Smack.
A few hours after returning, just as dawn was breaking, Rias slapped Issei across the face. Akeno watched with worried eyes.
"Issei… don't ever think about saving her again."
"…Why not?"
"How would you save her? You're a devil. She's a servant of a fallen angel. The two cannot coexist. Saving her would mean making the fallen angels our enemies. Then we'd all have to fight."
"No matter how you try to stop me, I'm going."
Smack.
"Your actions have a huge impact on me and on the rest of the club! You're a devil in the Gremory household! Be aware of that!"
"Then remove me from the household. Then I'd be a stray devil, I wouldn't drag the Gremory family down, and I can save her…"
"That's impossible! Why won't you understand?!"
Rias was livid. Issei glared at her and shouted back.
"What do you know? You're a sheltered girl raised in a greenhouse! Do you know the fear of being forced to stay with someone you never wanted to be with… someone who isn't even a comrade?! Don't talk as if you know anything when you've never felt that fear! Don't speak so carelessly when you know nothing!"
Rias's hand lifted again at his words, but she couldn't strike him. Issei's eyes were filled with despair, resentment, and hatred toward the world - eyes she had never seen before.
"…Issei."
Shouting like that, Issei kicked the door open to leave. Akeno grabbed his hand.
"Issei‑kun…
"…I'm prepared to be a stray devil. Now let go."
"No… if you go now, you'll,…."
"That woman… Raynare is a wicked woman who worships Azazel blindly and would discard even her comrades to gain his trust. She's after the Twilight Healing in Asia's body… if a Sacred Gear is extracted, its host will die shortly after. We have to stop them before they take Asia's Sacred Gear."
The resolve blazing in Issei's eyes was something Rias couldn't stop. Ignoring her order to wait, he bolted outside. Voices calling him from behind went unanswered as he leaped from roof to roof toward the cathedral on the hill.
Once he left town and reached a certain point, he slowed to a walk. Surrounded by dense woods 'perfect for ambush' Issei judged. As expected, the fallen angels were waiting. But they didn't recklessly charge at him. Having faced his strength before, they eyed each other, hesitant to move. With no one making a move, Dohnaseek stepped forward and shouted.
"What are you doing?! He's a devil!! He can't use a spear of light! Take him down!!"
Reassured by his words, they charged Issei. His left arm began to glow; the Boosted Gear gauntlet emerged. Without any hesitation, he used the Red Dragon Emperor's power and crushed the fallen angels one after another. This time there was no holding back; using Ddraig's power, he annihilated them in moments.
"!! This is absurd…"
Issei's eyes, filled with a killing intent so intense it was frightening, turned on Dohnaseek. In that instant, Dohnaseek saw himself torn to pieces and killed. He collapsed to his knees. Mittelt and Kalawarna, who had come out because of the commotion outside the church, also trembled and dropped where they stood under Issei's killing intent. Ignoring them, Issei went inside. There, Freed was fully healed by Asia's Sacred Gear.
"Keekekeke! No devil meets me twice! Die, you damned devil dung heap!!"
Freed lunged, but by the time he realized what had happened, Issei had him by the face and slammed his head into the wall. With a bang, Freed's face was half‑caved in; his body twitched, his eyes rolled white. Issei brushed Freed's blood off the Boosted Gear.
(He is still alive.)
"Even someone worse than garbage is still a human. There's no need to kill him. Heaven will take him away."
(Last time you were trying to kill him, but now that you've cooled off, you're letting him live. You're still soft on humans, same as always.)
"The one who cherished me when I was called the Child of Sin was neither an angel, a fallen angel, nor a devil. It was God and humans. No matter how many fallen angels and devils I kill, I don't kill humans… It's just a whim."
(Hmph. Listen to you... Still a tsundere, same as always.)
"…There's no time for chit‑chat. Let's go, old man."
Issei headed toward a hidden staircase behind the altar. Meanwhile, Rias and her peerage, who had followed Issei, were speechless. Black feathers, presumably from fallen angels, littered the path to the cathedral.
I knew he wasn't normal, but this… - Rias
There were about thirty fallen angels by the looks of it… - Yuuto
…Amazing. - Koneko
"..." - Akeno
"Akeno and I will handle the fallen angels still out here. Yuuto, Koneko, go assist Issei."
"Yes, president!"
"…Okay!"
========
Issei descended the underground staircase beneath the altar. The fire had spread underground. At the bottom, a single path led onward. There were doors on either side from time to time, but sensing no presence, Issei ignored them and continued inward. A large door appeared. As he reached out to push it open, it swung open on its own with a heavy sound. Inside, priests with hoods pulled up were performing some ritual. In each of their hands was a sword emitting a blade of light.
"Issei‑san?" Asia, bound to a cross at the back, saw Issei and began to cry. Issei's gaze shifted to Raynare standing beside her. Raynare's face went pale when she saw him. But she quickly smiled.
"Sorry to interrupt your emotional reunion, but you're late. The ritual is already finished."
"!!"
Asia's body suddenly began to glow.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!" Asia screamed in pain. Issei ground his teeth and charged. Priests standing beside Raynare blocked his way.
"I won't let you interfere!"
"Filthy devil! I'll remove you from this world!!"
"…Get out of my way." Issei's glare froze them. Even though he suppressed his killing intent for humans, some shook off the tremors and swung their light blades at him. Bam! With a heavy sound, Koneko's fist sent one of the priests flying as he swung his sword at Issei.
"…Please don't touch him."
Yuuto drew his sword as well.
"From the start, I'll go all out. I hate priests. Since there are so many of you, let me have my fill of devouring light." His eyes flashed with a sharp, cool determination. When Issei saw the priests' swords being eaten by darkness the moment they touched Yuuto's blade, he realized that Yuuto's sword was no ordinary sword.
…A light‑eater? Holy Eraser… a sword of darkness that devours light…
"Issei‑kun, no need to be so surprised. I'm a Sacred Gear holder too. Leave these guys to us and go save her!"
Yuuto vanished at lightning speed as his dark sword radiated killing intent, and Koneko knocked priests aside with her strength, clearing a path. Issei leapt down the path they opened toward Raynare. As he landed, a great light burst from Asia's body. Issei and Raynare reached out simultaneously. But some priests at Raynare's side grabbed Issei's arms for just… just a split second, allowing Raynare to seize the Sacred Gear first. She flew up into the air, unable to hide her joy.
"This is it, this is it! The power I've wanted for so long! A Sacred Gear! With this, I can receive love!"
(Are we too late?!)
"No, she's still alive. Ddraig, let's try it."
(...I don't know if it's possible... but it's not impossible!)
In a time that demanded calm, Issei made a cool judgement. He confirmed that Asia was still breathing, stood up, and glared at Raynare. Raynare was intoxicated with the joy of obtaining Asia's Sacred Gear.
"Ufufu. Ahahahaha! I finally got it! The ultimate power! With this, I'll become a supreme fallen angel! I can make those who mocked me look back! As a fallen angel who can heal other fallen angels, my status is guaranteed. The great Azazel, Shamhaza… My power, my power will be for you…"
Boost!
A tiny grain‑sized mass of magic formed in front of Issei. He swung the Boosted Gear and batted the magic toward the unsuspecting Raynare. In an instant, the grain swelled into a massive sphere. Raynare, caught off guard, hurriedly raised a magic shield, but the Red Dragon Emperor's power was not something she could resist. The shield shattered and her leg was blown off.
"Gyaaaaa!! No!!"
As she reached to heal it with Twilight Healing, there was a thud and Issei's left hand, clad in the Boosted Gear, plunged into her chest. The distance between them wasn't far, so Raynare and Issei locked eyes. In that moment, she sensed she couldn't win. His eyes were far too terrifying to belong to a human… or a newly reincarnated devil. Moreover, Raynare felt the Sacred Gear merging with her being forcibly ripped apart. The hand within her chest gripped something and tore it out along with her blood. In Issei's hand was Asia's Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing.
"!! How… without a ritual… can you pull out a Sacred Gear?!"
Raynare screamed, spitting blood. Issei reinserted the Sacred Gear into Asia's body. Asia's color gradually returned to normal. Issei stood and looked at Raynare.
"Back then… my most precious friend… right before he died, he put his Sacred Gear into me. I'm just copying what I saw… He moved his Sacred Gear from his body to someone else. Because of him, I survived. This gauntlet is a keepsake from that friend."
"W‑what?"
"And at the same time, he's my partner. See this? The gauntlet you fallen angels feared…" The green jewel set into the Boosted Gear on Issei's left arm made Raynare's face go even paler. She looked at his face. Shaking her head, she tried to deny it. The one who instilled fear in fallen angels and devils alike was supposedly executed in heaven long ago. It couldn't be. It couldn't be the Red Dragon King whom even Azazel and Shamhaza admired. She tried to deny it, but Issei leaned close to her ear and said words that would bring her the greatest despair.
"I am… the Red Dragon King Kael."
"W‑wait… th‑that can't be!! Y‑you definitely d‑died…"
"I certainly did die... at your hands, no less. Back then, I was holding back my power so the Gremory household wouldn't find out my identity... but thanks to you, I don't need to do that anymore. Goodbye. You're a Fallen Angel not even worth remembering."
"Sp‑spare me!! I'll nev…."
Before she could finish, Issei's left hand punched through her neck. Without finishing her sentence, Raynare disappeared, leaving only black feathers. The priests, seeing her vanish, realized their lives were in danger and dropped their weapons, fleeing. Yuuto sheathed his sword and Koneko relaxed, watching them run.
"…Issei‑senpai. What did you say to her before you killed her?"
"Nothing…"
"Ugh... mmm..."
Asia stirred and opened her eyes.
"Where... am I..."
"Hey, looks like you're awake."
"You're...!! Where is Issei-san?"
"Don't worry, he is fine. You should thank him. He's the one who disobeyed his master's orders and defeated almost all the Fallen Angels by himself to save you."
"Issei-san..."
"...It's not... I didn't fight for you. I just had a score to settle with Raynare... That's all. You should leave this place immediately and go to a church where the Archangel Michael is. He'll definitely protect you."
"Eh?"
Scratching his head, Issei walked outside. Rias, who had dealt with Dohnaseek, Mittelt, and Kalawarna, leaned against a tree with her arms crossed. Issei glanced at her and walked past. Rias sighed at his unchanging behavior.
"Sigh…"
"President Rias."
"Yes?"
"…To reincarnate me as a devil, you need at least eight Pawns, right? Otherwise it should have been impossible… How did you do it…?"
Rias spread her fingers without hesitation. "All of them."
"!! You reincarnated me… with only eight Pawns…?"
"Yes."
She's lying… Normally to reincarnate a fallen angel or angel takes four pieces… an upper‑class angel takes up to six. But with the Red Dragon Emperor in me, at least seven would be needed… so thirteen minimum… How… with only eight… Unless someone tampered with Rias's Evil Pieces… No… there is one person… someone who can enhance Evil Pieces without touching them…
Issei thought of someone, then quickly regretted it. Deciding he'd just go home and sleep, he scratched his head and walked past Rias. Rias sighed as she watched him go, but Issei spoke without looking back.
"...I'm not... particularly grateful for the help or for you worrying about me today... or anything."
As he walked away after saying that, Rias and Akeno's eyes widened.
A... A tsundere?! (Rias)
Ara ara ... I'm so glad he still has a cute side left. (Akeno)