Caelum looked at Serafall, who clearly showed her reluctance to let go of her little sister to Issei, the mysterious Dragon. However, she didn't seem to realize yet that Issei was no trivial opponent. In fact, it was impossible for Serafall to achieve victory.
"Serafall, there's no need for a match," said Caelum in a calm yet authoritative voice. "You are a Maou. You should be able to feel that the difference in power between you is immense, even if your goal is merely a test."
Serafall frowned upon hearing her father's words. "I don't want Sona-tan to be taken by anyone else!" she protested, still hugging Sona tightly.
Sona could only sigh, feeling tired of her older sister's possessive nature. Issei, on the other hand, was slightly surprised. It turned out Serafall, who looked like a magical girl, was one of the four Devil Kings. This was very different from his image of a Maou who should look more intimidating and authoritative.
Caelum then looked at Issei. "Issei... come with me. I want to speak with you alone."
Issei nodded. "Alright. I hope it won't be too long."
Issei followed Caelum, leaving Sona who watched them with a worried look. Serafall was still hugging her, sad because she felt 'she would lose' her little sister.
They walked through the magnificent corridor, finally arriving at a room that functioned as Caelum's private office. The room was filled with stacks of paper, old books, and archive folders. It looked like the workplace of a very busy person.
Caelum sat behind his large desk, while Issei sat slowly across from him. Though nervous, especially imagining questions about his relationship with Sona, Issei tried to appear calm.
Caelum stared at him deeply. "Issei, you are an Anomaly. May I ask you something?"
Issei, feeling nervous, his heart beating fast. "Is... no one eavesdropping or recording our conversation with magic? Even though I don't really care, if the contents of this conversation spread to other factions, it could cause panic."
Caelum smiled faintly. "Don't worry about that. Now, can you tell me... what really happened to you? What made you become like this?"
Issei looked back at him. "You mean, how I could become a Dragon and be different from other Sacred Gear or Boosted Gear users?"
Caelum nodded, his face serious. "Yes. A Dragon's Awakening doesn't happen without a cause, especially at a time when all factions are on high alert and suspicious of each other."
Issei wanted to answer directly, but his true goal couldn't be revealed so easily. They all, including the faction leaders, seemed to have forgotten one real threat.
{Issei,} Ddraig's voice echoed in his mind.
{You might be able to tell him. But choose your people wisely. If later it's Michael who asks, don't mention it. Even though Angels can be trusted, they might panic and consider you a second threat after Trihexa.}
Issei looked at Caelum, then sighed. "My goal is simple, just one. I want to... kill a being that cannot be killed."
Caelum fell silent. Only the sound of the wall clock ticking could be heard in the room full of books and papers.
"Even though that being is currently sealed," Issei continued, his voice low but full of conviction, "if someday its seal is broken, at least... this world will still exist. That is my goal."
Caelum stared at him sharply. "Are you serious? It seems all the grudges, egos, and pride between factions have blinded them to the point of forgetting a threat far more dangerous than mere racial competition."
Issei looked at Caelum with a tired face. "Can I ask for one thing?"
Caelum, seeing an Anomaly asking for something, smiled meaningfully. "What do you want?"
"Politics," Issei answered briefly. "I don't want to deal with Devil politics—with all its betrayals, backstabbing, and intrigues. I don't care about Gods, other factions, or any race. I can neutralize all their powers, even on a large scale. Sacred Gears will become useless junk artifacts within my Domain."
Caelum looked interested. "Hooo... I wondered what it was. So that's it."
Issei closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, just that. If anyone threatens my family or people I know, don't hesitate to tell me. Because... I won't hesitate to hunt them down to other dimensions if necessary. Just that. For the rest, I will try to be responsible for my relationship with Sona and start a serious relationship."
Caelum sighed, then looked out the window, silent for a few seconds. Finally, he looked back at Issei. "You are a troublesome person."
Issei stood up, then bowed respectfully. "Please help me. Sorry for the trouble."
Caelum nodded. "Just that. You may go. And... I hope you don't invite bigger problems."
Issei returned the nod. "Alright. I just want to live peacefully. Thank you for the lunch earlier. I will leave now."
With a polite attitude, Issei left the room. Caelum remained seated, his mind lost in reflection that this world, sooner or later, would change drastically.
Issei walked in the mansion's corridor. The guards he passed made way respectfully, although they looked slightly tense and pressured by his presence.
When he arrived in the main hall, Sona immediately turned, her face full of anxiety. "Are you okay?"
Issei smiled, trying to reassure her. "Yes, just a normal conversation." He then turned to Serafall.
"Serafall-san, may I borrow Sona for a moment? There's something important I want to discuss with her. After that, I will go home. I don't want to stay here too long."
Serafall was still frowning, while still hugging Sona. "No! You two will definitely get intimate later!"
Sona massaged her temples, having reached her limit of patience. "I can't take it anymore... Issei, let's go. Leave her alone."
She approached Issei, held his hand tightly, and pulled him towards her room, leaving Serafall stunned in the main hall. Shortly after, Serafall's dramatic crying was heard. "Uwaaa! Sona-tan has really been taken by someone!"
Meanwhile, inside Sona's room, Issei looked around. The room was neat, with several teddy bears on the bed, a bookshelf full of strategy and management literature, and some cute small decorations.
Sona, her face red, said, "Don't stare too much. I'm getting embarrassed."
Issei looked away. "I was just curious. This is my first time entering a girl's room."
Sona prepared a small carpet and some pillows on the floor. "Issei, we can sit here for a while."
The two of them sat down, with Issei's heart beating fast from nervousness.
Sona then became serious. "Can you tell me... how exactly did you lose your memory? I'm curious. After all, Akeno was the one who told me."
Issei took a deep breath. "When I woke up on the night before Christmas, I didn't know who I was. But strangely, I still remembered things like school, Christmas day, summer holidays, the internet, and other general things. The next day, I saw the Boosted Gear on my arm, even though I didn't know what it was. It was Ddraig who told me about the Three Factions War, Sacred Gears, and the true state of the world." He paused for a moment.
"I wanted to become strong because this world is like the law of the jungle—the strong rule. That's where I started the process to... become a Dragon. I had a fever for a week, and forced myself to go to school. That's where I met you for the 'first time' in my new memory, without recognizing friends or my childhood memories."
Sona then asked, "Then, the large burst of magical energy I felt some time ago? What was that? Was it Boost from the Boosted Gear?"
Issei nodded. "Yes. But it was only a 100x Boost."
Sona fell silent, then adjusted her glasses. "Doesn't Boosted Gear double the power every 10 seconds? Did you hold it for about 7 seconds to reach 100x?"
Issei shook his head. "No. I changed the mechanism of my Boosted Gear to passive. The stamina limitation disappeared, and I can reach 1024x Boost in just 1 second."
Sona let out a long sigh and massaged her temples. This was truly beyond logic. "And that Void Gauntlet? When I visited you, that thing wasn't there. Did that happen last night?"
Issei answered, "Yes, after everyone left. I went to buy groceries at the supermarket, but... I met a strangely dressed old man like a cosplayer. He was a Devil, and initially I ignored him. But he kept bothering me, so... I killed him and took his Sacred Gear, the Sacred Gear Canceller." Issei stopped, looking at Sona.
"Before continuing, I have to ask. Are you ready to throw away all your logic for the next explanation?"
Sona narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean? You altered that Sacred Gear?"
Issei sighed. "Yes. The Sacred Gear Canceller originally could only disable other Sacred Gears. Then I changed it into Imagine Breaker, like Kamijou Touma's power from anime—"
Sona cut him off. "Wait, wait, wait! You can change a Sacred Gear's function?"
Issei smiled slightly. "Yes, with a little trick. And from there, I... realized the possibility of other worlds. Even though I'm not sure, I'm 95% sure other worlds exist. Like the worlds in the anime we know." To reinforce his words, Issei raised his left hand. His skin turned black, shrouded in a dense aura.
Sona looked on in amazement. "What power is that?"
"Busoshoku Haki," Issei answered. "You can look it up on the internet. I unconsciously awakened it due to the political pressure earlier."
Sona let out a very long sigh, feeling her head starting to ache. After a few minutes, she said, "It seems I'm getting a headache."
Issei smiled softly, then stroked Sona's head. "You should take some headache medicine. That's all I can tell for now. If you want to know more, just come to my house."
He paused for a moment, then asked shyly, "Oh yeah, one more thing. May I ask for something?"
Sona looked at him. "What is it?"
Issei scratched his head, nervous. "Since I'll be going home after this... may I... kiss you one more time?"
Sona was surprised, then pulled Issei's ear. "It seems you're starting to get bold."
Issei groaned in pain. "Ouch! Ouch! Mercy! It's just a simple request."
Sona released her pinch, her face turning red again. "Just a kiss. Nothing more."
Feeling nervous, Issei brought his face closer. "Well then... excuse me."
He kissed Sona's lips. This time, the kiss felt different—deeper, more aggressive. Unconsciously, Sona's body was pushed until she slowly fell onto the carpet.
"Mmmm..." Sona opened her eyes wide, surprised. Issei wasn't just kissing her passionately, but also gently yet firmly holding both her wrists. A strange feeling, a mix of surprise and passion, began to surge within her.
Inadvertently, Issei's free hand began to gently rub her chest through her clothes.
Sona squirmed, but Issei released the kiss before she could protest. The sound of their heavy breathing filled the quiet room.
Issei, blushing shyly, said, "Sorry... I got too carried away. And... your blushing face is really cute."
Sona, her face bright red, immediately covered her face with her hands, then gently hit Issei's head. "I said just a kiss! Don't overdo it!"
Issei could only smile sheepishly, trying to diffuse the situation. "Hehe... don't think about it too much."