It came from deep within my heart...... No, it came from my left arm......
[You are an abnormal being who possesses a Dragon within you. Don’t show such a miserable state. The “White guy” will laugh at you.] Are you that Dragon that appeared in that dream? Was that new power up because of you? [Yeah, that's what you desired, what I desired, and what the “White guy” desired. That’s why you went into a new phase.] Desire? What are you saying......? I mean who the heck is the “White guy”!? [He will appear before you sooner or later. Yeah, he and I are destined to fight. Oh yeah, by the way, it's about my power. I will teach you how to use its real power.] What are you saying? ......What on earth are you......? [Welsh-Dragon, Ddraig. Hyoudou Issei, I’m the one inside of your left arm.] Welsh-Dragon......Ddraig......
[Losing may be all right. If you don’t die, losing can become your strength. However, it only means something if you win the next fight. Lose then win. Then continue to win. If you do that, you will meet him.] So what’s going to happen between me and “him”......? [You will know soon enough. Get stronger for that coming day. I will give you my power any time you want. However, keep it in your mind that it will come with a sacrifice of something great. I will give you something that is worth the sacrifice. You can show it to those who laughed at you. The existence of a “Dragon” that is.] When I wake up, there is a familiar ceiling above me. ——It’s my room. ……Why am I here? I try to remember desperately of what happened. ……I was supposed to be having a match. The [Rating Game] between Buchou and Raiser. The stage was the replica of the school I go to. Our base was the old school building, and I was running through the battlefield along with Kiba and Koneko-chan, aiming towards the enemy’s base which was the new school building. Koneko-chan fell, Kiba fell, Akeno-san fell, and then——. Then I got my mind straight. What happened to Buchou!? The match!? The outcome!? Did we defeat Raiser!? Why—am I here? When I got my upper body up. “It looks like you are awake.”
The woman next to me speaks to me. The silver haired maid, Grayfia-san. “Grayfia-san! The match? What happened to Buchou! ?”
“Raiser-sama won the match. Rias-ojousama resigned.”
——! I-It can’t be…… I got speechless. I don’t know what to say. Did I lose? Was I beaten by Raiser? ——Shameful. I’m such a shameful and useless guy……
I acted so big and I couldn’t do anything and went down right in front of Buchou……
I’m weak…… Why am I so weak……? Even Asia could have continued to live as a human if I was a bit stronger back then. Even for Buchou, if I could have used my Sacred Gear even more effectively, it wouldn’t have ended like this……
I can’t stop myself from crying. Even if Grayfia-san is next to me, I didn’t stop myself from crying. I’m so frustrated. I feel so shameful at myself. I’m so weak. And I’m so pathetic……
“Currently, the engagement party for Ojou-sama and Raiser-sama is taking place. It’s at the assembly hall in the Underworld that was prepared by the House of Gremory.”
“……Where are Kiba and the others?”
“They went to escort Ojou-sama. The only ones who aren’t at the hall who are related to them are Issei-sama and Asia-sama.”
Asia? So Asia didn’t go. “Due to Rias-sama’s wish, Asia-sama stayed here with me taking care of you, Issei-sama. She went downstairs to get a new towel for you.”
I see. So Buchou left Asia by my side for me……
Looks like I made her worry about me. Buchou…… Engagement…… It’s probably the middle of the party right now……
“……Can’t you come to agree with this?”
That’s how Grayfia-san asked me. “Yes. Even if the battle is over, I can’t come to accept it.”
“You do know that Rias-ojousama obeyed the family’s decision?”
“I understand that! I know that! Even so I—”
I can’t agree with something Buchou is against! I don’t want to see Buchou who has to obey her parents against her will! That bastard! I don’t want to hand Buchou to a bastard like that! I understand it. This is jealousy. I’m feeling really jealous towards that bastard as a same guy! I don’t want to hand over Buchou to someone like him! “Fufufu.”
Suddenly, Grayfia-san laughs quietly. It’s my first time seeing her smile. She always seems cold and calm......
“You are a very interesting person. For a long time I have seen many Devils, however it is my first time seeing someone like you who shows what you are thinking with your face, and acts accordingly to what you believes in. My master, Sirzechs-sama, was watching your effort in the battle from another place and said that you were “interesting” you know?”
Seriously? Maou-sama thinks about me like that? If Buchou’s brother who is also the king of Devils calls me “interesting”, I don’t know how to respond to that. Grayfia-san takes out a single paper. There is a magic-circle written on it. “This magic-circle allows you teleport to the hall of the engagement party of the House of Gremory and House of Phoenix.”
——! W-Why does she have something me this!? “I have a message from Sirzechs-sama for you.”
She pauses for a second, and then speaks with a serious face. “[If you want to save my sister, barge into the hall]. That’s what he said. There is also another magic-circle on the back of the paper. Please use it when you take back Ojou-sama. I am definitely sure that it will be useful to you. ”
…………
I don’t know how to respond. Grayfia-san leaves the paper with magic-circle in my hand, and she then stands up and tries to leave my room. “When you were sleeping, I felt a very enormous power within you, Issei-sama. The Dragon is the only being that didn’t form an alliance with either God, the Devils, or the Fallen Angels. If it’s that dreadful power, then—”
Grayfia-san stops there and left my room. I’m left alone in my room. ……There’s no need to think about it. I got up from my bed and I went to find something to wear. I then found the new uniform on my table. ……So the old one got torn and damaged that badly in that battle. Did someone prepare this for me? Was it Grayfia-san? Or Buchou? Whoever it is, I thank you. It happens when I put my uniform on and grabbed the paper. The door opens, and Asia comes in. “——! Ise-san!”
As soon as Asia sees me, Asia drops the towel and bucket of water on the floor. She then jumps into my arms. Wow. Asia, what’s wrong……? I will feel embarrassed if you suddenly hug me like this. “Thank god. I’m so glad. You slept for two days even when your wounds healed…… I thought you were never going to open your eyes again…… Ise-san……”
Asia starts to cry in my arms. Oh man, I made her cry again. I try to calm her down while patting her head. More importantly, I was sleeping for two days……? So two days had passed since we lost the match huh. “Asia, listen to me. I’m going to Buchou’s side now.”
“!”
She seems very shocked at what I had just said. She seems to know what I’m about to do. “……It’s not……to celebrate it……yes?”
“Yeah, I’m going to take back Buchou.