Ise could never imagine that his first time in Tokyo would be like this.
"Ise! We need some help here!"
The shout cut through the chaos around him, drawing his attention away from the smoke rising between the nearby damaged buildings. He turned immediately and spotted Ria further down the street, crouched beside a collapsed section of a storefront with Asia beside her. A thick slab of broken concrete had fallen across the entrance, pinning part of the doorway down. From where he stood, Ise could see a middle aged couple trapped underneath the tilted debris, both of them trying to crawl free while Ria and Asia worked to clear away the smaller pieces with the former using her demonic power to remove the obstacles, though it was clear she wouldn't be able to remove the ones that were at the top without hurting the two civilians.
"Coming, Buchou!"
Without wasting any time, Issei broke into a sprint toward their direction, boots crunching over shattered glass and scattered chunks of asphalt. The street around them looked nothing like the images of Tokyo he had seen online. Cars were abandoned everywhere, many of them left in the middle of the road where people had simply fled on foot. Some had been crushed beneath fallen debris while others had collided during the initial panic. Store windows were blown out across the entire block, their displays scattered across the pavement.
It was hard to imagine that this crisis had begun only forty-five minutes ago.
In the distance, the heavy sound of something massive striking the ground echoed again, causing vibration to run up through the soles of his boots. Another roar followed soon after, deep and thunderous enough to shake the air. The sound rolled through the streets like distant thunder, followed by the crashing collapse of another structure somewhere several blocks away.
Issei didn't need to double check to know what was causing all those.
By the time Ise reached the rubble, Ria had already moved aside to give him space. "This one." She said quickly, pointing at the largest slab. Up close, the piece of concrete was even bigger than it looked from afar, looking likely to have been part of the building's outer wall. Metal rebar jutted out from the broken sections while smaller chunks of brick and glass were scattered across the pile, and underneath it, the trapped couple looked pale with fear.
Judging by the way the man's leg was pinned beneath a smaller chunk of stone, he had probably tried to shield his wife when the building partially collapsed.
"Hang on." Ise said quickly as he crouched down and slid both hands under the edge of the slab. The weight pressed against his arms as Ise tightened his grip and lifted with all his devil strength and more. The slab rose slowly at first before clearing the ground entirely with bits of dust and gravel raining down around his arms.
The whole thing was heavy, but nothing he couldn't handle.
"Good work, Ise. Try to hold it there as long as you can." Ria called quickly as she and Asia bent down to help pull the civilian couple clear of the rubble. The woman was closest to the front of the collapsed entrance, her body half buried beneath bricks. Ria crouched beside her and quickly blasted away the smaller debris around using a quick burst of demonic power, making the woman widen her eyes in shock before sliding an arm around her shoulders to help pull her free.
At the same time, Asia helped the husband out from under the remaining debris. The man groaned as she dragged him clear of the collapsed entrance, his leg clearly injured from being pinned beneath the rubble. Asia quickly helped him move several steps away from the unstable pile before lowering herself beside him, the familiar green glow of her Sacred Gear emitting from her hands as she began healing the injury on his leg.
"We got them, Ise!" Ria called as soon as she managed to pull the wife free, allowing Issei to lower the slab of concrete down carefully so the whole thing would not crash down hard enough to shake the unstable pile around it.
Still, he had barely brought it halfway down when the ground suddenly shook beneath their feet. Instinctively, Ise spun his head around and focused his attention onto the row of buildings a block down the street just as an enormous hand slammed into the side of one of them. Concrete groaned under the pressure while dozens of windows along the side of the building shattered at the same time, the sharp cracking sound echoing across the street as glass burst outward in every direction and rained down the street below.
Soon enough, a massive head rose slowly above the rooftop. The sight drained the color from Ise's face as he watched in stunned silence while one of the Giants that had emerged from the enormous Gate across the city climbed fully into view. Its colossal frame continued rising until its bare, muscular torso towered the building as the colossal monster hauled itself over the structure. When the creature finally straightened to its full height on the other side, it easily towered over every building along the block.
For a brief moment, the giant simply looked around the ruined district before suddenly locking onto their position upon noticing Ria and Asia from the corner of its eyes, their crimson and blonde hair catching the morning sunlight and reflecting brightly against the gray dust and destruction surrounding them.
"Shit!"
Issei cursed under his breath as the Giant snarled and charged at them with a thunderous roar. Letting the slab of concrete fall from his hands without another thought, Issei spun around and brought his left arm back with Boosted Gear already materialized. Demonic power flared from his body as Issei quickly gathered his energy and launched it forward in a fast burst of red draconic energy. Next to him, Ria brought her hands forward and unleashed a powerful blast of Power of Destruction at the monster almost at the same time Ise fired his Dragon Shot. Both attacks tore across the space and struck in a single explosive impact, rocking the structures around while smoke burst outward, swallowing the colossi briefly as the echo of the detonation rolled across the district.
For a single step, the creature staggered back. Its massive body rocked slightly as the explosion forced it to slow, one foot sliding across the cracked pavement while smoke and dust drifted around its upper torso. The pause only lasted a moment before the giant shot forward again with a feral snarl as it surged toward them much faster than before as if the blast had done nothing but anger it. Dark blood was oozing from wounds on its chest where Issei and Ria's combined attack had struck, but the giant itself was clearly far from finished.
"Are you kidding me right now?!" Ise shouted before rushing forward after making a quick gesture to signal Ria and Asia to stay back and cover for the terrified couple. The green jewel on the back of his Boosted Gear shone brightly, causing power to surge through him as Ddraig prepared his Balance Breaker. It would take him some time, but Issei was confident that he would be able to draw the Giant's attention to him and evade its attacks long enough for Boosted Gear to finish charging for his Balance Breaker.
[Skill Activate] - Aqua Lance
Just as the Giant reached the intersection between them, a gigantic spear of condensed water suddenly tore through the air from the other direction and struck it directly through the chest, piercing cleanly through its torso with so much force that the enormous body was lifted completely off its feet. Its roar cut off abruptly as the Giant was hurled sideways while the water spear continued driving forward, slamming it violently into the nearby building with a deafening crash before tearing straight through to smash right into the one behind it, setting off a violent chain of destruction before finally losing its momentum. When the destruction finally settled, the Giant lay motionless across a heap of collapsed rubble, the enormous wound through its chest leaving no doubt that the creature was dead after the water spear had dispersed.
Ise slowed to a stop only a few steps away from where he had set off, his widened eyes stayed fixed on the dead giant while bits of debris continued falling around the street. The sudden end to what would have been a violent clash left the area strangely quiet for a moment, the only sounds coming from distant sirens and the rumbles of destruction echoing from other parts of the city where more Giants were still rampaging across Tokyo.
"Isse!" Issei called loudly upon turning to the opposite direction and noticing a familiar figure flying toward him. "Nice save!"
"Everyone okay?"
Issei asked quickly as he descended and skidded to a stop in front of Ise, making his doppelganger nod his head in response. Seeing that, Issei then looked over his shoulder to check on Ria and Asia, who were standing further down the street with the civilian couple they had just rescued. Both girls looked visibly bewildered by what had just unfolded before them, their attention still fixed on the massive trail of destruction left behind by the water spear and the lifeless giant lying among the collapsed buildings.
"Yeah." Ise replied with a nod before instinctively ducking his head when a loud explosion erupted somewhere in the distance. "How bad is it?"
"Worse than it looks." Issei answered, turning his gaze toward the direction where the explosion was briefly before summoning a handful of shadow troopers, their armored forms solidifying quickly as they stood waiting his command. "Escort the girls to safety, and make sure no harm comes to them."
While Ise looked on in amazement, feeling no less awe than he had been when he saw the shadows for the first time last night, the troopers bowed silently before moving toward Ria and Asia. Two of them walked toward the frightened couple and picked them up in their arms to carry them down the street while the others formed a loose perimeter around the two girls as they started moving to one of the safe zones that had been set up outside the city.
"Come on." Issei called to Ise as he flared out his wings and took off, leaving his doppelganger to follow a short distance behind him as the two of them flew toward the rubble of a nearby collapsed building.
From there, Ise finally had a clear view of the city for the first time since his arrival with the rest of the Occult Research Club, as they had volunteered to come along so they could assist Issei and Rias with handling the Giant crisis in Tokyo. The sight that greeted him confirmed exactly what Issei had meant with his answer, as he could see smoke rising in thick columns across the Tokyo skyline where buildings had either collapsed or caught fire during the sudden emergence and rampage of the Giants, several of which were could be seen moving across Tokyo, their massive forms and matching weapons plowing right through buildings as if the structures were little more than toy obstacles in their path.
Across several parts of the city, flashes of magic and energy lit up the areas as groups of Devils, Fallen Angels and Angels engaged the Giants in open combat, having been sent in by their leaders to help contain the crisis while working together to evacuate civilians from the city. It was clear that several Giants were being struck down and killed, but many more were still laying waste to everything and everyone in their sight as they continued to tear apart Tokyo, reducing the once beautiful and glamorous capital of Japan into a growing field of collapsed and burning structures.
"How many of them are there?" Ise asked worriedly as he took in the scene, his eyes moving from one part of the skyline to another while distant explosions continued erupting across the city where more battles were underway.
"Including the ones I just took down, about forty." Issei answered as he locked his gaze onto the massive Gate towering over the southern region of Tokyo, where a colossal figure was guarding while sitting atop a collapsed skyscraper with one hand resting on the handle of his glowing broadblade.
At first glance, the Giant reminded Issei of Korvak, the Grand Warlord of the Giants Legia had summoned to fight him during Ragnarok with its overwhelming presence, size and aura, but this one was draped in bone armor and layers of tattered cloth, giving him the appearance of a hardened tribal war leader, whereas Korvak had looked more like the straightforward warlord his title suggested. Additionally, while Korvak had been a level 100 boss, this Giant, identified by the System simply as a Super Massive Giant, was a level 120 monster.
"At least we have them contained within the city, but if we don't close that Gate soon, more are just going to keep coming through. There could be hundreds, maybe even thousands of them on the other side." Issei finished seriously, making Ise turn to look at him with wide eyes.
"That's the boss, isn't it?" He asked as he shifted his gaze back toward the massive figure guarding the Gate, with Issei confirming it with a firm nod. "What are you waiting for then?"
"There are civilians around that area. An all-out battle against the boss and the other Giants nearby right now will only result in the loss of innocent lives." Issei shook his head as he scanned the districts surrounding the Gate. None of the forces sent by the Three Factions had managed to reach those areas just yet, so it was likely that there were civilians still trapped amid the wreckage and chaos.
"So…"
"We need to evacuate the civilians and deal with them at the same time. Leave the boss for last. Doesn't look like he has any intention to move from his spot, fortunately." Issei answered before reaching into his Inventory to bring out a small utility pouch. He flipped the flap open with one hand and quickly pulled something out of it before tossing it over. "Here. Put this on."
Ise instantly reacted, raising his hand and catching the item out of the air before it could fall past him. When he opened his palm, he saw that it was a small black earpiece with a thin strap that would secure the device to his ear and keep it from falling off even during combat.
Before he could ask what the earpiece was for, the shadow commander Gladio arrived next to his master, who barely flinched while Ise was left stunned by the arrival, his boots striking the concrete beneath their feet with a metallic thud as the towering Knight descended from the sky and landed with enough force to leave cracks across the surface. Almost as quickly as he had arrived, the armor knight fell onto one knee beside Issei, one fist pressed firmly against the concrete in a silent gesture while the other remained firm around the handle of the Legendary Demon Sword, Gram, its blade radiating a deep blood red aura that shimmered faintly in the air around it.
"Looks like everyone's here."
Issei announced as he looked over his shoulders, making Ise follow his gaze and watch in awe as the most prominent figures of the Shadow Army, who had been battling with the troops against the Giants across the northern region of Tokyo, started arriving one after another. Within moments, the rooftops of the nearby buildings were filled with rows of ground troops, beasts, and soldiers standing at attention, while several of them remained in the air, hovering across the sky above the district like a dark cloud gathering over the battlefield below..
Speechless was the only thing that could describe the look on his face as Ise took in the sight of the full Shadow Army, which made the force Issei had summoned last night pale in comparison. However, at the same time, the feeling was also because he could recognize several figures from the Hero Faction and Nilrem they had fought the night before now standing amongst the army, a firm reminder of their true nature and the power that had been used to bring them back.
"Now listen up, Ise." Issei turned to his doppelganger and began seriously. "I will have my shadows evacuate the civilians that are still in the southern region of the city, but while we can trust them to get the job done, I have no way of communicating with them once the battle starts. I'm going to need you to be my eyes on the ground and keep me updated on the situation while I fight the Giants above. I will keep an eye out and help you as much as I can, but be careful and try to save as many people as you can. Forcefully remove them if you need to. We need to make sure no one is around the Giant that I fight."
"Got it. You can leave it to me." Ise nodded before putting the earpiece on. As much as he wanted to join Issei in the battle against the Giants, he also understood that saving the civilians was just as important, and there was no time for an argument when the situation across the city was already this dire.
Without wasting any more time, Issei shot forward and leaped off the edge of the rooftop, his body dropping rapidly toward the street far below. Ise was about to follow him, only to pause when a massive shadow suddenly swept upward in a powerful gust of wind, revealing itself to be none other than the shadow wyvern Bahamut, his enormous wings beating powerfully as he soared up into the smoke filled sky with Issei standing on the base of his neck.
"Woah…" Ise murmured in amazement, glancing sideways just in time to see Gladio and hundreds of Shadows charging forward behind their master. The ground troops flooded through the streets below, their numbers spreading across entire blocks until the dark mass of their ranks swallowed entire city blocks from end to end. At the same time, numerous of shadow ants, elementals, and Fallen Angels took off into the sky from their spots, their forms rising in waves of black silhouettes that gathered around Tempest as he took the lead, thickening into a vast dark cloud that climbed into the smoke filled sky that surged upward to join Issei and Bahamut while they flew toward the battlefield ahead.
"So, you guys are with me, huh?" Ise asked as he glanced over his shoulder to see Blade, Aegis, Katerea, Tora and the remaining shadows moving toward him.
The wolves were among them as well, and Ise had no doubt Issei had left them behind to accompany him because their noses would be able to sniff out survivors beneath the rubble.
"Yosh! Let's do this!"
With a roar, Ise raised his arm and threw the Boosted Gear over his head. A brilliant flash of red light erupted around his body as his Scale Mail materialized in an instant. The green jewel on the back of the Sacred Gear shone brightly as his Balance Breaker fully activated, releasing a wave of dense draconic energy that rippled through the air before Ise activated the boosters on his back and launched himself toward his destination with the three shadow commanders and their troops following right behind.
High above, Issei drove Bahamut straight toward the nearest Giant, who stood amidst the rubble of an entire city block, its massive frame looming over the collapsed ruins as it swung its arms wildly through the smoke filled streets below to stop the troopers advancing toward it. Blazing spheres of destructive energy streaked forward and hammered into the Giant one after another as Bahamut unleashed his Megaflare, explosions blooming across its chest and shoulders before he dove forward like a bullet and smashed into its chest with a thunderous collision.
[Skill Activate] – Vital Slash
[Skill Activate] – Penetrate
As the Giant stumbled back a step while roaring in pain, Issei, who had leaped off Bahamut just before he collided with the Giant, descended toward the colossal monster with Crimson Throne in his hand. Red lightning crackled along the blade as he shot down and carved his blade through its face before driving down through the center of its body, splitting the enormous monster cleanly from head to waist in a storm of crimson lightning.
As the two halves of the Giant began to collapse behind him, Issei spun through the air and landed cleanly on the back of Bahamut as the wyvern surged upward beneath him, his enormous wings beating powerfully as he banked toward the next Giant in the distance. There were twenty in total scattered across the region, and every single one of them had shifted their attention toward him at the sight of their fallen kin. Several of the towering monsters turned their massive bodies toward the sky, their enormous arms lifting as they prepared to intercept. One of them even took a step forward, raising a hand as if it intended to swat Bahamut out of the air.
Before he could do anything, however, the shadow ants rushed toward him in a dense, frenzied swarm that began crawling up and latching on his enormous body, pouring over his legs and torso like a living tide of black with mandibles tearing into his exposed flesh while spreading across his arms, shoulders, and neck. The Giants let out a roar of pure fury and pain as the ants bit him and tore off his flesh, his massive hands moving wildly as he tried to swat the creatures off, crushing dozens with each swipe, but each ant kept regenerating to continue its task, distracting the Giant long enough for Tempest to shoot down from the sky in a violent vortex of dark green wind that struck the colossal monsters square in the head. The impact tore off a large chunk of flesh from its skull, killing it instantly.
Across the district, another Giant bellowed in rage as Asterius rushed toward it from below, his hooves cracking the pavement with every step as he closed the distance while avoiding every strike coming his way before striking its ankle with his battleaxe. The strike bit deep into the thick tendon behind the joint, tearing through muscle and sending a spray of dark blood across the street. The Giant roared as its leg buckled beneath the blow, its enormous body tilting violently forward as the damaged limb failed to support its weight.
Just when the colossal monster managed to catch itself on one knee, Vulcan leaped off the nearby building with a thunderous battle cry and his enormous battleaxe raised high above his head. The weapon blazed with fire, its blade glowing white hot as Vulcan brought it down the Giant, smashing the top of its head with devastating force that caused a violent explosion to erupt at the moment of impact while its skull collapsed under the strike. The massive corpse toppled sideways and slammed into the broken street with a deafening crash, lifeless before it even hit the ground as Vulcan let out a triumphant roar while standing atop its crushed head, with Asterius joining him as the two berserkers celebrated their achievement.
"Glacia! Gladio!"
Up in the air, Issei shouted the names of his two most trusted commanders when he spotted one of the smaller Giants that had broken away from the others. While the evacuation unit was keeping several of them occupied, this one had slipped through and was stomping down a wide avenue, each massive step shaking the ground as it chased after a terrified little girl who had become separated from her parents while Ise tried to help them and several others evacuate from the basement of the half collapsed house they had been hiding in. At once, the two shadows moved into action, with Glacia descending from the sky to blast the creature with a wave of chilling frost, which formed layers of ice over its skin and across its entire body, slowing its movements just as it reached out and tried to grab the feeling girl.
The Giant roared in anger forcing its partially frozen arm forward, but just before it could close its fingers around its target Gladio rushed in in a streak of black and crimson with Gram leaving a trail of matching color as he carved it cleanly through the air and wrist of the Giant. The massive hand separated from the arm in an instant, tumbling through the air before crashing down into the street as a torrent of dark blood erupted from the severed limb. Without pause, Gladio scooped the girl in his free arm and moved out of the way, leaving Lycaon to tackle the monster down with his pack and tear it apart while Glacia finished off the rest with another blast of chilling frost.
"Ise, focus man! That could have been it!" Issei shouted into the earpiece as he soared over the area, making Issei give him a quick apology before hurrying the group of civilians away to safety, letting some of the panthers and ants carry them off after Gladio had returned the girl to her parents. Before he left to head back into battle against another Giant with Vulcan and Asterius, the shadow knight bid his farewell to the girl he had just rescued with a light pat on the head, calming her down and helping her hold back her tears after the terrifying experience.
As the battle continued to rage across the city, the Shadow Army gradually began to bring down more of the towering monsters. Massive figures toppled across districts of Tokyo as Bahamut carried Issei through the smoke filled air and from one target to another, striking them as soon as he had the confirmation from Ise that the surrounding areas had been cleared of civilians. In less than twenty minutes, the entire southern region of Tokyo had been cleared of nearly all the Giants, leaving only a handful still fighting against the Shadow Army across the devastated streets, but the main problem had yet to make a move at all as he sat watching the battle unfold as though it were nothing more than a spectacle meant for his amusement.
Another Giant roared as Bahamut swept down toward it, his wings beating powerfully as he unleashed another barrage of Megaflares that slammed into its chest and shoulders. The explosions staggered the monster nonstop and forced it to raise his arms and block, leaving its guard open for Issei to dive down slash at the monster with repeated activations of Vital Slash. The colossal creature howled as the thunderous, lightning infused strikes tore through its muscle and bone, its body beginning to topple backward while Issei leaped high up into the air and let Bahamut catch him before tossing him around onto his back again.
"Alright. Last one." Issei shouted as he scanned the area and saw that Gladio, Glacia and Tempest had brought down the other three more several blocks down, leaving only one left in the distance. He had just begun preparing another dive when an enormous spear of pure holy light tore through the sky and struck the last Giant, punching cleanly through its body before detonating in a violent burst that blew a massive hole through its torso.
"Issei!"
As the monster fell forward, dead, Issei turned his head upon hearing his name being called, seeing Azazel flying toward him from the sky with a group of Fallen Angels following closely behind. As they reached the area, the Governor immediately split off and descended toward the street below to assist with the remaining evacuation efforts, leaving Azazel alone as he slowed to a hover beside Bahamut and Issei.
"Hey, we've come to help," Azazel said casually before sweeping his gaze across the surrounding battlefield. His eyes moved over the fallen Giants scattered across the ruined streets, the gathering Shadow Army with a faintly impressed look crossing his face before he added. "But it looks like you've already got things under control here."
"I guess so, but we still have that thing to worry about." Issei replied with a quick gesture of his head toward the Giant guarding the Gate in the distance before reaching up to touch the earpiece in his left ear. "Hey, Ise. Have you finished doing what I asked?"
[Yeah, man. I think I got everyone here out.]
"Good. Return to me. Azazel-sensei's here as well." Issei said as he turned his head toward the location Ise was, watching as his doppelganger shot upward from the streets below in a streak of red to soar through the sky before arriving next to Azazel only a moment later.
"Hey, sensei!" Ise greeted his teacher with a quick wave of his hand before turning his attention over to Issei to ask "So, what next?"
"We deal with him." Issei replied while raising a hand to point toward the Super Massive Giant sitting before the Gate. At the same time, Ise and Azazel gaze shifted their gaze across the streets below, their eyes narrowing slightly in wonder and curiosity when they saw the shadow troopers hauling numerous massive corpses of the slain Giants toward the open area directly beneath their position. It only took Ise a moment to realize what was about to happen, with Azazel not far behind in reaching the same conclusion. He had already heard the reports from the night before, and seeing the bodies being gathered together like this left little doubt about what Issei intended to do.
"This should be enough." Issei said as he nodded his head to Vulcan and Asterius, who had picked only the largest and most armored Giants to bring to him with their troops, before calling out "Arise!"
At once, a wave of darkness swept across the area before shadowy tendrils erupted violently from the corpses of the fallen Giants, twisting and coiling around their enormous forms before expanding outward and reshaping themselves into the towering silhouettes of what the monsters had once been. Massive arms rose into the air before coming down to push against the ground as a dozen Shadow Giants slowly forced themselves upright while glowing violet eyes burned intensely within the darkness that now made their entire bodies.
"Incredible…" Azazel murmured as he took in the sight of the newly risen shadows, his gaze following their towering figures as they joined the rest of the army, all of them now facing the Super Massive Giant in the distance.
With Gladio joining his side on Bahamut while Glacia hovered down on his left, Issei took a step forward and pointed Crimson Throne at the final Giant, who then slowly rose from the collapsed skyscraper it had been sitting on to his full height with a wide, confident smirk plastering across his face, as if fully understood the challenge that had just been issued.
"All troops!"
"Charge!"
With a thunderous roar from Vulcan and Asterius, the Shadow Army surged forward as one. The twelve newly risen Shadow Giants let out simultaneous battle cries and led the advance, their colossal forms stomping through the southern region of Tokyo as they pushed straight into full sprints toward their former leader. Each step sent tremors through the shattered streets while the ranks of shadow soldiers poured forward behind them, flooding through the avenues, alleys and even the sky above like a black tide looking to devour whole city blocks.
"Wait." Issei shot his hand out to stop Gladio and Glacia before they could make their move to join the army, making Ise and Azael look at him in confusion, but his gaze remained locked on the incoming battle ahead.
For a moment, the scale of the charge felt overwhelming. From every direction, the Shadow Army converged on the lone Giant guarding the Gate, an entire legion bearing down on a single target as the ground forces closed in while the aerial troops descended from above. The Super Massive Giant watched their approach without the slightest hint of concern before he suddenly shifted.
With one smooth motion, the colossal warrior lifted his broad blade and swung it in a wide arc across the battlefield. The weapon carved through the air with terrifying speed, the glowing edge releasing a massive shockwave that tore through the district like a violent storm. The leading ranks of the Shadow Army were caught in the strike instantly. Several shadow soldiers and beasts were obliterated on impact, their forms scattering into fragments of darkness as the blade continued cutting forward. Four of the newly risen Giants took the hit head on, their enormous torsos being torn apart as the shockwave tore through them and blew hundreds of other shadows into the air.
Before the annihilated troops even had time to fully reform, the colossal warrior twisted his massive body and brought his sword down again in a crushing vertical strike. The impact detonated against the ground and the next group of Shadow Giants with explosive force, shattering the street beneath his feet and sending a violent wave of debris and broken asphalt erupting outward across the district. Hundreds more shadow soldiers were caught in the blast, their bodies torn apart as the shockwave tore across the battlefield and swept through the surrounding blocks.
Even the Commander Shadows fared no better against such overwhelming power. The Giant attacked and moved with terrifying speed for a being of his size, far faster than Korvak had ever been. His enormous foot came down like a falling pillar as he stomped on Vulcan and Asterius, crushing the two commanders beneath it before they could even do anything. Lycaon was hacked apart faster than he could infuse his body with lightning to evade or reinforce himself with layers of stone to strengthen his defense, while Tempest was forced to keep his distance. Each time the shadow dragoon attempted to close in, the Giant swung his massive blade toward him, the sheer force of the strikes forcing Tempest to veer away before he could hope to land a significant blow.
Only Aegis, with his immense defense, was able to hold his ground against the colossi, but there was little he could do in response with his offensive power being average compared to hard-hitters.
"Uhm, Isse… you're not going to do anything?" Ise asked nervously as he watched the destruction unfolding before him. At the very least, he had managed to evacuate everyone who had been trapped in that area where the battle was taking place earlier, because if civilians were still there, this level of destruction would have left no chance for anyone to survive.
"Not yet." Issei replied calmly as he finished drinking a bottle of mana potion before tossing the empty vial aside, wiping his chin with the sleeve of his jacket before continuing. "I have fought one of these things before, so I know we will need to approach it differently compared to other monsters."
"What do you mean?"
"He's trying to force the Giant to reveal his weakness." Azazel answered for Issei, nodding in approval as he watched the battle with a small smile. "The ants are biting onto his feet, but it doesn't look like he's hurt at all, does it?"
"There seems to be a layer of mana surrounding his body, acting like a form of armor. That's why he's barely bothering to defend himself." Issei nodded in confirmation as he scanned the Giant with Observe. "The ants can shred through steels with their mandibles, so normal attacks won't be able to hurt it as long as the layer mana is still there."
"Can't you just Penetrate through it?" Ise asked in wonder, as the defense reminded him of Sairaorg and how he used his Touki.
"I can." Issei replied. He could also use the Soul Link Queen Promotion mode to deal with the Giant the same way he had handled Korvak, but they were not inside a vacant dimension where he could fight without restraint, and a battle on that scale would cause unfathomable collateral damage in a city like Tokyo. "But it's gonna take a lot of firepower to overcome such defense against an enemy of this size. It's way better to figure out a weakness before committing anything."
Another deafening impact shook the district as the Giant slashed his blade again and again, each swing releasing another massive shockwave that tore through the city. The blasts rolled across the streets in violent waves, forcing Issei and the others to move away from their position through the air to avoid being caught in the expanding walls of force.
To make matters worse, the colossus had begun advancing through Tokyo without slowing, shrugging off any shadow, including the Giants as they tried to tackle him, that tried to latch onto him. Each step flattened anything in his path as the massive warrior surged forward and tore straight through the Shadow Army. Entire ranks were crushed beneath his feet while others were blown apart by the shockwaves trailing every swing of his blade. The battlefield was left littered with scattering fragments of darkness as countless shadows were destroyed in his wake.
Eventually, the Giant finally slowed when he noticed Blade clinging to him, the assassin hanging onto the thick strap wrapped around his left boot. With a dagger in hand, Blade stabbed repeatedly at the Giant's ankle, the black blade flashing as they struck again and again. Yet even with the power of the Demon King's Daggers, barely any damage was inflicted, the glowing layer of mana surrounding his body dispersing most of the force before the blade could reach his flesh.
The Giant let out an irritated grunt and lifted his enormous foot high into the air, shaking violently to dislodge the assassin. After a few shakes, Blade was finally thrown free and fell toward the ground below, but before he could move clear from the Giant his boot came crashing down upon him in a brutal stomp. The spot instantly exploded on impact as debris was blown high into the air.
Just before he could turn his attention toward the other shadows, a spiraling vortex of wind and darkness tore across the space as Tempest capitalized the brief opening the Giant left himself with to hurl his spear at the monster from the side. The colossal warrior reacted almost instantly as he twisted his body with shocking speed, narrowly avoiding the whirlwind spear as it tore past him, though the tip still grazed across his cheek, leaving a shallow cut as it passed.
Issei hardened his gaze instantly.
"Bahamut!"
Issei called, and instantly the wyvern beneath him raised his wings to beat it down with explosive force, launching himself into the sky in a violent burst of wind. Gladio pushed off Bahamut and leaped ahead while Glacia kept at his side, the shadow knight striking first with Gram flashing in a wide arc. A crescent of dense demonic energy tore free from the blade and flew straight toward the Giant with its destination being none other than his weakness.
His face.
Just as Issei had expected, the colossi leaned out of the way before the attack could land, dodging instead of tanking it like every other attack that was targeted at the rest of his body. As a result, the crescent missed by a narrow margin, but left the Giant open just long enough for Issei to slash across his face, having hidden himself directly beneath the wave of demonic energy.
The Giant roared in fury and pain as the long blade of Crimson Throne cut deep into his flesh before a violent surge of crimson lightning erupted from the weapon to trail behind the swing. The monster stumbled back a single step with one hand clutching his face as it was electrocuted, allowing Glacia to hit it with a direct blast of Diamond Dust empowered by the Staff of Avarice. Despite the mana layer absorbing the brunt of the icy blast, there was nothing the Giant could do to stop the rapidly spreading ice as it crawled across his form, thick sheets of frost forming over his arms, chest, and legs other than forcing and powering through.
Still, the blast of ice managed to slow him down and limited his movement enough to allow Gladio, who was grabbed midair by Bahamut, to come back around and slash at his eyes, tearing both of them apart and effectively blinding the Giant, who bellowed in pain as darkness claimed his vision. Now completely blind, the colossal monster swung his giant blade wildly in every direction, But in doing so, the Giant had finally left himself completely exposed for Issei to press the advantage with Gladio at his side while Tempest descended from above in a spiraling vortex of wind and darkness.
[Skill Activate] – Vital Slash
[Boost!]
[Skill Activate] – Vital Slash
[Boost!]
[Skill Activate] – Vital Slash
[Boost!]
[Skill Activate] – Vital Slash
[Boost!]
[Skill Activate] – Vital Slash
[Boost!]
Together, the three struck in rapid succession, their weapons aiming every attack at the monster, hammering relentlessly at his face with each strike carving deeper and deeper into his flesh while Glacia flew around the colossi and let loose wave after wave of chilling frost at him, briefly locking his massive frame in place and overall slowing his already frantic movements with her freezing power. The Giant roared and tried to retaliate, but there was little he could have done when he could no longer see and his movements being steadily reduced by chilling air Glacia unleashed upon him, the ice eventually forming thick enough around his blade that he could no longer lift it up.
Soon enough, all the slashes and cuts Issei and his shadows had done managed to leave a deep enough gouge in the center of the Giant's face. Seeing his chance to end the fight, Issei wasted no time to throw Crimson Throne at the spot with a burst of Ruler's Hand, the blade sinking into the exposed bloody wound with a piercing thrust. The air around Issei then exploded in a violent surge of demonic power as he activated his Balance Breaker, cladding himself in his full crimson Scale Mail as dragon flame swirled around his fist, setting the space around him like an inferno in the shape of a roaring dragon as he drove straight down while the green jewel of his left gauntlet shone brightly.
[Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!]
[!] Finishing Move – Rage of the Fire Dragon.
With a series of announcements by Ddraig from his Boosted Gear, Issei brought his fist down and punched the handle of Crimson Throne with explosive force, detonating the impact with a thunderous blast of fire as the strike drove the crimson blade forward like a launched projectile. The lightning blade shot through the Giant's head like a speeding bullet, piercing straight through his skull and bursting out the back in a violent spray of blood as Issei carried on with with the full power of his finisher, the blazing force erupting from his fist in a violent explosion of dragon fire as it smashed into the Giant's face. The colossal head snapped backward from the impact, before its entire body collapsed backward like a falling mountain, crashing into the ruined street below with a deafening impact that shook ground of the entire surrounding region as dust and debris billowed outward and erupted into the air.
[!] Level up!
[!] Level up!
[!] Level up!
[!] Level up!
[!] Your Vital Slash has leveled up!
[Vital Slash] has become [Judgment Cleave]
Judgement Cleave: Critical hits done with the ability now deal triple damage instead of double.
The notifications flashed across his vision as Issei descended and landed a few feet away from the fallen Super Massive Giant, his gaze scanning quickly at the enormous corpse before reaching one hand out to grab the handle of Crimson Throne where it had embedded itself into the ground. Arcs of lightning crackled faintly along the long blade as he pulled the longsword free and swung it around to let it rest on his shoulder, the motion marking a clear sense of finality that the Giant crisis in Tokyo had finally come to an…
SZZZZZZZZZZT!
Issei immediately spun around and looked at the Gate when a sudden eruption of energy burst forth from its surface, the massive portal trembling as violent streams of red white lightning surged outward in chaotic arts that distorted the air around it. The Gate itself, meanwhile, remained exactly how it was instead of fluctuating like how it usually was to signal its initial collapse and closing.
"Issei!" Ise and Azazel called out as they descended to land next to him "Is the Gate not closing?"
"No." Issei answered matter-of-factly, shaking his head slightly toward Azazel while keeping his gaze fixed on the massive portal. "Something's not right."
The moment the words left his mouth, another far stronger eruption of energy exploded from the Gate. The blast tore outward in a violent gust that swept across the entire southern region of Tokyo like a storm front. Several of the Shadow Giants were knocked back by the force of it, and Issei and his two companions would have been thrown back as well if Aegis had not put himself before them with his shield raised to absorb the impact. Even so, dense waves of mana rolled over the edges of the Attractive Shield and his armor, one of them slicing across Issei's cheek as it passed, the sheer density of the energy cutting his skin like a blade.
"I have never seen anything like this before," Issei informed Azazel and Ise seriously as he wiped the trickle of blood on his cheek and looked at it on his fingers.
A moment later, a System Window popped up in front of him, making Issei widen his eyes slightly at the text.
[!] Urgent Quest Received.
Enter the Gate and find a way to close it within the time limit to prevent more Giants from coming through.
[10:00]
'I see. So it's not over yet.' Issei thought before looking over to Azazel and Ise and speaking quickly after seeing the timer start to count down. "I'll go check what's going on inside. You guys stay here and keep an eye out. Watch out for more monsters coming through."
"Will do. Be careful, kid." Azazel nodded as Ise gave him a thumbs up in response.
Just before he took off, Issei looked over to the Giant corpse next to him and called out once more, believing that Azazel, Ise and his army could use some serious backup just in case the situation escalated again.
"Arise."
At once, darkness surged across the corpse before thick shadows gathered around its enormous body, sinking into the flesh before erupting back upright. The shadow of the colossi slowly rose from his corpse beside Issei, towering over the surrounding buildings as fragments of debris slid from his shoulders. He was not as massive as before, but still at least a head taller than the tallest Shadow Giant, with his skin now a deep shade of purple, while his armors had turned pitch black, and his long hair and beard had become stark white in contrast, swaying lightly as he straightened to its full height before lowering himself down on one knee to bow to Issei.
"Colossus." He said, registering the name for his newly risen Commander Grade Shadow before continuing "You stay here and watch over the Gate. Crush anything other than me that comes through."
After getting a bow in confirmation from Colossus, Issei flared out his wings and took off, accelerating toward the unstable portal and recalling Glacia and several of the nearby shadows back just before reaching the swirling surface of the Gate. The moment he crossed the threshold, the chaotic light swallowed him whole before Issei found himself emerging on the other side with his boots touching the floor of an enormous corridor that stretched far into the darkness in the distance. The space resembled the interior of a vast castle, its towering walls constructed from massive slabs of white stone that rose dozens of meters high before meeting an arched ceiling supported by thick pillars. Long banners with unknown symbols hung from iron mounts along the walls, their faded fabric swaying slightly in a slow, unseen draft while rows of massive braziers burned with dim crimson flames that cast a deep, ominous glow across the polished stone floor.
"Wait, this can't be where all those Giants were coming from." Issei remarked, just as much to Ddraig as to himself as he opened the visor of his Scale Mail and scanned the surroundings. While the corridor was enormous by any normal standard, the ceiling was nowhere near tall enough for monsters of even half the size of Colossus to even stand upright, let alone march through in numbers. 'is this the reason why more might be coming?'
Moreover, this whole place felt… familiar, somehow.
[You alright, partner?]
"Yeah, I am. It's just… it's that sense of déjà vu again." Issei answered his dragon partner before sprinting forward, his footsteps echoing faintly across the polished stone floor as he ran down the corridor and traveled into the darkness. The place remained eerily silent, the only movement coming from the faint sway of the faded banners and the dim flames burning inside the braziers along the walls.
[7:20]
Minutes passed as he continued down the seemingly endless hall until the corridor finally opened into a vast, circular chamber. From the high ceiling above, several thick, dark chains extended and wrapped tightly around a strange, cylindrical device that floated a short distance above the floor. The tube-like structure glowed faintly from within, its pale light illuminating the surrounding space of the otherwise dark chamber.
'That device. Could it be…'
An image then flashed across his vision, and for the briefest moment, the strange device vanished and in its place Issei saw Legia kneeling on the floor, being bound in those same chains exactly where the machine had been.
The vision disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared, with Issei widening his eyes when he sensed a presence sneaking up on him from behind. Instantly, he spun around with Boosted Gear raised to block the incoming strike. The impact rang out sharply as a shower of sparks burst between him and his attacker, the force of the blow sending him skidding several feet across the platform, but Issei already caught himself. His boots scraped against the stone floor as his left hand reached into his Inventory and pulled out Crimson Throne once more, its crimson, long blade crackling with arcs of lightning as he lifted his gaze and glared at the one who had ambushed him…
"Ooo, nice reaction. You have gotten a lot stronger, haven't you?" She asked him in a seductive, almost playful voice, making Issei click his tongue in annoyance.
"Bedelia." Issei said, acknowledging the white haired vampiric woman as she bared her fangs at him in a mocking smile. "Is this your doing?"
"My, I don't know what you are talking about, little Monarch." She replied casually while holding up her hands, her head tilting slightly as if genuinely puzzled, though the smile on her lips said otherwise, making Issei narrow his gaze further at her. "In case you are wondering, no, I don't have anything to do with how you and your girlfriend ended up here in this parallel world as well, if that's what you were asking."
"Could have fooled me." Issei scoffed, and Bedelia giggled softly in response.
"He said you would come in here for sure just like last time, so I thought I would drop by and say hi. It's been a while since we last saw each other, after all," Bedelia pointed out playfully as she took a few slow, seductive steps to the side, her crimson eyes never leaving him as she ran her hands through her hair.
Then suddenly, the vampiric woman spun sharply, her body dissolving into a swirling mass of bats as she appeared right in front of him in the next instant with her clawed fingers already slashing toward his neck. Crimson Throne came up with a sharp clang as the claws grazed violently the blade, sparks bursting between them as the force of the attack rippled through the platform beneath their feet.
This time, however, Issei didn't budge, planting his stance firmly against the blow as he snarled at her.
"Who!?" He demanded sharply. "Who, Bedelia?!"
"How about you beat me and find out?" she threw the question back, sounding almost casual despite the force she was using to push against him. "Maybe if you add me to that grand army of yours, I'll be much more willing to tell you things your mind might not be able to comprehend. Isn't that what you've been doing to beat those far superior to you… you know, leveling up?"
The remark made Issei widen his eyes in surprise, and Bedelia seized the brief opening instantly. Her free hand slammed forward with explosive force, striking the broad size of Crimson Throne with such force Issei was sent flying backward across the platform. Before he could fully recover in the air, she vanished again in a cloud of bats and reformed right in front of him midair to slash at his chest.
This time Issei was more than ready. Closing the visor of his Scale Mail, Issei swung his sword up, not to block, but to slash at Bedelia, who smirked and erupted into a cloud of bats, causing his blade to cut through empty air. Issei followed her instantly and used Phoenix Shift to match her teleportation, and the moment that she fully reformed, he was upon her with Crimson Throne drawing back over his head, leaving her no time to avoid the blade.
[4:50]
"I have no time for games, Bedelia! Get out of my way!"
"Only if you say please~."
Before the blade could cleave her in two, Bedelia swung her left arm up and struck the flat-side of Crimson Throne. The impact knocked Crimson Throne slightly off its path, forcing the strike to miss her body even as she endured the burst of lightning that erupted from the swing. Before he could bring the sword right back around, Bedelia surged at him with extreme speed, leaving blood red afterimages of herself behind as she surged at him with terrifying speed and attempted to strike his chest with her fist, infused with the same energy she was radiating.
The punch landed with explosive force.
[Boost!]
A shockwave burst outward as the blow slammed into his gauntlet, Issei having brought his free hand up to catch her fist mid-strike, his boots breaking the stone where he stood as the pressure between them exploded outward and generated a violent tremor through the entire chamber. Bedelia showed no surprise at his capability to defend himself against her, only smirking slyly before her body dissolved into a swarm of bats once again, with Issei matching her once more with activation of Phoenix Shift, claws and sword colliding again and again in a violent storm of sparks and lightning. The chamber echoed with the relentless rhythm of their duel, each clash ringing like thunder as both fighters vanished and reappeared across the vast room faster than even the trained eyes would have been able to follow.
[3:20]
Each exchange grew faster than the last as they pushed their speed higher and higher without either side gaining a clear advantage, streaking across the chamber like twin shooting stars that collided rapidly midair again and again with explosive bursts of energy. Each impact sent cracks racing across the stone chamber, rattling the heavy chains suspending the glowing device at the center of the room while loose fragments of stone broke free and rained down from the ceiling high above.
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
[2:10]
[Partner, you are almost out of time.]
'Then it's time to end this. Let's hope I'm right.'
Issei responded to Ddraig in his mind as he continued to clash against Bedelia, who proved herself to be a formidable enemy despite his current levels. With each boost, however, he was able to push Bedelia further and further back each time they clashed, until finally he was able to accelerate himself and slam the hilt of Crimson Throne into her guard, forcing her back for the first time. The blow knocked Bedelia down toward the platform below, and Issei immediately followed, raising the sword high over his head for a powerful downward strike.
'Here goes nothing.'
The blade came crashing down in a brutal overswing, but Bedelia immediately teleported to the side and allowed the blade to tear through the space next to her shoulder as a wave of crimson lightning struck the platform where she stood. At the same time, Issei shot over her position and landed several meters beyond, but he slammed his boots into the ground to halt himself to a stop before he, in the same motion, spun around and hurled Crimson Throne straight at Bedelia.
"Oops, you missed." Bedelia remarked playfully as she simply leaned her head to the side and let the massive blade fly past her shoulder. The white haired vampire was about to rush forward and attack him again, when suddenly, she saw the smile on his face.
"Did I?" Issei asked, making the gleeful look on her face to falter slightly for the first time before she immediately spun around, finally realizing what was behind her. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Crimson Throne half-buried itself into the glowing device suspended at the center of the chamber.
[01:52]
For a brief moment, everything went still.
Then the entire structure trembled. A violent rumble spread through the chamber as cracks shot across the platform beneath their feet and the walls around them. The chained device sparked wildly where the blade had pierced it, its glow flickering erratically as the energy contained within became unstable. Issei smirked as he looked around him. He was right.
That device had been what was holding the Gate together this whole time.
[!] Urgent Quest Completed.
[!] Level up!
"Sorry, but I gotta get out of here. Next time we cross paths, you are joining my army, Bedelia."
Before Bedelia could even turn her head to look at him, Issei had already fired the boosters on his back at full power and shot back down the corridor he had come from, crimson thrusters blazing as he accelerated through the massive hall. The rumbling intensified behind him as the collapsing mechanism sent violent tremors through the entire structure, chunks of stone breaking loose from the ceiling and crashing down onto the floor as Issei headed straight toward the exit before the timer could run out.
[00:32]
The next instant, Issei burst back out into the open sky above Tokyo in a streak of crimson light, the familiar city in ruin spreading out beneath him once more as he soared across the sky for a moment before descending toward the street below, casting his gaze down to see Ise, Azazel, Rias and the other Occult Research Club, who appeared to have group up with the former two after the battle had ended. Colossus and the rest of the army were still standing exactly where they had been, and from the look of it, no further battle had occurred in his absence.
"Issei!"
Rias called out and rushed toward him as Issei landed a few feet away from her, welcoming his girlfriend into his arms as he turned back around and looked at the Gate that still towered over Tokyo. The unstable vortex twisted in on itself for a brief moment before collapsing entirely with a thunderous implosion, the swirling energy shrinking rapidly until it vanished from the sky altogether.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Reincarnated Devil / Dragon
Class: Level 55 Dragonsworn / Level 50 Shadow Monarch
HP: 32,561/32,561
MP [Current Attribute: Draconic/Demonic] : 15,324/15,324
Link Gauge: 130/130
Title: Champion of the Dragons
Strength: 336
Vitality: 260
Intelligence: 303
Dexterity: 265
Perception: 260
Charisma: 236
Unassigned Level: 5
Unique Class Skills: Fire Imbue (LV3), Lightning Imbue (LV2), Water Imbue (LV2), Shadow Extraction (LV2), Shadow Extraction – Form Change, Shadow Storage (LV1), Karma (LV1), Shadow Exchange (LV1), Monarch's Domain (LV1).
Active skills: Doubling (LV4), Transfer (LV4), Penetrate (LV4), Sprint (Max Level), Judgement Cleave (LV2), Observe (LVMAX), 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, Midgardsormr (Water-Poison) – Pact LV1.
Current Shadows: 549 / 660 (Wolves 29. Panthers 18. Shadow Troopers 118. Shadow Elementals 27. Magicians 79. Snow Folks 42. Fallen Angels 13. Devils 15, Orcs 69, Soldier Ants 170, Human Heroes: 80, Giants: 14)
Elite Shadows: Asterius (Elite Knight), Vulcan (Elite Knight), Tempest (Elite Knight), Lycaon (Elite Knight), Tora (Elite Knight), Blade (Elite Knight), Gladio (Elite Knight), Glacia (Elite Knight), Katerea (Elite Knight), Aegis (Elite Knight), Bahamut (Elite Knight), Colossus (Elite Knight).
Exclusive Items: Boosted Gear (LV5), Razan's Blade (LVMAX), [High-ranking Demon] Armor Set (LV1), Kamish's Awaken (LV?), Ascalon R1 – repaired (LV40), Staff of Avarice (Given to Glacia), Yarn of Ariadne, Crimson Throne (LVMAX – Demon King's Longsword), Demon King's Daggers (LVMAX – Given to Blade)[Demon King] Jewelry Set, Shard of Longinus.
Potions: Healing Potions x15, Mana Potions x15, Greater Healing Potions x10, Greater Mana Potions x10, Miracle Potions x3, Elixir of Life x6.
Gold: 92.231.645 (G)
Ultimate: Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker – Boosted Gear Crimson Scale Mail (LV.2 – Pact Affected), Soul Link (LV1), Soul Link Full Break - Dragon of Dragon.
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), Dragon Damnation (Soul Link – Queen Promotion).
Tower of Ascension sigils: Sigil of the Shadow Commander – Igirs (Incomplete), Sigil of the Shadow Ice Bear -Tank (Incomplete). Sigil of the Shaodw Wyvern – Kaisel (Imcomplete).
End of chapter 56