"I see... so that's how you ended up with those Fallen Angels."
Rias said, sitting across from Asia, who clutched the teacup Akeno had served her, her hands trembling slightly as she recounted how she became an exile. The blonde still looked shaken — Issei could tell that much — but he couldn't blame her.
After all, she had just witnessed a disfigured corpse and watched him beat someone she once knew to death. That exorcist had been a sick bastard, and the world was surely better off without him, but the fact remained that he was someone she had known.
At least it seemed she was warming up to the others. Despite the shock of discovering they were devils soon after they arrived at Kuoh Academy, she had accepted it better than Issei had expected. Given what she'd been through, being exiled for helping someone she's not supposed to, he could understand why.
"Do you know the name of that devil you healed? It might be someone I know."
Asia shook her head at Rias' question "I never got the chance to ask him. He was close to a holy ground, so he had to leave almost as soon as I finished healing him."
"Given that I haven't heard anything about a devil being attacked on holy ground, whoever that was, he probably wanted to keep his attack a secret. I know a few devils who are operating in Italy with their Peerage, but none of them met your description." Rias nodded her head with a thoughtful look.
Asia frowned slightly, her eyes clouded with concern. "I just wish I could have done more for him..."
"You did more than most would have done in your shoes, Asia-san. I'm grateful that you chose to save one of us, even though we were supposed to be enemies." Rias offered her a reassuring smile, with Issei doing the same from his seat. "So after you were exiled, you met the Fallen Angel Raynare?"
"Yes." Asia nodded, her expression clouding with a mixture of sadness and confusion. "After I was exiled, I didn't know where to go or what to do. I wandered the streets of Italy for days until I met Lady Raynare and her friends. She was very kind to me, offering me a place to stay and food to eat. She even promised to take care of me now that the Church had abandoned me."
"They took advantage of your kindness, Asia. I know. I had a history with her." Issei said, making Asia look at him in sympathy, her eyes softening. She had probably pieced together what had happened between them from overhearing the conversation that he had with Raynare earlier.
"Issei, you said the Fallen Angels wanted to do something to Asia?" Rias turned to her Pawn and asked him, making Issei nod his head in confirmation.
"Yeah, Raynare told me they had a plan for Asia." That much he was certain "I'm not sure what it was, but it couldn't be anything good. Raynare even told me that I probably wouldn't see her again, and I'm pretty sure that's not because they planned to leave town and never come back."
"I see. Asia-san, I figure they probably didn't tell you anything, but did you notice anything unusual while you were with them at that Church?" Rias turned back to Asia and asked her.
"I don't know. Lady Raynare and her friends treated me well, but the exorcists, they... tried to do things to me." Asia said timidly, making Issei widen his eyes in shock, feeling his blood boiled. Around the room, Rias and the other members of the Peerage also shared a similar expression as she looked at Asia and let her continue "But the Fallen Angels stopped them before they could. She said... they couldn't risk having me weak for the ritual."
"Ritual?" Issei repeated, looking at Rias to see her having a thoughtful look on her face "Buchou, do you know what it could be?"
"Hmm, there is a chance it's the Sacred Gear extraction ritual." Rias pointed out, making Issei widen his eyes in surprise "I don't know the full details, but a few centuries ago, an exiled exorcist created a spell that allowed users to extract and steal Sacred Gears from their possessors. He was put down, but it seemed his research was recovered and learnt by those who wished to steal Sacred Gears for themselves."
"But the ritual will result in the death of the possessors. Having your Sacred Gears taken away is like having your soul sucked out of your body." Akeno gave her two cents as she put a bowl of cookies down before Asia, who looked shaken up by the knowledge. "Moreover, one of the requirements for the spell to work is that the caster must have a stronger will than the Sacred Gear's possessor. No offense, Asia-chan, but you're an ideal target for those scummy Fallen Angels."
"That and her Twilight Healing is incredibly useful." Rias pointed out "It's rare, but not unique... and I feel like the Fallen Angels, especially those that served directly under Azazel, who I heard had developed an obsession for Sacred Gear, will stop at nothing to get their hands on."
"We're not letting them take Asia!" Issei declared firmly, making Asia turn her gaze to him. Kiba gave him a nod of his head and smiled, while Rias and Akeno exchanged a look before they did the same. Koneko, meanwhile, simply gave him a blank look, but that's nothing new coming from the usual emotionless mascot of Kuoh.
"We won't, Ise." Rias reassured him with a smile before she stood up. "Wait here while I call my brother. As much as I want to deal with those Fallen Angels right now, we need to make sure that our next move won't cause any serious problems between us and Grigori."
With that said, Rias retreated to the other side of the room with Akeno and called her brother, who Issei had been told was one of the leaders of the Devil Faction. As Kiba walked over to the window and looked outside, Issei glanced at Asia and saw her receiving a bag of chips from Koneko, looking more relaxed than she had been just a moment ago. However, he could tell that fear and uncertainty still lingered beneath the surface. Asia might have managed a small smile as she accepted the snack, but her eyes betrayed the anxiety she felt about the situation.
"Hey, can I have some?" Issei asked with a small smile as he sat down next to Asia "Koneko-chan never shares her snacks with me, so..."
"Oh, of course. Please have some." Asia responded with a kind smile and offered him the bag, allowing Issei to reach and grab a handful of chips while smiling apologetically at Koneko, who gave him a blank stare that somehow managed to convey a mix of disapproval and indifference louder than any word. "If you don't mind me asking... how're you holding up?"
Issei asked gently, his tone softening as he looked at Asia.
"I'm... I'm okay, I guess," She replied, though she didn't sound like she was sure of it herself. "It's just... everything happened so fast."
Issei noticed the way her hands trembled slightly as she held the bag of chips, and felt his heart ache for her. "It's not your fault, Asia. You didn't deserve any of this."
"It feels like it is..." Asia shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes as she sobbed quietly "Since I didn't pray enough... I'm so stupid. Everyone that I ever knew, they just..."
"Hey, not everyone, you know." Issei said softly, giving her a smile as he nudged her gently with his elbow "You have me now, Asia."
Asia turned to Issei and looked at him the same way she had done from the moment he brought her into the clubroom and introduced the others to her. It was a look of uncertainty, with a glimmer of hope.
"You really mean that?"
"Absolutely. I said I would protect you, didn't I?" Issei nodded, his smile warm and sincere. "I'm here for you, no matter what."
Tears fell from Asia's eyes as she sat there and listened to him, but they were no longer tears of sadness or frustration. For the first time since he met her that day, Asia looked relieved, and a soft, hopeful smile began to form on her lips as she turned back to the bag of snacks and munched on them.
"It's... delicious. I've never had snacks this good before."
"Eat as much as you want. Koneko-chan has plenty more." Issei grinned and looked at Koneko, who stared at him blankly. After a moment, she grabbed another bag of chips from her stack and tossed it to him, making Issei give her a grateful smile as he caught it.
"Good news, Ise." Rias said as she ended the call with her brother and walked back to him with Akeno, who also had a smile on her face "My brother reached out to Azazel. He confirmed that Raynare was a subordinate of his. However, it seems that he has lost contact with her for quite some time now and she and associates have been acting on their own, disobeying direct orders. We're free to deal with them however we want."
"So he basically refused to at least send someone here to clean up and have us do it instead." Issei said blankly, to which Rias responded with a nod of her head while rolling her eyes in displeasure.
"Pretty much."
"I say that we bring the fight to them then. I know where their base is." Issei said firmly as he stood up "We don't give the chance to come here and risk hurting Asia. We attack them at their base before they can come here and attack us."
"Oooh, I like that idea. I'll back you up, Issei-kun," Akeno replied with a sly smile, clearly excited by the prospect.
"We have your back, Issei-kun." With Koneko standing next to him, Kiba smiled and patted Issei on the shoulder, making him nod his head back at him in response.
"All in favor of the idea then?" Rias asked and looked around at her servants before announcing "Very well, let's..."
Just as she finished saying that, all the lights in the room were turned off, leaving only the magic circle on the side of the room to illuminate the darkness with its faint crimson glow. Thanks to their visions, the devils didn't have any trouble seeing in the dark, but the same could not be said for Asia, who let out a gasp.
[!] Urgent Quest Activated
[!] Quest info
[Protect Asia Argento against the Fallen Angel Raynare and her force at all cost. Work with your friends to defeat them and secure her safety.]
Enemies to kill: 24
Enemies killed: 0
Just as Issei had expected the moment he realized what could be happening, the Quest Panel flashed to life before his eyes, showing him the info of the quest that demanded him to protect Asia. Looking around, he could see that Rias and the others had realized what was going on as well, with Kiba rushing over to the window and peeking outside to survey their surroundings. At the same time, Akeno casted a spell that showed them the enemies that had just crossed through the gate and entered the schoolyard.
"Guess we will have to fight them here, then." Akeno said as she focused her attention on the images of Raynare and her Fallen Angels associates, who led the exorcists into Kuoh. "Akeno, how many of them are there?"
"Twenty-four." Issei answered before he could stop himself, making Rias and Akeno look at him in wonder "Uh... I can count really fast."
He added quickly. Fortunately for him, both girls didn't seem to think much of it.
"Guess they brought the whole squad with them then." Rias said while rubbing her chin in a thoughtful manner "It looks like they plan to brute force their way through us to get to Asia. Good."
"Really?"
"Yes. Not much strategy there for us to deal with. They may outnumber us, but there's no formation in the way they move. They're disorganized." Rias nodded his head Issei with a smile "And they haven't attacked us yet, which can only mean they want to negotiate. Let's head out there and..."
"Kiba, Koneko and I are more than enough. You and Akeno-san should stay here and protect Asia." Issei interrupted, making everyone look at him "Their target is Asia, so we cannot leave her unprotected. You two are the strongest, and the ones I can trust her safety with. Not to mention that they'll think twice before attacking you, Buchou."
"Your logic is sound, Ise." Rias mused before asking him, looking at Issei specifically "Not that I don't trust you three to handle it, but are you sure?"
"Yes." Issei nodded his head firmly. He was confident that he could take on all four Fallen Angels himself, and if the exorcists were somewhere around Freed in level, then Kiba and Koneko shouldn't have any problem dealing with them.
"Very well then. But if anything goes wrong, I will have Akeno step in, got it?"
"Yes."
"Please be careful!"
Giving Asia a reassuring smile, Issei headed out of the clubroom with Koneko and Kiba. As they made their way down the hallway toward the exit, Issei turned to Kiba and asked him.
"Your created swords, Kiba. Can I use them as well?"
"Of course." Kiba nodded his head in confirmation. "You want one?"
"Yeah, why not. Right now, it's a better weapon than my gauntlet anyway." Issei said as he made his Sacred Gear appear on his left arm and held it up. While he could just buy a sword from the System Shop, Issei knew it would raise questions about where it came from.
Holding his hand out, Kiba activated his Sacred Gear, Sword Birth, creating a demonic sword in his hand before handing it over to Issei. The blade looked like a traditional Japanese katana, with a gleaming edge and a hilt wrapped in dark leather. Issei held the sword in hand and swung it a bit, testing its weight and balance before checking its stats.
[Demon Katana +25 ATK]
A demonic sword created by the user of the Sacred Gear Sword Birth. It provides some protection against holy weapons.
[Skill] Demonic Strike: Enhances attack power and inflicts additional demonic damage.
"Not bad." Issei said with a smile, making Kiba nod his head to him before lowering the sword down "Let's go."
"Right behind you, senpai." Koneko spoke up for the first time that night, making Issei grin at her before he walked on ahead. Together, the three stepped into the schoolyard of Kuoh Academy and found themselves facing off against Raynare and her force. Both parties regarded each other silently under the moonlight, and it was Issei who broke the silence with a strong voice.
"You shouldn't have come, Raynare." He said, his hand gripping tightly at the hilt of his katana. "After that beating I gave you and your friends, you should have turned away and returned to your master."
"You think you can stop us? With just the three of you!?" Raynare's eyes narrowed as she met Issei's hard glare confidently, a smirk playing on her lips as she said "We're here for something far more valuable than you can possibly realize."
"Cut the crap, we know what you want to do to Asia." Issei replied to her coldly "And I won't allow you to go anywhere near her. She will stay with us, and you will all die here tonight."
"Enough chit chat. Your ex-boyfriend is mine, Raynare!" Mittelt snarled as she flew at them, starting the battle. Her fellow Fallen Angels and exorcists followed right behind her, coming at the devils with the intent to kill. Issei waited for Mittelt to reach him, holding in her hand a light spear that she thrusted at his chest.
With lightning quick motion, Issei sidestepped the attack, allowing the spear to miss him by an inch and slash his sword at Mittelt's exposed side, slicing through her abdomen and cleaving her in two.
"Mittelt!" Kalarwarner cried as Mittelt fell to the ground, her eyes widening in shock and anger. She flew at Issei with two light swords, but Kiba was even quicker to intervene. Smiling, the Knight met her in a fierce sword clash, one that he easily overwhelmed with his superior speed and technique, forcing her on the defense until both of her light weapons were shattered by his demonic blades.
Before she could recover, Kiba had dashed toward her and executed a swift, deadly X-formation cut across her torso, making Kalarwarner cry out in pain as blood shot out from her wound before she collapsed.
Seeing two of their leaders defeated so easily, the stray exorcists hesitated, their confidence shattered. This allowed Koneko to close the distance and send them flying with powerful punches. Their bodies hit the ground with heavy thuds, and the sound of their cries of pain echoed through the schoolyard. Some attempted to gun the small girl down with their firearms, but the bullets simply bounced off her skin as if they were nothing more than harmless pebbles. Unfazed, she continued to push forward, lifting the one closest to her into the air with her immense strength, and threw him at two others, sending them sprawling out the ground.
Enemies killed: 7
Enemies killed: 8
Enemies killed: 9
Enemies killed: 10
Enemies killed: 11
Enemies killed: 12
The System kept on announcing as Issei slashed at every exorcist that tried to run at him, and even the one that tried to make a run for it. The EXP that he gained from each enemy defeated was not even worth it, but Issei allowed no one to escape. The blade of his katana left trails of blood in the air as he cut them down, one after the other, without showing any mercy.
"Die, you monster." Issei heard Raynare scream out and spun immediately to her direction to deflect the spear that she threw at him, in the same manner that she had done to kill him. Twirling his bloody katana around, he then ran at her with a burst of speed, making the Fallen Angel widen her eyes in shock as she barely managed to create a shield to defend herself.
However, instead of striking the shield with his blade, Issei switched his stance and struck with his fist instead, sending a shockwave through the air with a thunderous impact. Raynare cried out as she was knocked back, her shield shattering into million pieces under the brutal force of his punch.
The moment that she crashed into the ground, Issei was upon her with his katana raised above his head. He descended on top of Raynare, his blade stabbing down with a dull thud, drawing a thin line of crimson on her cheek. A millisecond of hesitation was enough for his blade to miss its intended target.
"Damn you!" Raynare cried out and unleashed a blast of light directly at him, forcing Issei to immediately jump back to avoid the attack. At the same time, two exorcists charged at him with their light swords, forcing Issei to block their weapons and parry it, knocking them off balance before killing them with a single horizontal slash.
Enemies killed: 20
"Screw you, you damn devils!" Dohnaseek, who had just managed to escape a beating from Koneko, dropped his calm and collected front for the first time to let out a yell that could be heard across the schoolyard. Raising his hand, he casted a spell, causing a massive magic circle to appear before him.
"Dohnaseek, this is..."
"A gift from Lord Kokabiel in case of emergency." Dohnaseek answered with a bloodthirsty grin "I never thought I would have to use it against these devils."
From within the swirling, arcane patterns of the circle, a massive beast emerged, with three snarling heads each framed by jagged fangs. Its eyes burned with a fierce, malevolent glow, and its dark colored fur shimmered under the moonlight with an unnatural, fiery hue. It let out a roar at the devils, shaking the very ground beneath them.
[Minor Cerberus – Level 15]
"A Cerberus!?" Rias asked in shock as she stood watching from the window of her clubroom.
"Rias, I will..."
[Boost!]
Before Akeno could finish and Rias could nod her head back to let her Queen join the fight, Issei had dashed toward the beast, diving to the side to avoid a fiery blast of fire coming from the central head. The intense heat scorched the ground where he had just been, but it did very little to slow Issei down as he leaped into the air and struck the beast with the katana, activating its skill to leave a deep gash on the side of its head.
The Minor Cerberus roared in pain as the demonic blade sliced through its flesh. Its left head tried to bite down on him, but Issei immediately spun his body to the side and stabbed the Katana deep into its jaw, moving his body so that he was able to plant both his feet on the weapon and use it like a lever to launch himself high into the air.
[Boost!]
The green jewel at the back of his gauntlet shone as Issei stopped briefly in midair and released an orb of his demonic power in front of him. Cocking Boosted Gear back, he punched the orb with all his might, at the same time transferring all the accumulated energy into it, causing the orb to burst into a massive blast of energy that descended upon the Cerberus.
The resulting explosion was cataclysmic, engulfing the Cerberus in a blinding burst of energy. The shockwave rippled through the schoolyard, the force so immense that it obliterated the beast in an instant, shocking those who were watching. The roars of the three-headed monsters were drowned out by the deafening blast, its massive body collapsing before disintegrating into nothingness under the sheer magnitude of the explosion.
[!] Level up
As the smoke and debris settled, Issei gracefully returned to the ground, landing with a soft thud. Raynare was completely speechless, while Dohnaseek and the remaining exorcists stood frozen in a mix of shock and fear as they gaze at Issei, who dusted his jacket and turned his gaze to them.
"Damn it!" Dohnaseek gritted his teeth as he gathered his foolish courage and summoned two light spears to charge at Issei, but suddenly found the world around him flipped upside down. His eyes then widened in sheer horror when he realized that his head had been cleaved clean off his neck, the result of a lightning quick slash done by Kiba Yuuto, who stood behind his collapsing body with one hand holding his blade at his side.
Enemies killed: 23
Once the last two exorcists had been taken care of by Koneko, Issei turned his attention to Raynare, who fell onto her knees and looked at him in fear and terror as he walked toward her and pointed her blade at her neck.
"H-How..." She asked, her voice no more than a whisper as her body shook in pure fear "How... did you get so strong?"
"Because I keep leveling up." Issei said, holding the katana firmly in his hand. "Goodbye, Yuuma-chan."
With that, he turned around, at the same time slashing his blade across her neck. He didn't look back, even as he heard two separated thuds behind him.
[!] Level up
[!] You've completed [Urgent Quest]
Reward:
1. [Passive] Clarity – Grant the user a peaceful state of mind and immunity to mental disorder and related debuffs.
2. Razan's Blade – LV. 1
ATK: +50
HP: +50
Rarity: B
Element: Fire
Description: A blade that is made by sharpening the enchanted horn that shoots up from a Razan's back. You can feel the heat pulsing within, as if fierce flames could erupt from it at any moment.
[Skill] Flame Slash: Each strike has a fixed 20% chance to [Burn] the target.
Burn: Deals fire damage equal to 44% of Attack every 3 second(s) (stacks up to 5 times). Max duration: 30 second(s)
He got a badass looking sword as a reward, but unlike usual, Issei wasn't feeling too happy about it.
[Three days later]
"Everyone, let's welcome our newest member!"
Rias announced with a bright smile, pulling the string of the party popper in her hand. A burst of colorful confetti and streamers exploded into the air, raining down on Asia, who was now dressed in the school uniform of Kuoh Academy. At the same time, the rest of the room was already decorated for a welcoming party, with food and drinks arranged neatly on the table.
"Yeah!" The other members cheered and clapped for her, and none was louder than Issei himself.
"Thank you, everyone. Thank you!" Asia beamed with pure joy, her face lighting up as she raised her hand and looked at the colorful confetti that continued to rain down around her.
"Alright, everyone. Dig in." With that, the party began. Issei wasted no time to fill his plate up with food, his stomach growling in anticipation. After all, the workout he'd done earlier to complete a recurring quest had left him ravenous.
As he piled his plate high, Issei couldn't help but glance at Asia, as she chatted happily with Rias and Akeno. Her smile was infectious, and it warmed his heart to see her being able to smile so genuinely after everything she had been through. She had, however, become a devil, letting Rias reincarnate her as her Bishop. He still didn't quite get why she made that choice when it looked like she would continue to follow the teachings of the Church, but he had decided to respect her decision, as everyone had.
Though, it's best that she dropped her habit of praying as soon as possible, because whenever she did, she would get a massive headache in response.
End of Chapter 4
Current Stats:
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Dragon/Reincarnated Devil
Level: 14
HP: 1,655/1,655
MP [Current Attribute: Demonic]: 615/615
Strength: 52
Vitality: 47
Intelligence: 40
Dexterity: 40
Perception: 36
Charisma: 28
[Note]: Razan's Blade is a sword from the game Solo Leveling: Arise.