Chapter 2: Trying to cope
Issei Hyoudou was walking to school, tired and depressed. Yet, nonetheless he managed to muster the will to get up and go to school. He hadn't been able to get enough sleep for the night because of the tragic events that happened last night.
On top of that, just about an hour ago the police came to his door to inform him of the death of his parents. Issei tried his best to act all shocked, even though he already knew about it. He managed to convince them that he went with to the theater with his parents, but went home earlier before the murder happened. He was scared that if the police found the truth out about Issei's hand in the death of the criminal, he might end up in jail for life.
He was nervous throughout the entire ordeal.
Thankfully, the police bought his story. They told him the address of the mortuary where their bodies were taken to and left. Issei was relieved, but the bitter reality remained.
His parents were gone! Gone, never to return…
Issei began to shed tears again. He missed his mum and dad. Their love and care that he had taken for granted was gone, too. He even missed their love for opera, though Issei still hated it.
He wiped his tears away, crying wasn't going to bring them back.
For now, he had to worry how to maintain the façade of normalcy. He didn't feel like blabbering about the death of his parents and make him the object of gossip and pity. He wanted to live a normal life.
Though speaking of normalcy, that was definitely not going to be that way – especially with the Boosted Gear on his arm. Issei looked at his left arm where the Boosted Gear had been. How did it go again? He had to mentally dismiss it to make it disappear? What if he mentally summoned it?
Issei tried and sure enough…
[Dragon Booster]
… the boosted gear reappeared on his arm just like the last time. Issei looked at it and remembered the dragon Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon Emperor. Issei's mind went back to when Ddraig was still speaking in his sleep.
Flashback
[Listen kid, thousands of years ago I was a dragon, like the kind you hear in stories, roaming around free to do whatever I wanted. I also fought and killed many foes, burning many with my fire which would burn so long till nothing but ashes remained. But then I fought against someone whom my fires could not incinerate.]Ddraig the dragon explained.
"Really, who?" Issei asked.
[My rival, the White One! His name is Albion, a dragon that could use poison. Similar to me, his powers could also destroy any foe that came against him until he met me that is] Ddraig chuckled. [And so, we fought, putting aside our natural weapons and went at each other using our claws, scales and armors. We even developed our abilities to the fullest, creating new techniques. The ability to boost my strength was one of them.]
"Boost strength…" Issei mumbled. But then a light bulb came to his head. "Of course, that's what I used against that criminal!"
[Exactly! Though abilities aside aside for now. I'll teach you more about them later.] The dragon continued. [As I was saying, Albion and I fought each other with everything we got. We fought for thousands of years, until-]
"Until he killed you, huh?" Issei interrupted.
[No, until the three factions decided to intervene and kill us and place us in those sacred gears!] Ddraig growled. [Ever since then, we were forced to fight each other using our hosts as a means to fight each other. Not a completely bad thing, though, since I've been able to meet so many people that I would have never met otherwise.] He explained.
Issei looked at him troubled and shocked. So, he would have to fight the host of the "White One" whoever he is. This wasn't going to be easy. After all, he still needed to think about his own future now that his parents are dead. He didn't want to fight!
The crimson dragon noticed his expression. [Partner, don't worry yourself! I don't think that the White One will want to fight you as weak as you are. But you better beware that sooner or later, enemies of all kinds will gather to fight you.]
"W-what? Why would they want to fight me?"
[Because of me! And besides, with you having killed your first opponent, people are definitely coming to avenge him.]
Issei grew nervous. Now that wasn't good news!
[On top of that, the three factions are definitely going to get wind of my reappearance eventually, so they'll come looking for you.]
"But wait Ddraig!" Issei said. "What if I just decide to lay low, stay out of trouble? Certainly, then we can avoid having to fight!" But Ddraig shook his head.
[Unfortunately, they will find you – one way or the other. There are beings among the three factions that can sense Sacred Gears like mine in other humans]
"You mentioned three factions," Issei said. "What are the three factions?"
[The three factions are beings you may have also heard. Do angels, fallen angels and devils ring a bell?]Ddraig asked, Issei's eyes widening.
"Wait a minute, they exist, too?" Issei asked surprised.
[Oh, yes, as do gods and youkai and many other creatures you humans consider mythical. Though for now, let us focus on the angels, fallen angels and the devils. Just like Albion and I, they have fought for thousands of years as well. Though in recent decades, there seems to be an uneasy ceasefire between them. Be careful though when you go anywhere. Either one of the factions could be here in this town.]
"Devils, fallen angels and angels in Kuoh?" Issei asked.
[Yes, and any one of them could either kill you or recruit you.]
Issei gulped. Definitely not good!
"So… what should I do? I can't just sit around at home all the time, I've got school to attend to." Ddraig laughed.
[Don't worry about that kid! I can sense their presence. I can help you out in this manner. I just can't let my host get killed that easily now, can I?]
Issei's face cheered up. "R-really?"
[Though, we can't have you this weak forever. As soon as you've finished whatever business you have to attend, we'll go straight to training that scrawny body of yours!]
"Training… huh?" Issei mumbled. He had a feeling that he wouldn't like this "training" that Ddraig had in mind. But if there were supernatural beings targeting him, well, that should make it worth it, at least. However, he had other worries to think about…
Like how he was going to cope all alone…
[Partner? Are you all right?] the dragon asked concerned.
"I… I'm not sure…" Issei answered with a downcast look on his face.
Seeing Issei's expression, Ddraig realized what was going on. [Partner, I'm sorry about what happened to your parents…]
"I-it's ok…" Issei sniffed.
[Partner, it's ok to cry… You did go through a lot after all… But whatever you do or go through, you must not lose your will to live.]
"W-w-what do you mean?" Issei asked.
[When you go through life and all its difficulties, you must realize one thing: There is always a light somewhere ahead of you, always something to live for. Never give into despair – for that will destroy you, as it has for so many before you.]
Flashback end
Issei looked at the Boosted Gear smiling tenderly.
"Thanks, Ddraig. Thanks for being there with me." Issei said before dismissing it in a green flash of light.
Even though Issei was still sad about his parents' death, Ddraig's words encouraged him greatly.
Being completely motivated, Issei ran to school, ready for the day.
At Kuoh Academy
Issei finally got to class the moment the bell rang, where he walked into the doorless classroom (it still hadn't been fixed, though the fallen door itself stood right next to the classroom).
"Ah, Issei!" the teacher said as he walked in. "You're on time – for once! I hope it stays this way!"
Issei nodded as the teacher started the Modern Japanese lesson.
He sighed. Same old, same old… Issei looked around as he saw Matsuda and Motohama. They looked and nodded to each other.
'Well, at least they are here.' Issei thought. 'Even though we still have to clean the school yard.'
During the break
Issei, Matsuda and Motohama were once again picking up trash in the school yard. As usual, they groaned as they picked up the trash.
They hated it! Why couldn't the students just… throw their junk in the damn trash can! What's more, it was Tuesday, so they still had three more days till they finally served out their punishment! Oh well, at least they could talk to each other…
"Ah man! Three more days of this crap! Why are the gods so cruel to us?" Matsuda complained.
"Yeah f*** this s***! Why don't we just gather this stuff and burn it?" Motohama asked.
"One: We would still need to collect this trash. Two: Wouldn't burning plastic cause… you know… pollution?" Issei responded. His two friends sweatdropped at that.
"Good point…" Motohama replied.
"But well, complaining won't help anything. What say we talk about something else" Matsuda said as he picked up an empty soda can with his trash picker and throwing it in his pale. Motohama brightens up upon hearing this.
"Yeah, that's right!" the glasses-wearing pervert exclaimed turning his face towards Issei. "Hey, Issei, last evening Matsuda and I were watching this anime were girls were fighting each other with their asses!"
"Really?" Issei said his mood brightening up as well.
"Yeah, but not only their butts, but their boobs, too!" the bald lolicon lover said, as he started to drool.
"Ah, man!" Issei whined. "I wished I could have watch it, too!"
"Yeah, you really should have! It's certainly way better than sitting in an opera for four-and-a-half hours!" Motohama said, not realizing the implications his words had upon Issei.
While the two were talking about what they liked about the show, Issei stood there frozen, his brightened mood now turned to shock. He almost forgot about it. Four-and-a-half hours of opera… by any standard that should have been a memorable event, but all that was overshadowed by the memories…
Suddenly, all kinds of images and sounds flashed through Issei's head.
Inside Issei's mind
"Dear, why are we going inside here?" Issei's mum asked.
"It's a shortcut. Don't be scared" Issei's dad answered.
Then the images of his parents' murderer flash up.
"Don't move! This is a stick-up" the criminal threatened.
Then the images of his mum and dad dead on the floor.
Before Issei knew it, he saw the look of fear in the man's face as he begged Issei to let him go. And then…
[BOOST!]… [BOOST!]… [BOOST!]…
"AAAGH!" the man screamed as the sound of his severed spine resounded, echoing through Issei's mind.
[CRUNCH]
And then there was blood, covering his clothes. It felt so real… so real that he started to panic. Issei couldn't take it anymore. He screamed…
Back in the real world
"AAAAGH! AAAAGH! GHHHH…" Issei yelled, as he fell on his knees, completely overwhelmed by the trauma and loss that he suffered.
Matsuda and Motohama immediately stopped talking to each other, dropped their buckets and rushed to attend to Issei.
"ISSEI!" "WHAT'S WRONG!?" they asked worriedly as Issei broke down in tears. They sought to calm him down, something that seemed to be working.
Although Issei was still shedding tears, he calmed down after a few minutes, they decided to go to a bench just near them to sit down. During that time no one said a word. Finally, Matsuda spoke up.
"Issei… what's the matter?" he asked concerned.
"Yeah" Motohama added. "I mean, at first I thought you were just sad about missing all that good stuff last night, but to react like this…" he trailed off. He knew how well Issei, just like him and Matsuda, loved oppai. They would even shed tears for them. But this was completely different.
It was more like Issei was legitimately grieving about something. And whatever it was, it was something serious.
"M-m-mum…" Issei started, sobbing while doing so. Matsuda and Motohama perked up upon hearing this.
"Your mum?" Matsuda asked.
"What about her? What happened to her?" Motohama asked earnestly.
"M-m-m-my mum… and dad… *sob*… th-they're gone…" Issei said, struggling while doing so. Matsuda and Motohama narrowed their eyes.
"What do you mean "gone"?" Motohama asked again. "If they're out of the house, surely, they'll come back, right?"
"N-n-no… *sniff*… they're not merely gone… *sob*… they're… dead…" At that Matsuda and Motohama instantly widened their eyes.
""WHAT!"" they shouted. Their shout was so loud that pretty much the whole school could hear them. Students stopped, wondering where the sound was coming from. Those in the yard knew who shouted, but gave little to no heed, as they continued with their business (because nobody wanted anything to do with the perverted trio). Issei's two friends on the other hand were completely shocked with what they heard.
"W-w-what do you mean they're dead!?" Matsuda asked incredulously.
"Yeah, how on earth did this happen?" Motohama asking as well. Seeing that the cat is out of the bag Issei told them – though not the whole truth about him being there at the time of their deaths.
"The police came to the door… and told me that their bodies were found in an alleyway near the theater… *sniff*… and that another corpse was there, too *sob*..."
"Wait a minute. Another corpse?" Motohama asked.
"Y-yeah…*sniff*…" Issei said. "They said that it might be the body of their killer… *sniff*…"
"What!? The killer was dead, too?" Matsuda was shocked. The victims and the culprit dead? How was that even possible!?
"Y-yeah…*sob*… apparently b-b-both my mum… and dad… were killed with the gun… *sob*… that the killer used… the blunt end… *sniff*… on my mum… and a bullet on my dad…*sniff*…" Issei found it hard to talk about it, but he continued nonetheless in order to satisfy his friends' curiosity.
"B-b-but the killer himself was… broken by his neck… his spine jutted out from behind… *sob*…" his friends flinched, while looking completely horrified upon hearing that. They never expected to hear something so… graphic and disturbing. It was like one of those criminal investigation series, except this was completely real. To think that Issei had to go through something like that… they could not possibly imagine that.
"S-so… who killed that guy?" Motohama asked cautiously.
"I-I don't know…*sniff*…" Issei said untruthfully. He made sure that his friends didn't find out the truth about his involvement in that man's death. Spilling the beans on that would have been too much for Issei.
Matsuda and Motohama, being the good friends that they were, decided to stop asking questions about the incident and just sat there comforting Issei. Although a few minutes passed and the break was half-way through, it felt like hours for them. By that time Issei had stopped crying, his face being completely hollow and empty.
"So…" Matsuda decided to ask. "What will you do?" Upon hearing this, Issei said nothing for a while, but then…
"I don't know…" Issei said, his bangs covering his eyes, before standing up. "But I do know that I don't feel well. I'm going home, so please tell the teachers that I'm sick" he said before walking away.
"Wait!" Matsuda called out to Issei. Issei didn't stop, though, as he went into the school building to collect his things, leaving Matsuda and Motohama with the trash-picking equipment behind.
"Issei…" Motohama whispered sadly. Matsuda nodded.
"Issei… I… We're so sorry…" Matsuda added, as they watched Issei walk away.
They have gone through plenty humiliations and disappointments, but never through as much grief as this. And seeing Issei walk away like this… made them feel… distant… like their bonds were being severed… As a result, they started to shed tears. Not comical tears like they normally would when it came to their unfulfilled perverted desires, but real tears…
Tears of grief, genuine sorrow and loneliness…
Inside Kuoh Academy
Issei was walking down the hallway when he finally reached his classroom. He almost instinctively wanted to open the door, but then realized that the door wasn't fixed yet.
Issei chuckled a bit, as he went on to get his coat and school bag.
After taking them, he left the classroom and was in the hallway once more. On the way, he saw Murayama and Katase from the school kendo club coming towards him.
'Crap,' Issei thought. 'Why did I have to come across those two? I'll just ignore them. Maybe, they'll leave me alone.'
Though unfortunately that didn't work out.
"Hey, pervert!" The pink-haired girl named Katase said causing Issei to stop. "You're supposed to be cleaning the school yard!"
"Yeah, what are you doing anyway?" said the brunette called Murayama before noticing the bag on his shoulders and the jacket that he had on.
"Wait, where are you going? Are you skipping school, pervert?" Murayama questioned in an interrogating manner.
"Class isn't over peeping, Tom! We still classes for three more double periods" Katase added. But Issei gave no heed, as he moved on. But Murayama wouldn't let him.
"Hey, we're talking to you!" she yelled as she forcefully put a hand on his shoulder. Issei, however, remained unmoved.
"I'm not in a mood to talk to you right now… just… leave me alone…" he said tiredly as he shrugged Murayama's hand off. But the two kendo girls wouldn't let up.
"Hey, we're not finished-" Katase began.
"OH, JUST SHUT UP! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Issei shouted. This startled the two, since Issei they have never seen Hyoudou react this angrily before. Sure, they've seen him and his buddies perving around with lecherous grins before, not to mention crying manly tears when they get caught peeping on them, in addition to painful grimaces. But this? But Issei calmed down, as though he never shouted at all and spoke in the same tired lifeless tone.
"Just… leave me alone… I'm not feeling well. I… just can't continue school like this…" he said before going on to the staircase.
As Issei left the two girls behind, they couldn't help but feel… concerned for him. For a second they thought that they not only heard anger coming from him… but sadness, too?
"H-Hyoudou-san…" Murayama said. Whatever hate and resentment she felt for him vanished at that moment. All she felt was a sense of confusion… and pity. Why was he acting like that? What could have happened to him that could cause him to be so… down all the sudden? She didn't know…
Her friend Katase felt the same thing. She just didn't know what to make of this. All she knew was that something was off… something definitely happened to Hyoudou. Something terrible…
Meanwhile with Issei
The bell rang, signifying the end of the break. By that time, Issei was already out of the school building. He really needed to get home and rest. There was no way he could just pretend like nothing was wrong. Consequences be damned, he couldn't take it anymore!
Trying to get the stress out of his system, he ran.
He ran till he eventually got home. By the time he got inside his house, Issei was completely exhausted. He collapsed to the ground.
'It's one thing after the next' Issei thought. He had never felt so emotionally restless before. Is this what people go through when they lose their loved ones? The bitter reality of it was shocking. Now that he thought of it, anime characters go through this stuff seemingly all the time. But experiencing it was completely different from what he had imagined.
[Partner, are you all right?] Ddraig asked suddenly. Issei got up and looked around alarmingly. But then he remembered that he knew this voice.
"Ddraig?" he asked. "W-where are you?"
[I'm inside your consciousness, Partner. You can't see me.] the dragon answered.
"*Sigh* It's just like these animes… first you're living all alone, then a mysterious being moves into your life and helps you out…"
[What was that?] the dragon asked curiously.
"Nothing, nothing" Issei replied nervously. He wasn't in a mood to explain Ddraig all about animes in case he didn't know what they were.
[But anyway, Partner. It seems you're done with your business today. So let's get to training] Issei sighed at this, his mood going somber once again.
"Umm, not today, Ddraig." Issei said. "I really don't feel well… Can't we call it a day?"
[What? But the day isn't over yet.] Ddraig argued.
"Look, I know. It's just… I'm not in a mood now a-"
[Partner, listen to me!] Ddraig cut in. [You can't go around suppressing your grief in like this. I know you are having a tough time, but now is not the time to be sulking at home!]
"Shut up! Just leave me alone! Can't you see I'm grieving here?" Issei shouted, before tears start shimmering in his eyes again. "Can't you see that I'm tired?" he said more softly. But Ddraig was having none of that.
[Then all the more reason for you to get up and get things done! I know it's hard, but right now, you need to learn how to grieve responsibly!] Issei's eyes widened at that.
"Grieve responsibly?" Issei asked.
[Yes, what you are doing right now is grieving the wrong way! You were trying to hold it all in, trying to hide secrets from your friends while refusing their help! By doing so, you were causing more grief as it is!]
"W-what are you talking about?" Issei asked confused. Ddraig sighed at that.
[Partner, I'm not ignorant of your daily activities you know? I've been watching your day this entire time.]
"W-w-wait what!? You have?" Issei yelped in surprise.
[Yes. I've seen how you told your friends only part of the truth, by leaving out the killing of your parents' murderer by your hands. I also heard how you ignored their calls for you to wait and just walked away. Do you have any idea how cowardly you have acted?] Issei was stunned. He never saw of it this way. Come to think of it, he did notice that they called out to him, yet he didn't turn around to listen what they had to say. He was so focused on his own grief, he failed to see how he had caused his friends so much anguish.
At this, Issei blushed out of shame. What kind of friend was he? He could have just told them the whole truth, couldn't he? What harm would there have been in it anyway? The man was already dead, so would not telling Matsuda and Motohama about it erase what he had done?
Seeing the logic of Ddraig's arguments, Issei sighed once again. He had so many things to worry about, like how he was going to live, pay the bills, cook, wash clothes, his parent's funeral… at that he suddenly remembered.
"THE MORTUARY! I FORGOT!" Issei shouted. He opened the door and ran out.
[Partner, where are you going?] Ddraig asked.
"To the mortuary! I need to see them!" Issei exclaimed as he ran to the designated address.
A half hour later…
It was nearly 11 am. Issei finally arrived at the mortuary. It took him some time to find it since rarely went to that particular area, but he found it nonetheless. It was near the hospital in the western side of Kuoh.
It didn't seem all that dark and gloomy, like he had imagined. It was a rather smaller building covered in white, but Issei knew better. For inside were the bodies of dead people. He was sweating nervously, but he mustered his courage and went in.
Inside was a small reception with a man standing at the reception desk. The man saw Issei coming and looked to him.
"May I help you?" the receptionist asked.
"Yes," Issei asked nervously. "My name is Issei Hyoudou and I heard that my parents were brought here.
The man widened his eyes in surprise. "Oh, so you must be the son of the Hyoudou people. I'm really sorry for your loss. In all my years that I have worked here, it's not very often that couples die and get interred together. Please, excuse me for a moment" he said before walking to one of the rooms at the back.
After several minutes of waiting, the receptionist came back.
"Please, follow me" he said. Issei did so and soon they came to a particularly cold room.
'This must be the freezer room where they keep the bodies' Issei thought. It was dark and gloomy. Issei dreaded to see his parents' dead bodies.
They came to one of the halls were several people wearing blue clothing (the king that hospital staff usually wear) were standing near an operating table. It was on that operating table that Issei saw two blue body bags.
He could already guess what, or who, was in there.
"Now, son, what we need you to identify the bodies. Please don't be shocked by what you see. Tomoya, Makoto?" the receptionist looked at two of the men standing there and together they opened each of the body bags so that their heads could be seen.
Issei gasped. He saw them. His parents were lying there, completely lifeless and pale. He was expecting to be shocked, but actually seeing it was something completely different. He figured that something like that would happen someday. But this soon?
Issei looked at them, first his father, then his mother, before saying: "Yes… they're my parents…" Issei said lifelessly.
"I'm sorry, son…" the receptionist said. Issei didn't say anything at that. Instead his tears welled up in his eyes again.
Later that evening, 7:00 pm at the cemetery…
After the preparation for the funeral later that evening. They got the funeral ready in the evening because Issei just wanted to get over with it. He didn't want his parents' death to be taking up his time in the near future. This is why he called all his parents' contacts (or those he could find) and invited them to the funeral. He even made sure to invite Matsuda and Motohama to the funeral as well. At Issei's wish his parents were buried, their bodies taken from the mortuary and put into coffins.
The event was very somber. All the guests paid Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou their last respects. They also gave condolences to Issei who remained silent during this entire time, yet still managed to be polite enough to nod in response.
There was a eulogy commemorating the lives Issei's parents lived. Issei's father was praised for being a loving father, husband and faithful employee at the company he worked at. Issei's mother was remembered as a sweet woman who was equally praised as a loving mother, wife and colleague. Many tears were shed, but Issei remained seemingly unmoved.
Sometime later, the coffins were carried to their designated resting place and buried. Issei stood there watching as their coffins were covered up by earth.
Time went by, as the sun was going down as everybody left. Only Issei and his two friends remained, just standing there at the newly-made graves of his parents. Matsuda and Motohama were getting ready to go home.
"Issei… are you coming?" Matsuda asked him. Issei didn't say anything for a while. But then he turned his head around and made eye-contact with Matsuda.
"No. I'll be staying here for a while. You go on ahead" Issei replied.
"Ok, man. Will you be at school later?" Motohama asked.
"Yeah… I will… and guys?" Issei asked.
The two turned around to look at him.
"I'm sorry for just leaving you like the behavior earlier today." Matsuda and Motohama didn't say anything. They just smiled and nodded, before leaving Issei alone.
Issei just stood there, not saying nor doing anything. Eventually he began to speak.
"Mum… Dad… I'm sorry for leaving you that day" he started. "I was completely freaked out at what happened. I mean… it's not every day you fight for your life… But anyway, please listen to me. I know this may seem kind of weird, but… I wanted to thank you…"
Issei smiled a little before continuing. "…Thank you for being my mum and dad. I mean, I know that I wasn't always the son you had hoped me to be… nor were you perfect either, I mean I hate opera and I still do. I mean, come on! If you had to live with your parents' terrible singing for pretty much your entire youth, you would also go crazy" he said before chuckling a bit. But he turned somber once again, though still smiling.
"But still, you gave me so many things. You raised me, fed me, taught me so many things… They were the best experiences in my life. Thanks to you, I was able to meet Irina, my best friend from childhood. I'll never forget him. I was so sad when he left with his dad. I was bawling like a baby and you were always there to comfort me…" Issei's smile then left his face, but he continued speaking.
"…Yes, you continued to be with me, even when I gained my love for oppai, harems, hot girls, porn and hentai on the way to adulthood… you still respected my wishes…" Issei started trailing off, before becoming silent, his bangs overshadowing his eyes.
"I… I just wish I could spend more time with you… It's strange isn't it? Now that you're gone… I realized… that every moment we shared together as a family… I treasure it… I… I really do…" a tear started to flow down his cheek, before Issei wiped it away.
"I… I just wish I could go back in time and punch myself for complaining about going to the opera with you because any moment with you… and I mean any moment… I will never have again…" Issei said, his tears flowing down his cheeks.
"I'm sorry, mum… dad… I wish I wasn't so whiny back then… So, could you please forgive me…?" Issei then broke down and started crying and heaving.
"I miss you! I miss you so much! Why!? Why did it have to happen to you!? Why did it happen to us!? Why would someone do something like this!? How can people be so cruel!?" he cried. Issei continued crying for a while until he stopped a few minutes later.
"And the worst part is… that this wasn't all… It's already bad enough that I'm living on my own without you all alone… but now…" Issei said before summoning the Boosted Gear, the familiar [Boost!] and green flash appearing once more.
"You see this…? This is called a sacred gear… Its precise name is the Boosted Gear. It allows me to double my power every few seconds. In it is Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor, a being powerful enough to match the gods… I don't resent having this… since it was able to save my life and kill that scum… But now… I fear whoever he's friends with will come to avenge him… But not only him… there are creatures… supernatural creatures of all kinds coming after me… Fallen angels… angels… devils… all just because of this…" he said while looking at the crimson gauntlet.
The Boosted Gear's jewel glimmered in the twilight sun, faintly, yet visibly. Issei clenched his fist as his face became serious, determination written all over it.
"I don't know much about who I am about to face, but I do know one thing." Then Issei looked up to the sky and declared:
"I won't die so easily! I'll make sure to live on – for your sakes! I've got friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors and all of Kuoh, too! I'll protect them so that nobody will have to go through the pain of losing their loved ones, like I did! I'll get stronger… smarter… working hard to achieve my goals, in order to achieve it!" He turned around and was getting ready to leave.
"Rest assured, mum… dad… I won't disappoint you… This will be the least I could do to atone for my foolish behavior in the past… I'll make you proud… So then…" Issei started walking away.
"Until we meet again…" he whispered. Then he looked at the Boosted Gear.
"Ddraig?" Issei asked the dragon.
[What is it, Partner?] Ddraig asked.
"Help me get stronger. Train me" Issei said, his face still having the same determined look from before.
[All right, first thing we're going to do are warm-ups. We'll start with running to test your endurance. Run to the school, then the hospital and then back to your house.] Ddraig instructed Issei.
"Sounds like a challenge. All right!" Issei said, his walking now going into a sprint.
"Let's do this!"