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I floated.
No pain. No body. No air, no earth, no sky.
Only darkness.
An eerie stillness, almost unnatural. As if the universe itself had stopped moving, frozen in time, and I was the only thing suspended within the void. I didn't think. I didn't reason. Time had no meaning here.
Until I heard the voice.
|•You're falling apart, you know that?•|
It was my voice. But it wasn't me.
My eyes opened—though I had no eyes to speak of—and there he was.
Issei Hyoudou. The original.
Standing before me in that endless void, his usual carefree expression resting lightly on his face. Familiar. Almost expected by now.
|•You're more stubborn than I thought, •| he said, arms folded over his chest. |•But hey... thanks for not letting Asia die. •|
I tried to respond, but I had no mouth. Even so, he understood me.
|•Yeah, I know you're the one who let her get that far in the first place, but so what? You regretted it. That's what matters. •|
He stepped closer, his eyes clear.
|• That regret... that was what connected us. The fear of losing her. •|
"Then... why are you here now?" I asked—this time, able to speak.
|• Because you almost died, dumbass, •| he replied with a crooked smile.
|• Because when you're falling into the abyss, truth has a way of showing up uninvited. •|
The darkness trembled.
A deeper voice, ancient and powerful beyond comprehension, growled from the shadows.
[Pathetic... and yet, you survived. Barely.]
A crimson light tore through the gloom, and from it emerged a massive form—a colossal dragon, its scales like petrified fire, eyes glowing with ancient fury and wisdom.
Ddraig.
"So you finally show yourself," I whispered in thought.
[Not by choice. By necessity. You've pushed the Boosted Gear to the edge of your own destruction. Your body wasn't ready… and yet, you endured. That demands attention.]
The dragon leaned down toward me, his breath like a roaring wind.
[Listen closely, human. You are not Hyoudou Issei. But neither are you foreign to this vessel. You are rewriting it… and he is letting you.]
"Him?" I asked. "The original Issei?"
[There is a bond now, shared between you. You are no intruder. You are... an inheritor. And that makes you something else entirely. Something dangerous.]
The original Issei looked down.
|• You know... I was an idiot. A pervert. A coward. Impulsive. •|
His voice was soft now.
|• But deep down, all I ever wanted was to protect the girls who mattered to me. •|
He raised his head, gaze meeting mine.
|• You did that. Better than I ever could. •|
"Then what am I?" I asked, the question burning. "A replacement? A monster that stole someone's life?"
Ddraig's roar echoed through the void.
[You are a warrior. A torn soul that chose to fight. That is enough for me. The Boosted Gear does not choose in error.]
The words struck something deep inside.
"What happens now?" I whispered.
|• Now, you wake up, •| Issei said with a genuine smile.
|• And you live. But remember this... •|
Ddraig's voice finished the thought.
[Next time, you may not survive.]
Everything shattered.
The void. The echo. The silence.
And then—pain returned.
.
.
.
.
.
The first thing I saw was Asia's face. Gentle. Tear-streaked. Her eyes were filled with relief and worry, both warring in equal measure.
I felt the faint warmth of her Sacred Gear over my chest. I understood instantly—she had saved me. She had used the power I'd returned to her… Twilight Healing.
Its light still ran through my veins, trying to soothe the chaos blazing inside me.
"You're okay…" she whispered, her voice trembling like a leaf. "I knew you'd come back."
I tried to speak, but my throat was raw, as if scorched by fire. My body ached in ways I couldn't describe, but I was alive. Miraculously, undeniably alive.
It took my mind a few seconds to catch up, but then it all came rushing back—
The battle.
The roar.
Raynare's terrified eyes when she realized she wouldn't escape.
The shot.
The way the Twice Critical consumed her, tearing her essence apart and absorbing every last piece.
She was gone. Completely.
And with that realization… I felt a crushing weight lift from my shoulders.
"…Thank you, Asia."
She nodded, brushing away a lone tear.
Her smile was soft, unjudging. She had risked her life to save me, and yet she wasn't shaken. She was worried about me.
"What you did… it was for me, wasn't it?" she asked, voice trembling.
I didn't know what to say. Part of it was, yes. Part of it was fury, the fear of losing her, instinct... and maybe, just maybe, it was because of him. The real Issei, whose scream within had driven me past the limit.
Before I could answer, the door opened.
"I see you've finally awakened, Issei," Rias said, stepping in with that calm authority only she could command.
Her face bore a storm of emotions I couldn't fully read—relief, concern… maybe guilt?
"Buchou…" I murmured, bowing my head slightly despite the pain.
She didn't speak at once. Her gaze lingered on my bandaged body, especially my left arm—still wrapped tight, sealed with magical wards. Then her eyes shifted to Asia, who stepped back to give her space.
"Asia brought you back far faster than we imagined. Her Sacred Gear is truly miraculous…" she said quietly. "But even so, the damage was severe. I honestly didn't expect you to survive."
I had no reply. No easy way to explain what happened. And absolutely no way to speak of the Boosted Gear.
"No one…" she began slowly, "no one expected your Sacred Gear to evolve so violently. Twice Critical has never shown this level of power. Not even close."
Her blue eyes locked onto mine.
"What are you, Issei?"
Silence.
I couldn't answer. I couldn't afford to answer.
So I did what I did best—I dodged.
"Your pawn, right?"
Her lips curved into a slight smile, but it wasn't warm. It was bitter. Pained.
"You're not just a pawn anymore, Issei. That part of your life is over."
I didn't move, but inside, anxiety churned like a storm. I couldn't tell her about Ddraig, about the Boosted Gear. About the truth.
"Raynare…" I whispered.
"Dead," Rias confirmed bluntly. "Or at least, that's what we believe. Nothing of her remains."
I closed my eyes again. I already knew. But hearing it from her made it real.
She sat beside me, hands resting calmly in her lap. Asia lingered close, watching intently.
"I don't understand everything yet," Rias continued, "but I know when someone changes. You're not the same boy I heard about weeks ago. Your aura. Your determination. Even your presence… everything is different."
A pause.
"And I'm not sure that's a bad thing."
My eyes opened, surprised.
"It's… not?"
"Not as long as you stay with us," she said gently. "Not as long as you keep fighting to protect the people around you. Asia. All of us."
I turned to Asia. She gave me another one of her smiles. Innocent. Grateful. Undeserved.
I realized then—maybe I couldn't say who I was. But what I had done… that spoke for me. And for now, that was enough.
Rias stood, her figure tall and regal. She looked at Asia.
"I'll wait outside," she told her.
Then she looked back at me.
"Rest up, Issei. Soon… we'll talk about your future. And what you really are."
The door shut behind her.
Silence settled over the room once more, broken only by the soft sound of Asia's breathing.
And in that silence, I understood something:
I couldn't keep hiding forever.
My path… my destiny… was tied to this world. And to these people.
Maybe I wasn't the original Issei Hyoudou anymore.
But right now… I was all they had.
And I wouldn't let them fall.