're learning already.]

A small, tired smile crept onto Issei's lips. His body ached, but his mind was sharper than ever. He wasn't just going through the motions anymore. He wasn't training for the sake of training.

He was training to win.

And this was just the beginning.

End of Chapter 1