Chapter 1 – Awakening
Deep Within Issei's Soul
Within the vast, dark void of Issei's subconscious, something ancient and divine stirred. A presence that had long lain dormant, hidden beneath layers of mortality and time, now cracked like an egg about to hatch.
Ddraig, the mighty Welsh Dragon, was the first to notice it.
He had been resting within the confines of the Boosted Gear, biding his time until his new host matured into something worthwhile. But then, without warning, an indescribable power rippled through the sacred space, shaking it to its very core.
Ddraig's eyes snapped open. He immediately sensed something immense, something so far beyond anything he had ever encountered that, for the first time in millennia, he felt the stirrings of fear.
"What… what is this power…?" Ddraig muttered to himself. His massive, draconic body tensed, and his emerald eyes glowed with uncertainty.
The presence wasn't just powerful, it was holy, primal, and something else entirely.
Ddraig had faced countless beings across history: Devils, Angels, Dragons and Gods. But this? This was different. It was beyond everything he had known, beyond existence itself.
And then, realization struck him.
"This power… It rivals even Great Red. No, it surpasses even him!"
His host, Issei Hyoudou, was no mere reincarnated Devil. Something ancient lay within him, something divine. And when it awakened fully…
"What kind of monster have you become, partner?" Ddraig whispered, unsure whether he should be afraid or excited.
One thing was certain, Issei's potential was beyond anything the world had ever seen.
--
The Next Morning
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Issei jolted awake, his body shooting up in bed as if struck by lightning. His breath came in sharp, ragged gasps, and his entire body was covered in cold sweat. His heart pounded like a war drum.
Memories flashed in his mind, his death at Yuuma's hands, the pain, the darkness, and… something else.
Something ancient.
Something powerful.
"Issei!"
His mother, Miki Hyoudou, rushed into his room, her face filled with concern. "Are you okay, sweetie?!"
Issei blinked, his breathing still uneven. He looked at his mother, then at his trembling hands.
"Yeah, Mom… I'm fine," he lied. "I just had a… weird dream."
Miki frowned, sitting beside him. "A nightmare?"
Issei hesitated, then nodded. "I… I dreamt that my date… she turned into an Angel. And then she killed me."
He shook his head, trying to laugh it off, but the memory felt too real to be a simple dream.
Miki, sensing her son's distress, pulled him into a comforting hug. "It's okay, Issei. It was just a bad dream."
If only that were true.
--
At School
Issei couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that lingered from the moment he woke up.
He asked Matsuda and Motohama if they remembered Yuuma.
They didn't.
Instead, they just laughed at him.
"Pffft! Are you really making up a story about getting asked out?" Matsuda snorted.
"Yeah, man," Motohama grinned. "At least make it believable."
Issei clenched his fists. How could they not remember? It was as if she had been completely erased from existence.
But that wasn't the only strange thing.
--
Something Was Changing
Issei noticed it throughout the day.
His senses were sharper, he could hear distant conversations that should have been impossible to pick up. His reflexes were better, dodging a stray soccer ball felt effortless, like second nature. His strength had increased, he barely put effort into opening a stuck door, yet it flew open as if it weighed nothing.
What the hell was happening to him?
--
While walking through the hallway, Issei wasn't paying attention and collided with someone.
Thud!
Koneko Toujou, the petite white-haired Devil, landed on the ground. But before she could even stand, her face turned pale.
And then.
"Ugh…!"
Koneko vomited right there on the floor.
Issei's eyes widened. "H-Hey! Are you okay?!"
Koneko trembled, her body weak. She had sensed it, something immense within him. Something holy and terrifying.
But before she could process it, she blacked out.
Instinctively, Issei picked her up and rushed her to the nurse's office.
As she lay in bed, her mind swirled with confusion.
"What… was that? That wasn't just his Sacred Gear… That was something far, far greater…"
--
Later That Night
Normally, Issei would be thrilled to be watching certain videos with his friends.
But tonight, he felt nothing.
"You good, man?" Motohama asked, raising an eyebrow.
Issei sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Sorry, guys. I'm just… not feeling well today. Gonna head home early."
Matsuda and Motohama exchanged surprised looks as their friend left.
"What the hell is wrong with him?" Matsuda muttered.
"No idea," Motohama shrugged. "But that ain't the Issei we know."
--
The Encounter
Issei wandered the streets, lost in thought, until he realized where he was.
The park.
The place where he had died.
He sat near the fountain, staring at his reflection in the water.
"I said that if I got a second chance, I would change my ways. And I will."
"So you are still alive?"
Issei's body stiffened.
That voice.
That presence.
Slowly, he turned his head and saw him.
A man with black, feathered wings hovered in the air, looking down at him with cold amusement.
"Again, those wings…"
The Fallen Angel smirked. "I never trusted Raynare to do her job. But I never thought she'd fail to kill a mere human."
Issei's breath hitched.
"Raynare… So that was her name…"
But this wasn't the time to dwell on it. The Fallen Angel summoned a spear of purple light, his eyes glowing with murderous intent.
"Well, I'll clean up her mess."
Panic flooded Issei's veins. He instinctively jumped back, and to his own surprise, his leap carried him much farther than it should have.
The Fallen Angel narrowed his eyes. "That was not normal…"
He shrugged and hurled the spear.
Time seemed to slow.
Issei clenched his fists. He knew what would happen next, he would die again.
"No…"
Something ancient stirred inside him.
"No."
His voice echoed, his eyes flashed golden, and the air around him shook violently.
The Fallen Angel's face twisted in pure shock.
"What… WHAT IS THIS POWER?!"
Issei's awakening had begun.