"I see... you sure have gone through quite a lot these past few weeks huh, Issei?"
"Yeah, you tell me about it…"
Issei nodded, letting out a small chuckle as he used a skimmer to scoop out a few leaves floating in the pool before him. The summer sun blazed overhead, making the water glisten as it rippled from the light breeze.
Aphrodite lay on a lounge chair beside him, sunbathing in a pink sling bikini that left very little of her voluptuous body to the imagination. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulder as she adjusted her sunglasses, watching him with amusement while he tried not his best not to stare, or get caught staring. Not that she seemed to mind.
It had been a week since the battle against Kokabiel, and even though the immediate threats had passed, a lot had happened since. Cha Hae-In and Irina had returned to Italy with the broken fragments of Excalibur, while Xenovia had decided to stay and become Rias' second knight after discovering that God was dead. Issei still had no idea how to feel about it, but it had certainly affected a lot of people—especially Asia, who had overheard the revelation after Akeno used her familiars to watch the battle from outside the barrier. Fortunately, she had been doing a lot better, but he could still feel her sadness whenever she fell quiet for too long.
Regardless, summer vacation was just a month away, and there was no better time for him to push for some extra credits. Thankfully, Aphrodite had been hiring him a lot, and working for her was far more beneficial for his reputation than working for anyone else due to her status and her work with Serafall Leviathan to build an alliance between their factions.
Not that his job was anything as serious as some of the higher-up devils made it out to be. Some of them believed they could send better devils to work for her – as Issei had been hearing, despite Aphrodite insisting that she only wanted him. In reality, all she had him doing was household chores or cleaning the pool in the backyard of her house in Kuoh, like he was doing at the moment.
Even if he could have used the time for something more productive, Issei had no problem working for Aphrodite—not even in the slightest. Not only was she genuinely fun to be around, but she was also a great listener who gave good advice on his everyday problems.
That, and he would much rather work eight hours a day for her, a beautiful and incredibly attractive Greek goddess, than spend even a minute with strange clients with even stranger requests like Mil-tan.
The payment and credits he earned from working for her were simply the cherry on top.
As Issei scooped up another leaf from the crystal-clear water of the swimming pool, he glanced at Aphrodite, doing his best to keep his eyes on hers behind those dark sunglasses—and not on her breasts, which were straining against the strings of her bikini so much that they looked ready to snap.
"So, uh… if you don't mind me asking, Aphrodite-san… you've known God of the Bible was dead this whole time?"
"Yes, I've known for a long time. But before you ask, not every god knows about it." Aphrodite replied, picking up her glass of iced lemonade as Issei stopped what he was doing and listened to her. "As far as I am aware, on Olympus only us Twelve Olympians and a select few are privy to that knowledge. I cannot say for sure about the other Pantheons, but I would wager only their leaders know."
She took a slow sip through her straw before setting the glass back down. Twirling the straw between her fingers, the love goddess let out a soft chuckle and continued.
"Hardly the kind of news you go around spreading—or something you can trust just anyone to handle with even a half-decent sense of responsibility, you know."
Issei replied while dragging the skimmer through the water again. "Yeah, I figured as much… Still, it's still kinda crazy to think about, God being gone all this time…. My friends took it hard, but they are doing better now. I guess it just makes me wonder what else is being kept secret, you know."
Not that it would affect him or his life as a devil much. Not yet, at least. But it never hurts to be a little curious.
"Oh, plenty. But if you start losing sleep over every secret the ones in charge keep, you'll have a rough time. Besides, what else would you have done if you were in their place and knew? Told the world? Started a revolution?" Aphrodite let out a soft chuckle. "Darling, you would be branded a heretic and hunted down before you could even utter a word to anyone else. Politics can get quite extreme sometimes, especially when belief and supernatural forces are involved. Trust the goddess who has been handling it for a pantheon full of irresponsible gods and goddesses to know that much."
Issei nodded his head in understanding, finding himself agreeing with the Greek goddess.
"So, Serafall told me you earned the right to take the Middle-Class Devil promotion exam, eh?" Aphrodite asked, making Issei look at her. "All that hard work really paid off."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"I think you should be really proud, Issei. You're quite famous now. Not everyone can get so far so quickly, especially not ones who basically started from the bottom up like you. What matters is that you are one step closer to your dream of becoming a harem king than before, am I right?"
Aphrodite tilted her glasses down and winked at with an amused smile, making Issei chuckle sheepishly while scratching the back of his head. He then watched as Aphrodite rose from her lounge chair and made her way over to the edge of the pool, stretching her arms above her head as she prepared for a swim. It was at times like this that Issei was reminded she was just as much the goddess of lust as she was the goddess of love and beauty.
Not that she needed to try. Every movement she made, every little tilt of her hips or flick of her hair, was effortlessly and sensually alluring.
"My cake is about to burn in the oven, darling."
"Oh crap!"
Snapping himself back, Issei widened his eyes and dropped the skimmer in his hands to bolt into the kitchen, nearly slipping on the poolside tiles in his rush while Aphrodite giggled behind him before she took a graceful leap into the pool.
Bursting into the kitchen, he was met with the smell of something dangerously close to charred. He yanked the oven door open, feeling unbothered by the wave of heat that hit his face, and grabbed the mitts to pull out the tray carrying the cake with his bare hands, unfazed by how hot it was. The top was just slightly darker than it should have been, but the rest of the cake looked great.
Letting out a sigh of relief, he placed the tray onto the counter and turned off the oven. Grabbing a fork and a dish, he then carefully transferred the cake onto it, inspecting it one last time before carrying it back outside, stepping onto the patio where Aphrodite was leisurely floating on her back in the pool, her golden hair fanning out in the water.
It was quite a sight to behold.
"I got your…"
"Nope, it's yours. I made it for you."
"Eh?" Issei blinked, looking at the dish in his hand and then back at Aphrodite, who was flashing him a playful smile "Really?"
"Really. Eat up." Aphrodite confirmed, making Issei grin before taking his seat on one of the longues nearby. Cutting off a piece with a fork, Issei then brought it to his mouth and ate it.
"Oh wow…" he murmured in amazement. The cake was just as delicious as he had expected from a goddess—sweet, fluffy, and perfectly rich. "It's really good."
Aphrodite smiled at him before flipping gracefully around to resume her swim, leaving Issei to sit there and continue eating, savoring not just the cake, but also the incredible view in front of him.
"Alright, Issei-sama, let's start over."
"Bael, Agares, Vassago, Gamigin…"
And the names went smoothly as Issei went down the list.
"Balam, Aloser, Ca—"
Thwack!
A rolled-up notebook smacked him right on the back of his hand, stopping Issei before he could continue naming another of the 72 Pillars.
"Wrong!" Ravel scoffed, placing a hand on her hip as she shot him a stern glare. "It's Alocer, not Aloser. You will fail the test at this rate, Issei-sama. Let's start over."
"Fine..."
Issei cleared his throat and did what he was told, determined not to mess up this time.
As he continued to study for his promotion exam with Ravel, who had only transferred to Kuoh Academy a few days ago but had already taken her assigned task extremely seriously, the rest of the ORC clubroom was its usual mix of study and leisure. Rias was sitting in her usual spot with a chessboard in front of her, playing against herself while occasionally glancing up to check on Issei's progress with a small smile. Akeno was standing by the counter, gracefully preparing tea and cookies for the entire club. Koneko was lounging on the couch, nibbling on a snack while flipping through a manga, though her sharp eyes flicked toward Ravel every time the blonde raised her voice.
Anyone could see a rivalry forming between the two first-years, and it wasn't that hard for Issei to figure out why, knowing that Koneko was secretly a Nekoshou, a special variant of the Nekomata, cat Youkai, who probably disliked birds just like normal cats. To her, Phoenix were just birds with fire powers, basically.
"This is so complicated."
As Issei managed to finish another round of naming the 72 Pillars with Ravel, who was only mildly satisfied by his success, he heard Xenovia complaining from the side as she sat beside Asia, the two of them working through their homework together. Despite their vastly different personalities, they had become fast friends soon after Xenovia joined the Peerage, with their shared history with the Church giving them a strong bond.
Granted Xenovia had admitted that she wanted to cut down Asia for being an exile when she first saw her during their first meeting, but that moment had long passed, and she had since offered a direct, if somewhat awkward, apology. Not that Asia had seemed bothered by it in the first place. If anything, she had been overjoyed to gain another friend.
On the other hand, Kiba was handling some paperwork for his classmates, his usual smile making it clear that he had returned to his normal self, which used to be just a façade to hide his emotional struggle against holy swords and Excalibur. Now, however, that smile held genuine warmth, no longer weighed down by the burdens of his past. It seemed he had finally found peace.
Still, that did not mean his action during the battle had not gone unpunished, despite the fact that he had played a significant role in the destruction of the fused Excaliburs. Not that his punishment had been anything severe, however, Rias had merely made him sit in seiza with his arms raised for a couple of hours before giving him a lecture for an hour straight about how irresponsible and careless he had been. He had taken it without complaint, fully understanding why he deserved it.
"Alright, Issei-sama. You got everything right this time." Ravel said, nodding her head as she grabbed her bag. Before she could bring anything out, probably a paper test, the magic circle on the side of the room lit up, and two familiar figures appeared in the clubroom.
"Onii-sama!" Rias uttered in surprise, immediately standing up from her seat. The rest of the devils in the room immediately followed suit, quickly rising to bow in respect to the crimson-haired Maou, who chuckled softly and waved a hand to signal them to raise their heads. Sirzechs had never come unannounced before, so his sudden appearance in the clubroom with his maid was quite unexpected.
"Please, no need for formalities," Sirzechs said with his usual easygoing smile. "We're all family here."
"Onii-sama, what are you doing here?" Rias asked, gazing at her brother suspiciously as if she had already known the reason why he showed up.
"Well, Classroom Visit is coming soon, right? How can I miss out on such an important event this year?" Sirzechs replied with an amused laugh, making Rias lower her head and let out a sigh. Her assumption had clearly been confirmed.
Indeed, Classroom Visit—the day when parents visited their children's classes to observe them in action—was tomorrow. Despite all that had happened recently, Issei remembered the day was coming because his parents couldn't stop talking about it. To say they were excited would be an understatement. Issei could understand why, especially with Asia being there, and all the positive things they had been hearing about him lately.
"Hah, I knew it."
"Come on now, Rias-chan. You should be excited. Father will come as well tomorrow, you know."
Sirzechs continued, making Rias widen her eyes in surprise. Although it was clear she didn't seem to enjoy the idea in the slightest.
"And besides, it has been decided that the upcoming conference between the Three Factions will be held here in this school, so I came to personally inspect the meeting place."
Issei and the other devils in the clubroom widened their eyes in shock at the revelation from Sirzechs, who took a sip from the cup of tea that Akeno had just served to him. Having been keeping up on the news, Issei knew that there had been rumors about a meeting between the leaders of the Three Factions in light of the recent events caused by Kokabiel and his rogue Fallen Angels. He had had a feeling those rumors were true, but having such an important event held at a place like Kuoh Academy was quite unexpected.
"Azazel and Michael have both agreed to meet." Sirzechs continued "As for the reason the school is chosen, I believe it's because so many extraordinary individuals are tied to it. You, my sister. The sister of the Leviathan, Sona Sitri. The holy-demonic sword wielder, Kiba Yuuto. The former Holy Maiden, Asia Argento herself. The chosen wielder of the legendary Holy sword Durandal, Xenovia Quarta..."
"And above all, the hero of the Red Gate Incident and the one who defeated Kokabiel, you, Sekiryuutei, Issei Hyoudou-kun." Sirzechs concluded, looking at Issei as he shifted on his seat.
"This school, and the entire town in general, has witnessed more significantly impactful events in just a few short months than most places see in years. And more than that, this town is the only known place in the world that had not seen a single Gate appear—at least, until the ones Issei-kun cleared himself."
The crimson haired Maou said, making Issei widen his eyes. Fortunately for him, Sirzechs didn't press on the matter. "Regardless, you can label this series of events and phenomenon as mere coincidences. If we take everything into consideration, there's no better place to host such an important event than here."
"I understand, onii-sama." Rias nodded her head "Is there anything I can do to help with the preparation?"
"Of course. I will be counting on you and Sona to make sure that everything proceeds smoothly," Sirzechs said. "You'll be working with the security teams from all three factions to set up necessary protections around the school. Given how important this meeting is, we cannot afford any slip-ups.
"Understood, Sirzechs-sama."
"Another thing… I have something for you, Issei-kun." Sirzechs said as he turned around and nodded his head to Grayfia, who then walked over to Issei and handed him a towering stack of documents that was about two feet tall after summoning it with a spell. "When a devil rises to the middle-class, they can choose to make a pact with a Magician, and these are all the magicians that wish to make the pact with you. There are about a thousand of them there, I think"
"S-Seriously?" Issei asked in shock, looking at the stack in his hand in disbelief.
"I can assure you that not many devils have this many contracts, not to mention it's even rarer for them to come in before the test is taken." Sirzechs nodded his head with an amused chuckle "The Magician are close allies with the Hero Faction, so of course news of your accomplishments has gotten to them. Several Hero Guilds have also expressed their interest in having you on their Raid Strike Teams as well. Considering the situation with Gates turning Red all around the world, if you're ready to get back in the action, I can make..."
"Yes, I'm ready, Sirzechs-sama!" Issei declared, nodding his head eagerly without waiting for Sirzechs to finish. This was all that he had been waiting for, a chance to fight side by side with the heroes.
"I like your enthusiasm." Sirzechs smiled, nodding his head in approval "In that case, I will get in touch with the Hero Guilds and make the necessary arrangements. I will also expect you to be able to answer and work with our own Raids as well to handle Gates in the Underworld, Issei-kun."
"Of course, Sirzechs-sama." Issei said determinedly, making Sirzechs smile before looking over to Rias.
"Last thing, Rias. We need to talk about your first Bishop."
It was after Sirzechs had left to go inspect the hotel where the leaders of the Hero Faction, who would be attending the meeting as neutral peacekeepers due to their alliances with all the attending Factions, would be staying that Issei and the entire ORC left their clubroom to gather in front of the sealed door on the second floor of the Old School Building. It had been decided by Sirzechs that it was time for Rias to introduce the new members of her Peerage to her first Bishop, whose uncontrollable power was so dangerous the higher-ups forced Rias to seal him away until she had grown strong enough to help him control it.
Hearing the story made Issei quite eager to see what kind of power the Bishop had, and why it was deemed to be too dangerous. Sirzechs had explained that Rias might finally be strong enough to handle him, and as a result, all Four Great Maou had all agreed to let him release him.
"The boy is in here." Rias explained with a gesture towards the sealed door. "He lives here all day, but is allowed to come out when no one else is around at night. Still, he refuses to do that sometimes and only leaves when absolutely necessary." Rias finished with a somewhat solemn tone.
Then, Rias knocked the door, leaving Akeno to start unsealing the door by removing the yellow tapes, which was clearly imbued with sealing magic.
"Oh, if we're not counting the quality of the contracts, then he's the one who has been earning the most among us." Akeno informed them as she removed more tapes from the door. Issei could see a faint aura starting to seep out. It wasn't too powerful, but still quite unique – the kind that he had never seen before.
"Is that so?" Asia gasped as she uttered in admiration. Among the three new members of the Peerage, she was clearly the one who was most excited to meet the mysterious devil, due to them sharing the same role. Ravel, on the other hand, clearly knew about him already, having done her own research to prepare for the Rating Game between Gremory and Phenex, something that her brother had foolishly refused to do.
Notably, apparently Ravel had been traded out of the Peerage by her mother, and was currently considered to be a 'free Bishop'.
"He's quite good with the computer, you see." Rias continued with the explanation "His own PC allows him to set up and get special contracts from humans. In the digital age, being able to work online opens up all sorts of opportunities that were previously unavailable. Many devils of the superior ranks don't make as many contracts as he does, actually."
"Seriously?" Issei asked in surprise, with Rias and Akeno nodding their heads in confirmation before the latter removed the last sealing tape, causing the door to be unlocked on its own.
"Alright, I'm opening the door…" Rias announced, but it was clear that her words were not directed at the devils standing around her, but to the one residing in the dark room.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
While Issei, Asia, Ravel and Xenovia were taken by surprise by the scream, Rias and Akeno on the other hand, only sighed before making their way into the room. "Good day to you, Gasper. It's quite nice to see you all energetic at this time of the day."
"W-W-Whyyyyyyyy?" the high-pitched voice from inside the room continued. Issei had been told that the first Bishop was a boy, and he had been referred to as such, but at the same time, the voice was quite girlish, making him quite confused.
"Ara ara, we have removed your seal, Gasper-kun? You can leave this place and go hang out with us now." Akeno insisted gently, but her persuasion was immediately shot down by another high-pitched scream.
"Noooooooooooooooooo! This place is gooooooooooood! I don't want to go outside! I don't want to meet peopleeeeeee!"
"Is he..."
"A hikikomori (a shut in person)? Yes." Rias answered with another sigh, making Issei turn his head back around and scan the room. Soon enough, his dark vision allowed him to catch sight of a boy(?) with platinum blond hair and pinkish-violet eyes. His hair was styled in a short bob cut with several small fringes over his forehead, and not only did he have the face of a beautiful foreign girl, he was also dressed in the uniform for girls of Kuoh Academy with thigh-high socks.
"Uh…" was the only thing that Issei could say while sweat dropping. "You said the first Bishop was a boy, Rias-senpai."
"He is. He just likes to wear female clothing." Rias explained, making Issei and the new members look at one another before nodding their heads slowly. Issei then turned his head back to Gasper while he continued to cower in his corner, backing away from Rias and Akeno as they slowly approached him.
Name: Gasper Vladi
Race: Reincarnated Devil/Dhampir
[!] Warning
[Forbidden Balor View] Activated in 4...
3...
2...
Before Issei could recall what a Dhampir was, or check the full stats of the crossdressing Bishop, a warning popped up in front of him, alerting Issei of the incoming ability, or whatever it was. To his surprise, before he could react, everyone else around him seemed to freeze in place, with the only one moving being Gasper, who ran over to the other side of the room.
"Uh, are you doing this?" Issei asked, pointing a thumb at Ravel and Asia.
"Eeeeeeek, I am so sorry!" Gasper squealed. The moment his words rang out, time seemed to snap back to normal, and everyone blinked in confusion, not realizing what had just happened. To them, Gasper had simply appeared on the other side of the room in an instant, like some strange teleportation.
"Gasper, did you just..." She then looked behind her and at Issei, examining his demeanor. The look on his face was enough for her to know what just happened "Ise, did his power work on you? Did we all freeze while he can move normally?"
"No, I don't think so." Issei answered, shaking his head.
"Oni-sama was right." Rias nodded before explaining "Gasper possesses a Sacred Gear called Forbidden Balor View, which lets him stop anything and anyone within his field of vision in time. As you can clearly see, he cannot control it, and it will act up whenever he gets too emotional."
"Ah, I see. So that's why he was sealed away." Issei nodded his head in understanding. The ability to stop time itself? That sounded so overpowered.
"Before he was reincarnated, he was half human, half vampire, known as a Dhampir." Rias continued as she turned around to look at Gasper, who finally allowed Akeno to approach him after she brought him a carton box "He was from a family of pure-blooded vampires with a good lineage, so he's quite gifted with vampire abilities and excels at most magic. In terms of magical ability and potential, he's second only to Akeno."
"This guy?" Issei asked in surprise, while Gasper cowered fearfully under his gaze as he rushed into the cartoon box.
"The Bishop piece that I used to reincarnate him was a special Mutation Piece. It wouldn't have been possible if I had turned him using a normal one." Rias nodded.
"So, does he need blood to sustain himself?" Xenovia asked.
"Yes and no. Since he's only a half vampire, he doesn't thirst for blood as often as full-blooded vampires do. If you supply him with some once every 10 days then there's no problem. Though he didn't like drinking blood as well." Rias explained.
As if to confirm her answer, another scream was heard. "I hate blooooood! I hate fish tooooooo! I hate liver as welllllll!"
"Does he even like anything?" Issei asked, looking around the room. He got his answer almost immediately. Save for his crazy PC setups with three whole monitors, there was a lot of girly stuff, from pink cushions to various female clothing and fashion magazines scattered around the room. It looked like Gasper's taste in decoration was also very much aligned with his crossdressing habits.
"…A good for nothing vampire," Koneko murmured nonchalantly, her tone as cold and merciless as ever, resulting in another whine and cry of protest from Gasper.
It was becoming clear that the four weeks leading up to his first Summer Vacation as a devil were going to be long.
Later on that night, after making sure that everyone had settled deep in their sleep, Issei quietly opened the window of his room and snuck out. He might not be an Assassin-type, but he had been doing this often enough to know how to move silently, avoiding any creaky floors or loose window latches.
"You ready for this, Ddraig?" Issei asked after putting a good distance between himself and his home, arriving at a location just near the outskirts of Kuoh Town, far away from the densest residential areas. The summer night air was warm, but it was still quite refreshing. The stars above were hidden by the occasional passing cloud, but the moon still cast a faint glow over the quiet town of Kuoh. The streets were almost empty, save for the occasional stray cat or a few distant voices from late-night wanderers.
[Ready, partner.] Ddraig answered with an amused chuckle, but Issei could tell that his dragon partner was just as excited as he was by the late night journey that Issei was about to undertake. [How about double checking our supplies? Healing Potions?]
"Yes. Every type of potion is at max stack." Issei answered after opening his inventory to browse through his stack. With the exception of the Miracle Potions, which he had tried one a few days ago to see what kind of effect it would have, everything else was at full.
[Good. What about teleportation stones?]
"I got two of them right here." Issei answered as he pulled out from his inventory a green glowing stone about the size of his palm. Each stone cost a total of 1 million Gold, quite expensive, but it was the only thing that could let him teleport out of an unfinished dungeon. Considering where he was heading, he just might need it.
[Make sure to one in one of your quickslots.] Issei nodded at the suggestion, putting a Teleportation Stone into his first quickslot so he could use it with a simple voice command. The last thing he needed was to fumble for it when he needed to escape quickly.
[Gears?]
"Got everything equipped. Plus, I have been wanting to try this badass sword out." Issei grinned as he opened his Weapon Tab, showing Ddraig the brand new sword that he had recently bought from the System Shop after selling away much of the valuables and junk he'd collected over the past few months—stuff he couldn't exactly explain to Zeoticus without raising questions. Most of the items were loots he'd gotten in the early days, while the ones he'd sold to Zeoticus were from the Red Gate, which were much easier to explain.
The sword, meanwhile...
[!] Titan's Edge – LV20
Type: Greatsword
ATK 540
Rarity: S
Element: None
Description: A weapon that was once wielded by the Titans themselves. Its blade is as unyielding as the mountains, and only those with the strength to wield it can unlock its true power.
[Active Skill]
- Titan's Strike: Charges up a powerful overhead smash that deals double damage with a chance to stun enemies
- Colossus Stance: Reduces incoming damage by 20% for 2 seconds after a successful hit
[Passive skill] Unstoppable Momentum: Each successful consecutive strike increases the wielder's resistance to interruption by 5% for 10 seconds, stacking up to 10 times.
This weapon requires at least 150 STR to wield.
[Oh, now that's what I call a weapon. Good purchase, partner.] Ddraig remarked, his tone full of approval.
"Heh." Issei grinned before swapping to the Item Tab to bring out the reason he was out in the middle of the night "Now, the key."
From his inventory, Issei pulled out an intricate blood red key, which he had gotten from the Blessed Random Loot Box reward, a prize he received a couple of weeks ago after exceeding the requirements for each task of his daily quest for the first time. It turned out, the Blessed Box had given him what he wanted, while the Cursed Box was supposed to give him what he needed. While Issei could only speculate about what he might have needed at the time, the more that he thought about the reward the Blessed Box had given him, the more it made sense.
And it wasn't just a normal dungeon key either.
[!] Item: The Demon Castle's Key
Type: Key
Difficulty: S-rank
Description: A key to enter the special Demon's Castle Dungeon.
In the Demon's Castle, you can obtain the ingredients for the 'Elixir of Life' items, which cures all illness with powerful magic.
Using the key will not be detected by those who were not aware of the System.
An item that cured all forms of illness? That sounded like something he would want, even if he had no need for it… at least for the time being. On the other hand, an S-class Dungeon was one hell of a place to grind for extra levels and loot, if the monsters inside were on the same levels as the ones from S-class/Ultimate rank, a huge step up from what he had done so far.
No doubt he was about to face his toughest challenges yet, which was the reason why he got the Teleportation Stone ready in case things went south.
"Ready?"
[Ready. I'm with you, partner.]
With that, Issei held out the key and opened the gate to the dungeon. Blue and yellow energy swirled around him as the portal to the dungeon appeared, kicking up winds that rustled the leaves and carried a strange chill. Steeling his nerves, Issei stepped forward and crossed the threshold.
What greeted him was not what he had expected. At first, he thought he had lost his vision entirely, but after a few seconds, he realized he was simply surrounded by complete darkness. This was odd because as a devil, he was supposed to be able to see normally in the dark thanks to his night vision. Yet, now, there was nothing. The darkness felt dense, like a blanket that resisted the usual clarity he would experience in low light.
Holding out his hand, Issei ignited his knuckle, illuminating the area around him and casting long, eerie shadows on the walls. A long, narrow corridor stretched into the darkness before him, its stone floor seemingly made of the same material as the smooth walls, which bore faint cracks that hinted at age but showed no signs of decay.
"Uh, where are we?" Issei asked in confusion as he looked around, feeling a cold chill running down his spine as he examined his surroundings. He could hear the echoes of his own voice, and the only sounds that he could hear was the soft flickering of the fire burning his knuckle.
Casting a spell that made an orb of fire float next to him, Issei put the fire around his hand away and started advancing onwards, with a Quest Window then appeared in front of him, bearing a notification.
[!] Quest Received
Find your way to the center chamber of the Underground Level (-1F) and ascend to the 1st floor (1F) of the Demon's Castle.
Reward: Formula for the Elixir of Life
"Underground Level..." Issei mused as he read the description of the quest before closing the window to shift his focus back to the path ahead of him. His footsteps echoed softly against the stone floor as he continued to advance, eventually arriving at a fork in the path, two passageways branching off in opposite directions, each swallowed by darkness.
[Partner?]
"Shh, Ddraig…" Issei shushed the dragon inside him as he took a left turn to continue down the path. After finding himself at another intersection, turning left and running into yet another intersection, making it about a hundred feet before finding himself hopelessly lost, Issei stopped and let out a sigh, finally getting the idea of where he was.
He was in a maze.
"We are in a maze." Issei told his dragon partner as he arrived at an area that was round like a sewer, its walls made of red brick, the damp air thick with the scent of wet aged stone. Iron-barred portholes lined the walls every ten feet, though they showed nothing but darkness beyond. He clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Shit..."
How do you even navigate yourself in a maze, Issei wondered as he continued. He had no map, no landmarks, and every tunnel looked the same. Reaching another chamber, Issei found himself facing eight different passageways branching off, finding himself losing all senses of direction the moment he started deciding which way to go.
[Uh... which way did we come from?]
"That way... I think. This is so confusing." Issei pointed his hand before choosing a passageway to continue. It was quite narrow, with the walls turning to grey cement and the ceiling getting so low that pretty soon he had to hunch over. Soon enough, he arrived at a narrowed corridor that was almost identical to the one he had found himself in when he first arrived.
[You... don't think we went all the way back, do you?] Ddraig asked unsurely. Issei was silent, not just because he had no clue how to answer the question, but also because of the sounds of dragging footsteps and heavy breathing echoed down the corridors behind him. It felt distant, yet at the same time it felt close. Something was definitely on his tail.
An arrow whistled through the air, and Issei snapped around just fast enough to deflect it with Boosted Gear. Sparks flew as the projectile ricocheted off the back of his gauntlet, embedding itself into the stone wall behind him. Not wasting any time, he then rushed toward that direction, swiftly dodging a barrage of arrows and punched his attacker in the face, sending them crashing into another before Issei could make out their shapes. There were about twenty of them, all humanoid, their bodies were donned in broken pieces of armour, their thin, almost skeletal hands clutching crude, rusted bows and swords. Beneath their hoods, pale, decayed faces with hollow, glowing red eyes peered at him, jaws hanging open in silent snarls. The stench of rot and old blood filled the air.
Keres Archer – LV 60
Keres Swordsman – LV 60
One of the Keres snarled at him, almost ferally. With a non-verbal command, he opened his inventory and pulled out his new greatsword, the Titan's Edge, in one smooth motion. Gripping the handle tightly in his hand, Issei waited for just the moment the Keres swordsmen rushed at him and was within his reach to rear back and swing his weapon in a wide, brutal arc –
CLANG!
His attack stopped short, the blade slamming into the corridor walls with a jarring halt.
"What the—?!"
The corridor had shrunk. The space around him had subtly closed in without him noticing, turning the once somewhat open passage into a suffocatingly tight hallway, making it impossible to get the full swing off. Without any other choice, he left the sword there and ducked under the swing of two Keres. Leaving the weapon on the ground, he surged upward, driving his fist into the rib of the one on the left with a sickening crunch. The creature barely had time to let out any sound as it was launched into the ceiling above, its brittle body shattering on impact.
Before the body could drop back down, Issei twisted, raising his arm just in time to block a downward slash from another Keres. Sparks flew as its rusted blade scraped against the crimson scales of his Boosted Gear. Issei grabbed the creature by the wrist, yanked it forward, and drove his knee into its gut. The force sent it crumpling to the ground, but Issei didn't let up—he stomped down hard, crushing its skull into the stone floor.
More of them came, their hollow eyes glowing in the darkness. Issei darted forward, weaving between their slashes and arrows and threw his fist into the chest of the Keres closest to him, sending it flying into another. Another lunged at him from behind, trying to sneak up on him, but Issei had sensed it coming and swiftly dismissed it with an elbow into its face without looking, shattering its decayed jaw before following up with a flaming straight punch to the Keres rushing at him from the front. The Keres crumpled instantly, their body hitting the ground like a sack of bones.
The last few hesitated, but Issei did not allow them a chance to try escaping. He shot forward, ramming his metal encased knuckle into one's torso hard enough to cave it in. As it fell, he grabbed another by the skull and smashed it against the narrowing wall, grinding its face into dust. The final Keres raised its rusted sword, but Issei caught its arm and twisted, yanking it off balance before driving his fist through its chest.
Silence fell over the corridor.
But not for too long. A new sound filled the corridor—low, skittering clicks echoing from all directions. At first, it was distant, but within seconds, it grew into a deafening, chittering wave, forcing Issei to turn his head, eyes narrowing. Shadows swarmed toward him, countless glinting eyes reflecting the light coming from the orb of light floating next to him.
Then, they came into view—giant spiders, millions of them, each the size of a wolf, their grotesque legs scraping against the walls and ceiling as they poured toward him like a living flood.
"Uhhh! What the fuck!?" Issei winced in disgust. He clenched his fist, flames roaring to life around his knuckles before he swung his arm forward. A blast of fire erupted down the corridor, engulfing the horde in a torrent of searing heat that swept forward. Screeches filled the air as thousands of them burned, their charred bodies collapsing in heaps.
But no matter how many he incinerated, more kept coming. They swarmed over and under the blackened corpses of their fallen, their sheer numbers seemingly endless as they pushed through the waves of flame.
"Tch… Oh, come on!"
Then he saw them crawling out from holes in the walls and ceiling...
[RUN, PARTNER!]
"Running!" Issei cried out as he turned on his heel and bolted down the opposite direction, sprinting at full speed as the horde of spiders continued to chase after him. As he ran, several times he had to leap over the spiders that crawled out from holes in the floor—scurrying across the walls, the ceiling as they chased after him with terrifying speed. Issei cursed under his breath as another spider lunged at him from the side. He barely dodged in time, feeling the sharp air pass through where his head had been a split second ago.
"What the hell is this place!" Issei screamed, using a quick Phoenix Shift to avoid a swarm of spiders coming at him from the front before crying out "Glacia!"
From his shadow, Glacia burst forth, flying next to him and using her icy magic to slow the flood of monsters. The spiders skittering behind them screeched as her powerful waves of frost hit them. The cold spread across the floor and walls like wildfire, freezing the giant arachnids in their tracks. Their legs froze, and several large ones turned into ice sculptures mid-lunge, shattering into pieces as they hit the ground.
But still, there were too many. Even though Glacia managed to freeze entire corridors in one blast of ice, more crawled over the frozen remains of their fallen kin, relentless in their pursuit.
"I see it!" Issei shouted back when Glacia suddenly pointed her hand forward, his eyes locking onto a door at the far end of the corridor. Without hesitation, his shadow flew ahead and froze the spiders crawling from their nearby holes dead in their tracks before opening the door for Issei, allowing him to dive through the small gap before she sealed it by creating a giant chunk of ice to block off the narrow entrance.
The spiders screeched from the other side, but with little space for them to work with, they could do nothing now but claw and bite at the impenetrable ice wall that separated them from their prey.
Issei let out a chuckle as he turned around, taking a moment to catch his breath after the sprint. "That was too close."
He muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. He threw a thumbs-up for Glacia, who floated down, her form shimmering faintly in the dim light of the dungeon and kneeled beside him, her eyes gleaming with pride and satisfaction. "Guess we're clear for now. Good work." He added, nodding in appreciation.
Glacia beamed at him, her expression radiant as she lifted her hands as if to acknowledge his praise.
Issei glanced around and examined his surroundings, the eerie silence of the maze settling around him once more as he found himself in another circular room. The stone walls lined with multiple passageways, each branching out in different directions, and who knew what dangers lay hidden within them.
As Glacia floated ahead of him to do her own studying, an idea sparked in his mind.
"Alright, listen up!" Issei called after summoning several shadow troopers and wolves from his shadows, having them lined up before him with Gladio and Blade standing at his side "I need you guys to help scout this maze out. Split into teams of two, with each trooper paired up with a wolf. Stick together, stay sharp, and try to find your way back by following my scent. If you can't then I will recall you guys in half an hour for a report of anything you find. Got it?"
The troopers gave a silent, sharp salute, and the wolves responded with a chorus of howls before they split off into different passageways.
"I say... you are full of shit." Issei declared with a grin as he snatched one of the cards Blade was holding up in front of him. "Uh…"
Instantly, his grin faded when he saw what card he had drawn. Blade leaned back with a smug smile on his face, his audience of three shadow elves cheering him on. With a forced chuckle, knowing that he had pretty much just lost the game, Issei held out his empty glass and let Glacia refill it with the bottle of energy drink she was holding in her hands, keeping it nice and cold, both tasks she saw to eagerly.
To kill time while waiting for his scouts to return, Issei had pulled out a deck of cards from his Inventory and started playing a few rounds with Blade and a few other elves, who proved themselves to be quick learners and formidable card players, leaving Issei with no choice but to reconsider his strategy with every new round.
"Gladio, any sign of them?" Issei asked, glancing over at his Shadow Commander, who had volunteered to keep watch rather than join him and Blade for a few rounds of cards—though Issei couldn't say he was surprised by the 'all business' attitude. Gladio gave a brief shake of his head before he turned his attention back to the entrances. He remained focused, his sword and shield held at the ready for any threats, whether it be returning shadows or monsters that might wander into the room.
"Wait, whose turn is it?" Issei asked, looking around. Before the one on his right could raise his hand to answer him, Issei felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Time's up. "Sorry, boys. We'll pick this up later. Time to work."
Blade and the elves bowed their heads to him in response, none of them complaining despite the fact that they had Issei cornered in the game—though, he couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason they were so eager to call it quits. He couldn't say for sure, but it didn't really matter.
Standing up, Issei recalled the shadows he had sent to scout the maze, and they all returned swiftly after a minute or so. One by one, he resummoned the troopers and had them draw the paths they had traversed with a charred stick, one he had made from a cheap bow he'd bought from the Shop.
"Okay, okay, so more chambers that way," Issei mused as he looked at the drawings on the floor. Some had clearer, more detailed paths, while others were... less than helpful. "So more monsters that way... and I'm not gonna ask what in the hell that is." He gestured at a particularly baffling drawing, a crude, childlike sketch of a monster that looked like a long snake with massive scales, each one marked with jagged lines.
The shadow who had drawn it scratched the back of his head sheepishly before handing the stick over to the next one waiting in line.
"Right…" Issei scratched his chin as he continued to study the drawing on the ground with his commanders, who gathered around him and pointed out anything he might have missed.
Soon enough, however, he noticed it.
"Wait…" Issei held up his hand, stopping the shadow currently drawing suddenly before looking up to ask him and another trooper, who had drawn second, with a hand pointing at a specific spot of the drawing. "You two, did you two meet around this area?"
The two troopers exchanged glances, before the first shadow gave a slight nod. The second shadow also confirmed it right after.
"So you two met around here… but these paths don't line up at all." Issei pointed out with a finger tracing on the drawing. He had begun to see the pattern. "See? There's no left turn here, but on the other drawing, it shows an intersection. Are you sure you didn't draw anything wrong?"
The second shadow shook his head.
"So the maze is shifting, just great." Issei scoffed as he stood up. That certainly made things a whole lot more complicated. "I knew I didn't misjudge the size of that corridor."
[I see... so you're saying that the corridor shrunk itself down to stop your attack?] Ddraig asked as Issei held up Boosted Gear to talk to his dragon partner directly [So we're dealing with a maze that's not only constantly shifting and changing, but also actively trying to kill us. Why does that sound kind of familiar…]
"Either way, we cannot stay here. We need something that can help us cross this place. Walking around blindly will only get us killed..."
With that said, Issei reached his hand into his inventory and brought out a Teleportation Stone, crushing it in his palm and causing a brilliant flash of green light to envelop him. In an instant, the eerie silence of the strange maze faded away as his surroundings blurred, and when the light dissipated, Issei found himself back on the streets of Kuoh, standing on a familiar sidewalk under the quiet night sky.
Issei took a deep breath, relieved to be able to take in fresh air again before he turned around and started running home. He arrived home just as quietly as he had left, slipping into his room without making a sound.
Throwing himself onto his bed after changing into a fresh pair of clothes, Issei folded his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling above him. That whole venture into the Demon's Castle had been a bust, and it was quite clear that the S-class Dungeon would have to wait for the time being, at least until he figured out how to navigate safely through the maze that made up its Underground Level.
Still, as he lay there, Issei couldn't shake off the thought of what Ddraig had said.
A constantly shifting and changing maze that actively tried to kill anyone who tried to cross it...
It did sound strangely familiar.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Reincarnated Devil
Class: Level 46 Dragonsworn / Level 20 Shadow Monarch
HP: 12,022/12,022
MP [Current Attribute: Draconic/Demonic: 3,725/3,725
Title: Daredevil
Strength: 208
Vitality: 177
Intelligence: 178
Dexterity: 182
Perception: 162
Charisma: 152
Unique Class Skills: Fire Imbue (LV2), Shadow Extraction (LV1), Shadow Storage (LV1), Karma (LV1).
Active skills: Doubling (LV3), Transfer (LV3), Penetrate (LV3), 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 (Elite Knight), Tora (Knight), Blade (Knight), Glacia (Elite Knight).
Items: Boosted Gear (LV4), 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?), Key to the Demon Tower.
Potions: Healing Potions x15, Mana Potions x15, Greater Healing Potions x10, Greater Mana Potions x10, Miracle Potions x3...
Gold: 3,150,120 (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 19