Forgotten Issei

<POV Eugene>

How did I end up in this situation, appearing suddenly in the middle of the hall with everyone's astonished gazes? No, that's not the case. Why is this person under my feet!? Did I hit him when I broke through the gate earlier!? I thought I only bumped into the gate earlier!

"Hey!... You're alive!!!" I grabbed his by the collar and forced her to stand up with his eyes rolling.

"Issei-kun!!!"

"Mr. Eugene!"

Ah, it's Akeno and Lily in their party dresses approaching me in this awkward condition. They seemed a little surprised at the situation.

"What's going on here?!" asked Akeno, her expression full of worry.

"I don't know... I just suddenly found myself here and found Issei under my feet," I replied, trying to explain my confusion.

Lily looked at Issei sharply, "Issei, what happened to you?"

Issei who was still a little dazed tried to organize his thoughts, "I... I don't know... I just suddenly..." he paused, trying to remember what happened.

We were all in a state of confusion, trying to figure out what was happening. However, the confusion seemed to become even more complicated when a voice came from the direction of the stage.

"Eugene Lucifuge!!! Do you want to mess up my engagement ceremony too!?" heard Raiser yelling in an angry tone that echoed throughout the hall. My response was just a friendly wave of my hand, trying to ease the tension in the air.

"Ah... Me, no. I came because I was invited," I replied in a tone that tried to explain my presence without making the situation worse. Even though I wasn't involved in this mess, I felt a responsibility to explain.

The man who was the main character at her engagement ceremony seemed to flinch in surprise, indicating that it was true that I was invited by him through Lily. His expression turned a little softer, although he still looked annoyed that this unpreparedness happened in the middle of this supposedly sacred event.

"Okay... So, what's with the commotion!? Did you transform into a barbarian person too!" Raiser snorted, his tone of voice still sounding somewhat angry but there was a slight decrease in tension.

I replied in a casual manner, trying to ease the tension, while gesturing to Akeno who looked worried about Issei's state to remove the boy from the crowd.

"No way, I'm just here to congratulate my friend. Correct Rias!" I said, trying to ease the tension between us. My eyes glanced at Rias who also looked confused about the situation. A devious thought crossed my mind, planning to add more embers to this mess.

I tried to maintain a calm demeanor, even though I wasn't sure if this strategy would work or just make the situation more complicated.

'Great, all I have to do is add more coals to the fire,' I thought slyly.

"Ah, is that so? But, don't you know that there are etiquette to be followed in an engagement ceremony, Eugene Lucifuge?" Raiser tried to patronize my attitude, but I wasn't going to let it slide.

I smiled widely, trying not to show any objection. "Of course I know etiquette, Raiser Phenex. I just wanted to congratulate Rias in a special way."

Raiser felt challenged by my words. "So, you think the best way to congratulate me is by making a mess of my engagement ceremony!? Are you underestimating me!?"

I replied casually, "No, of course not. I just want to make a memorable impression on this event."

Raiser was getting angry. "How dare you, Eugene Lucifuge!" He then threw his glove at me angrily, trying to humiliate me.

I easily dodged it with a light movement. "Sorry, Raiser. I didn't mean to make you angry, I just wanted to..." However, before I could finish my sentence, the atmosphere grew tense and I could feel that this show was just beginning.

"Ah! You're asking for a duel huh," I muttered while staring at the red gloves lying on the carpet, spinning in place silently. Raiser, with a face full of anger, nodded briefly in response to my words.

It seemed like the bandages still attached to my body convinced him that I was in a weakened state. Perhaps his anger had already peaked earlier, and I had only made the situation worse with my embarrassing past experience. What could make him so confident in facing me?

I glanced at the crowd around me, my focus locked on a tall, well-built man who was looking at me with a small smile. Sairaorg. His presence there added tension to the situation. I felt like I hadn't fought that Bael guy in a long time.

"Alright... Raiser, if you want to duel then I'll take it. So, who will be my opponent?" I said, trying to stay calm in the midst of the escalating situation.

Raiser corrected his posture arrogantly, then said, "Good if you understand, Eugene Lucifuge. I will summon my representative for this duel!"

When Raiser gave the signal, Sairaorg stepped forward with dashing steps. His steady, confident stride caused tension among everyone present. His eyes stared intently, revealing his strong determination.

"Yo... Long time no see, Eugene," the Bael man said in a friendly manner as he came forward to me.

"Yes, it's been a while since we've seen each other, Sairaorg," I replied, greeting him in a friendly manner as well. The atmosphere was tense, but there was also a warmth in our meeting that hadn't happened in a long time. Eye contact occurred, giving rise to a strong aura of rivalry between us, as the two best generations in this period of time.

The leather jacket I wore fluttered, responding to the pressure of the air in our presence. In fact, the air around us felt so tense and almost claustrophobic. It was as if the aura of our presence filled the hall space, amplifying the tension in the air.

Everyone present started whispering, creating a small layer of noise amongst the silence. Even Lily, who was close to Rias's friends, looked a little worried seeing my condition that hadn't fully recovered from my injury.

Suddenly, amidst the tension, a new Lucifer appeared, adding to the complexity of the situation. "Wahahaha~... It was unexpected that this event would become a place for the two best generations to decide," he said with a laugh, stepping firmly between us.

"Sirzechs," I greeted, while Sairaorg gave a slight salute by bowing his head as a sign of respect.

"This is how it ended up," he said with a sigh that sounded like relief. It was obvious that she felt that this situation had reached a point that could no longer be avoided. "Well, since this also concerns my brother, then I've volunteered to be the referee between you two. And can you express your wishes to the challenger, Eugene?" Sirzechs asked, his voice calm and authoritative.

I thought about it for a moment, while scratching my hair as I watched Rias and Raiser's seemingly different reactions. "Ah..." Suddenly, an idea came to my mind. "I want Raiser to release Rias and also have to eat all the Lemons in my magic storage!"

Raiser looked a little surprised, while Rias showed an expression of utter shock, unable to believe that I, who rarely helped her, would suddenly make such a decision. In fact, the reactions of Akeno who hugged the unconscious Issei, Kiba who stood at the ready, Koneko who was frozen with a snack in her mouth, and Lily who covered her mouth with her hand because she didn't expect this to happen, added chaos to the already tense atmosphere.

"Hmm... I see. And you, Raiser?" Sirzechs asked as he turned his head towards the stage, where Raiser stood with a surprised expression.

"Ah... Well, I want Lily to be my slave!" Raiser said suddenly.

His words made my face instantly darken, as I could not bear to hear Raiser mention Lily's name for his indecent desire. It seemed like I had to take this fight seriously, even though my opponent was Sairaorg.

Everyone at the party thought the same thing. 'Why are you making the tiger even angrier?'

However, at that moment, their attention was no longer on the man who had first caused the chaos. Issei lay unconscious at the edge of the hall, and his actions were simply forgotten.

<---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >

💕Support writers by buying a [Patreon] membership, so writers can be more enthusiastic about creating stories💕

[patreon.com/Poponioko]

There are 15 continuation chapters available for this story.

And continuation of several other stories.