Three days had passed since the Red Gate incident.
The funeral of the hero Sieghart was held on a beautiful, yet quiet hill, surrounded by tall trees that stood like sentinels against the overcast sky. The crowd gathered in silence, with members of the Hero Faction from all around the world standing among them, their expressions etched with quiet respect.
No words were spoken as the priest led the final prayer, only the faint rustling of leaves and the low murmur of the wind filling the air.
Issei stood near the back of the crowd with a single white flower in his hand. Next to him was Beowulf, who had come with him to pay his respect to the fallen hero…. They watched as people approached the monument one by one, stepping forward to lay their tributes, each of which was a token of gratitude and memory of the man Sieghart had once been, and for what he had done until the final moment of his life.
The air grew even more silent when it was his turn. All heads turned to him as Issei forced himself to move, many had heard the story, but only the survivors of the Red Gate Incident truly understood how he truly felt. Some pity him for having to experience such a thing at such a young age, others admired for his bravery and strength, for what he had put himself through to make sure that everyone else could return home safely, but none of them mattered to Issei as he continued to make his way forward.
It took him a moment to reach the monument, where he then knelt and placed the white flower in front of the portrait of Sieghart, which was displayed on a bed of white flowers that framed the monument holding his coffin.
"I did it, Sieghart-san." Issei said as he looked at Sieghart's portrait, trying his best but failing miserably to keep the tears in. "I… I brought everyone home."
In the Red Gate Incident, where a gate that was only C-rank had turned red for the first time in history, a raid of twenty heroes and ten supporters had been sent in. They were trapped there for a total of three weeks, the equivalent of 21 hours in the real world.
Among those that escaped, many were scarred for life... both mentally and physically.
But the number of casualties… was one.
"Please wait just a moment, Beowulf."
Hearing his name being called while making his way down the hill with Beowulf and the other guests of the funeral, Issei turned his head to see two men approaching them. Both appeared to be in their twenties and had short blonde hair. Their clothing consisted of regal white robes paired with pieces of light black armor, all of which seemed excessively well-maintained, polished to a shine.
Issei did not need to see the familiar black shield the taller man was carrying to realize who they might be. After all, the resemblances were already more than enough.
"Theobald, Brant… I'm sorry for your loss." Beowulf said, extending his hand out to the two men.
The older of the two men, Theobald accepted the handshake with a small, sad smile. "Thank you, Beowulf. It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
Beowulf nodded as he shook his hands with Brant. "Too long. I only wish we could have met again under different circumstances."
"As do we," Brant added before shifting his gaze to Issei. "And you must be Issei Hyoudou. I'm Brant, and this is Theobald. Sieghart was our brother."
"I… I am terribly sorry for your loss." Issei said, bowing his head deeply to the two men. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't…"
Before he could finish, Theobald had reached his hand out and placed it on his shoulder, making him widen his eyes a little as he lifted his head up to look at the older man. "Please raise your head, Issei. A fine young man such as yourself must always keep your head high… no matter the circumstances."
Hesitated, Issei did what he was told as Theobald took his hand back, allowing Brant to step toward him for a handshake "And you have nothing to apologize for to us. We heard your story. You stood and fought alongside our brother, didn't you?"
"I… yes," Issei answered, turning his gaze down. "But I couldn't save him."
"Do not burden yourself with such guilt, Issei." Theobald shook his head and replied to him in a firm tone "Sieghart knew the risks, as any of us do. Not to mention that he died doing what he believed to be the most beautiful. For us Bellemont, there is no greater honor."
"But I still…" Issei began, his voice faltering as he tried to put into words the gnawing regret inside him.
"You did all you could. You kept your promise to our brother. You brought everyone home safely, and that is the only thing that matters." Brant shook his head and smiled, as Beowulf also put a comforting hand on his shoulder, leaving Issei to stand there for a moment, feeling the weight of their words settle over him. Deep down, he just couldn't fully let go of the sorrow, the regret, the guilt… but at the same time, he knew that they were right.
Finally, Issei lifted his head to nod to the two Bellemont. "Thank you."
Smiling, Brant and Theobald then exchanged a glance before turning their eyes back to Issei, as if they had come to a quiet understanding that had been quietly anticipated all along.
Reaching his hand behind his back, Theobald removed the black shield and held it out in front of him, making Issei and Beowulf look at him curiously. "Sieghart told you why he chose a shield as his signature weapon?" Issei nodded his head in confirmation, allowing the older Bellemont to continue "Then we would like you to have it, Issei."
Issei blinked, a sharp jolt of surprise running through him. "What? I—"
Brant cut him off, his expression soft but insistent. "It might not be your preferred choice of weapon, but we heard you had someone who could wield it with amazing grace. Sieghart would want the shield to go to someone capable, someone who could help carry on his will. And who better than someone who had come to see as a younger brother, and had fought with him to the end?"
"Plus, we all know that the last thing he wanted would be us leaving his shield here to collect dust." Theobald added, chuckling softly before moving the shield closer to Issei "So take it, Issei."
Issei hesitated for a moment as he turned his gaze down to the black shield, its surface gleaming under the sunlight that had started to peak out from above the dark clouds. Looking over to Beowulf, Issei saw him nodding his head to him encouragingly, making Issei give him a small smile in response before turning back to reach his hand out and take the shield. It was quite heavy, and felt solid in his hand, but Issei held it at his side with the same firm grip that Sieghart would have, while unable to stop himself from smiling a little when he saw his own reflection in the mirror attached to the back of the shield.
[!] Attractive Shield – LV MAX
Type: Heavy Shield
Rarity: S
DEF 30%
HP 30%
Element: None
Description: The shield of the hero Sieghart, a symbol of unmatched beauty and unwavering protection. The back of the shield is designed to be a mirror, and allows the user to check their appearance during battle, which makes it a true shield for those who were born to be beautiful.
Special abilities:
- Draw Attacks (P): Increase chance of being targeted (50%)
- Noblesse Oblige (P): Grant full immunity to being taunted.
- Stylish Form (A): Protect all allies from physical damage with damage mitigation (60%) to wielder. Increase DEF, SPR and HP (20%) to all allies for 2 minutes.
- Beautiful Offense (A): Physical damage with (50x) DEF scaling to all enemies. Increase chance of being targeted (100%).
Can be refined.
(P) Passive.
(A) Active.
"Thank you, Theobald-san, Brant-san." Issei said gratefully, lowering his head to the two Bellemont as they nodded and smiled at him.
"If you need anything, Issei, feel free to reach out to any of us. We operate mostly in Europe, but we can always make arrangements if you need our help." Brant offered with a reassuring smile.
"Take care of yourself, Issei. You as well, Beowulf. Hopefully we'll see each other again in the near future." Theobald said as he and his brother shook hands with Beowulf, who gave them a nod of acknowledgment. After bidding one another farewell, Theobald and Brant turned and began walking away, heading down the hill with the remaining guests of the funeral. Issei and Beowulf stood in silence, watching them until their figures became nothing more than fading silhouettes in the distance.
"Come on, let's go home."
"Yes, Beowulf-nii san." Issei said, nodding his head to Beowulf before following the man down the hill.
In the end, no matter what happened… there was only one direction to move – forward.
Life must go on.
"Yo, Ise. What are you reading?"
"Just some news."
Time passed, and before he even realized it, Issei found himself already returning to his everyday routine. From training, clearing the usual daily quests, attending classes with his friends, to joining in on the usual club activities with the rest of the Gremory Peerage, and fulfilling his devil contracts with his clients, all of it kept him busy. The grief, regret, and guilt continued to linger, but they had softened into a quiet ache, always there but just not as overwhelming.
"News? Since when did you start reading news?"
"Since now." Issei replied to Matsuda, his tone carrying a deliberate edge of disinterest. Of course, the only ones who appreciated the way Issei spoke were the girls currently hanging out in the hallway, giggling and whispering to one another as they watched him. "Now, how about you two idiots go bother someone else and let me enjoy this delicious lunch box that Rias-senpai and Asia have personally made for me?"
Issei waved Matsuda and Motohama off with a smirk, leaving them fuming in annoyance and frustration as he turned his attention back to his meal and his phone, his smile fading. The screen was currently displaying the latest article from an online newspaper managed by a devil organization in the Underworld, covering a topic that had been keeping his attention over the past few days.
Global Spike in Red Gates: Unprecedented Dungeon Break Frequency Raises Alarm
The Red Gate Incident... it wasn't just a one time event, but a beginning. Reports of Gates turning Red and taking Raid parties to much more dangerous areas, regardless of their ranks, were coming from all around the world. To make matters worse, the frequency of Dungeon Breaks—which usually took time to occur—had been increasing at an alarming rate, with many happening mere hours after the Gates appeared.
The article that Issei was reading elaborated on the growing number of casualties these incidents had caused. Entire Raid Teams of Heroes and their supported allies had been wiped out because the monsters within those Red Gates had turned out to be far stronger than measured using Mana Meters. Worse, the now early Dungeon Breaks left little time for proper preparations, leading to containment teams being stretched thin and unable to prevent widespread collateral damage.
Keeping these Gates hidden from the rest of the human world was also another pressing issue, as large-scale evacuations had to be carried out to prevent civilian casualties. At the very least, the Hero Faction seemed to have it under control, by deploying their most powerful and experienced Heroes to lead every single Raid, regardless of the measured rank of the Gate. The Devil Faction had also been lending their aid as much as they could, but there was only so much they could do to help when they had potential Red Gates appearing in the Underworld to deal with as well.
However, it wasn't lost on Issei that his workload had been suspiciously light ever since the Red Gate Incident. Zeoticus-sama and Beowulf probably had been going out of their way to keep him away from another Red Gate, likely out of concern for his well-being after what he had been through. Issei truly appreciated their thoughtfulness—he did—but the feeling of not being able to do anything and sitting idly on the sidelines was eating away at him when he had the skills and powers to cover a whole mid to low-high rank Gate – at least – all on his own.
Red Gates still only triggered after a set number of people had entered, and his summoning ability with the Shadow Monarch class gave him an advantage no one else had—a literal army at his command. The shadows he summoned were once Gate monsters themselves, so if he entered a Gate alone or with only a few others, while using only his summons as the main strike team, it might keep the Gate as normal altogether.
Bzzzt
His musing was then interrupted by the buzz of his phone, with the arrival of a text from Rias.
Come to the clubroom, Ise. Sirzechs-nii sama is coming to see you.
Issei widened his eyes at the message as surprise settled over him. Wasting no more time, he quickly finished his lunch and tucked the empty box away into his backpack before standing up, making his way over to the back of the classroom, where Asia was exchanging pleasantries with her friends.
"Asia, Rias-senpai wants us in the clubroom."
"Oh, is that so? Well then..."
Waving her hand goodbye to Murayama and Kiryuu, Asia quickly put away her things into her bag and followed him out of the classroom, the two walking through the busy hallways together. As they turned a corner near the stairwell, a figure stepped into his path out of nowhere. It was only thanks to his quick reflexes that he managed to stop short, pivoting just in time to avoid knocking the stranger over.
"Woah, sorry about that." Issei said apologetically, bowing his head slightly to the person.
"It's fine, senpai. I should be the one apologizing. I'll be more careful next time," she replied, bowing her head politely in return.
As the girl walked past him and continued down the hallway, Issei blinked, suddenly realizing who she was. Amamiya Mirei, the first-year transfer student, and the rising star of Kuoh Academy's Kendo Club. Though she had only joined a few weeks ago, rumors about her were already circulating, with many, including Captain Katase herself, believing she had the skills to bring home a championship trophy in the next high school tournament.
She was also the main reason Matsuda and Motohama had finally stopped trying to sneak into the Kendo Club's locker room to peep on the girls while they changed. Mirei had proven to be even more ruthless with her sword than Katase and Murayama combined, showing absolutely no mercy toward the two the first time she caught them. Issei couldn't help but feel a wave of gratitude that he had abandoned such habits—he had no desire to find himself on the receiving end of her blade if she was as good as everyone claimed her to be.
But still, that wasn't the only thing he had noticed about her...
"Is something the matter, Issei-san?" Asia asked, turning her gaze around to look at Mirei until she disappeared into the crowd of students hanging out in the hallway.
"Strange… This is the second time I don't feel anything at all when we cross paths. And we have only done so twice... I think." Which was weird, all things considered. Thanks to the System, Issei was well aware of how much Perception stat that he had, and while it might not be the best, it still let him sense the presences of most people around him. Yet, with Mirei, there was nothing, nothing to hint at her presence until they were practically face to face, not even the sound of her footsteps.
In a school full of supernatural and supernatural-capable beings, if that girl turned out to be one, then he wouldn't be surprised at all.
"It might just be my imagination. Come on." Issei said finally with a shrug of his shoulder, before turning back around to continue making his way to the old school building with Asia.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at their destination, the clubroom of the Occult Research Club, aka the base of operation for the devils of the Gremory Peerage. Rias was at her usual spot at the table, engrossed in a game of chess against herself. Koneko was seated nearby, munching on a bag of snacks while her white cat familiar curled up in her lap. Kiba, meanwhile, was at the far end of the room, sitting at one of the tables with a notebook and some books open in front of him. Whether he was doing homework, or plotting to hunt down Kokabiel himself to get to the stolen Excaliburs, was left for debate.
At the very least, he seemed to have calmed down – somewhat.
Akeno stood by her station, appearing to be preparing her signature green tea, as she always did for the occasional formal visits. The moment that Issei arrived at the old school building, he had noticed a familiar silver aura coming from the clubroom, so he wasn't surprised to see Grayfia being there, helping Akeno prepare the snacks for Sirzechs. It wasn't that she had arrived ahead of her master—it was just that she was the latest addition to their club, and for the time being, to his home as well.
With Kokabiel, a Fallen Angel Cadre, and numerous Excaliburs—the ultimate holy weapons against Devils—lurking somewhere in town, it was only natural that someone had to come to ensure not only their safety, but that of the Sitri Peerage. After Issei had told Beowulf of the situation in Kuoh, making him inform Sirzechs of the matter in turn, Grayfia had been chosen for the task, her undeniable strength and experience making her the perfect candidate to handle any potential threats coming their way.
Both the Gremory and Sitri had also sent their best subordinates to join her, staying until the Excalibur issue was handled. They had set up surveillance all around town to keep an eye out for Kokabiel while ensuring they did not interfere with the daily life of both Peerage or the Exorcists currently operating in Kuoh, allowing them to carry out their duties as they saw fit.
Once they had settled in and made themselves comfortable, it didn't take long for Sirzechs Lucifer to arrive, teleporting before them using the magic circle on the far side of the room. Unlike his usual formal attire, Sirzechs had opted for something much more relaxed today. He was dressed in a simple, dark navy blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, paired with well-fitted jeans. The casual look suited him, giving him a more laid-back appearance,
"Good afternoon, everyone," Sirzechs greeted, smiling as the devils in the room all stood up from their seats and lowered their heads to him "I hope I didn't keep you waiting for long."
"Not at all, onii-sama." Rias replied, shaking her head as her brother as he walked over to the table and took his seat on the couch across from her. Akeno soon arrived with a steaming cup of green tea, which he received with a small but appreciative smile.
Rias tilted her head slightly and asked after sitting back down, her expression shifting to something more thoughtful. "How's everything going on your end, onii-sama?"
Taking a sip from his cup, Sirzechs then lowered it down and spoke with a sigh "Busy, that's for sure. The new situation with Gates has been quite a handful. We manage to keep it under control for now, but our forces are being stretched thin with how many of them are appearing all over the Underworld. It's fortunate that I have Serafall helping me with Azazel and Grigori on the Excalibur and Kokabiel matters, or else I would have been completely swamped."
"Do you need me to return, Sirzechs-sama?" Grayfia asked.
Sirzechs offered her a small, appreciative smile and shook his head. "No, Grayfia. Your presence here is just as vital. Having you here to safeguard Rias and the Sitri Peerage ensures I can focus on managing the Gates situation without worrying about their safety. Besides," saying that, Sirzechs shifted his gaze over to Issei, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "There are other reasons I wanted to come here today."
"What do you need, Sirzechs-sama?" Issei asked, figuring that for whatever reasons Sirzechs had decided to come see him that day, it must be important.
"I'll get straight to the point, Issei-kun," Sirzechs began. "In light of recent events, and in recognition of your contributions during the Red Gate Incident, we have decided to grant you an early opportunity for promotion to middle-class Devil."
Issei widened his eyes in surprise, something that was shared by the rest of the clubroom except for Grayfia, who was obviously informed of it beforehand. "Promotion?"
"Of course, you will still need to pass the test, hence 'early opportunity'. However, I trust that you will be able to prepare adequately for the test scheduled later this month." Sirzechs nodded his head, and then continued when he saw Issei opening his mouth to speak "Now, I know that you don't consider it much of an accomplishment because you lost a dear friend during the incident, those of the Performance Assessment Group seem to think otherwise after interviewing Frank and the other supporters of the Emporium. They were able to return alive and safe thanks to your efforts. You also showed remarkable leadership and decisiveness for someone so young, and above all, your strength in combat is undeniable. It might be too soon for us to discuss the high rank, but you have certainly shown the qualities we look for in those we promote to middle-class Devils. I believe this opportunity is well-deserved."
Issei blinked. A part of him felt a flicker of pride. After all, he would get one step closer to achieving the high class rank and earn an Evil Piece set to build his own Peerage of beautiful women. More importantly, the rank would also allow him to be enlisted as a fighter for the Raids, giving him the chance to fight alongside and learn from the heroes of the Hero Faction.
But a part of him also felt that he didn't deserve it….
"Thank you, Sirzechs-sama. I'll do my best to prove I'm worthy of this chance." He said after a moment, his tone earnest.
"Good. Once you pass the test, I will put your name up in for Raids' main strike teams. No one will question your abilities now, not that it matters anymore. You have made quite the names for yourself among the heroes of the Hero Faction. Rias, I trust that you can help him prepare for the exam." Sirzechs said, looking over to Rias, who nodded her head while beaming with pride "Later on this week, the daughter of the Phenex devil Household will be coming to Kuoh Academy to attend its high school as a transferred first-year student. If you two need any additional assistance with the exam, you can ask her. She's a smart girl with experience in tutoring the members of her brothers' Peerages."
"Ravel? She's going to live here as well then, onii-sama?" Rias asked in surprise.
"Yes, and I trust that you will be able to help her settle in as well, Rias. Issei-kun as well. Her mother specifically requests for you to care for her. She should contact you soon to tell you this request directly." Sirzechs nodded his head, making Issei point at himself in surprise, not expecting that the lady of the Phenex Household would ask for anything like that after he ruined the marriage engagement between the Phenex and the Gremory by beating her son and feeding him much of him to his wolf… but then again, the Phenex family had seemed oddly chill about the whole thing afterward. So, who really knew?
"Another matter, Issei-kun." Sirzechs continued as he looked at Issei, his tone turning slightly more serious "I was informed that your… shadow legion has increased in number, among them are the most powerful monsters that you encountered and fought inside the Red Gate. Might I see a couple of them?"
"Of course, Sirzechs-sama." He replied after noticing that everyone else was also looking at him expectantly. Since the Incident, he hadn't had much reason to summon his shadows, so none of his friends had seen his new additions yet. "You two. Blade, Glacia. Come out here."
His shadow extended, and from its darkness, the two mentioned shadows emerged. The first was Glacia, the former shadow of the Ice Elf Queen Elva, looking just as glamorous and majestic as she had been in life, something that Issei himself only got to appreciate now. At the moment, she was also his highest rank shadow, being Elite Knight. Her icy aura shimmered with an ethereal glow, cooling down the heat of the approaching summer while exuding an air of royalty and power.
The second was, of course, Blade, the shadow of Baruka. In the days since the Red Gate Incident, Issei had debated with himself whether or not to keep Sieghart's killer as part of his shadow army. After much consideration, he had ultimately decided to let him stay. For one, Baruka was a formidable opponent who had bested Gladio in a direct confrontation until the shadow commander managed to overcome him after acquiring Sieghart's shield, which Issei later realized must have boosted his Defensive stats up quite a bit. More importantly, his presence served as a constant reminder to Issei that he needed to work harder to grow stronger, so that he could ensure such a tragedy would never happen again.
"This is Blade." Issei introduced, gesturing his hand from Blade to Glacia as they both kneeled down at his side. "And this is Glacia. She was the boss of the Red Gate. Blade was her second in command, I believe."
"Impressive. These two are quite powerful... Glacia has to be at least on par with a strong high class devil." Sirzechs said while musing in his mind as he studied the two shadows with interest, and a hint of caution. "Blade and Glacia... those are only the names that you have given them, aren't they?"
"Yes, Sirzechs-sama." Issei nodded his head in confirmation, knowing Sirzechs was referring to the fact that he could communicate with Gate monsters – or at least, the ones that were intelligent enough to be capable of speech and communication.
"I have to admit, Issei-kun, the fact that you can communicate with these beings when no one else, not even us devils with our Language Ability, could, is even more worrying than fact that you have an ever growing army of these shadows at your disposal." Sirzechs said with a small chuckle, but there was nothing amusing about it. "Was there anything you were able to learn while talking to them? Frank told me that you seemed to have quite a conversation."
"Not much... but there's something I think you should know. These Gate monsters… it seems they are driven by a voice in their heads that told them to slaughter us." Issei said seriously with a finger pointing to his head, making Sirzechs lean forward with his eyebrows furrowing. "It seems that they can also hear it from each other too, and that is the reason why they are all hellbent on killing us."
"Interesting..." Sirzechs mused, rubbing his chin as a thoughtful look crossed over his face. "What about your shadows, as they are former Gate monsters themselves?"
"I don't think they can't hear it anymore." Issei said as he and everyone looked over to Blade to see him raising his hands and shaking his head, as if to confirm his statement.
"That's good to know. I will need to inform Ajuka immediately. That is the most valuable piece of Intel that we have ever gotten." Sirzechs nodded his head at Issei. "Was there anything else, Issei-kun?"
"No, Sirzechs-sama." Issei answered, deciding to keep the piece about the fact that Baruka and the other elves could not hear the voice from him. He had to be similar to them in some way for them to come to that.
"I see. I guess we can't really ask for everything. At least we know where to work with for now. If there's a voice telling these monsters to kill us, then we also need to figure out whose voice it is. Looks like all those conspiracy theories about Gates being portals created by someone to send their troops over to invade us might not be conspiracy after all." Sirzechs said seriously, with Issei nodding his head in agreement "If you can, try to gather as much Intel from them as you can the next time you encounter any intelligent monsters. Anything you learn from them could be the key to solving this mystery."
"I understand, Sirzechs-sama." Issei answered. It was exactly his intention as well.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Sirzechs then said, raising a hand to make a letter appear and put it on the table in front of Issei "This is an invitation from the Japanese Branch of the Hero Faction. It seems Cid wants to meet with you."
"You ready to go, Ise?"
"Yes, let's go, Rias-senpai."
Issei said. returning her smile as he stepped into the magic circle and stood beside her, feeling the familiar pulse of magic as the teleportation spell activated. In his letter, Cid had said he could bring his friends if he wanted, so Rias had decided to tag along with him. It was quite unfortunate that the rest couldn't come as they all had their own things to do, devil jobs, works and all that, with Asia having an online Japanese class that she couldn't skip.
In the blink of an eye, they were transported from the quiet of their clubroom to the Hero Faction's headquarters in Tokyo, with them arriving in what looked to be a spacious, well-decorated guest room. The walls were lined with sleek, modern furniture, and the soft lighting gave the room a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Rias had told him that the place was disguised from the rest of the world as the office of an insurance company, and the luxury of the room certainly fit the bill.
"Nervous?" Rias smiled, noting the nervous, but eager look that Issei was wearing on his face. She was aware that he had developed an admiration for the members of the Hero Faction and started to look up to them. Not that it was really surprising to her, since he had been working and been through a lot with them, seeing their unwavering resolve in the face of dangers and their ability to fight for and protect those who could not without hesitation.
"I'm not." Issei answered, shaking his head. Rias just continued to give him the same look, with the smile widening out on her face, making him admit while chuckling sheepishly "Okay, maybe a little."
Before Rias could tease him further, there was a soft knock on the door before it opened to reveal a beautiful purple haired young woman, whose name Issei believed to be Isla. With a smile, she stepped into the room and greeted them in perfect Japanese – not that they needed her to, her head lowered politely "I'm Isla Wright. Welcome to the Hero Faction's Japan HQ, Gremory-san, Hyoudou-san."
"How do you do, Isla-san?" Rias greeted her, with Issei doing the same as he shook her hand. "And please, call me Rias."
"Same here. Just call me Issei."
"Rias-san and Issei-san then. Please follow me this way. Master Cid is expecting you." Isla said, her hand gesturing to the door to signal them to follow her. As they headed down the hallway of the building, Isla continued "Master Cid is very sorry that he couldn't come greet you himself. There's an A-rank Gate that has just opened in central Yokohama, so he's meeting with Goto-san and the captains of his Raid team to coordinate the response."
"Goto? The Goto Ryuji?"
Surprisingly, it was Rias who asked the question, and Issei would have done it himself if she hadn't. He had done some research on the Hero Faction, so he knew how celebrated Goto Ryuji was for the heroes of Japan. Not only was he acknowledged as the strongest hero in Japan, the master of the Hero Guild Draw Sword, but he was also the most promising candidate to join the rank of National Heroes, which was the title given to those whose strengths was said to rival the might of an entire Faction's military force.
Much like the Devil Faction, the Hero Faction had their own system to determine the strength of their members. However, theirs was a straightforward tiered system ranging from E to S, which was said to be what the standard danger-level of Gates were based upon, with a group of E-rank heroes capable of dealing with E to mid D-rank Gates, a feat that a lesser number of D or C rank heroes could easily accomplish.
The differences in power levels seemed to increase drastically from B-rank onwards, with A-rank heroes being fully capable of dealing with lower ranking Gates in low numbers, though they still needed a Raid team to safely deal with mid to high ranks Gates, such as B-class and A-class Gates. To put into perspective, Sieghart had been an A-rank hero, while his captains Satou and Hase were B-rank. With a Raid consisting of mostly C-rank heroes, they should have had no trouble handling the C-rank Gate if it hadn't turned Red.
S-rank, of course, were given to the strongest Heroes, who had the strength and skills to deal with any typical Gate all by themselves, with most being on par with an Ultimate-Class Devil. Even in the past, S-rank heroes had been viewed as mankind's symbols of hope and power against catastrophic threats and events, with the emergence of Gates only solidifying their importance. Because of this, however, the number of heroes being granted S-rank was quite rare, with only a handful per country and a couple hundred worldwide.
Among the S-rank, there existed a special class of heroes known as the National Heroes, said to be beyond S-Rank due to how much more powerful they were compared to the rest, making them the pinnacles of the Hero Faction. At the moment, there were only four National Heroes across the entire world: Thomas Andre and Christopher Reed of America, Liu Zhigang of China, and Siddarth Bachchan of India, each of whom fought on the front line of the international disaster, Black Flame Ennio itself. If Goto Ryuji could make it, he wouldn't just become the fifth National Hero, but he would also help elevate the recognition of Japanese heroes, solidifying Japan's place among the Faction.
"So, uh... are we going to see Goto Ryuji?" Issei couldn't help but ask, making Rias nudge at him with her elbow while smiling teasingly.
"If he hasn't left yet." Isla nodded her head, smiling as the three entered the elevator to head up to the top floor of the building. The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and Isla led the way as they made their way through the sleek, modern halls of the Hero Faction HQ, arriving at a set of large, polished doors at the end of the hall, with Isla knocking her hand on before pushing it open to enter after being granted permission by the people inside. The room beyond was a spacious office, with large windows giving a clear view of the city skyline.
Behind a massive, dark wooden desk stood Cid, who was in a conversation with the person currently sitting on the sofa, appearing to be a handsome and muscular man with shaggy black hair and a neatly trimmed black beard. He was dressed in a black battle uniform bearing the crest of his guild, the Draw Sword. His weapon, a long, red katana, leaned against the arm of the couch beside him.
"Ah, there they are. The talk among us heroes." Cid acknowledged their arrival with a smile, as Isla led them into the room after bowing her head to greet Goto, who nodded his head to her with a small smile "Issei, thank you for accepting my invitation."
"The honor is mine, sir." Issei said as he shook hands with Cid with a firm but respectful grip, who let out a chuckle before replying with a wave of his hand.
"Please, just call me Cid." With that said, he then turned his attention over to Rias and smiled warmly at her "It's been a while, Rias. I had a feeling Issei would bring you along."
"You look well, uncle." Smiling, Rias then continued when she noticed the way Issei was looking between her and the grey haired hero "Cid is a friend of the family. He was among the heroes who fought alongside Sirzechs onii-sama in the Black Flame event."
"Which is only one of the many reasons you should have taken the offer to become a National Hero, Cid." A voice cut them off, and everyone turned their heads to the side to see Goto standing next to them with a smile on his face and his hand extending toward Issei "How do you do? I'm Goto Ryuji. You must be Issei Hyoudou-kun, aren't you?"
"Y-Yes. It's an honor to make your acquaintance, sir!" Issei said, grabbing Goto's hand with both of his own and shaking it enthusiastically.
Goto chuckled lightly; his grip firm yet friendly. "There's no need to be so formal. Just Goto is fine. I've been hearing a lot about you, Issei-kun, what you did in the first Red Gate Incident to keep our brothers and sisters safe and bring them home." His smile then faded away as he gave Issei a sympathetic look "I'm sorry for your loss. Sieghart was also a dear brother of ours. He had only been here for a month but theatrical flair had left a long lasting impact on all the heroes here. I'm sure he will continue to live on in our memories."
"Thank you, Goto-san." Issei nodded his head, smiling softly.
"Correct me but I'm wrong, but I'm sure that you are a student at Kuoh Academy, correct?" Goto then asked, making Issei nod his head with his eyebrows rising in curiosity "Well, an aspiring student of mine also attends Kuoh Academy. She's a first year student, I believe. Her name is..."
"Is her name Amamiya Mirei?" Issei asked, almost automatically.
"Oh, you met her already?" Goto asked in pleasant surprise, with Issei replying with a forced chuckle before answering.
"Kinda. We crossed paths a couple of times."
"Well, if that's the case, I hope you can watch over her, Issei-kun. The girl might be a talented S-rank hero…" Issei almost dropped his jaw in shock upon hearing that, but in all honesty, he wasn't surprised as he thought he was supposed to "but she always has trouble making friends at school. If you can, I hope that you can keep an eye on her for me. Keep her out of trouble if she gets herself in on her pursuit of... justice."
"I'll try my best, Goto-san," he said after a brief pause, though he couldn't help but feel a bit of pressure.
After all, the Goto Ryuji was asking a favor from him.
"I better get going now. Kanae and Atsushi must have finished preparing the others for the raid." Goto said, looking over to Cid and nodding his head to him before turning back to Issei "I hope we'll meet again the next time you visit our HQ, Issei-kun. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out. You've got a lot of potential, and I'm sure you'll go far."
Issei smiled, feeling a warm sense of encouragement as he shook hands with Goto again, with even more enthusiasm this time around. "Thank you, Goto-san."
"Take care of yourself." He added, picking up his weapon before turning towards the door. "I'll leave you all to it. I'm sure you have to discuss it with Cid. See you around."
With that, Goto exited the room, and the door closed behind him, leaving the group in a quieter atmosphere.
"Quite a lad, that guy is." Cid remarked with a soft chuckle, before looking at Issei and Rias with a smile "So, how about joining me for some tea?"
In a flash, Issei found himself in the dark, torch lit corridor of the Tower of Ascension.
"Come out, you five." Issei called and from his shadow, Gladio, Lycaon, Tora, Blade and Glacia emerged, lining up before him with the humanoid figures on their knees, while the two beasts had their heads lowered. "Let's see..."
[!] Gladio – LV MAX
Rank: Knight – The Shadow seeks permission to be promoted to higher rank.
[!] Lycaon– LV 25
Rank: Knight
[!] Tora – LV 35
Rank: Knight
[!] Blade – LV 8
Rank: Knight
[!] Glacia – LV10
Rank: Elite Knight
"I see… so how do I do this?" Issei said as he walked over to Gladio and hovered his hand over the System window that had appeared over him, showing him his current level, stats and the notification that he could promote him to higher rank.
As he moved his hand over his rank, a second window then appeared, bearing the prompt.
[!] Allow promote Gladio to Elite Knight. Y/N
[Pretty straight forward, huh?] Ddraig asked, making Issei nod his head in understanding before confirming his choice. Tendrils of shadow then burst forth from the ground and wrapped around Gladio before erupting. After a moment, the shadow disappeared, revealing the commander in a new, much more striking and formidable form. His shadowy aura had become more prominent, while His armor had grown more intricate and defined, with dark, sharp lines running across its surface. His cloak was also longer, with the red inner layer now glowing brighter than before.
[Gladio has been promoted from 'Knight' to 'Elite Knight' Rank]
[!] Gladio – LV1
Rank: Elite Knight
"So you guys will be back to level 1 after promotion." Issei acknowledged as he looked at the notification window. 'Guess it doesn't really matter. His stats right now are higher than he was before as a max leveled Knight. No doubt as he levels up he will become even stronger… I wonder what his level cap is now. maybe 99? 100?'
"Here." Issei then said, reaching his hand into his inventory and pulling out the Attractive Shield to hand it to Gladio "Until I found someone worthy to bear it, you should be the one to wield this shield for the time being, Gladio."
His stance shifted subtly as Gladio raised his hands and received the shield from Issei with his head lowering in a bow of respect and acknowledgment.
"Here, you should have this, Blade. This should give you some extra stats to match the others in our next fight." Issei said, bringing out from his inventory a gemstone, which would grant Blade a significant boost in EXP and allow him to catch up with the others. It had cost him a small fortune to buy, and the Shop only allowed him to purchase a handful of them, with the higher tier stones being locked away behind levels, so he couldn't rely on them to level up his shadows.
[!] Blade
LV8 - LV25
As Blade accepted the gemstone, it glowed faintly before breaking, raising his level from level 8 to level 25, the same as Lycaon's.
"Don't worry. I will make sure to let you have plenty of chances to level up as well." Issei said, patting Lycaon on his head, making the wolf purr softly in response.
Lycaon was his first elite shadow, but because Issei had left him behind to watch over Rias, his level had stayed the same unlike Tora, who, despite being the third shadow to join, had been with him and Gladio during the Red Gate incident and fought alongside them many times. While a percentage of the EXP that his shadows gained were transferred over to him, the other way around did not work and the shadows had to work on their own to raise their levels.
"Alright. Since I'm not allowed to use any of you guys here, return for now." Issei said, and the shadows did as he commanded them, leaving Issei standing alone in the dark corridor of the Tower of Ascension. Reaching his hand into his inventory one last time, Issei brought out the Sigil of the Shadow Commander – Igris before making his way over to his door.
[You sure about this, partner?]
"You have to agree that this is a pretty good idea, right?" Issei asked as he put the Sigil into the slot on the door, making it slowly open.
[Doesn't mean that I have to like it.] The Heavenly Dragon answered as Issei made his way into the room, arriving before Igris just as he had done the first time that he tried to tackle the challenge. For a moment, the shadow did not move. He simply sat there, staring imposingly at Issei, as if waiting for him to reveal his intention of coming before him that night.
"I have to admit, Igris... you are really strong." Issei said as Boosted Gear appeared on his left arm "And I don't think that it's only because of your rank and level."
"Recent events have let me see just how weak I still am, and realize that I need to push myself even harder." He continued, looking down momentarily before turning his gaze back up to look directly at Igris, with the flame of determination burning strongly in his eyes "I might not be able to defeat you now. I probably won't be able to for a very long time, but I finally understand what this Tower is truly for. Because I can just come back and try to beat you as many times as I want, I can use the experiences I gain fighting you to better myself, and become even stronger, even if I have to die here every time!"
"So train me, Igris!" Issei exclaimed, taking a stance with his second level Balance Breaker taking form on his body, ending with an explosion of red aura and fire that rumbled the floor of the throne room "Train me, and help me become stronger!"
[!] You have earned a new title
Daredevil - Deal more damage the lower your HP is.
This title cannot be switched to in combat and has to be equipped out of combat.
After that, Igris finally rose from his throne. But instead of using his sword, which was at his side just like before, to push himself up, he put both his arms down the armchairs of the throne to do it, standing up right before making his way down to stand a few meters before Issei. Slowly, he then raised his fists and took a fighting stance, waiting for him to make the first move.
"Let's do this!"
With a battle cry, Issei charged at Igris.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Reincarnated Devil
Class: Level 42 Dragonsworn / Level 20 Shadow Monarch
HP: 11,145/11,145
MP [Current Attribute: Draconic/Demonic: 3,455/3,455
Title: Daredevil
Strength: 180
Vitality: 169
Intelligence: 170
Dexterity: 174
Perception: 154
Charisma: 144
Unique Class Skills: Fire Imbue (LV2), Shadow Extraction (LV1), Shadow Storage (LV1), Karma (LV1).
Active skills: Doubling (LV2), Transfer (LV2), Penetrate (LV2), Sprint (Max Level), Vital Slash (LV1), Jump (Max Level – Equipment Ability), Observe (LV2), Ruler's Hands (LV1), Phoenix Shift (LV1).
Active spells: Fire balls (LV3 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Firewall (LV3 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Lightning Strike (LV1), Water Blast (LV1), Earth Shield (LV1), ...
Current Pacts: Y Ddraig Goch (Fire) – Pact LV2, Chaos Karma Dragon Tiamat (Fire) – Pact LV1
Current Active Pact [2/4: Y Ddraig Goch (Fire) – Pact LV2
Current Shadows: 210 / 210
Elite Rank Shadows: Lycaon (Knight), Gladio (Knight), Tora (Knight), Unnamed Shadow of the Ice Elf Baruka (Knight), Glacia (Elite Knight).
Items: Boosted Gear (LV4), Fur Jacket (LVMAX), Razan's Blade (LVMAX), Magitek General's Helmet (LVMAX), Palace Guard's Boots (LVMAX), Metal Gauntlets (LVMAX – Only one currently in use -Stats Reduced), Kamish's Slumber (LV?), Blessed Random Box (x1)…
Potions: Healing Potions x15, Mana Potions x15, Greater Healing Potions x10, Greater Mana Potions x10, Miracle Potions x3...
Gold: 2,740,630 (G)
Ultimate: Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker – Boosted Gear Crimson Scale Mail (LV.2 – Pact Affected)
Finisher: Rage of the Fire Dragon.
Sigils: Sigil of the Shadow Commander - Igirs, Sigil of the Shadow Ice Bear - Tank.
End of Chapter 17