As the world began to be engulfed in darkness, Issei's consciousness suddenly trembled. The colors that previously filled his vision—magic light, lava sparks, and aura—all disappeared in an instant. Only thick darkness remained.
...Tick. Tick. Tick.
The sound of a ticking clock slowly echoed, like a silent lullaby replacing the dragon's roar and the explosion of magic.
His eyelids moved slowly. The dim light from outside the window illuminated his room. When he fully opened his eyes, the sky had already turned deep blue. The night wind blew gently through the slightly open window. The wall clock showed 17:45.
Issei tried to get up from bed. But…
"UGH—!!"
A pain like being stabbed by fiery needles attacked his entire body.
"...hurts... why does my whole body feel like it was hit by a truck over and over again..."
He couldn't even move a finger. He could only slowly turn his face to the side, staring at the night sky.
'Ddraig… are you there?'
{Yes.} Ddraig's heavy voice echoed within his consciousness.
'Why... am I back in the real world?'
{Because I died, you idiot.} Ddraig's tone sounded annoyed. {I died during your trial.}
Issei rolled his eyes. 'Hey, I almost died twice, and got killed three times!'
{Then we're even.}
'Even my ass! I died more than you, you know!' Issei sighed in his heart. 'By the way, how long until my body can move normally again? Can you shut off my consciousness again?'
{At the latest, tomorrow morning. But only light movement. Your body is adapting to massive changes. I'll help shut your consciousness off now...}
A wave of sleepiness hit Issei like a tsunami. His consciousness slowly faded, and the world turned completely dark.
However…
He woke up again. But this place... wasn't his room. Not the real world. Not the training place with Ddraig.
The air around him was distorted—shimmering like shattered glass in a million colors. Ether flow was unstable, floating freely like star particles. There was no ground. Only emptiness… and color.
In the distance, a colossal figure slept on a vortex of energy. Its body was a massive red dragon with two pairs of wings—two large and two smaller beneath them.
Heavy breaths were heard. And when those giant eyes opened, the world trembled.
"...You..."
The voice didn't echo in his ears, but within Issei's soul.
"A human trying to become a dragon… will you become the next chaos in this world?"
Issei stood in silence. Those words pierced into his soul, deeper than any sword or magic.
"...I'm Hyoudou Issei. Just a regular human. Becoming a dragon… because this world has too much war, too much hatred. I don't care about the Demon Kings, the Gods, or the angel factions fighting out of grudge and ego."
His eyes stared straight at Great Red.
"I want to become strong… because the Trihexa seal can break at any time. If this world is destroyed, I won't have a home anymore. I don't want to live among ruins in outer space, or hope for another planet. I want to kill Trihexa—when the time comes."
Great Red stared at him in silence.
"You know what Trihexa is. And you want to kill it? You… Anomaly. Even dreams are disturbed by your presence."
Issei took a deep breath.
"I just want to live in peace. But if the world is destroyed, I can't just sit still."
A long silence.
"Courage… or foolishness. But humans who speak honestly like that are rare."
Great Red lifted his head from the energy vortex.
"One advice. Don't abandon your human emotions. If one day you lose that… I'll come to you, descend from the Dimensional Gap, and destroy you myself."
Issei smiled faintly.
"Then don't regret it, because if we fight, I won't use logic—I'll use imagination."
Great Red snorted.
"Hmph. Looks like my sleep will be disturbed more often from now on..."
Knock knock knock.
"Issei… wake up. It's morning."
Issei slowly opened his eyes. The clock showed 07:00 AM. Sunlight came through the window, warming his room.
"Ddraig… last night… was that really Great Red?"
"A giant dragon with four wings?"
"Yeah."
"That's him. What did he say to you?"
Issei stared at the ceiling.
"He asked if I would become a new chaos. Then I said… if Trihexa breaks free and destroys the world, I won't have a home anymore."
"An answer I didn't expect… but true."
"If that seal breaks, the world won't be left in ruins… it'll be completely gone."
Slowly, Issei got out of bed. The sound of his bones… CRACK!!
"ARGGHH—!!" Issei clutched his back. "I'm only 17… why does it feel like I'm a 40-year-old dad?!"
"Your body is replacing its tissue structure. No exercise. Just walk slowly."
Issei groaned. "I'll take a shower first… then marathon anime. Chill mode on."
"Don't become a NEET. Your imagination is beyond logic, don't start copying powers from those absurd animes."
Issei chuckled softly. "Well, that's the point."
He grabbed his clothes and towel, then headed to the bathroom. As the shower hit his body, an extreme itch spread.
"...hmm? What's this..."
He scratched his shoulder.
And then...
His skin… peeled off.
"DDRAIG!!! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO MY BODY?!"
"Calm down. It's normal. Your skin is shedding. Scales will grow underneath."
"What?! Is this permanent?!"
"Of course not… unless you want it to be."
"NO!!"
After showering, his skin had peeled off in many areas. But his body felt refreshed. He went down to the dining table in casual clothes, sitting down slowly.
Juzo looked at him with concern, then said:
"You slept for two days. We were worried..."
Issei smiled. "I'm fine. But... I'm trying to become a dragon. Even so... I'm still human. That won't change."
Misa gently hugged him from behind. "It's okay. You're still our son."
Juzo patted his head. "Even though you have amnesia... your changes worry us, but also make us proud."
Misa placed a bowl of rice in front of him. "Eat up."
Issei smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you…"
After eating, he returned to his room, laid on the bed, and opened his phone.
Suddenly—
"Ah, I forgot..." Ddraig's voice appeared.
"Forgot what?"
"Boosted Gear has one more feature… Transfer Boost."
Issei frowned. "What's that?"
"Transferring your Boost power to someone else. Temporarily."
Issei paused… then smirked mischievously.
"What if I change that feature? Make the Transfer Boost permanent—"
"I ALREADY KNOW WHERE YOUR MIND IS GOING, YOU ANOMALY!! THE EVIL PIECES WILL BE WORTHLESS TO THE FACTION!!"
Issei burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! Relax, I won't use it carelessly… But… if I can even Transfer Boost 2x it'd already be insane..."
"What if I can transfer 1024x or 1.048.576x to someone else?"
"I'M RAISING A CRAZY MONSTER!!"