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It was a new day, and Issei was more than just ready to face it. Since Szeka left, he had noticed many changes. Namely, his new skills were indeed something fierce! Still, they were simple evolutions, but who knows what else there was in store for him in the future? That being said, his training camp with Tannin was drawing to an end. He had only two or three days until they were to call it quits and return to the Gremory Mansion, where he would reunite with everyone.
Since he only needed two more levels to fulfill the last objective of his quest, he had been focusing intently on making sure he aced every session with Tannin. Oh! Speaking about the Dragon King, he was very pleased to learn that the necromancer was no more and that the Dragon Lords could rest in peace once again. Issei earned 5 RP points with him, thanks to that.
Still, he wouldn't say he had Tannin's respect; it was more like he had his gratitude for making sure the sacred resting place of those dragons was not fully desecrated.
Since that day, Issei's stats have been progressing nicely. Tannin really helped him put in the work. Before gaining another level, Issei managed to acquire 19 STR points, which put him over 250. And it came with a reward.
[Diamond Striker]: This Perk grants you a 40% damage boost when striking using physical strikes based on your STR (Original)
His perk evolved yet again. But that got Issei curious for a bit, as his DUR was way above 250, and it didn't grow. But he then gained more AGI as well, and it became clear.
[Golden Flash]: This perk enables you to run quicker using your [Run] skill with a 60% Stamina discount! Whenever you use this skill, or any related AGI-based skills, you will gain a 40% to your AGI based on its current value.
Since you reached 250 Stat Values with your STR and AGI, the evolution of your DUR perk was unlocked.
[Diamond Skin]: This Perk grants you a -40% damage reduction from physical strikes.
Since you reached over 250 in all mainly physical stats, your [Enhanced Condition 2] has evolved into [Supernatural Condition Type 1]
[Supernatural Condition Type 1]: You are just like an average supernatural being. Stronger, faster, and more durable than any normal human. You regenerate 15 HP and 10 Stamina every 30 seconds. Additionally, you take 20% less physical damage and 10% less magical damage.
Now, that was a nice improvement. A very nice improvement. But, some time ago, his level did come up, putting him at level 63. One more level, and he'd be done with his quest with a perfect rating.
And he was close. Very close. Would he be able to get the needed EXP before then? He will, if he were to increase his EXP bonus to a high enough value that it will carry him to the end.
"Let's see…" Issei was overlooking his status screen, seeking to increase his WIS to get more of an EXP bonus from it. However, seeing INT, he wondered what would happen once that reached 250. So, out of the 60 points he had saved so far, he dumped 10 into that one. The results were instant.
Since your WIS, INT, and MGI all reached 250 or more, your [Scholar] perk has hereby evolved into [Knowledge is Power].
[Knowledge is Power]: Every time the Gamer uses a Skill Book, they gain 10K EXP. Additionally, every time the Gamer levels up a Skill, they gain 2K EXP.
Now, that was just perfect! Issei smiled widely, reading that perk since it essentially gave him a great amount of EXP. However, after checking further, he saw that his bonuses were not affected. Still, this EXP income was welcomed.
Still, he had to focus. He dumped all the other 50 points into his WIS. Solomon would have thrown a fit over him, wasting all of his points in one stat, but frankly, he needed the EXP bonus. You never know what tomorrow might throw your way.
"Are you ready, Ise?" Tannin asked him as they were getting ready for another training session.
"As always, Tannin," Issei replied with confidence. "Surprised you are still asking."
"Surprised you are acting so carefree about it," Tannin replied dryly. "Most would not survive such training methods."
"Methods?! Tannin! You are quite literally chasing me around, shooting balls of fiery death at me! And when you are not doing that, you make me carry a fucking mountain on my back!" The dragon scoffed.
"Don't overdramatize it, Ise! I merely have you haul giant boulders. No magic." Tannin reminded him.
"Same thing! By now, I ought to have moved a whole mountain for you!" Issei added further. "What are we doing today, anyway?"
"First, I wish to say this: You are a true anomaly," Tannin said, which confused Issei. "Your progress. When you went into the grave of the lords, you were weaker. But when you came out? You were stronger. A fair bit stronger. Even after that, you kept getting faster, stronger, and more durable. And you are doing it faster than any normal being would. At this rate, you might surpass me by next year."
"Thank you for the praise, Tannin, but I doubt I'd make such progress in such a short amount of time!" Issei said, trying to be humble about it. "After all, without my Gear, I am not much of a threat."
"True. A fair guess would be that had you had your Gear functional right now; you'd be able to boost above even my level of power." Tannin stated. "I dread to think of what might be in the future, Ise."
"Something on your mind?" Issei asked, seeing the dragon's worry.
"Throughout history, I've seen men fall to less, Ise," Tannin replied, and the picture became evident. Power corrupts. No matter who you were, that was the truth. "Many claim that fear is for the weak, but in my books, it is what keeps us in check. If we are afraid to go too far, we hold ourselves level-headed. Grounded in reality."
"Huh." Issei was speechless for a second before replying. "You know, someone told me something similar not long ago. Scratch that. It might have been the same thing. I understand where you come from, Tannin."
"How can I be sure you won't turn on everything and everyone one day, Issei?" Tannin's question was one of real concern. However, Issei recalled something. Szeka's power…
"Don't worry. The possibility I will be outperformed still exists out there." Issei replied, surprising Tannin. "There is no denying the possibility, Tannin. One day, even I will be surpassed."
"And you accept that?" The dragon asked.
"Fully," Issei replied, not lying at all about it. It was a truth. And denying the truth was like living in a fantasy.
"You are as wise as you are powerful, Issei. Now!" Tannin spread his wings, sending powerful wind everywhere. "Prepare yourself!"
"Right on!"
"Finally!" Diodora shouted as he was finally able to get the golems working. It took him weeks to figure out the inner workings of the constructs and just as long to crack the protection on them. The Snake of Adam was throughout, but he was not about to let that stop him. Issei Hyoudou did more than cheat him out of his prize - he spoiled it! Now, even if he were to claim Asia Argento for himself, he would never have the satisfaction of breaking her by taking her purity away from her.
That pleasure was taken from him forever! And he won't stand for it. "Originally, I wanted to wait. Wait until the right time to make my move and take Asia for myself. But now? I won't stand for this!" He shouted, smacking the small terminal he used to control the golems. "He made a cuck of me! Issei Hyoudou…I hope this kills you."
The golems came to life.
"Sir!" Tadeus rushed into Ignium's office, seeing the General doing paperwork.
"Tadeus! I hope you have a good reason for barging in here like you owe the place!" Ignium replied to the man but then saw the look in his eyes. "You do."
"We received a signal," Tadeus added, Marakus Aim coming from behind him into the room as well.
"The signal belongs to one of the stolen prototypes from the warehouses raided by Errgo," Marakus stated, which caught Ignium's full attention. "Sir. It is the Devastator Protocol."
Ignium's eyes widened greatly. "Where?"
"The location of the signal is being scrambled," Tadeus answered. "I am personally going to work on deciphering the location, however!"
"Then get to it!" Ignium shouted. "Those prototypes were NOT to be activated! Whoever has done so doesn't know what they are unleashing…Protocol Devastator had the potential of being the strongest weapon in our whole arsenal."
As the day was drawing to a close, and Issei and Tannin were finishing their training, with Issei claiming the EXP from another day of training, something happened. Tannin's head whipped itself to the horizon, sensing a disturbance within the mana. "Something is not right." He said, and Issei looked in the same direction. Only his skill had activated. [Danger Sense] was blaring at him.
That was when they saw them. Portals opened in the distance, with familiar machines dropping from them. "Impossible!" Issei gasped, seeing them.
"I second that! This location should have been hidden!" Tannin shouted, seeing the golems. He counted at least seven in number. "What are those things?"
"Golems of the Snake of Adam!" Issei stated loudly, putting Tannin on high alert.
"The Snake of Adam?! I heard of them! But this is the first time I see their weapons first-hand!" The golems locked onto Issei, being programmed to attack and kill only him. However, they also picked up Tannin, tagging him as an immediate threat to their mission. It didn't matter, however.
"Protocal Devastator. Initiate." Suddenly, the golem began to shift and turn. From what Issei could tell, they were already Bruticus golems, meaning those guys were already multiple golems in one! Except, something was wrong. They looked like Bruticus golems but were not Bruticus golems. Those were different. For one, when they combined, the process looked more destructive than before.
They were forcefully shifting, breaking pieces of themselves, making sparks fly in all directions. However, as they were forming, Tannin decided not to wait until they were done. He flew high into the air and summoned forth a ball of fire. Once he was done, he threw it at the golems, watching them get swallowed up by the flames.
But it was not enough. A barrier appeared around them, protecting the giant construct. "What?!" Tannin was shocked by this. "A simple machine was capable of blocking my fire? But that was a mere sphere…Take a stream!" Tannin began to blow forth a stream of fire over the barrier of the golems, keeping up the attack until the golems retaliated, firing back at the former Dragon King.
Tannin, seeing the attack coming, dodged. However, the ray of light still grazed him, making him wary of the machine within. And for good reason. When the dust and smoke cleared, what stood before him was a true abomination of machinery. The golems, combined together, formed a creature that Tannin could not easily describe. The sound of metal clashing with metal rang out at its slightest movement, and what it had for a face was a mere mockery.
However, when it roared, the horrible mechanical roar made Tannin's scales crawl. The sound was awful. But what was worst was when its metal shifted again, revealing a cannon on its back.
"Tannin!" Issei shouted, summoning his magic to him. He was far away from the actual battle, but he could still snipe the bastard from afar. He launched a [Meteor Flare - Greater] at the mechanical creature, seeing the attack connect. However, when the flames cleared, he saw the same barrier once again protecting it. "It can defend and attack at once?!" He gasped, then looked to Tannin. "Tannin! Move!"
The being didn't hesitate and fired at Tannin. The dragon, however, put his hands forth, summoning his own barrier to withstand the attack. But it was hard. Even he, who stands as one of the strongest in the world, could feel the pressure and find problems handling it. However, he triumphed, and the moment he dropped the barrier, he let loose several volleys of fire at the large abomination.
The balls hit all around it but did not hit it directly. Instead, they caused dust to rise, obstructing its vision. "Get out of here, Ise!" Tannin shouted to Issei. "Whatever this thing is, it is not made to fight those weaker than a Dragon King!"
The golem roared and charged at Tannin like a wild bull. However, Tannin was still in the air, which confused him if the being was dumb. It wasn't. The moment it got close enough, several hooks flew to Tannin, but he managed to dodge most of them. 'Gah!" Most of them.
A hook got on his ankle, but he was quick to shoot fire on it, destroying it. Still, that gave the golem time to get close enough and jump up. Tannin barely had time to put a protective barrier up before the entire weight of the golem smacked against him, sending him to the ground.
"Tannin!" Issei shouted, covering his eyes from the dust that was kicked up. He rushed toward Tannin, trying to make sure he was alright, but the golem cut his path. The giant being was easily able to crush him. Compared to it, he was an ant. "Die!" Issei shouted, summoning forth his shadows and piercing the golem through its metallic plates in multiple places.
Issei thought he had won, but suddenly, lights began to appear all over the golem's massive frame, dispelling Issei's shadows. This had him concerned, but then the creature opened its mouth. Issei found himself getting sucked in, and he tried to escape, but the current was too strong for him to fight against. "Come on!" He summoned his sword and stabbed it into the ground, giving himself more support.
The Golem, seeing this, conjured another cannon from its body, aiming right at Issei. But before it could fire, Tannin leaped onto its back and bit down on the cannon's barrel, causing it to explode before it was able to fire. That seemed to do real damage as the golem stopped and roared in pain. But Tannin was no better. That explosion, however small, stunned him, making him unable to focus. Using this chance, the large golem smacked him away, intending to keep him down this time.
But Issei had something to say about that. Although the size and, evidently, power difference was large, he was not going to back down. Summoning his bow forth, he fired dozens of his explosive arrows at the golem, seeing them land on its frame. It seemed to put up the shield on command, meaning it was not a passive defense.
The arrows all exploded on its back, making the golem roar out in apparent pain. "Eat this!" He fired another arrow, but as it flew, the arrow broke into multiple smaller arrows that impacted the outer shell of the golem, exploding on impact and making the golem shift focus directly on Issei. Several panels shifted on its body, however, revealing several large guns of some kind. "Shit…"
And it began firing, forcing Issei to put up his barrier once again to block the literal rain of bullet fire coming down at him. Worst yet? Those were definitely not normal bullets. Each one of these projectiles was taking down his Mana. Some kind of mana-reducing ammo?
It didn't matter. Thanks to Issei distracting it, Tannin got back up again and leaped at the giant golem. He grabbed its weapons, ripping them off its body, then delivered a critical punch to its chest, digging into its mechanical frame and pulling out a large chunk of circuitry and whatnot. "Die!" The Devastator then tried to open its maw and likely turn Tannin into minced meat, but Tannin used this chase and grabbed its head, breathing fire right down its neck. The golem saw itself leaking fire from various parts of its body, and when Tannin was done, it collapsed to the ground, molten metal leaking out from within.
"Tannin! Are you okay?!" Issei shouted, seeing Tannin walking past the golem and heading to him.
"That thing was tough. Hit hard, too!" Tannin said, feeling bruises forming already. "Still, if this all the famed Snake of Adam is capable of doing, I do not see them as big of a threat anymore-"
"Behind you!" Issei shouted, but it was too late. By the time Tannin turned around to see what Issei was crying about, the Devastator was back up again and leaped on Tannin.
"Gah!" It pinned the former Dragon King to the ground, and Tannin had to struggle to keep its mouth away, seeing the many rows of metallic knives rotating dangerously fast. Issei, in desperation to save Tannin, summoned forth lightning and fired it at the golem. However, its shield was back.
"No…" It was protecting itself, making sure Issei could not intervene and stop it from killing Tannin. 'NO!"
"GAHHH!H!" Tannin shouted as he felt his strength leave him. He couldn't hold on anymore!
"Not on my watch, you deserting piece of crap!" Chains were shot and wrapped around the neck of the giant golem, and the massive beast found itself pulled back, releasing Tannin. Jumping to his feet, Tannin unleashed a torrent of fire onto the golem once again, but it was futile. "Spare your fire breath, dragon! It is designed to withstand fire ten times your heat output."
"Who spoke?!" Tannin demanded, looking around. Then, his eyes found the chain. They saw the blade at the end of it, but before Tannin could track the chain to the one holding, Issei was ahead of him already.
"No way…" Issei's eyes were trembling as he stood there, watching the man who appeared before them.
Ignium stood, flying above them, holding the chain of his weapon, wrapped around the mechanical neck of the giant golem and holding him like a wild animal. "It took Tadeus a second, but it found you, you stray. Tannin, and Issei Hyoudou! Stand aside, and let me deal with this," The demon said, releasing the golem. However, the devastator turned around sharply, and multiple weapons emerged. This time, several missiles fired at Ignium, but the demon was not worried. With a flick of his sword, a wave of black fire was sent forth, engulfing the missiles and burning them to ash before they had the chance to detonate or land on him.
Then, Ignium raised his hand to the sky, creating a giant sphere of fire. "Perish! I do not need a rogue mechanical abomination!" The fire descended onto the golem, and for a second, as it made contact, it seemed to have utterly annihilated it. "Good." However, that was when a ray of light, just like the one that struck Tannin, emerged from among the fire, almost hitting Ignium if not for his quick maneuvering and escape ability.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Ignium gasped, seeing the fire disperse. The golem stood unharmed. "Impossible!"
"Sir!"
"Taudeus! Explain how this thing could shake off my flames, now!" Ignium demanded, starting evasive flying maneuvers to avoid the attacks of the golem.
"Sir! During the manufacturing process for the Protocol Devastator, one of the requests you gave me was to make it as powerful as possible! To quote your words, you even asked to give you trouble."
"And you took me seriously?!" Ignium shouted with anger.
"I never foresaw such a possibility! However, rest assured! Its outer shell is the only holy element within it, as the alloy is made using consecrated silver." Tadeus explained further.
"Consecrated silver?! Tadeus, you idiot! My fire cannot burn that if it is holy!" Ignium shouted, avoiding a massive strike coming from the golem. "This wretch…"
"I will accept any punishment you grant me upon your successful return, Sir!" Tadeus stated before the communication cut off. Ignium, however, had an idea or two on how to take care of the golem.
"So, I cannot burn you…" Ignium said, raising his hand as he saw the golem prepare the cannon on its back again. "Then I will freeze you!" Snapping his fingers, the golem suddenly found itself trapped in a giant glacier. Issei was absolutely floored by this display of power, as from what was known, Ignium was a demon with a fire-based ability. Where did such large amounts of ice come from? Regardless, it seemed to work to neutralize the golem. But cracks were starting to appear, making Ignium wary it wouldn't hold.
"I will give it to Tadeus…He made a splendid weapon. Too bad you went rogue." Ignium held his hand above his head, summoning forth another sphere of pure black fire. But something was happening. Something was different. The fire was compressing itself down, growing smaller and smaller in size. But as it did, Tannin could sense that it was growing more and more powerful as its size was being reduced. No. It was not being reduced!
The fire was plasma. And in the universe, there were multiple things composed of plasma. But what Ignium was doing was different. His fire burned without needing fuel, and right now, Tannin watched as the sphere shrunk down to the size of a kidney stone…Only to suddenly grow to the size of a baseball, but this time, it was no longer fire. It was pure plasma. Dark in color, and emitting such great amounts of heat, the clothes on Ignium burned away completely.
The golem broke free of its prison of ice as well, but Ignium was already ready. "DARK DAWN STAR!" He shouted and launched the attack on the golem. The machine fired its cannon at the incoming attack, but its strike only seemed to be eaten away by the sphere, and eventually, it entered its barrel. "Nova," Ignium added, and the sphere exploded inside the golem's cannon. The resulting blast caused Tannin to fly away to preserve his own life, and Issei, despite being a fair distance away, was forced to take an even greater distance to save himself.
Despite the holiness in its armor, the golem was unable to withstand the raw heat being generated as the fire around it was consuming it. Slowly, it began to melt, its limbs falling one after another to the ground. All the while, it was trapped in a true nova. From a star to a nova, and then…
"Now…Dark Hole." Ignium clenched his fist, and the fire focused itself into one spot, burning hotter than ever. Strangely, it began to attract everything to it, consuming the golem like a true black hole. However, as it consumed the golem, it also took out a large chunk of the surrounding environment. Yet, when everything was done, all that was left was a pool of molten silver. "There we go."
"What power…" Tannin stood there, his mouth agape as he saw the ending of the battle. How could one hold so much power? And what was that attack? In fact, what happened just now?! First, he created a whole iceberg that trapped the golem. Then it seemed like he made a star, had it go through the nova stage, then ended in a black hole! "W-what-" Tannin gasped as Ignium was no longer where he saw him. "Where'd he go?!"
"So…We met at last."
Tannin's sight went to where Issei was, only to see the boy fall to the ground, with the demon looming over him. Issei's eyes were wide as he looked right at Ignium, and what he saw utterly terrified him.
[Ignium Ophirius]
[Level 257]
His level, when compared to Michael or Sirzechs, was not that much higher. But his stats? STR? 7433. DUR? 10430. MGI? 8884. AGI? 9543. And those were just four of them! None of these stats were below 5K, and he was at least DOUBLE the powerhouse Sirzechs himself was. It was just that high of a stat difference! He knew stats could differ from level, but such a difference was outright outrageous!
"I apologize for the current state of my wardrobe. Clothing, am I right? Can't handle my heat at times." Ignium said, but he saw Issei was not replying. "Hey, kid. What is with you? Did the cat eat your tongue?"
"Huh? H-hold on, I am-"
"Get away from him!" Tannin intervened, coming between Ignium and Issei. "You won't touch him, demon!"
Ignium, however, put his arms up. "I wish no battle with you, Tannin. I merely wished to have a chat with the Red Dragon Emperor."
"A chat?!" Tannin echoed, not trusting him. But Issei had a different opinion. He had a quest that required him to get into Dis, the HQ of the Snake, and learn what Ignium knew. This was a golden opportunity he couldn't afford to miss!
"Wait, Tannin!" Issei shouted, stepping forward and standing before the demon. He had to admit, being before Ignium was like standing in a sauna, and it didn't help the guy stood there naked with no shame to show. Yet, that gave Issei a clear view of his entire body. So many scars littered his frame, each from a different time and weapon. This was not the body of a cowardly leader who let his soldiers do all the fighting. This was the body of a warrior who didn't fear injury or pain. "I accept."
"WHAT?!" Tannin shouted. "Issei Hyoudou, are you out of your mind?!"
-4 RP with Tannin.
"Tannin, just…Trust me, alright?" Issei asked his trainer, then he faced Ignium again. "Demon! There are things I wish to ask you, and I think you know that already. Correct?"
"Correct," Ignium confirmed. "I have information. Things you want to know. So…" Suddenly, a portal opened behind him. "Shall we?"
"Hold on! I have a duty to both train and watch over Issei during this period of training! I am not letting him out of my sight!" Tannin declared, altering his size until he was standing at a similar height to Ignium. "I am coming with."
"Fine by me," Ignium said, leading the two into the portal.
"Welcome back, Sir!" Tadeus said, saluting Ignium as he stepped through the portal. A maid handed him a pair of pants, which he put on for the sake of modesty. Then, from behind him, Issei and Tannin walked forth as well, and the Puppet Master's eyes widened. "Well, well, well…"
"That voice…" Issei said, looking at Tadeus. "So, you are the Puppet Master. And this time in the flesh."
"A pleasure as well, Issei Hyoudou." Tadeus offered a bow.
"Tadeus! Report." Ignium demanded.
"We have managed to get a copy of the Devastator's programming before you destroyed it, Sir. However, I am afraid it was a dead end. A very clever use of ice, however, Sir. The shields cannot stop temperature changes. A very wise move."
"If you still have the blueprints, consider Project Devastator restarted. But!" Ignium ordered. "No more holy metal."
"Understood," Tadeus said, then left them be. He knew his place.
"Follow me." With those words said, Ignium led the two through the halls, where soldiers, officers, and so on were talking. Issei even caught a glimpse out the window, seeing military barracks as far as the eye could see and countless golems as well. And in the distance? The giant warship of the Snake of Adam, standing ready to set sail again. "I didn't expect guests, so forgive if this is the only room available at the moment."
Ignium led them to his office, where he offered them seats before his desk. Once down, a maid came forward, placing a bottle of alcohol and three glasses down. Ignium popped the lid easily and poured himself a glass. "Want some?" He offered, with Tannin reaching for the glass as well. Ignium understood the message and poured him a bit as well. "Long day."
"Yes," Tannin replied as he drank the booze, Ignium doing the same. The two then looked at Issei, seeing him only watching.
"Not going to drink?" Ignium asked.
"I'd rather be sober for what comes next," Issei replied, and Ignium understood this was no time for pleasures. It was a time for business.
"I understand. Now, I think we should get some basics out of the way first. You have my oath that you will not be harmed, and the Snake will send you back to your training area as soon as we are done here. Or, if you wish to stay the night to rest, eat well, and maybe even enjoy a bed warmed by a lovely lady, just say so."
"You are being quite hospitable," Tannin remarked. "Issei, do not beat around the bush with this man."
"Right," Issei said, agreeing with Tannin. "Ignium, I have questions, and you have answers. What do you want for those answers?"
"Trying to cut deals, are we? Normally, I'd hear you out, but here is the deal: I want nothing. Nothing physical, at least. No, consider this a show of goodwill and my token of friendship to you, Red Dragon."
"Friendship?! After everything you've done?!" Tannin raged, hearing the demon.
"What did I do?" Ignium asked, faking ignorance at the question. "Last I checked, my actions were not against the Red Dragon himself, were they?"
"He is right, Tannin," Issei told the dragon. "Technically, the Snake of Adam never made a move to make me a direct enemy of their faction. I also heard how you guys turned on the Old Satan Faction during the assault on Kuoh Academy a few months ago. And…The fact that it was you who pulled me from Juggernaut Drive."
"Yes, yes, and yes again," Ignium confirmed across the board. "That is all correct."
"Why? I mean, why not pick a fight with me? I certainly didn't hold back when I raided your bases in Kuoh and even killed some of your men." Issei reminded the demon, who put a finger up at that sentence.
"Men who went against our backs and kidnapped Ingvild Leviathan from our care. Trust me, you not only saved the poor girl from being a toy to those lust-filled men, but you also delivered my due punishment to those individuals." Ignium said, making Issei's blood chill. From his words, Ignium made it seem like Issei had just dealt with his dirty work. "If anything, I ought to congratulate you on a job well done."
"Don't fuck with me!" Issei half-shouted. "I didn't do it for you."
"Still, you did do it." Ignium pointed out. "But enough about the past."
"Then what about recent events? India." Tannin mentioned.
"It was war," Ignium replied bluntly. "Everything is fair in love and war. Isn't that a human saying?"
"You killed almost half the population of a country. And India is not a small country." Tannin reminded.
"Yet, that subject is not currently relevant to what the Red Dragon Emperor is here to ask me, is it?" Ignium pointed out, dodging the subject of that war. "So please, make this swift. My time, although it may not seem like it, can be very limited."
"Then here is my question. What do you know of the killing of my parents?" Issei asked Ignium directly, and the demon smirked.
"I am glad to tell you we know a fair bit. We used to have the very assassin who planted the fire." Ignium's words made Issei's eyes widen with surprise.
"Bring them!" Issei demanded.
"I cannot," Ignium replied. "When they found out what our plan was with them - giving them to you, that is - I am afraid they took the coward's way out. He was found hanged in his cell one morning, and that was that."
"Fuck…" Issei swore, feeling frustration wash over him.
"Hold on, Ise! He might be lying." Tannin pointed out.
"Your mistrust of me is getting on my nerves. How about this? A contract." Ignium proposed. "The terms are simple: If I lie, then I am to get a killer stomachache. If I tell the truth, however, you, Tannin, must apologize for your rude comment."
"Hold on, what are those contracts?" Issei asked.
"A magic unique to demons." Tannin pointed out. "This spell binds two souls together in a nigh-unbreakable agreement. Both parties need to fulfill the conditions or suffer penalties. Ignium! I accept your terms." A symbol was suddenly burned on the back of Tannin's hand, and a similar one appeared on Ignium's.
"Now, I am saying this: I was not lying. The assassin is dead, having died by suicide upon learning what we were planning." Ignium said, and immediately, Tannin felt the symbol on him burn.
"I apologize for my rude comment and for accusing you of lying, General," Tannin said, and then the symbol vanished.
"See? Contracts are reliable." Ignium added. "But yes, I am truly sorry for the disappointment, Red Dragon."
"At least he is dead," Issei stated as if it were some form of consolation.
"We did, however, manage to learn something about the person who pulled the strings," Ignium added, and his grin seemed to tell a million stories. "Your boogieman has been a very naughty man. Yet, from what we gathered, it seems he was involved in other incidents as well. One of which was the kidnapping of an entire classroom of human students!"
"What?!" Issei gasped. "Hold on, what are you on about?"
"Look, I won't say I know everything, but we looked into it. You see, Issei, all those students had one thing in common: a link to a certain someone. Tobio Ikuse. They were classmates." Tannin reacted to the name.
"Hold on. You mean to say that there could be a link between the wielder of Canys Lykaon and the person who killed Issei's parents?" Tannin asked, giving Issei a critical clue.
"Canis Lykaon? Wait a minute, that is one of the 13 Longinus! Ddraig told me a while back!"
"Yes," Ignium said bluntly. "There is a link. What is that link? We do not know. The Snake didn't see this mystery as a priority, and as a result, we only assigned minimal resources to it. My apologies, Red Dragon, for not being able to provide you with the full truth."
"No, this is…This is more than enough. From your words, it seems I just need to come into contact with Tobio Ikuse, correct?" Issei asked, to which Tannin added.
"They are a Grigori agent. If you contact Azazel after our training concludes, you can have him summon Tobio so you can talk." Tannin added.
"Amazing…" Issei said, his hands shaking. Ignium took notice of this.
"Here." He poured Issei a drink. "This time, you need it."
"I-...Thanks." Issei poured the drink, but in the very next moment, he started to cough wildly, beating his chest. He clutched his neck as well, feeling the burn. "What is this stuff?"
"This is a brandy that has been aged for over 3000 years within a barrel of mangrove wood," Ignium replied, pouring himself another shot and drinking it. "Phew. It hits the spot."
Hitting the spot or not, that drink caused Issei's resistance to poison to level up! "Anyway…" Issei began. "I cannot express how grateful I am for your information. This is…" He laughed a bit. "This is more than I could have hoped for. It feels like the answer is finally in sight."
"A pleasure to be of aid, Red Dragon," Ignium added. "Oh! But I also have something I wish you could deliver. Bring it in!" The doors opened, revealing a maid pushing a wheelcart to them. Upon looking at it, Issei saw what was on it using his skill. A Sacred Gear. "I heard you know a guy who is currently collecting these. One of the Vritra Gears, Sleepy Hollow. It has outlived its usefulness to me, so you can take it and give it to them. Or keep it and use it yourself. I don't care."
Issei took the Sacred Gear, and Tannin was shocked by such a gift. "And you are willingly parting with something so valuable?" The dragon asked.
"Value is given by how useful something might be in my eyes. That Gear is no longer useful to us, so it is no longer valuable to me." Ignium replied.
"I will take this to Saji," Issei stated and stored the Gear in his inventory for now. "And…There is something else I want to know…"
"Ask away."
"What is your end goal, Ignium?" Issei asked, and Ignium leaned back on his chair.
"My end goal?" The demon echoed. "Simple: To bring back the old days without damaging the new tomorrow."
"What?" Issei was confused by this, but suddenly, a portal opened behind them. "What?!"
"He tricked us!" Tannin got up from the chair.
"I didn't. I promised you would leave here without any harm being done to you and go back to where you were training. I am holding my word!" Ignium then pushed the two into the portal, watching it close. "There."
Marakus Aim came into the room. "They are gone?" He asked.
"Yes," Ignium replied.
"To think you lied about now knowing the identity of the mastermind. I believed you would have told the Red Dragon everything." Marakus stated, revealing that Ignium did indeed hold information from Issei.
"Had I told him right away, he might have done something stupid. That boy is still prone to his emotions, so best not incite another possible Juggernaut Drive, or worse, a suicidal mission." Ignium said, then inhaled deeply. "Anyway, let's prepare for the coming months, Marakus. We have a lot of work ahead of us."
"Yes, Sir."
"That wretch!" Tannin shouted, now back to full size, as they returned to the training area. "He kicked us out!"
"Yet, he did hold his word…" Issei said softly, then nodded his head. "I know now what road to take to continue my quest!"
Tannin growled. "I guess…We did leave with something." The dragon said, referring to the Sacred Gear they were given.
"More than you know…" Issei said, checking his quest.
Meeting the Head of the Snake
Even if Azazel was not much help, he did give you another possible lead to follow: Ignium Ophirius, the General of the Snake of Adam. You have faced his faction before, but you never truly met their leader. Time to change that.
Main Objective: Meet Ignium and see what he knows about your past. - Complete
Additional Objective: Get into Dis without starting a fight. -Complete
Quest Time Limit: N/A
Main Objective Reward: 300K EXP
Additional Objective Reward: 5 RP with Ignium and the Five Leaf Clover Council.
Failure Penalty: Automatically failing the Revenge of the Dragon - Part 2 Quest.
Claimed.
Relationships unlocked!
Ignium Ophirius
10/100
He likes you. He sees in you an honest man and a worthy fighter.
Five Leaf Clover Council
5/100
They all, collectively, currently, think the same. You are an object of interest.
Congratulations! You are now level 64!
Quest Updated!
Draconic Training!
Training under Tannin himself? Now, you ought to gain a few nice improvements throughout this summer! As such, the system is here to add some sweeteners to the deal.
Main Objective: Impress your teacher! Gain 10 Levels during this training trip! -Complete
Main Objective 2: Train until Tannin says it is enough for the day!
Main Objective 3: Master the abilities Szeka intends to teach you! Reach at least Level 5 with both! - Complete
Main Objective 4: Improve your archery to the third mastery tier! - Complete.
Quest Time Limit: 2 Months.
Main Objective Reward: 30 Stat Points!
Main Objective 2 Reward: 300K EXP.
Main Objective 3 Reward: New Skills! - Claimed
Main Objective 4 Reward: The skill [Midnight Arrow] - Claimed
Failure Penalty: -20 RP with Tannin. -30 RP with all currently unlocked relationships. (To fail this quest, at least two Main Objectives must be failed.)
And claimed once again.
Now, he needs only to train until he is done with Tannin. However, the former Dragon King noticed that Issei's power level had changed again. "You grew stronger once more." His eyes narrowed. "During the time we trained, you grew a very good bit, Issei."
"I know, Tannin," Issei replied, looking down at his hands.
"Hopefully, when this is over, you and I can train again together," Tannin said.
"It would be my honor," Issei replied with a smile.
A new path was shown to him today, and he was going to have to take it. Yet, he didn't know how much this new path would test his resolve and how much it will test those around him.