"You coming, senpai? Cid-sama is looking for us! I think it's time!"
"Coming!" Issei said, waving his hand at Mirei before turning his attention back to the little magic circle projecting the small hologram image of Rias hovering in front of him. "Sorry, I gotta go now."
"Good luck, Ise. We'll be watching the Raid at home and waiting for your good news." Rias smiled, and with that, Issei ended his call with his crimson haired girlfriend. With a wave of his hand, the communication spell disappeared, allowing him to rise to his feet and hurry over to Mirei, who stood waiting for him at the end of the hallway with one hand resting on the hilt of her katana.
"Was that Rias-senpai?" The blonde asked, earning a nod from Issei "I still cannot believe that you are dating both her and Akeno-senpai."
"Hey, can't really help it, you know." Issei said jokingly, holding up his hands, which made Mirei nudge him lightly with her elbow before the two of them made their way down the long corridor, returning to the room where they had had the meeting with the leaders of the Heroes Faction. Currently, however, the Koreans and Chinese had already left, leaving only the Japanese heroes, most of whom were members of the Draw Sword Guild, behind to carry out their own last-minute preparations for the upcoming International Raid on Jeju Island.
As Issei entered the room, he immediately spotted Goto standing and speaking with a middle-aged man who stood out from the others, being a middle-aged man with thick black hair, a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee. But unlike everyone else, who were dressed for combat, he wore a formal white-collared shirt and black tie under a sleeveless light brown vest. A thin trail of smoke drifted lazily upward from the cigar in his hand, its faint smell cutting through the air as he spoke with Goto in a calm, almost casual manner.
"Hey, Mirei." Issei called, tapping the blonde lightly on the shoulder before tilting his head down to ask with a quick gesture toward the unfamiliar man speaking with Goto. "Who is that talking to Goto-san?"
Mirei followed his gaze before answering. "Oh, that's Matsumoto Shigeo-san. He's one of the executive officers of the Japanese branch of the Heroes Faction. I don't know the clear details, but I heard he handles the internal affairs and has been gunning for Cid-sama's seat for years now."
Issei raised a brow at that. The man certainly didn't look like someone aiming for leadership in his eyes, but the way Goto spoke with him, as well as the mutual respect that the two were showing each other in their exchange, told Issei that Matsumoto was someone worth paying attention to.
Before he could think more on it, movement from the corner of his eye drew his attention. Cid, who had been speaking with a group of hunters near the center of the room, finally noticed them. With a short word to excuse himself, the man stepped away from the others and made his way toward Issei and Mirei, his relaxed gaze fixed on the two of them as he flashed them a small smile.
"Good, you two are here," Cid said when he reached them, as both Issei and Mirei bowed their heads politely to him." I trust you're both ready."
"As we'll ever be, Cid." Issei replied with a small grin, with Mirei nodding her head in agreement beside him while waving a hand in front of her face and coughing slightly at the smoke drifting from the cigarette Cid was smoking, making the man smile apologetically before snuffing it out with a gloved hand and flicking it into a nearby trashcan. At the same time, Issei noticed Goto looking in his direction and lowered his head slightly to the man, who smiled and nodded his head back acknowledgment.
"That's what I like to hear." Cid smiled before he continued "We will be heading out in a few minutes. You two will be with me."
"You'll be joining us, Cid-sama?" Mirei asked, with Issei raising an eyebrow in pleasant surprise next to her.
"Figured I'd tag along to keep an eye on things. This is serious business, so we can't afford to mess it up." Cid said, his tone turning more serious for a moment before easing again. "And besides, someone has to watch over you kids. Goto will lead his own squad at the front line, so he won't exactly have the time to babysit any of us."
"I mean…" Issei chuckled as he looked at Mirei. He could tell Cid was only half-joking. After all, he knew better than anyone what they were capable of, having fought side by side with him before, while Mirei was an S-class Hero. Even though this mission was bound to be dangerous, there was little reason for someone of his level to be on babysitting duty for two teenagers, especially considering that he was an extremely powerful Hero in his own right.
"Well, all joking aside, I decided to tag along because this Raid will also serve as your tryout, Issei." Cid said with a small smirk, making Issei blink in surprise. "I doubt you'd have any trouble with anything Takada-san could throw at you, so I figured I'd give you something more fitting. I'll be judging your performance myself and decide if you've got what it takes to stand among us Heroes."
Issei scratched his cheek with a sheepish grin. "Guess I don't really get a choice, do I?"
"Not unless you plan on chickening out now, but I doubt you'd even think of that. Plus, I contacted Sirzechs earlier and took care of the paperwork of your employment for you, so you can't back out either." Cid chuckled, giving him a light pat on the shoulder as Issei grinned and nodded his head in response.
"Anyway, our team will take points on the Eastern side of Jeju. We'll be team Beta. You both remember our plan, yes?"
"Yes." Issei and Mirei both responded.
"Good. Let's go."
Cid said. Before leaving, the three of them made their way around the room, exchanging nods and brief words with the other Japanese heroes, who quickly split up into their own squads of three, several of which consisted of reinforcement members the Three Factions had sent to assist the Heroes with the situation. Goto gave a short speech before departing with his own squad, consisting of Mari Ishida and Minoru Hoshino, both of whom were S-rank Heroes well known for their abilities.
With the final checks complete, Issei casted the teleportation spell, using the coordinates Cid had given him. Around the room, circles of light began to flare as one squad after another followed suit, each team vanishing in quick succession with Issei and his squad being among the first to depart. Crimson light flared beneath their feet, wrapping around their bodies before swallowing them whole.
In the next instant, the walls of the operations room were gone, replaced by the chill sea breeze and the rugged eastern coastline of Jeju Island. The faint glow of the teleportation faded behind them, leaving only the sound of waves crashing against black stone and the distant, unsettling screech of ant soldiers echoing from deeper inland.
"The Korean team should be arriving soon." Cid said, glancing toward the horizon and checking his wristwatch as he took a drag from another cigarette. The sky above was still dim, the edge of dawn creeping in as streaks of orange and gold began to spread across the sea. The attack would begin the moment the Koreans arrived, timed with the sun breaking over the horizon.
"No giant ants to be seen." Mirei noted while looking around. The beach looked relatively normal, even though there was an eerie feeling in the air because of the immense amount of mana that had leaked out after the Dungeon collapsed.
"Intel showed the ants retreated back to their hive in Hallasan mountain during nighttime, but be cautious of patrols." Cid explained, crushing his cigarette with his boots before reaching his hand into his utility pouches to bring out three earpieces, giving two of them to Issei and Mirei. "Here. Some good old-fashioned communication devices. We will be on Channel Two. Channel One will connect us with other squads and Command Center, so switch over to it for now. Make sure to keep the chatter clear if you have something to say."
"Understood." Issei nodded, taking his own earpiece and putting it on his left ear.
After that, the three of them quickly left the beach and moved inland, stepping out onto the wide street just beyond the coast. Almost as soon as Issei stepped outside, he could see the destruction that had been caused by the ants, from buildings standing with walls half-collapsed, windows shattered, and storefronts collapsed. Cars littered the road in disarray. Some overturned, others smashed against one another or crushed flat on the street, their frames twisted at unnatural angles. Streetlights lay snapped across the pavement, power lines dangling low, sparking faintly where they had been torn loose. Deep claw marks carved through the asphalt and across walls, showing both where the ants had torn their ways through and where battles had been fought to evacuate civilians off Jeju yesterday.
"These sure are some big ants…"Issei commented when he noticed the carcass of a soldier ant sprawled across the street. Even with its limbs torn off and half its body missing, the thing was still massive, easily the size of a delivery truck. Issei had seen their photos before while being briefed about the plan by Cid and Gunhee, though, so he was not surprised. "And they said how many ants were on this island again?"
"About ten thousand, senpai." Mirei answered, making Issei let out a short, nervous chuckle at the reminder.
"Squad Beta, in position." Cid announced through the communication channel as the three of them paused at an intersection, taking cover near the shell of a collapsed building.
"Squad Alpha, in position!" Goto responded, his voice firm.
"Squad Delta, standing by!" Kanae followed, being the leader of Squad Delta.
"This is Squad Sigma. We have arrived at our designated position."
"Squad Omega, Lima Charlie."
"Squad Epsilon. Awaiting your signal, Cid-sama."
"Squad Theta. We are all set here as well."
"Squad Zeta, ready when you are."
With the last confirmations given, the faint thrum of rotor blades rolled in from the distance, quickly growing louder. Issei turned his head toward the coastline, eyes narrowing as the silhouettes of multiple military helicopters appeared against the paling dawn sky, moving in formation toward their landing zone.
"That's our signal. The Devils should have lowered the barrier around the island by now. All squads…" Cid began, drawing his swords with Mirei doing the same. Issei also made Boosted Gear materialized on his left arm, his shadow shifting as his soldiers awaited his command. "Unleash your power."
At that, Cid unleashed a surge of energy, cracking the street beneath his feet as arcs of purple lightning danced around him and his overwhelming aura. Mirei and Issei immediately followed, their own magical energy flaring outward and igniting the air around them, sending dust and fragments of debris spiraling skyward with each pulse of shockwave.
Across Jeju, the other squads followed suit, their collective power rippling through the streets and open areas, shaking the ground and tossing rubble into the air. The combined release spread across the island, a brilliant, blinding signal that lit up the dawn like flares, drawing attention from every corner of the island.
From the slopes of Hallasan Mountain, the ground trembled as thousands upon thousands of ants poured from cavern entrances and took off with their wings. They swarmed down the mountainside, bursting forth from cavern entrances with numbers so vast that they formed dense, undulating masses that darkened the sky as they surged toward the waiting squads below.
"Get ready!" Cid shouted before summoning a massive bolt of lightning at the nearest cluster of ants.
The bolt struck with a deafening crack, generating a massive shockwave that shattered every remaining window in the area while electrocuting dozens of ant monsters instantly, sending their charred bodies tumbling through the air. Mirei followed suit with her katana, its blade a dark trail in the air as she dashed around the area and slashed at every ant in her path, leaving their bodies in pieces across the street.
Issei moved in alongside her, his blades flashing as he spun and lunged through the swarm, sending arcs of Spirit Lightning from his Lightning Dragon Pact chaining across the ants. Each bolt struck multiple targets, leaving singed bodies and smoking exoskeletons in its wake. When a larger ant lunged at him from the side, Issei immediately pivoted, slashing it in two before another wave of ants tried to swarm him with their sheer number.
"Go."
Before they could even reach him, Shadow Soldiers burst forth from behind Issei and charged toward the swarm of giant ants. Gladio took the lead right next to Issei, his broadsword nothing more than a flash of light as it cleaved through the air and multiple ants at once, scattering them like leaves in the wind. The rest of the Shadow Army fanned out around them, assisting both Cid and Mirei in their fights while slaughtering any ants that dared to get too close.
"Issei, above us!" Cid warned, his voice cutting through the clamor of battle and making Issei look up to see a swarm of giant Ants plummeting toward them from the sky at breakneck speed. Each one was the size of a compact car, their mandibles snapping hungrily as they aimed to strike.
"Glacia!" Issei shouted after avoiding the first wave, killing two with a quick Dragon Shot. At his call, Glacia flew down from above and held the Staff of Avarice in her hand, the orb itself emitting a brilliant orange light as the Elf Queen Shadow built up her power before unleashing it in a torrent of icy wind. The blast caught the incoming ants midair, freezing their bodies and limbs instantly before encasing them fully in thick blocks of ice.
In a blink of an eye, the entire street was transformed into a frozen battlefield, with ant carcasses being suspended in crystalline shards. Before the stronger ones could break free, Vulcan and Asterius rushed in, using their brute strength to smash the ice and the frozen ants inside into pieces. Cracks ran through the frozen street as the two Shadows and their squad charged forward, leaving shattered ice and broken exoskeletons in their wake. Issei wasted no time to follow them, the green orb on the back of Boosted Gear flashing repeatedly as arcs of Spirit Lightning lanced out from his blades, his attacks carving a path of destruction through the swarm of monsters.
High above, the Korean heroes began their descent. From the back of his helicopter, Choi Jong-In unleashed a torrent of his powerful fire magic at the ants that had caught sight of them, painting the sky orange with an inferno of scorching flames that instantly consumed dozens of ants in a single sweep. Smoke and embers twisted through the morning air, adding another layer of chaos to the battlefield but clearing a path for Jong-In and his fellow Korean heroes, including Cha Hae-In, to make their way down and toward Hallasan Mountain, where they would hunt down the Ant Queen and destroy her hive, which were the main objections of the Raid.
The plan of attack was simple.
The Japanese heroes, divided into eight squads of three and positioned at key locations around the island, would engage the soldier ants across the streets and urban areas, drawing as many away as they could from Hallasan Mountain and keeping them busy long enough for the Korean team of Heroes, who would keep their energy as low as possible to avoid detection by the ants, to reach the Ant Queen and her hive.
Meanwhile, Chinese heroes, reinforcements from the Three Factions, and heroes below S-rank would remain stationed on battleships circling the island, preventing any of the 10,000 monster ants on Jeju from escaping into the surrounding waters after the barriers surrounding Jeju had been though most of the ants would have their focus on the Japanese Heroes fighting on the mainland, countless others were already breaking off and taking to the skies, heading toward the surrounding seas and threatening to spread beyond Jeju if not intercepted.
Liu Zhigang, the strongest of the Chinese Hero Faction, would remain on standby and serve as a last resort, ready to intervene if the situation escalated beyond the coordinated efforts of the three countries on Jeju. He would, however, handle any swarms attempting to move toward China, a task he was executing with brutal efficiency… and all on his own.
"There sure are a lot of ants here." Issei said as he unleashed a torrent of blue flame at the nearest cluster of ants, the fire roaring down the street and sending dozens of monsters skittering away while countless more were consumed in the blaze. In a blink of an eye, the entire street melted away under the surge of intense wave blue dragon fire, leaving nothing but smoke and ash to swirl through the air as Issei stood back to back with Cid, whose blades had also struck down dozens of soldier ants.
"Feeling tired already?" Cid asked with a small smirk, his katanas flashing as he slashed through another group of approaching ants. Sparks flew where his lightning-infused blades met armored exoskeletons, and the sound of cracking thunder could be heard even over the roar of dragon fire.
"Not before you do, old man." Issei responded with confidence, his hand summoning the recently reformed Ascalon, which had caused him a small fortune to reforge with the help of Vulcan. The moment his gauntleted hand grabbed onto the hilt, the holy blade ignited with a blazing torrent of blue dragon flame, which he then unleashed outward in a wave of scorching energy. The flame surged down the street, turning overturned cars and debris into smoldering wrecks, incinerating the nearest soldier ants in an instant.
"Say, any chance you can… Arise some of these ants to take some weight off our shoulders?" Cid asked.
"Way ahead of you, Cid." Issei answered, making Cid look up, just in time to see a swarm of shadow ants soaring high above their heads, their mandibles and wings glinting in the morning light. With a joined screech that could be heard across Jeju, they dove straight into the mass of monster ants below, joining the rest of the Shadow Army in tearing apart their opposition.
But as the battle raged on, larger and more dangerous variants began to emerge from the swarm. Issei was no myrmecologist, but he could see the similarities between some of these monstrous creatures and the normal ants he saw every day back in the garden at home, leading him to quickly realizing what some of them were capable of. From bullet ants, with their massive stingers and heavily armored exoskeletons, to Crazy Ant, which could spray corrosive venom at their targets… each new type brought new danger to the battle, forcing the combatants fighting on Jeju to adapt their strategies in order to effectively deal with them.
"Mirei! Watch out!" Issei shouted when he noticed some ants lining up on the rooftop of a half-collapsed building across the street, their mandibles glowing with a sickly green light as they all looked at Mirei, who had just struck down a cluster of Red Fire Ants. Just as she turned her head over to them, beams of green corrosive energy shot from their mouths, streaking toward Mirei at blinding speed.
[Boost!]
"Aegis!"
Issei, on the other hand, was already on the move. Aegis, who was fighting nearby, instantly tossed him the Attractive Shield, which Issei caught midair and swung it up to shield himself and Mirei right after positioning himself between the girl and the incoming beams. The barrier materialized just in time as the green beams slammed against it, sizzling and sparking as the energy struck the black surface. The shield held, absorbing the impact, but the force behind it still sent Issei hurtling backward.
"Issei-senpai!"
Mirei cried after him as he crashed through a street sign and smashed through the front window of a nearby supermarket like a speeding bullet, glass shattering and rows of clothing tumbling to the ground. Dust and debris clouded the air as the floor shattered around, but Issei wasted no time to roll to his feet inside the supermarket, the Attractive Shield still in one hand as the other reached up and touched his earpiece.
"I'm fine, Mirei. Go take care of those ants!" He said quickly, ensuring that Mirei would focus on the fight. Rolling his shoulder, Issei could see even more ants heading in their direction, and was just about to push through the shattered window to head back into the streets when a sudden, chilling feeling washed over him, stopping him in his tracks.
A shiver ran down his spine as Issei snapped his head instantly toward the direction the feeling was coming from, sweat trickling down the side of face as the air seemed to grow colder, heavier. The sound of the battle outside faded into a distant hum as his senses zeroed in on the source, and instinctively caused his feet to carry him toward it.
Something dangerous, and immensely powerful, much, much more powerful than anything or anyone he had encountered in life, was nearby, lurking around. Issei tightened his grip on Ascalon and the Attractive Shield as he moved slowly through the supermarket, taking slow, but cautious steps forward with eyes scanning the aisle, every shadow. As he drew closer to the source, the feeling intensified, prickling his skin like static.
And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the chill disappeared.
Issei barely had any time to register the suddenness, however, as he arrived at the back storage area of the supermarket. The floor in this area was broken, and through the shattered sections, he could see the remnants of dozens of giant, round eggs standing just beneath the surface. Each egg was cracked wide open, the shells jagged and blackened, its surface smeared with some kind of sticky-looking residue, evidence that something had hatched from within.
"Issei."
Issei flinched when he felt someone called out to him and rested a hand on his shoulder, his eyes snapping toward the figure as he immediately spun around. Relief washed over him when he saw that it was Cid standing there behind him, his face an expression of seriousness mixed with concern.
"Cid…" Issei said, acknowledging the man and allowing himself to relax finally.
"I came to check on you, kid. That was a pretty bad hit you took for Mirei, are you…" Before he could finish asking the question, his gaze finally settled on the eggs beneath the broken floor as he walked up to stand next to Issei, eyes widening slightly in surprise at the sight.
"I just found these." Issei confirmed "You think the ants brought the eggs here?"
Issei asked, looking at Cid and waiting for the man to respond. Instead, the Hero leader just stared at the eggs for a long moment. Then, he reached into one of his utility pouches and pulled out a small flashlight, turning it on before carefully jumping down into the broken floor section where the eggs were partially buried.
"Cid?" Issei called after him.
"These are not ant eggs, Issei."
After a long moment of silence as he examined the shells closely, Cid finally spoke again, holding the flashlight over the cracked, blackened remnants.
"What do you mean these are not ant eggs?" Issei repeated, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.
Cid said as he turned the light around. "You heard me the first time, kid. These are not ant eggs. They are pale and oval in shape…. These eggs here, none of them are like that."
"Wait, so does that mean…" Issei uttered, his eyes widening in realization.
"Something else came out of these eggs, and that Gate." Cid confirmed, nodding before shining his flashlight over a particularly large egg. This one was reddish in color, and its shell looked thicker and more resilient than the others, jagged where it had split open. "And my guess is that whatever hatched from this one here, it's the leader… or something incredibly powerful."
"Hold on, I felt something earlier here, do you think—"
Before Issei could finish, a sudden explosion ripped through the supermarket, shaking the floor beneath their feet. Issei was momentarily thrown off balance before quickly catching himself, one hand raising over his head to shield himself from the debris raining down around him from the ceiling.
"We'll have to worry about these eggs later. It might just be a new ant variant we have no Intel on…" Cid said as he leaped out of the hole to stand next to Issei, though judging by the tone of his voice, he could tell that the man was not entirely sure of his theory himself. "Our priority right now is still the ants. I know we have your Shadows, but Mirei is also fighting out there alone. We'll worry about these eggs later."
Issei nodded. "Understood."
"Once the battle is over, I'll send some men here to retrieve these eggs for examination. We need to find out what came out of those…" Cid suddenly stopped, his hand coming up to press against his earpiece, listening intently for a moment before turning over to Issei, his expression darkened slightly. "We've just lost contact with Squad Sigma. We are closest to them, so Central Command needs us to check on them."
"I know where they are." Issei said.
Cid gave a nod. "Then why are you still standing here?"
Without wasting any time, Issei sprinted out of the supermarket and launched into the air on his wings after recalling some of his Shadows back to him, leaving Cid behind to give the strange eggs one last glance before heading back outside to continue the battle with Mirei.
Up in the air, Issei angled north, cutting through the smoky sky at blinding speed, weaving between plumes of smoke rising from the streets below, though it quickly became clear he wouldn't have an easy path. No sooner had he gained altitude than several winged ants spotted him, screeching and taking off on their own wings to chase after Issei.
"Tempest, you're up!"
Issei called, and from his shadow zooming on the ground below, the shadow of the former Veritas of the Heavenly Wind shot up, his spear swirling with greenish energy as he surged into the air to intercept the winged ants chasing after his master. At the same time, Issei ignited Ascalon and the sword in wide arcs, slashing through a cluster of armored Bullet Ants with the flaming blade to send them plummeting toward the streets below in charred, burning pieces.
Around him, Tempest dove and spun across the sky, twisting his weapon through the air as gusts of dark wind spiraled around him, shredding several of the attacking ants. The violent currents he generated forced pursuers to veer off course, opening a clear path for Issei, though one particularly large ant still lunged at him from the side. Before it could reach him, however, Tempest hurled his spear at the monster, impaling the ant through its body before driving it into the street below. The impact of the spear against the ground unleashed a massive vortex, tearing through the surrounding swarm and scattering the ants in every direction.
Soon enough, the residential area opened up to a large, dense forest with a wide clearing. Smoke curled from scattered fires, and the ground was littered with the remains of countless soldier ants. Soaring over the treetops, it did not take it long for Issei to catch the sight of a member of Squad Sigma, trapped under the looming shadow of a massive, purple-colored ant, its segmented body glinting in the sunlight. Several hulking Fire Ants circled nearby, snapping their mandibles threateningly while the other two squad members lay motionless not far off, their bodies torn apart in gruesome detail.
[!] Purple Blade Camula – LV95
"Tempest!" Issei shouted as the notification window flashed before his eyes. "Get her out of there!"
Instantly, Tempest dove straight down, skimming over the ground as he grabbed the Squad member in both arms before Camula could snap her mandibles around her. The world around the Squad member became a blur as Tempest twisted midair, avoiding the other ants as he flew them both toward a small patch of ground at the edge of the forest clearing, just as Issei shot toward Camula with Ascalon, aiming to hopefully catch the giant ant off guard.
But just as he had expected for a monster as high level as she was, Camula reacted instantly, swinging her mantis-like blades at Issei to intercept his strike. Issei twisted his body just in time, letting Ascalon meet her blades at an angle that allowed him to get behind her rather than letting the full force drive him back. Still, the impact rattled his arms, but he gritted his teeth and surged forward again, blue dragon flame crackling along the blade as he aimed a powerful strike at her armored legs.
Camula shrieked and spun, trying to knock him away with a sweeping strike, but Issei ducked low, rolling to the side as he lashed out with a second swing, tearing through the air toward her abdomen. The guard ants circled, snapping and rushing in, but before any of them could reach Issei, Gladio and Vulcan burst forth from his shadow, clashing against the monsters with their own weapons, giving Issei more than enough room to focus fully on Camula, who spread her crystal-like wings with a screech and launched into the air, her mandibles clicking rapidly before she spat several globes of corrosive venom at Issei. Issei shot backward, weaving through the incoming projectiles as they burned holes straight through the dirt and melted stones where they landed.
Before Issei could make a counterattack, she dashed straight at him with a sudden burst of speed, her mantis-like blades raised high to cleave him apart. Issei swung Ascalon up to meet her strike, flames exploding across the blade as steel and chitin clashed. The sheer force behind the assault sent him skidding back across the ground, his heels digging deep furrows into the dirt to try and stop himself as she pressed down harder, her shriek filling the air.
"You want a date?" Issei asked, gritting his teeth as he braced Ascalon with his gauntleted hand and tried to push back against Camula. The acrid stench of her venom stung his nose as droplets hissed and sizzled when they hit his High-Ranking Demon armors, making them flicker visible before being slowly eaten away. "Sorry, but you are not my type of girl!"
[Pact Switch]
Tiamat (Fire) - Y Ddraig Goch (Fire)
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker – Crimson Scale Mail]
With the announcement, a blinding flash of crimson light burst outward from Boosted Gear. Segments of the Crimson Scale Mail materialized around Issei before snapping into places across his body in rapid succession. First the heavy greaves clamping over his legs, then the chest plate locked onto his torso with a metallic thrum before the rocket booster on his back roared to life, blasting streams of crimson fire as it surged at full power.
The moment that the helmet fully sealed around his head, the visor blazing with emerald light, Issei shot his arm out and grabbed the giant purple ant by her mandible, making Camula shriek at him. Smirking under his helmet, Issei twisted with all his strength, using the boosters to add momentum, and wrenched his body sideways just as he was able to stop himself from skidding back. The massive purple ant screeched as she was ripped off balance and hurled into the ground, the impact splitting the earth and shaking the forest clearing.
[Boost!]
"Take this!" Issei roared as he brought his empowered fist down, but at the last moment, the purple ant moved her body with surprising speed for her size, her many legs digging into the cracked ground as she shot away. His fist crashed into the earth instead, the impact generating an explosion of dragon flame outward like a shockwave that tore up earth and stone, scattering chunks of debris across the clearing. Camula shrieked and lunged back at him almost immediately, capitalizing on the opening that Issei left himself with mid-punch. Her mantis-like blade came down in a vicious arc toward his shoulders, but Issei reacted to her even faster, boosters flaring as he snapped Ascalon up to parry the strike. Sparks and venom hissed against the flaming edge as he twisted his body, spinning into a devastating left hook that connected solidly with her exposed side.
The blow sent Camula hurtling sideways, her armored body smashing through several trees at once before crashing to the ground with a screech, the earth shaking beneath her weight. She writhed furiously, venom spraying from her mandibles and sizzling into the dirt, leaving smoking craters where the droplets landed.
[Pact Switch]
Y Ddraig Goch (Fire) - Ingvild Leviathan (Water)
Switching his Pact, causing his aura to switch from crimson to blue, Issei shot into the air, soaring high over the treetops while holding in his hand a massive water spear that he then hurled at Camula. The weapon shot through the air before striking the ground where the purple ant had been before taking off to avoid it, erupting into a towering geyser that engulfed the purple ant in a torrent of water. The blast hammered her against the earth, flooding the clearing and washing away chunks of dirt and shattered trees as she shrieked in fury, her limbs thrashing against the crushing pressure.
With a shriek of pure fury, Camula unleashed her mana at full force, the surge blasting apart the water that had immobilized her and scattering it into a fine mist across the clearing. Her wings buzzed frantically as she fought to stabilize herself midair, but before she could regain control and drop back down, Issei had raised his gauntlet. Water coiled around his arm, shaping itself into the snarling visage of a dragon head that opened wide and unleashed a blast of high-pressure water, piercing a hole clean through Camula's torso and sending a spray of green blood into the air. Her shriek rattled the trees as she thrashed wildly.
[Pact Switch]
Ingvild Leviathan (Water) - Y Ddraig Goch (Fire)
[Skill Activated] – Phoenix Shift.
[Skill Activated] – Vital Slash.
[Boost!]
Flashing toward Camula with a burst of flame, Issei swung Ascalon in a blazing arc, carving a searing line across her thorax. Camula shrieked in raw agony, her legs kicking and scraping trenches into the ground as she staggered back, scythes lashing out wildly at Issei, but he immediately twisted aside to avoid the first of them. Her other blade came crashing in from the opposite side, venom dripping down its edge, but Issei caught it with his gauntlet, the corrosive fluid hissing as it splattered against his armor.
[Boost!]
With another burst of power, Issei shoved the limb aside and surged forward, launching a straight fist into Camula's abdomen. The purple ant reeled, shrieking, and snapped her mandibles toward his head, trying to crush his helmet in one final act of rage, but Issei immediately ducked his head down and used his own momentum to follow up with another punch, crimson flame engulfing his fist.
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
[!] Finishing move – Rage of the Fire Dragon
A blinding flash of crimson engulfed his fist as it connected with her ruined torso. The impact detonated in a pillar of dragon fire that swallowed Camula whole. Her shriek vanished in the roar of the inferno, her body convulsing violently before splitting apart, carapace cracking as flames poured into every opening. In seconds, the towering purple ant collapsed in on herself, her armor sloughing away in molten chunks before her body was consumed entirely by dragon fire.
[!] Notice – You have slain Purple Blade Camula– LV95
[!] Notice – Level up!
[!] Notice – Level up!
Around them, the guard ants hissed at the sight of the defeated Camula, though none of them could do anything as they were met by the combined assault of Gladio and Vulcan. In moments, the two shadows defeated the remaining ants in the area, their massive weapons cleaving and shattering through armored exoskeletons and leaving the twitching bodies of the ants sprawling across the torn-up clearing.
Knowing that the battle was far from over, Issei turned his attention skyward and readied himself for another wave of ants, only to see the ones in the sky above suddenly breaking in chaos, with smaller groups scattering in every direction rather than pressing their advance like before.
"Cid." Issei called as he touched his earpiece. "I got to Squad Sigma and took care of the ants attacking them. Kano-san is still alive, but her squadmates…"
"I see… you've done all you could, kid." Cid answered back, his voice grim. There was a pause before it was followed by a low exhale as Cid spoke again. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, the Ant Queen is dead. The Korean Hunters got her. The swarm is falling apart."
"I can see that." Issei confirmed, watching the remaining ants scatter in panic across the sky. The organized swarm that had once threatened to drown the entire island was now broken and directionless, each insect trying desperately to flee in any direction it could. Most of them surged toward the coastline, wings buzzing frantically as they attempted to take to the open sea.
But the moment they crossed into the water, they were met by a wall of firepower and magical projectiles. Battleships stationed in a tight perimeter around Jeju thundered to life, their cannons roaring as shells ripped through the air and tore apart clusters of ants midflight. On decks, Heroes and members of the Three Faction unleashed torrents of destructive spells, bringing down wave after wave of monsters before any of them could even leave the shadow of Jeju Island.
Then, all of a sudden, the horizon to the east was lit up by a blinding crescent shape that split the sky itself, its radiance stretching across the clouds like a silver scythe. The attack cleaved through the largest gathering of escaping ants in a single motion, erasing hundreds in an instant and leaving nothing but fragments that rained down into the sea below.
Issei narrowed his eyes behind his visor and used a hand to shield his face from the blinding light. That level of power… he had no idea which direction was to China, but he did now with that attack just then.
"Do you need me to head back?" Issei then asked Cid over their communication channel, knowing that the battle was still raging on across Jeju.
"No, you stay there and watch over Kano. We got it from here. It's just clean-up work now." Cid said "Good work today, Issei. Get some rest."
Issei let his hand fall from the earpiece, his visor dimming slightly before the helmet opened to allow him a breath of fresh air. The forest clearing around him was still burning from the flame of his attack. His gaze then drifted over to Kano, who was sitting weakly against a broken tree trunk, clutching her wounds, staring blankly at the torn remains of her squadmates only a few feet away.
The Queen was dead, so as long as they could eliminate every last ant, the raid was technically a success. But as Issei stood there, surrounded by silence, ant carcasses and corpses, he could not bring himself to feel victorious. The cheers and relief he imagined from Central Command would not reach this battlefield, where the cost was measured in Heroes who would never walk away.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Reincarnated Devil / Dragon
Class: Level 50 Dragonsworn / Level 39 Shadow Monarch
HP: 25,821/25,821
MP [Current Attribute: Draconic/Demonic] : 8450/8450
Link Gauge: 120/120
Title: Champion of the Dragons
Strength: 277 (28)
Vitality: 221 (22)
Intelligence: 244 (24)
Dexterity: 226 (23)
Perception: 206 (21)
Charisma: 196 (20)
3 Unassigned Levels
Unique Class Skills: Fire Imbue (LV3), Shadow Extraction (LV1), Shadow Storage (LV1), Karma (LV1), Shadow Exchange (LV1).
Active skills: Doubling (LV4), Transfer (LV4), Penetrate (LV4), Sprint (Max Level), Vital Slash (LV1), Observe (LV2), Ruler's Hands (LV1), Phoenix Shift (LV2).
Active spells: Fire balls (LV4 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Firewall (LV4 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Lightning Strike (LV2 – Lightning Dragon Pact Affected), Water Blast (LV2 - Water Dragon Pact Affected), Earth Shield (LV1), ...
Current Pacts: Y Ddraig Goch (Fire) – Pact LV3, Chaos Karma Dragon Tiamat (Fire) – Pact LV1, Rassei (Lightning) – Pact LV1, Ingvild Leviathan (Water) – Pact LV4
Current Shadows: 520 / 520 (Wolves 29. Panthers 18. Shadow Troopers 118. Shadow Elementals 27. Magicians 34. Shadow Elves 42. Fallen Angels 13. Orcs 69, Soldier Ants 170)
Elite Shadows: Asterius (Knight), Vulcan (Knight), Tempest (Knight), Lycaon (Elite Knight), Tora (Elite Knight), Blade (Elite Knight), Gladio (Elite Knight), Glacia (Elite Knight), Katerea (Elite Knight), Aegis (Elite Knight).
Exclusive Items: Boosted Gear (LV5), Razan's Blade (LVMAX), Magitek General's Helmet (LVMAX), [High-ranking Demon] Armor Set (LV1), [Obsidian] Jewelry Set (LV1), Kamish's Awaken (LV?), Key to the Demon's Castle, Ascalon R1 – repaired (LV40), Staff of Avarice (Given to Glacia), Yarn of Ariadne.
Potions: Healing Potions x15, Mana Potions x15, Greater Healing Potions x10, Greater Mana Potions x10, Miracle Potions x3…
Gold: 10.123.320 (G)
Ultimate: Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker – Boosted Gear Crimson Scale Mail (LV.2 – Pact Affected), Soul Link (LV1).
Finisher: Rage of the Fire Dragon (Crimson Scale Mail), Twinflare (Soul Link – Bishop Promotion), Hammer and Anvil (Soul Link – Rook Promotion), Draconic Assault (Soul Link – Knight Promotion)
Tower of Ascension sigils: Sigil of the Shadow Commander – Igirs (Incomplete), Sigil of the Shadow Ice Bear -Tank (Incomplete).
End of Chapter 40