Reflection

"This fight has come to an end." Sona proclaimed, stepping out in front of her Peerage, each brandishing weapons and preparing their magics in case we decided to continue fighting. The Devil heiress on the other hand strode forwards, uncaring and unperturbed by the thought of a possible attack.

She was a cocky little devil, wasn't she?

"You know, you have very shitty timing," I said, looking at them out of the corner of my eye. "Couldn't you have just left it a few more minutes? Pretty sure I'd be doing you a favour by getting rid of these weaklings."

"You'd actually be causing more problems than you'd solve." Sona's response was short and snappy, her gaze locking onto the Fallen. "Leave Kouh now and never return. I have already contacted my sister who has told Azazel about your actions."

I had no idea who this Azazel guy was, but he must be a pretty big deal. All three of the Fallen Angels tensed up, eyes widening in fear. They were completely terrified of this guy, it was honestly pretty cool. That's the kind of reputation I want, someone powerful enough that just my name alone is enough to make people piss themselves in fear.

However, I had a role to play in this whole situation. "And why should I let them go?" I pressed, gaze narrowing. "In case you have forgotten my brother is lying dead in a park. You really think I'm just going to let them leave here alive."

Sona rose a brow. "You don't seem overly angry about his death."

"I'm not a fool who allows his emotions to control his actions." Best to go for that, it was technically not a complete lie so that worked in my favour. Issei was a nice guy, his antics were also quite amusing. It also made it nice to actually interact with someone who acted the way an anime character should, at least most of the time. I had never really gotten along with people all that well in my old world, anime characters were people I understood.

However, Issei wasn't technically my brother, biologically, yes he was. But this body was simply a vessel for my...soul I guess. Plus, I had spent most of my time away from Kouh and him, there wasn't much in the way of familial love shared between us. Just a friendship I suppose.

I honestly can't say how I would feel if Issei were to actually die, I think I might feel a little something. But it wouldn't be a major life-shattering event, certainly not enough to send me completely round the bend like it would for other people. Plus, I knew that Issei wasn't actually going to die, Rias would be there with him, bringing him back as a Devil.

"Even so," Sona replied, her own gaze narrowing dangerously. "You will allow them to leave."

It was a warning, a threat, I knew that.

Now in most cases, I would respond in kind, but there was something I had learned during this fight against the Fallen Angels. These supernatural beings may look, move and talk like a human, but they are not human. They did not think the same way, not entirely and that was reflected clearly in the way they fought.

It was something I had always assumed, yet it had become very clear to me during this fight. I had a great deal of experience in fighting against humans, monstrous humans, but humans all the same. There may be a diverse way in which to fight, but ultimately, there were clear limits to what we could do. Limits that I had become intimately familiar with and worked to push the boundaries of as far as I could.

In terms of skill and experience, I was perhaps one of the best.

Even Ingrid had admitted that when it came to skill in close quarters combat, I was one of the best she had seen. The range of techniques, my various fighting styles plus the years of experience I had accumulated made me a very dangerous fighter. Even Saeko, someone who had trained just as long as I had, needed magic to supplement herself and even then, she still lost.

However, there was one thing that Ingrid had highlighted and something that really struck home during this fight against the Fallen Angels. I was a skilled fighter with plenty of experience in fighting humans, not supernatural beings. If they fought as I did, then I would stand a very strong chance of emerging victorious, but it would be a difficult one as shown from my fight against Saeko.

I had yet to come close to beating Ingrid and she had yet to use the full breadth of magic in a fight. The illusion of her killing me notwithstanding of course. But the fact was, supernatural beings didn't need to use magic or rituals to augment their physical abilities because they were naturally stronger than us. They also learned magic far quicker than us, naturally attuned to it as they were.

They had advantages that humans did not.

The most important being magic.

It was a limitless art, something that even with billions of researchers studying and trying to find out everything that magic could do, I imagine that they have barely begun to scratch the surface of what could be achieved. But they didn't need to fight purely in close quarters, but keep their distance and bombard with powerful attacks.

The way they fought was so very different, that I had little experience in how to properly fight against such opponents. "Very well." I acquiesced, the Fallen Angels beginning to move towards the Devils who watched them warily. "But oftentimes, they'll come back stronger and more dangerous. In which case, that'll be on your head." That's usually how things like these went, but if Sona was so desperate as to tempt fate, then it's on her head.

I had gotten what I wanted from this fight anyway.

I may not have experience in fighting against supernatural beings, but I would accumulate it eventually. They were just the beginning, the first step on this long journey. If they came back stronger, then that would only mean good things for me. A new and improved challenge that would give me more chances to improve.

"Now, if you don't mind, I need to get home, have a shower and tell my family that Issei's dead." I paused. "Unless of course, either you or Rias have used one of those little chess pieces of yours to bring him back as a Devil?"

The reaction I earned gave me all the answer I needed and I smiled.

That was good, Issei was alive and was now a Devil. This would ultimately mean unlocking his Sacred Gear which would allow him to double his power as many times as he wanted. I know it was a risk, that Issei could very easily surpass me with such an ability. But what it meant was the perfect sparring partner. Someone who would continually get stronger and stronger, constantly pushing me to do the same.

And eventually, I would surpass him completely.

Power unearned is unstable.

If Issei kept doubling his power like he no doubt would, then certainly he would grow rapidly. Because find a way to neutralise that power and what would he have? Nothing, he would have relied upon it so much that without it, he's nothing. I, on the other hand, would grow constantly and even if someone took away one of my abilities I would have dozes to replace it, each equally as powerful and dangerous.

For now though, I think it was time I asked Ingrid to step up my training.

A strange phenomenon had happened during my battle today. My eyesight adapted to see the Light Spears thrown my way whereas before they had been nought but a blur. If my body could adapt like that, then what else could it do? Was it just my senses that could adapt, or could my body further adapt also?

These were things I would have to find out.