Lone Wolf
Author's Note- Before I begin this chapter, I just want to say the reason I ship IsseixRaynare as my favorite High School DxD ship came from me thinking what could have been of their relationship? In canon, it is revealed that Issei is a dense protag because they put some cheap shit in there by saying that Raynare put a curse on Issei's heart before she died, which is such a stupid cop out. What would be the point of Issei still being in love with a girl that murdered him and a good friend of his many months later when she clearly showed no remorse whatsoever? I would like to think of what happened if she actually felt bad, and before Rias kills her, she accepts her imminent demise while telling Issei that she actually really enjoyed their date and that she killed him because of my fanfic's plot, which is that she was forced by Kokabiel, and that would be a good reason for Issei to still love her many months after her death. Like, I get so frustrated with the canon story details because I feel like the author of the source material is just saying, "Devils and Angels Good! Fallen Angels Bad!" It reminds me of Harry Potter with J.K. Rowling's extreme prejudice against any student in the Slytherin household; the evil of a few cannot represent the whole picture, and I wish the author of High School DxD told that exact moral through Raynare by making her only slightly evil but still a victim instead of pure evil for no fucking reason, which is what I am doing here since Issei's blood is on her hands, but in this story, she never wanted to kill him and was forced to by Kokabiel. If Raynare is killed by Rias while showing true guilt and that she may have had feelings for Issei, then that would be a good reason for Issei to be traumatized and for him to hate himself to an extent. Otherwise, what purpose does canon Raynare serve at all? Fanservice and forcing Issei into the supernatural world? That's it?
Anyway, I am completely skipping the training for the rating game and Riser arc because they are focused on Rias, and she is boring as shit. Rias only kisses him on the cheek as a friendly gesture at the end instead of the lips.
('Ddraig speaking telepathically')
("Ddraig talking out loud")
['Albion speaking telepathically']
["Albion talking out loud"]
'A character's thoughts'
Chapter 3: Lone Wolf
Timeskip A Few Weeks
Issei had been training with Rias' peerage like crazy and had freed the redhead of her arranged marriage by kicking Riser's ass. Vali and Irina trained with them too. The only member of Riser's family that was upset was his father, and from Rias' side, her parents regretted their decision to try to force such a relationship on their daughter.
A week had passed since Issei crashed the would-be wedding. Two new people joined the ORC, one of which Issei saw at the church when they rescued Raynare. There names are Xenovia Quartet and Gasper Vladi.
The bell rung as school came to an end, and Issei said his goodbyes to his friends since Rias wanted to talk to him in the ORC. Even Murayama waved at him shyly, to which he did the same as he made his way out, earning many looks from his fellow female classmates.
Arriving at the ORC Issei was about to open the door when he heard a conversation about him. Issei was surprised to hear an unfamiliar girl's voice until it dawned on him. It was Ravel Phenex, Riser's little sister. To him, she seemed like a nice person, but he wasn't sure what else to make of her.
"Please let me join your club, Rias-senpai!" Ravel bowed.
Rias blinked in surprise. "I... I'd be more than happy to have you, but why the sudden request?"
Ravel blushed as she looked up at the red-haired Devil. "I, well... I wish to get to know Issei better and be his friend. Plus, since he is the Red Dragon Emperor, maybe I can learn a few things from him. Of course, if you let me join, I'll offer my support to you, but only in emergency situations."
Rias sighed and nodded. Recently, she has begun to feel really strange around Issei. Her heart beats fast, and she feels very self-conscious of her appearance and behavior. She realized that she is now in love with Issei, and as a pure-blooded Devil, this complicated things greatly since the selfish side of her wanted Issei all to herself but couldn't have him since he loves Raynare, a Fallen Angel.
At that moment, Issei decided to open the door and walked in. He smiled at Ravel and pretended to be surprised by her presence. "Oh, hello Ravel! What brings you here?"
She smiled. "I am joining the Occult Research Club. It seems Rias-senpai already approved of my request."
Issei walked up to her with a smile and patted her head. "That's great! We can eat more snacks and drink tea together." Koneko glared at this display.
Ravel blushed and lowered her gaze shyly. "Y-Yes! I would like that very much."
. . . . . . .
Another week passed, and in that time, Issei noticed some very odd behavior coming from Rias. Whenever he would call her, "President," she would give him an indifferent look that was almost hostile. Ddraig never voiced his opinion, and Issei didn't confide in him.
A/N: This next scene is from a season of the anime that I have not yet seen. I have only seen the first three seasons.
One day at the ORC, Issei was finishing a conversation with Ravel's mother. Vali wasn't present, deciding to go home after school ended.
"Take care of my daughter, Sekiryuutei. She loves being with you more than anything~" Lady Phenex teased.
Ravel blushed. "M-MOM!"
Issei chuckled and scratched the hair on the back of his head sheepishly. "I will. I promise."
Lady Phenex grinned. "That will be all." She ended the magical call. All of a sudden, Rias abruptly stood up and headed for the exit.
Issei grew nervous. "P-President, where are you going?"
Rias' hair covered her eyes, and in typical anime fashion, this usually meant that she is upset. "Issei... What am I to you?"
Issei cocked both of his eyebrows upwards in confusion, but he answered honestly. "Huh? Well, um... You're my King, and-"
"YOU IDIOT!" She screamed at him as she ran out, tears rolling down her cheeks.
...
Issei was stunned. He turned to the other members of the ORC, and was surprised to see most of them glaring at him.
Kiba sighed and facepalmed. "Geez, Issei. I know you can be dense, but this? I can understand how the girls feel."
Issei was beyond confused. "What do you mean?"
Akeno answered for the Knight coldly. "Because you didn't notice how Rias feels. Isn't it obvious that she has feelings for you? How could you treat her like that?"
"Mou, Issei! Stop being so dense and learn how to read the mood! This is your fault, so you will have to bare responsibility somehow."
Even Irina?!
Xenovia furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Even I, who is very dense and terrible with relationships, could tell that Rias has feelings for you. If you're a real man, you would apologize to her for making her cry like that."
Before Issei could defend himself, Koneko added, "You're the worst. You are not welcome here until you fix this atmosphere that you created with the President. Leave. Get the fuck out."
Issei regained his composure. "Hey, Gasper... Am I really that bad? Am I in the wrong?"
The vampire whimpered as he shyly lifted his head out of his box. "I, um... Yes. I think you are in the wrong here," making Issei's hair covered his eyes.
Ravel, being the only one to not to accuse Issei of anything, opened her mouth to speak. "I-Is this the fault of my mother and I? If so, I am terribly sorry!"
'How is this Ravel's fault? She didn't do anything wrong,' Issei thought to himself.
Akeno came up to Ravel and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she replied. "Don't be sorry, Ravel. Issei is the only one to blame here."
Ravel didn't seem to agree, but she didn't voice it since she didn't want to get shunned. The door opened and Ravel turned her head to see Issei leaving, slamming the door shut behind him.
. . . . . . .
Issei had enough and ran out of the building, not stopping as he kept running and running far away from the school. He felt attacked, he felt betrayed, he felt hurt, and he felt like his feelings didn't matter, but above all, he felt rage. His eyes turned green as he felt his anger cloud his judgement, and his control over his body slowly slipped. He had no idea what was happening to him. Sweat ran down the side of his face and dripped.
'What in the actual fuck did I do to deserve getting treated like shit?! After everything I did for them, they decide to shit all over me without explaining?! Fuck them! Fuck them all! I'll kill them and show them to not fuck with me! They wronged me, so I'll-'
('PARTNER, CALM DOWN! YOU'RE ACTIVATING JUGGERNAUT DRIVE!')
Issei stopped to catch his breath. Choosing to sit on a nearby bench, his eyes slowly turned back to normal. Closing his eyes to meditate for a minute, he pushed away most of his rage, but not all of it. He opened his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows, showing a much greater control over the anger he felt.
A bit of text appeared in the corner of his eye before it disappeared 10 seconds later. Sanity has decreased by 25% due to Juggernaut Drive and will be totally consumed within 1 hour. Recommended methods for recovery: Meditation or Exercise.
Issei spoke in his mind, his voice stoic contrary to his facial expression. 'Ddraig... I've had my suspicions about something for a while... That day I went on a date with Raynare, that fateful day, I met a strangely dressed woman, like a cosplayer, who handed me a strange piece of paper. I now realize that it was a summoning circle that would bring Rias Gremory to me. Now that I think about it, I am starting to feel like I was played for a fool. Tell me, Ddraig, at the time, exactly how much did Rias Gremory know regarding the violence, the turf war happening in Kuoh between the Devils and the Fallen Angels?'
Ddraig gulped, not entirely sure if he wanted to know what Issei was going to do once he knew the truth. ('Everything. Rias Gremory, the heiress of the Gremory and younger sibling of a Satan, was put in charge of this territory. She knew absolutely everything, but she did nothing. She kills Fallen Angels indiscriminately if she ever comes across one unless it is someone like Azazel, Baraqiel, Shemhazai, or Penemue, and without their knowledge too. She doesn't seem to care if they are one of the good ones or one of Kokabiel's because she hates them all. The Gremory heiress knew that Kokabiel would kill anyone with a powerful sacred gear on Devil territory because he has a history of doing exactly that to make sure no Devil here gets any powerful sacred gear users.')
Issei clenched his fists in anger, his aura leaking out and frightening a nearby mother walking with her child, scaring them away. 'I see. That bitch!' Meanwhile, Rias Gremory sneezed as if someone was talking about her.
('Now that you know the truth, what are you going to do? Do you still wish to be in her peerage?')
Issei blinked as he brought his hands together in thought and looked upwards to the moon, which was a waning crescent on this lovely afternoon. 'I wish to leave this peerage permanently!'
('In that case, there is only one way to do so. You will have to purge your Evil Pieces, but in doing so, you will be taking a huge risk since you would have a 50% chance of bleeding to death. Do you still want to go through with this?')
Issei spoke. 'Yes. Do it. Do it now.'
A moment later, Issei felt the strength in his arms leave him, and he found it hard to stand. He looked down to see he wasn't bleeding, meaning he wasn't going to die, but he felt like a part of his soul was just ripped away from him, a fragment he never wanted any part of, a disgusting mutation, a mistake. He inhaled and sighed a deep breath of relief before he put the Evil Pieces in an envelope and teleported the Evil Pieces to Sirzechs along with a note that simply said. 'To Sirzechs Gremory. As of May 15th, I am no longer a part of your sister's peerage. - Issei Hyoudou, Sekiryuutei.'
'So what happens now?'
('We train. I will give you a training regiment that requires for you to be far away from society in any location of your choosing here in Japan.')
'I see. In that case, let's begin right away, but before I do, I need to go home, grab some supplies, and let Vali know what is going on.'
Issei ran home, got changed into a track suit, and collected a few supplies such as a fully-filled water bottle with ice, a backpack for any extra items he would need to carry, a tooth brush, several extra pairs of underwear and socks, a hair comb, a battery pack + charger for his phone, and his phone, which he kept off to save battery, leaving it at 100%.
"Vali?" He called out as he entered Vali's room.
Vali was currently shirtless after a workout. He is starting to develop a six pack and is now studying with his headphones plugged in as he listened to some 2000's rock music from his favorite bands.
Hearing the door creak open, Vali turned to see Issei in a track suit with a backpack. "What are you, going hiking?"
Issei chuckled. "Yeah, I actually am. I just wanted to let you know that I left Rias Gremory's peerage. She's a manipulative Devil that you should stay away from. I don't have time to explain everything, but I will when I get back; I am going to be gone for three months to train far from civilization."
Vali nodded. "Alright, but I want an explanation when you get home. Should I tell your parents and Irina?"
"Yes, and make sure they do not let anyone from the ORC into the house except Ravel Phenex. She is the only one I trust out of all of them."
. . . . . . .
Issei immediately started running towards the nearest mountain range, far from most of civilized society.
Cue Training Song: "Throw Off The Bowlines" by James Paget. This is the music I imagine playing as Issei trains his ass off right after getting betrayed and then coming back totally jacked XD.
The training lasted a total of 16 brutal weeks from the middle of May all the way to August 31st, meaning he would miss most of the first trimester of school and would be worrying his parents sick as well as Vali and Irina. Issei ran dozens of miles just to find a secluded mountain, but he got one that happened to be Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan standing at 12,388 feet. At least the view is beautiful; the top half of the mountain was covered in snow, but it was starting to melt this late in spring.
Issei felt like his legs were going to give in from the pain. He so badly wanted to lie down and rest, but he didn't want to be lectured by Ddraig. Above all else, he didn't want to be weak. He wanted to be one of the most intimidating forces the universe has ever seen, one not to be trifled with, one that the descendants of his enemies would tell tales about similar to the boogeyman or religious stories about Hell's punishment to scare them into behaving. From this day onwards, no one will ever take advantage of Issei like Rias did ever again! He felt his determination soar despite the pain as a resolute smile crept its way onto his face.
After setting up camp on the snow-covered Fuji's summit, Issei set up a magical barrier on the entire mountain so that nobody, human or otherwise, could disturb him. He tried to also teach himself how to survive in the wilderness with his bare hands. It took two days in between each day that he had to train in order to rest properly, but he will have to hunt for food everyday. Issei did 40 mile runs, 100 push ups, 100 pull ups, 200 sit ups, and training with a wooden sword he brought with him. After properly stretching, he did the running first thing in the morning of every training day to get it over with. His lungs ached, his everything ached, he was drenched in sweat, and he stinks like shit, but he sucked it up. Of course, magical training was also a must, which he did for a few hours once the sun had set. Then, he went to sleep, earning a full 8 hours of rest and an annoyed Ddraig to wake him up with threats of doubling his training if he doesn't get up.
As for meals, Issei stuck with eating a strictly healthy diet with some protein here and there but mostly fish, fruits, and vegetables he found in the wild. On rare occasions, Issei managed to hunt down a deer, but they're some of the hardest to catch. No matter what he did, he tried to consume at least 3,250 calories a day to gain weight, mainly muscle mass within these three months. It was painful to try to force his body through a massive physical change in such a short amount of time, but if normal humans that join military boot camp can do it, then he definitely can.
Two days later, Issei did some reckless exploring and found a hidden cave on a the dangerous cliffside of the mountain. The cave held a never-ending amount of water that came from two streams, forming a waterfall along with a small river that emptied into the valley below. Issei decided to use one of the streams as a shower, despite the fact that the water was freezing, meaning he would have to use magic to keep his body warm. After several failed attempts, he managed to catch a few fish with a spear he cultivated out of a bamboo tree.
Night time came, and Issei practiced whatever magic Ddraig had him do. He was trying to get him to reach his Balance Breaker form, but he wasn't strong enough yet. Ddraig, seeing his inability to succeed, decided to up his training more and more every single training day. After runs, Issei had to tug something via rope on his way back up to Fuji's summit. Issei started small with a boulder and gradually increased the weight to an abandoned 18 wheel semi-truck. He knew a rope wouldn't support a semi, so he decided to push it up the mountain instead of pulling it. By the end of the day, he was so tired and hungry, and he barely managed to finish his meals. He brushed his teeth with his electric tooth brush, even when the battery ran out, and then went to sleep.
One day, he was hunting fish when he suddenly sensed something dangerous headed his way. Looking up, he saw a grizzly bear strolling his way.
'Oh shit. Ddraig, a grizzly bear! Those things weigh up to 1,000+ lbs and can easily hunt someone down and eat them alive! What do I do?!'
("This is a perfect opportunity to train, partner. Fight the grizzly bear. Kill it. Eat it.")
He gulped. A grizzly bear could easily maul a normal human being to death, but Issei is not normal. "BOOSTED GEAR!" Issei shouted! The gauntlet appeared on his arm, and he started boosting.
("BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!")
The grizzly bear roared, about 100 meters upstream, and charged towards him, taking the shout as a challenge.
Issei grit his teeth. Biding his time until the grizzly was close enough, he boosted five times. Considering that as good enough, Issei charged at the grizzly, his speed greatly enhanced from boosting so much. Cocking his fist backwards, he threw a precise and calculated punch with his left arm, the one covered by his gauntlet, right into its face. It stumbled backwards from the force.
The grizzly was stunned by the blow, and Issei began wrestling with it, holding it by its arms, careful to not let its claws or its jaw get to close to him.
"DRAGON SHOT!" Issei yelled, hoping he was strong enough to use the technique. Fortunately, he was. A magical projectile launched towards my target, and the bears face blew up. It roared in agony and fell to the ground, instantly dying.
"Um, Ddraig? How exactly was that training? That was so easy."
("It wasn't. Now you have more weight to add to your truck for training. I did say I will thoroughly whip you into shape.")
Issei's face paled. "You sadistic bastard!"
Ddraig merely laughed in amusement at his host's physical torment.
. . . . . . .
The date is August 31st, the last day of Issei's training before he heads back. He did it. He's finally strong enough to reach Balance Breaker. He noticed that his one Devil wing is gone. Now all of his wings shimmered a fiery-orange hue, that of Draconic wings.
This time, Issei was pushed to the limit by Ddraig so hard that he grew an extra pair of wings, totaling four wings.
"... Hey, Ddraig. Is it possible for me to be turned into 100% of a Dragon while retaining my human form?"
("It is. You would need to give me every little piece and organ of your body. Every little quark and molecule would need to belong to me, but the process is excruciatingly painful, one that you would need to stay awake for the change to happen, otherwise you could pass out and cause complications from the incomplete transformation. Are you sure you really want to risk that?")
"Do it. I want to be a Dragon in every essence and fiber of my being. I want to be as powerful, if not more so than Aunt Ophis and Uncle Red."
. . . . . . .
Meanwhile, in the Dimensional Gap, Ophis and Great Red smiled at the words of their distant nephew.
"I wonder who he would want to be more like: his cooler-than-his-wife, handsome, strong, and wild Uncle Red, or his grumpy Auntie?" Great Red teased, smirking.
Ophis pouted. "... Shut up, idiot."
. . . . . . .
("Alright then. I will begin now. The process takes about 5 minutes to complete.")
Issei felt his body begin to immediately tear itself apart and put itself back together. He couldn't stop himself from howling in agony, lucky that no one could hear him. His head felt like it was going to burst. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack from the heavy, burning sensation. His lungs also felt like they were on fire. As for his lower torso and everything below it, his ribs, liver, kidney, abdomen, bladder, penis, intestines, and ass all felt like they were being stabbed with an unfathomable number of quarter-sized kidney stones, and his legs were no different. Every single one of his muscles doubled in size. 'What am I, the Green Goblin?! This is some freaky shit!'
When it was finally over, Issei sat there breathing hard, trying to catch his breath.
Issei wanted to know his stats now. "Stonehenge!" He shouted.
Issei Hyoudou Description:
Current Height- 5'9", an increase of four inches
Current Weight- 145 lbs, an increase of 30 lbs
Current Physique- Muscular
Current Occupation(s)- Student, Red Dragon Emperor.
Personality- Kind, shy at first, angry if someone he loves gets hurt, enraged makes him the closest average human/dragon version of the DOOM Slayer, never afraid to tell those he's close to how he feels about them, accepts other people despite their faults but can hold onto a grudge if he is betrayed and struggles to forgive those who wrong him; basically imagine Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader from Star Wars but with a much better control over his emotions. Prefers honesty over loyalty. Hates slavery of all kind. His determination makes him a force to be reckoned with.
Hobbies- Working out, reading manga/light novels/visual novels. watching anime, playing videogames, and sometimes watching TV.
Skills- Fast learner at anything, so good at cooking that he could challenge Yukihira Soma to a Shokugeki and impress Gordon Ramsay.
Intelligence- 110/1000. An increase of 15.
Sanity- 102/1000. An increase of 2.
Weapon of Choice- Hand-to-Hand
Age- 15
Race- 100% Dragon
Current Number of Wings- Four
Class- Heavenly Dragon
Fighting Style- Warrior (example- Assassin, Mage, Stealth, etc)
Sacred Gear(s)- Boosted Gear, Gate of Steiner, Stonehenge, and Dragon Perch.
Sacred Gear(s) Abilities + Levels:
Boosted Gear= Double the weilder's power every 10 seconds (level 7), Juggernaut Drive (level 1), Scale Mail (level 1), Dragon Shot (level 1), Ascalon (level 1), Diabolos Dragon (level 1), and Revelation Barrier (level 3), Fire Breath (level 9), Overall level of Boosted Gear is 3/∞.
Gate of Steiner (1)= The ability to time travel, which seems to center around a mysterious green gem infused on the Boosted Gear. Consumes 80 mana per every activation. Requirements not yet met. All seals placed on the Boosted Gear must be broken first. Level 1/∞. Ability unlocked!
Stonehenge= The ability to see someone else's stats as well as his own. That person has to either be an enemy or someone who is at least friends with Issei. Consumes 0 mana per use. It will instantly unlock once Issei is able to summon the Boosted Gear. To see another being's attributes, enemy or loved one, Issei must encounter them at least once before he is able to see their stats without said being actually being there, as they will be accessible via a database in Stonehenge only visible to Issei, as well as any live changes made to it. Level ∞/∞
Dragon Perch= An infinite pocket dimension. Anything of any size or mass can be stored in it. The Boosted Gear must level up enough to acquire it. Requirements not yet met. Level ∞/∞. Ability unlocked!
Potential- Base potential of Dragon God without boosting power, Unlimited potential with boosts.
Level- 60/∞. Leveled up 49 times!
HP- 750/∞. Increase of 645!
Magical Affinity- Fire, Teleportation, and Barriers.
Magical Level- 20/∞. Leveled up by 19 levels!
MP/Mana- 502/∞. Note- When magic is used, mana is rarely ever depleted, but it also depends on the type of magic. Increase of 500!
Athleticism/Stamina- 700/∞. Increase of 600!
Speed- 700/∞. Increase of 622!
Strength- 700/∞. Increase of 618!
Toughness/Durability- 1248/∞. Increase of 1000!
Diplomacy/Negotiation- 92/1000.
Intimidation- 800/1000. Increase of 500!
Charm- 750/1000. Increase of 525!
Weaknesses- The people he cares about, and his own lack of motivation to work out/train.
Family Members/Pets- Gorou Hyoudou (father), Miki Hyoudou (mother), Unborn Two Older Siblings (deceased), Juzo Hyoudou (paternal grandfather; deceased)
Notable Ancestors- Ophis and Great Red (Distant Aunt and Uncle)
Friends- Vali Lucifer, Irina Shidou, and Ravel Phenex
Allies- Friends
Enemies- Whoever is ordering Raynare and quite possibly Raynare herself.
Current Goal(s)- Get strong enough to stand up to and reconcile with Raynare. Destroy whoever ordered her to kill you.
Alert! Once you level up a magical ability every level as well as your overall Magical Level, you will be given 1 skill point to upgrade any aspect of any magical ability! The aspect you choose to upgrade can be absolutely anything within the realistic limits of your imagination.
You currently have 45 skill points to spend at any time you wish! Note that once you begin upgrading any one aspect of an ability, that aspect will double in cost to upgrade again, starting with 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, etc.
Issei was in a state of shock. 'WHAT IN THE FUCK?! I know I was working my ass off, but this?! This is insanity!'
"Ddraig, I have not yet tested this time travel ability. What can I do with it at level 1?"
("Anything. You control all aspects of time, partner. However, it does have certain limits, but I do not recommend upgrading it yet.")
"Alright, then I will not upgrade that. What do you recommend I should do here?"
("Honestly speaking, you need to upgrade the Juggernaut Drive, because if you can decrease the amount of sanity Juggernaut Drive eats, you will become a truly immovable object but combined with a newly unstoppable force. You should at least upgrade it enough to the point that no more than 20% of your sanity is consumed, otherwise you could hurt yourself and other people too.")
'So controlling Juggernaut Drive would be like if Batman and Joker worked together, huh. Does that make me Batman, then?' Issei grinned and shouted, "STONEHENGE UPGRADE!"
Pulling his phone out, he turned it on, opened the calculator app, and did some math to find the number of SP he would need to fully upgrade the Juggernaut Drive's sanity consumption: a whopping 1,151,075 SP, and he would need to do it 20x since each upgrade reduces sanity consumption by 5%. In order to upgrade it 16x so that no more than 20% of his sanity is consumed, he would need 72,035 SP.
Juggernaut Drive sanity consumption will be reduced by 25% to a total of 75%. One upgrade reduces sanity consumption by 5%. The total cost of doing so (5x) is 31 skill points (1+2+4+8+16), leaving you with 14 SP. Do you wish to continue?
"Yes."
'It is going to take forever to fully upgrade it, but I know it will be worth it. I will save all my SP for it. All I have to do is keep training hard in my free time.'
Issei chose to sit down on the summit of Fuji and watch the sunset as the sky had a few scattered clouds here and there, causing a orange and purple array of colors to fill his view. It was beautiful. As the sun disappeared from the horizon, Issei felt like a new chapter of his life has begun. No one can control him now.
End Training Song.
Now, it is time for him to go back home.
. . . . . . .
The ORC was deadly quiet, save for the sound of Akeno pouring tea for everyone.
Rias was currently sitting in her seat with both of her hands resting on her forehead, massaging her temple, clearly stressed. 'What have I done?' She thought to herself. After everything Issei had done for her, this was how she chose to repay him? By insulting him?
Issei hadn't returned, seemingly vanishing from society, and none of them had any clue where he could be.
. . . . . . .
Issei was missing. Sirzechs had no idea where he went or why. All he knew was that Issei seemed upset going by the vague letter he left him. Unfortunately, he didn't open the envelope Issei sent him until now, finding it somewhere in his disorganized tower of paperwork on his desk, and he was shocked to find the eight Pawns inside. He decided to ask Rias and her peerage about it.
Teleporting to the ORC, he looked around to find Rias, who seemed sad. He cared for his sister, but he was not in a good mood right now. "Rias, I read an envelope Issei sent me over three months ago. Care to explain why it contains his Evil Pieces along with a letter saying he left your peerage?"
He dumped the Pawns onto her desk.
Akeno dropped her tray and lifted her hand to her face in the stereotypical dramatically shocked manner.
Kiba clenched his fists.
Koneko's ears drooped.
Xenovia frowned.
Gasper whimpered and tried to crawl deeper into his box.
Ravel held her collar above her chest in worry.
The only ones not present are Irina and Vali.
Rias was shocked. "W-What?!"
She teleported all of them right outside the Hyoudou house, and they were all about to rush in when they saw him. It was Issei.
"ISSEI!" They all shouted.
He looked back at them with a cold glare, making them freeze. "Ravel and Sirzechs... You're the only ones who I will allow inside. The rest of you, leave. Now. If I find any of you trespassing, I will be very upset, and trust me, all of you are far weaker than me now. You don't want to see me when I am truly angry." Issei sighed as spoke to the Satan and the Phenex heiress. "I have to take a quick shower. You can wait in the living room."
. . . . . . .
As Vali walked in the corridor on the 2nd floor, he heard something that sounded like a sniffle. It was coming from Issei's room. He slowly opened the door to find Irina. She was sitting on Issei's bed, crying.
Vali scratched the back of his head. "Ah geez." He walked over to his friend and pulled her into a friendly one-arm hug, allowing her to lay her head on his shoulder.
"I miss him, Vali. I hope Issei's not mad at me."
She had already explained what happened a couple months ago, and Vali was pissed, but he didn't want to destroy his friendship with the Angel since he was more angry with Rias' peerage than anyone. However, he played dumb when he was asked by the Gremory where Issei is, saying, "I don't know," and they believed him.
"Issei isn't the type to stay mad at his loved ones. He will be back soon." Vali reassured her.
Speak of the Dragon, and he shall appear. Issei entered his room, surprising both Vali and Irina. "Yo. Wait for me downstairs. Ravel and Sirzechs are waiting in the living room, but I gotta take a quick shower before we talk. I stink like shit."
. . . . . . .
One hot shower and a change of clothes later, Issei found himself being clinged to by a somewhat happy Irina with Ravel sitting to his left, feeling a little jealous of Irina's display of affection. Sirzechs sat in front of the three. Vali sat on a couch on Issei's right.
"What can I do for you, SIrzechs? My friends here will probably need to hear this conversation," Issei said as he petted the Angel who had her face buried into his side.
Sirzechs nodded. "I would like to know why you quit my sister's peerage."
Issei narrowed his eyes a little as he thought back on what happened. "I am not exactly sure why, but back in May, Rias' peerage insulted me when she ran out all upset. As for why she was upset, I do not know, but I cannot be in a peerage where the King I did so much for doesn't even tell me what I did wrong, because I really have no idea. All I know is that they never gave me a chance to defend myself. They kept saying that Rias has feelings for me, which is kind of hard to believe going by how she treated me at the time. The only member of the ORC who didn't join in on bashing me was Ravel Phenex. Vali wasn't there, and Irina only mildly scolded me, saying I'm dense, which I admit I am, so I can't be mad at her. Of course, I may be willing to forgive certain members of the ORC, but they have to earn my forgiveness."
He continued. "Another reason I am upset with Rias specifically is because of the circumstances surrounding my death; she knew that the Fallen Angel Kokabiel would have one of his subordinates kill me, and even though I had already told Rias that I do not wish to be reincarnated as a Devil, she went ahead and made me her Pawn without my consent. I feel like I was nothing but a tool for her to use as a means to get out of her arranged marriage, and then to throw away like a piece of trash (7)."
Sirzechs lowered his head and leaned forward, resting his head on one of his hands. He was shocked that his little sister would behave like this, and he blamed the way their parents spoiled her rotten for her being so childish. "I see. In that case, I am sorry on behalf of my sister. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"
Issei widened his eyes before he thought for several seconds. "I... I want Ravel Phenex to be secured as a member of my peerage in the future. Of course, this is only if she agrees to be in my peerage." He turned to his left and looked at the blonde. "I'm not sure why, but I want her in my peerage. I trust her." He blushed as he realized the reason he was staring at her was because he thought she is cute.
Ravel blushed and averted her gaze. She squirmed as she shyly nodded. "Yes. I would like to join Issei's peerage."
Sirzechs raised an eyebrow. "I can do that, but Issei, you're no longer a Devil. How will you add her to your peerage?"
Issei blinked. "I'm not sure, but I'll figure out a way to make it happen without turning her into a Devil but instead into a Dragon like me. I would rather add her for free because I really do not want to trade anything to her fried chicken of an older brother, Riser."
"A Dragon? Are you-"
"100% Dragon and no longer Human? Yes." Issei replied, answering Sirzechs' question before he could ask.
Vali was as surprised as the other three and was about to speak but was cut off by Albion. ["It seems Ddraig has turned his host into a pure-blooded Dragon, but the process of doing so is known to be extremely painful, even more so than giving birth. I have to admit that this proves how admirable his conviction is to get stronger."]
("Indeed.")
Sirzechs sighed. "Then there really is nothing I can do to make you change your mind about rejoining Rias' peerage." He stood up. "Alright, as one of the leaders of the Devils, I have the power to free Ravel Phenex of her status as Bishop to Riser for free, but I am only going to do this once as an apology on behalf of my foolish sister. Again, please forgive me, Issei. I hope you do not hold any grudge against my kind or even me for Rias' actions." He bowed.
Issei waved his hands. "It's fine! I am not that kind of person, so please raise your head. Besides, my best friend is part-Devil, and I know not all Devils are bad." He gestured to Vali, who smirked and gave him a fistbump.
Sirzechs smiled and nodded. "I gotta go now. I still have so much paperwork to do. Being a leader of the Devils can be such a pain in the ass, especially since the other two Satans are lazy and don't do their share." He complained, to which Issei chuckled as he teleported away.
Issei turned to Ravel with a smile. "Do you want to move in with me?"
To Be Continued
References:
(7) Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Episode 4 quote from the English dub: "I'll use you up and then I'll throw you away like a piece of trash!" - Lelouch vi Britannia. The English dub is amazing, and this is coming from someone who almost always watches anime in Japanese.
Issei's Harem (same as peerage members, most to least powerful, will not change):
Issei Hyoudou (Mutated King)
Arisu Yamauchi (OC, Six Mutated Pawn Pieces)
Raynare (Main Girl, Queen)
Akeno Himejima (Knight)
Kuroka Toujou (Bishop)
Irina Shidou (Rook)
Tsubasa Yura (Knight)
Rossweisse (Rook)
Ravel Phenex (Bishop)
Natsuki Murayama (Pawn)