(With Issei)
The Crimson Dragon watched the world around him peel away like millions of paper talismans blown off in the wind, the grounds of the Fushimi Inari shrine getting replaced by a vast empty black space. There was a light drizzle of lukewarm rain falling around him as a long stone path appeared beneath his feet, flanked by glowing crimson grass to illuminate the ever growing straight road and the uneven stones. Issei's eyes drifted down the path to find two tall statues that resembled a bulkier version the Scale Mail armor of the Boosted Gear, standing like sentries to a gateway or something, on one end. Something in him said that he was supposed to head down that path.
"Looks simple, doesn't it?" Issei heard a voice say, turning to find a golden holographic version of Ichigo standing next to a wooden sword that resembled his Ascalon. "You're probably thinking that there's a time limit or some special task you need to perform? But no, it really is just that simple. Walk down this road with the sword in hand and you'll finish this part of your training once you reach the end." The hologram explained before dissipating while Issei took up the wooden blade. "The Trial of the Past. Walk down, bearing the weight of the past of yourself and your peerage." Ichigo's voice echoed out before fading away entirely.
"That's not a terrifying thought." Issei muttered out sarcastically before he started walking toward the statues, noticing the increase in pressure on his body after ten steps. "Ah, something like the gravity chamber of my favorite anime. That's kinda cool, right Ddraig?" He said, calling out to his partner but was only met with silence. He tried manifesting his Sacred Gear, but it was to no avail. "On my own entirely huh?" He muttered, looking at his unarmored hand. "This is going to be rough." He sighed before continuing to walk. "At least the rain isn't cold."
(Fushimi Inari Shrine: Training Field variant)
The Kuoh Squad broke up into groups to work on whatever they felt like they could while under the heavy pressure of the shrine's aura. Saji and Tsubasa immediately teamed up to spar with each other and were surprised when Rin Tohsaka said she'd join them. They knew better than to underestimate the seemingly thin girl from their own experience with Koneko and Rin's connection to Soul Society. They got their answer almost immediately when the Tohsaka girl started moving like a Knight and hitting like a Rook with glowing patterns on her arms. Sakura clapped her hands excitedly and cheered her sister on before suggesting she add on some hazards as her shadow began moving toward them like a striking serpent. Momo and Reya looked at each other and shrugged before the white haired Bishop, Momo, started adding to the attacks. The brown haired Reya was about to join before Illya grabbed her and pulled her along to the blade users, already in the midst of a fierce duel of clashing steel with each other.
"Shirou! We're gonna attack you now too, okay!?" The short albino girl asked with a sweet tone, completely contrasting with what she just said. She didn't wait for an answer as she pulled out a box of glimmering threads before plucking out four. Her hand glowed briefly before she tossed them up and they seemed to form into the outline of large birds. "Get 'em." She calmly ordered with a wave of her glowing hand, the four birds quickly flying around the dueling swordsmen before suddenly shooting out balls of energy like bullets that left the sounds of a rather heavy impact.
Reya shrugged and joined in, shooting off various spells to force the melee fighters to dance around the blasts and each other. Kiba ended up cornered and summoned a large blade to serve him as a shield. As the magical bullets struck the blade, Shirou paused and seemed to glance at it before sharing a look with his sister. Illya nodded before pulling out a few more threads and turning them into more constructs that focused entirely on separating Shirou and Kiba from the other three; Irina, Xenovia, and Tomoe. Kiba soon noticed that it was just him and the Emiya boy, who had a Sacred Gear similar to his own, giving him a look of determination. They were going to fight one on one but for some reason, he felt like Shirou was rather upset about something.
"Do you understand the sword?" Shirou suddenly asked, confusing the Gremory Knight. The red head held out his hands as two Chinese short swords appeared in his hands, the two blades being a matched pair with the theme of Yin and Yang. One was white with black coming from the guard with the other being black with a red pattern and white coming from the guard, both bearing the Yin-Yang in the center. "Do you understand the sword in your hands, or just how to move it?" Shirou asked again, getting a glare from Kiba as he created two short broadswords for himself.
"I'm going to be courteous and ask what do you mean by that." The Gremory Knight said while the two settled into a combat ready stance before they flashed about in a high speed clash. Both of them were holding a neutral glare on the other, no hate or malice, just focus as they moved in a blinding dance of cutting steel. Kiba's combat experience was evident in the fight, moving with an almost instinctual grace as he aimed to open Shirou's guard. The devil could sense that Shirou may be experienced with the Sacred Gear, he was lacking in actual combat experience. However the Emiya son wasn't moving like the swords in his hands were extensions of his arms, but somehow something deeper than that.
Kiba noted that his opponent's arms seemed to be losing their strength and he took his chance at that opening, forcing Shirou's arms apart and leaving his chest exposed. Before he could capitalize on that move however, something slammed into his chin from below and rattled his skull. The devil stumbled back and shook his head clear, finding Shirou ready for another round but with his left arm drooping slightly. The red head winced slightly as he rolled it and Kiba knew his next move. He used a Magic Jump to flash to his opponent's weakened side and swung at him again. Shirou grunted but also seemed to roll along with Kiba's attack, slamming the hilt of one of his blades into the knight's head before he could evade it and sending him falling to the ground.
'What the hell is this!?' Kiba mentally roared in frustration as he jumped to his feet as fast as he could, glaring at Shirou and seeing him favoring his left leg. He took a moment to study it for a bit more and saw the other swordsman wince when he applied pressure to his right leg. 'Now!' He decided, flashing into front of Shirou as he shifted his balance and stepped within his guard. His reward was a pressure in the center of his chest as he felt his strength and air leave his body, stumbling back and away from the hilts that he apparently ran into.
'How is this happening?' The devil wondered as he jumped back and traded one of the short swords for a long sword, immediately swinging it down to break through Shirou's guard or to wear away at his defense. The blade was blunted so it wouldn't pierce his flesh, but it would definitely leave a nasty bruise when it hit. Kiba's eyes widened in the micro-instant when he made his move, finding that Shirou dropped both of his swords to form a massive great sword himself and deflected his thrust. He then spun around again and Kiba got ready to block another swing for his head, only to buckle as Shirou dropped and slammed his fist into Kiba's knee. The knight flashed away, still on one knee as he scowled at his opponent.
'How is he doing this?' He thought as they both rose to their feet, Kiba wincing from the ache in his knee before a sense of relief seemed to flow into his leg. Shirou gave a nod, allowing Kiba to look around to find Asia with her hand out and covered in the green glow of her Twilight Healing. Next to her was a talking Kunou, seemingly giving his peerage's healer some advice. 'Right. We're training.' Kiba reminded himself as he thought over everything that happened to this point. The question Shirou asked him, the way Shirou matched his attacks but was the one landing all of the hits, the way he moved with the blades he summoned. All of it meant something that he was supposed to figure out in this fight, but what was it that he was supposed to realize?
Shirou then dismissed the sword, the blade fading into particles of light, as he adjusted his stance and hand placement in a way that made no sense to the knight. As swordsmen, as people with a Sacred Gear centered around creating swords, that stance made no sense. No sword hilt would be that long, not for a person their size, nor was it sensible to summon dual blades in that position. Kiba shifted his weight, making sure the pain was gone, and flashed toward Shirou with the intention of getting into his guard. He had a rapier and a parrying dagger in his hands as he closed in on the other blade creator. Kiba was stunned once again when Shirou instantly created a spear with a short curved blade at one end with a red plume at the bottom.
'He can create more than just swords?!' Kiba thought in shocked hesitation, quickly raising his blades to block Shirou's downward swing. 'Is it just him or have I just been blind to my own possible options?' He wondered before feeling something slam into his solar plexus, blowing out all the air in his lungs. Kiba looked to find that the bottom third of the spear was connected to a chain and Shirou had distracted him again with what was actually a three sectioned staff. Emiya then detached the other sections and clamped two of the poles around Kiba's arm before doing an over the shoulder throw and aiming the blade at Kiba's neck.
'I've fought more battles.' The Gremory knight thought in frustration while glaring up at Shirou. 'I've fought more battles, faced more opponents, I know I'm more skilled than he is, so what the hell am I missing!?' During their short time together and comparing notes and training, Shirou mentioned that he was another test subject of Valper Galilei and has been in the Gotei's care since the Excalibur Incident. He only talked about training under the blacksmith of Soul Society, someone named Oetsu Nimaiya, so how was he beating him?! Shirou released him and walked away, the three sectioned spear weapon fading away as he did so and turned to face him again. Nothing was in his hands, he didn't put them in any position, he just stood there and was unmistakably ready for another round. Kiba took a breath to calm himself and studied Shirou and the fight again. Did he understand the sword? Did he even understand his Sacred Gear? Did he really make any progress with himself as a warrior and a person since confronting that monster Valper?
Kiba took another breath and made his first move, flashing above Shirou and summoning a large cleaver blade that quickly fell towards the red head. The knight expected him to create any other blade to try and knock his own aside, but Emiya still managed to surprise him when he created a large tower shield that the blade slid down. Kiba landed and the shield dispersed, causing him to duck to avoid the edge of another shield as Shirou spun around with a metal round shield on his arm with the edge ready to slam into his neck. Kiba failed to dodge the other shield as Shirou hit him with a back fist shield punch and was sent sprawling on the ground before settling on his back.
'I think I get what he means by that question now.' The knight thought as he laid there, waiting for the ringing and his head to stop shaking. 'I know that I'm treating each blade like an extension of myself.' Kiba thought as he got back to his feet and formed another sword, but did not make another move. Shirou summoned another sword of his own and Kiba studied the way he stood and held it. The two then repeated the process over and over until a pile of different weapons laid at their sides, Kiba having nothing but swords while Shirou created anything. 'But in my case, that's like picking one prosthetic arm out of a pile of millions. Not one of them is any different than the other to me now. Well, except for one.' Kiba realized as he summoned his Holy Demonic sword. "I think I understand what you're asking me." The knight said before holding up the paradoxical blade. "And the answer is no. I don't understand my Sacred Gear or any other blade. This is the only sword I truly understand."
"I could tell." Shirou said before dispelling all of his swords. "When I first met my master, he described every sword I made as 'hollow' and 'empty' and refused to let me do anything beyond forging any weapon I could by hand." The teen then manifested a one handed double edged short sword with a red jewel as a pommel. "After I did that, he grabbed one of my knives and asked me this question. 'Who's this blade for?' When I said no one, he said that it showed and broke it, then I had to reforge it for my personal use. That's when my lessons got much harder." Kiba didn't interrupt, wanting to know the story so that he could cover his own possible failings.
"I had to learn and understand everything that went into any tool. Form, function, sharpness, durability, flexibility, size, weight, just for someone like me doing various different things." Shirou listed off, thinking back to when Oetsu had him live using only the tools he made himself. Kiba could only think back on the swords he made to only ever do a single thing, not about how he could effectively wield it. "After I had learned what it meant to make tools for myself, I had to understand what it meant to make it for others. I had to learn how to fully comprehend a person and the way they'd use a tool or a weapon just from looking at them." The knight of Rias felt his eyes widen at that confession, his mind reeling from how daunting that task had to be.
"That's insane." Kiba muttered, but the results were evident to him. Shirou was better with the Sacred Gear of weapon creation and was able to control the battle like a conductor of a symphony because he could predict his every move based entirely on his build and movements. Kiba only focused on becoming a stronger and more skilled warrior and mastering the sword, but that didn't compare to Shirou in what appeared to be his pursuit in becoming a god of the blade. Crafting and using them was as natural to him as breathing at this point and where was he? Where was Kiba by comparison? Despite all of the effort he put in was he even growing at all? He thought he had learned his lessons after the Excalibur Incident and the Rating Game with the Sitri peerage, but he's still clearly lacking. Damn his pride and arrogance as a devil.
"Shirou, I humbly request your wisdom in forging a better version of myself." Kiba said, bowing low before the smith with his arms clasped together in respect. The same way he did before when he begged Okita to become his master all those years ago. Emiya gave a pleasant and gentle smile before walking up to the devil and holding out a hand.
"It will be a little intense, but I'm happy to help." The blade smith warned the devil. Kiba would later regret that decision as he learned that their definitions of 'a little intense' were very different. However, it was time for him to show the motivation of a humbled devil.
(Kyoto Underground Training Hall)
Ichigo calmly descended down a dimly lit path, a steep staircase that delved into the depths underneath the palace of Kyoto illuminated by candles lit by ghostly fox fire magic. Down here was the training ground where he refined his senjutsu skills and trained with some of the Shinto pantheon. His skin itched at the memory of having to cut down countless birds made of electricity and shooting stone grains moving fast enough to flay him alive with his bow. It was the final refinement of his sword and archery skills while having his power restricted before being permitted to leave the country and go train with master Yamamoto's old friends, Scathach and the man known as King Hassan. Now it was mainly for Sajin and Yasaka to train in but recently it accepted a new occupant, a certain young devil he agreed to train in exchange for help in finally stomping out the last rotting stumps of the devils' government. He sensed the pulse of energy as his student made another attempt to utilize the technique he was working to create.
Ichigo paused for a moment before sighing in irritation, a lesson apparently haven't sunk in yet and the kid was determined to tough it out. Ichigo mixed Bringer Light and Hirenkyaku to flash the rest of the way to find Sairaorg Bael, pulsing with magical energy with his muscles visibly rippling and twitching under a top that seemed split along the middle. The training ground took the form of a barren wasteland of dry earth and rock, perfect to be as destructive as one could and Sairaorg took advantage of that. He was in the center of a cracked platform while a ring of shattered earth surrounded him with a trench stretching out ahead of him. Sairaorg was covered in a burning aura, his face grimacing from the sense of strain as he struggled to raise his arms and ready a punch.
"VENT YOUR ENERGY YOU FOOL!" Ichigo roared out, the young devil freezing as he heard the Shogun. "It's not a matter of endurance, but of focus! Release it!" Sairaorg took a deep breath before exhaling, the back half of his shirt exploding from his back and shoulders as the energy he was containing freed itself from him. The devil seemed to relax but never dropped his focus as the crater around him was pushed deeper into the ground. Sairaorg threw another punch and shot a blast of energy that tore through the ground ten meters ahead of him before stopping. The devil then collapsed with his upper body still rippling and twitching, as if something was crawling underneath his skin. "I keep telling you, it's not meant to be contained but channeled."
"Ha...ha...ha...sorry... sir." Sairaorg panted out as Ichigo made his way over to the downed teen. "I still... see it as... a challenge... for my body." The hybrid shook his head in exasperation at the Bael heir holding on to this idea despite it being wrong and ultimately detrimental to his efforts. Sairaorg was eager to learn, but his belief in Shunko being a strength based technique was stymieing any and all progress. A side effect of a life spent entirely on honing his body instead of magic or spirit. His lack of experience in the latter two was on clear display. And judging by the Bael's display here, the lesson would have to be beaten into him.
Lessons on using Reiryoku would help and Sairaorg did possess quite a lot of it. However, Ichigo was reluctant to proceed with training on that front. At least until the Great King faction was crushed under heel. Their plan to deal with those relics was nearing fruition. After the events surrounding the Khaos Brigade and the battle of Ragnarok, Ichigo was reluctant to add any other unexpected variables.
"Shunko, and likely any variation of it, is not meant to be contained within a single point of the body but channeled throughout it and released." Ichigo reminded as he used Fullbring to raise Sairaorg to lay across his shoulders before walking toward the hot spring in the training ground. "Growing and developing your skills is not a race that you sprint as fast as possible Sairaorg. It's a marathon that you run by pacing yourself and avoid burning out and crippling yourself. The fact that you haven't yet is basically a divine miracle. As punishment for putting yourself at risk like this again, you are to pray to the Biblical God while you're bathing in the healing hot springs. Don't forget that this is a master level skill you're trying to learn."
"Yes sir." Sairaorg groaned out, knowing how much of a headache this was going to be for him and promising to let the lesson stick this time. "But it's not like the Gremory peerage is sitting on their hands right? Even they must be pushing themselves for our Rating Game." He tried to argue, defending his drive for improvement.
"Indeed the are." Ichigo admitted before dropping the devil in the water like a sack of potatoes. "Or at least the ones that are second years are. I made a deal to help them train as well while they are here since the Khaos Brigade is trying something and I'm currently down a few limbs." The Bael heir stood in the water and finally looked to his teacher, his eyes bulging at finally noticing his missing arms. "That doesn't change what I said. Pace yourself, take the time to learn how to control it, don't try to power through it." Sairaorg bowed his head in understanding before getting ready to take a proper soak in the hot spring... and then torture himself with his assigned punishment. Ichigo then felt something click in his mind and turned his head to where the Fushimi Inari shrine was located.
'So, you got to that point.' He thought, remembering this rather cruel piece of Issei's training. 'Good luck kid. You'll need it.'
(Back with Issei)
The pawn of the Gremory peerage was struggling to the breath, his shirt and jacket long abandoned as the drizzling rain and the ever growing pressure made him discard it in the hopes that it would alleviate the weight. It did not help. Each step was heavier than the last, every foot forward felt like another mountain on his shoulders.
The pressure was so immense he could barely even lift his feet off the floor, his will barely sufficient to keep dragging his own feet past him. Still, Issei didn't quit. He couldn't afford to. He was determined to get stronger and claim his potential, for himself and for the sake of his friends.
"I was expecting more when he mentioned 'the weight of our past' or whatever." Issei mumbled out, the isolation getting to him a little as he just started talking to himself. "And all I got was this? Come on Commander, I know you're more sadistic than this!" He roared his defiance. Kurosaki had put Issei and his friends through torture and called it training.
Issei would not quit. He needed to earn the strength to keep his friends and family. He also needed it to punch the orange-haired Commander in his smug, holier than thou teeth. He locked his eyes on the gate, getting a clearer image of the two statues of his Scale Armor, just about ten meters away. Both of them were far larger and bulkier than his standard armor, mobility clearly sacrificed for a stronger defense and heavier blows considering the size of the armor on the arms. He immediately thought back to that one arc about the cyborgs and time travelers and how detrimental bulking up like that was for their fights.
"Ah! Just remember what Captain Urahara told you!" The teenager shook all previous thoughts out of his head. "Anything can be useful, you just have to figure out how to actually use it!" Harnessing all of his willpower, Issei took another step forward.
This step proved itself unlike the rest, for his mind was assaulted by his own memories. The friendship with his tomboy childhood friend before he knew Irina was a girl, the day she had to leave Japan, the old pervert that set him down the road of Oppai, his friendship with Matsuda and Motohama, and then meeting his first ever date, and the brutal spear of light tearing through his chest. Issei instinctively gripped his chest. He could still feel the warmth of his blood pouring forth and staining him crimson.
"Thought I was done with her." Issei growled out, his teeth bared in a deep snarl. A vision that once triggered his trauma at the worst of times was now a memory stained with simple irritation. He was no longer that idiot teenager. He was stronger, he was loved and he knew it. He was NOT the same pathetic joke that Raynare mocked.
"Going to have to do better than that!" He roared in defiance, moving forward by a few more steps and found himself greeted by a new vision. He saw the Gremory estate, a place he was becoming more and more familiar with, both as the future husband of Rias and at the insistence of the rest of the Gremory house. He saw a young Rias living her life, full of love and attention, adoration and joy, Rias lived a life where she wanted for nothing. As much as he loved her, Issei also now fully understood how and why she was so overconfident. He understood the reasons why she was raised as such, but the costs of such a life hit her hard and people still reminded her of that with the Excalibur Incident. He then saw her getting engaged to Riser, her trauma with camels, and her turning each member of her peerage until she got to him.
"What was that?" Issei asked aloud, wondering why he saw what seemed to be the past of Rias Gremory. "Is this what 'Weight of the past' was supposed to be? Both the pasts of myself and my friends?" No answers came forth from the endless void of the training ground.
Issei took another few steps before a new vision greeted him this time of a baby left on the doorsteps of a church. Issei recognized it as Asia, a young Asia, healing an injured puppy by activating her Sacred Gear, the celebration of her rise as a 'Holy Maiden' of the Church, the utter isolation that came with that title, her healing Diodora Astaroth out of kindnes and the eventual ramifications of the decision. As much as Issei hated that bastard, he was very grudgingly grateful for the actions that had brought Asia into Issei's life. Issei wished Diodora a fruitful life of suffering in Hell. The vision ended with Asia's reincarnation into Rias's peerage.
"Guess that answers my question about the 'Weight of the Past'." Issei groaned, feeling his head throb at the visions. He could make out a glowing chess piece floating in the middle of the two statues, a light at the end of the path. "I can bear it." He swore, to himself and to his peerage
His next step both doubled the weight on his shoulders and brought a new vision. This time, it was young Akeno and her mother, Shuri. Akeno's father Baraqiel loved his wife and daughter but was absent far too much. During such an absence, relatives of Akeno's mother barged into their room with threats and demands. Shuri tried to stop them but her relatives were unwilling to even listen. Akeno could do nothing but watch as her mother was cut down before her very eyes. The murderers moved on to Akeno but Baraqial arrived in the nick of time, slaughtering them all. But his arrival came too late to save his wife. Akeno cursed her father for failing to save her mother.
Akeno eventually ran away to live on the streets, selling her services as a Shinto Exorcist. She trusted no one but the few youkai she befriended. To her misfortune, her relatives from her mother's side tracked her down. But this attempt to end Akeno's life was thwarted by Rias and Cornelius, Lord Gremory's bishop. The vision ended with Akeno being reincarnated into Rias's peerage.
Issei snapped back to reality with a gasp, the sudden disorientation nearly pushing him to his knees. The weight on him doubled again, as if punishing him for stumbling. Before the battle with Loki, Akeno had told him about her life. But hearing about her struggles and watching it were entirely different matters. Issei wanted nothing more than to find the rest of her family and introduce them to his fist.
Dragging himself back to his feet, Issei looked ahead. The path was getting shorter, but the difficulty of putting even one step forward was draining him. He was not going to give up though. These visions must have a purpose and he would be damned if he stopped before he got his answers.
"How much worse is this going to get?" His answer was another vision. This time, it was Koneko and her sister Kuroka. Living a simple life together under a devil of a branch of House Naberius, Koneko could only watch as her sister was put through harsh training and grueling trials. Kuroka bore the difficulties without complaint because it gave her sister a better life.
The devil's experiments with Kuroka were bearing fruit, as her skills and power eventually outgrew his own. Desiring more data for his "Super Devil" experiments, his attention turned to Koneko. Utterly disgusted by him and horrified at the thought of her sister undergoing such brutality, Kuroka went berserk. She tore through the devil and his entire peerage and his supporters. She burned down his mansion and rained fire down on anyone attempting to stop her.
Still in the thrall of her berserk rage, Kuroka went too far afield in her attack and eventually had to run when stronger devils converged on her location. Koneko was still young, far too young to truly understand the situation. All she could see was her sister, her family who had always promised to stay with her forever, run away and leave her in the hands of devils who cursed her sister and herself, condemning the young Nekoshou to death. A confused, scared and teary eyed Koneko was saved at the last moment by the mercy of Sirzechs and was placed under Rias' as her rook.
"FUCK!" Issei cursed, finally buckling under the strain as the vision passed. He had to use the bokken as a support to keep him standing. "Koneko..." His voice hoarse with the heartbreak of his junior's past. He stayed like that for minute or so, time lost meaning to him in here, before he forced himself back up. The chess piece seemed so close now, but now he hesitated.
Issei leaned on the sword for a long moment, trying to come to terms with everything he had witnessed so far. The 'Weight of the Past' of his friends was far too heavy but it was a burden he would carry for as long as needed. He was not going to be stopped by a bunch of movies into the past. He would complete this stupid trial and make it out. But before that happened, Issei knew there was more to see. Judging by the visions seen so far, it was certain the pasts of all of his friends would be shown to him by the end of his path. That left only Kiba and Gasper.
Kiba's past was well known to Issei. His friend had suffered as a test subject under that insane bishop Valper and had to watch his friends sacrifice themselves to give him a chance to escape. Even with that bishop long dead, Issei wanted to revive that bishop just to kill him again. Issei took another deep breath to steady himself. Since he knew Kiba's, the next vision was probably Gasper.
"Can't be worse than Kiba's." Issei said, hoping that was the case. The vision that came immediately proved him wrong. It was a pure white, utterly sterile room of beds filled with very young kids with Kiba among them. All of them looked like they were tired of living but could not quite bring themselves to end things. And then Bishop Valper walked in.
Issei could only watch as Kiba and the other children were stabbed with stabbed with sharp steel, pumped with drugs, force fed alchemical agents and every twisted experiment the researchers at the facility could think of. Kiba and his friends were forced to fight each other and not allowed to stop even when their hands started bleeding from holding onto their swords. The children endured each day with the hope that their suffering had some purpose and would lead to something better.
Watching this, Issei believed Valper did what he did because he could never be a Holy Swordsman and wanted to torture anybody who had the opportunity he never did. At the end when Valper decided the entire project was a failure and tried to cover it all up by poisoning the children, Kiba and his friends fought back. They managed to destroy vast portions of the facility and even kill most of their captors. But Kiba and his friends were eventually driven into a corner.
Kiba's friends convinced him to run away and 'find help' while they held off the enemies. Kiba refused several times but was eventually forced to run away, the sounds of the clash quickly drowned by the snowfall of the forest. Kiba ran until his legs gave out and inevitably collapsed into the snow. The poison was eating away at him and only the timely appearance of Rias saved his life. He was reincarnated into her peerage but the facility itself and everyone there was dead or vanished. It took Rias' unceasing optimism and the tutelage of Souji Okita before Kiba learned to place his trust in people.
Issei buckled as the vision faded, crying in pain and horror at the tragedy of Kiba's life. Sorrow twisted his face, teeth grinding at the senseless experiments and cruel researchers who acted like Kiba and his friends were suffering for some greater good. It was the vanity project of one useless Bishop and the fools who followed him for power, greed or the chance to inflict pain.
Issei could not move an inch, he could not muster up another thought. The pain of the visions struck him hard. Everything his friends had ever suffered flowed through his veins like burning metal. He screamed and wailed with all his strength, his throat almost tearing itself apart at his cry for his comrades, his friends, his family. He suddenly froze as he thought that term. Family. HIS FAMILY.
"I... won't... quit!" Issei growled in defiance, a hand reaching up to his crown and dug his nails into his flesh. The sudden sharp pain brought him back to clarity and his feet under him. With a shout and a stomp, he stood back up and tore his hand down, feeling his skin getting torn under his nails as rivulets of blood started to pour down the right side of his face. He stood there, panting, watching the glowing crimson rook piece just out of his reach. Just one more member of his family left.
"I'm ready. Gasper." He whispered, trying to instill more confidence into himself as he took the last few steps. He was seeing this through to the end. Then, once he was out and back with his family, he'd do whatever he could to be there for each of them.
The last vision struck him with darkness and screaming. The sound of tearing flesh and cracking bones. The utter sense of fear and horror. Issei wasn't sure what he was seeing until the darkness faded and there was a crying baby Gasper on the ground. His mother was lying dead on the bed and the majority of the vampire servants in the room had long since collapsed dead. The rest of the vampires in the room did not dare to approach the crying baby on the floor. All of them were still terrified by the baby cursing his own mother and her servants to death with his mere presence.
Gasper's early childhood was an album of loneliness and being ignored by everyone, including his own father. The only hope in his world was Valerie Tepes, the only vampire kid willing to spend her time with him and the source of his crossdressing habit.
Even her presence was only a temporary relief, Valerie's visits being sporadic based on her parent's interests. Gasper discussed his plans of running away with Valerie and found she supported him. They waited for the opportune moment and when Gasper's father was absent from the castle, Valerie helped smuggle Gasper out of the castle and to the edge of town. Gasper promised to see her again and ran away into the woods.
The plan ended in tragedy when Gasper was found by a group of Vampire Hunters. It was only the chance presence of Rias and her Bishop Mutation piece which allowed Gasper to survive.
As the vision passed, Issei could feel more blood pouring from his head and blinding him in one eye. An eye that was throbbing in pain that only got worse with each movement of his eye. He felt all the fear and madness during the nightmare of Gasper's birth, causing him to claw at his face in a mad frenzy before it finally ended. All the screaming made his throat feel like it was once more sound from tearing itself apart. He could taste the blood welling up from his throat. The pressure on his mind and body was too much, and for a brief moment, Issei truly believed he would die here.
Issei looked through his remaining eye, finding the bright glow of the chess piece and heard the voices of his family. Each member of the Gremory family called to him, Irina's voice, Sirzechs, everyone that was precious to him was calling out their encouragement.
"Reach for it, partner!" Ddraig's voice roared through his being, flooding his body with the last ounces of strength he possibly had. With defiance in his voice and determination in his stance, Issei threw his hand out and caught the rook.
(Fushimi Inari Shrine: Training Field variant)
Most of the Kuoh squad were resting, stretching out their aching bodies or just trying to catch their breaths. Kiba had the worst of it, Shirou having trained him into the ground. His body was a canvas of bruises with barely a few inches left untouched. Shirou was kneeling before Rin and Illya, being scolded for overdoing it with 'such an amateur sword-master'. Considering how badly he was trounced, Kiba could not even complain about the description, simply lying on the ground while Asia healed him an inch at a time. They all froze when a burst of crimson light flared above them, quickly fading to reveal Issei falling to the ground.
"Issei!" The devils and Irina rushed towards their friend. Issei was caught by Saji just before he crashed into the ground. Saji laid out the unconscious wielder of the Boosted Gear on the ground while Asia began working on healing Issei. The rest of the crowd stood around him anxious. With Issei having returned, Kunou clapped her hands and bowed, the action reverting the shrine to its original size. The young fox priestess then rushed over to the base of the stairs, breathing a sigh of relief once Asia confirmed that Issei was beyond exhausted and needed time to recuperate.
"What happened to him?" Kiba demanded, angry at the state of his friend. Issei appeared to be fine but something told Kiba his friend had been put through something worse than Shirou's training. Issei had not looked so frail since the Rating Game against Riser.
"My father called it 'Irazu Sando'." Kunou told him, trying to maintain her composure as the standing high priestess, but she was utterly shaken by the state of Issei's spirit. The burden it carried was all too visible to her. "It's a trial of the fles and spirit. One that places the burden of 'Revelation' on the shoulders of those who walk the path. Father stated anyone incapable of completing the trail would be crushed beneath its weight." Taking a breath to fortify herself, she turned to look at the sun. Kiba and the rest seemed dissatisfied by the answer, but rather than push for more answers, they chose to focus on their friend for now.
"We're out of time. Mother Tatsuki said to make sure you were all back at the Butterfly's Rest before sunset." She went over to the shrine gate, Xenovia, the Emiya and Tohsaka siblings staying close to her. Kunou took out a couple of paper tags and applied them to the pillars of the gate. She made the appropriate hand signs to activate the gate, a portal flaring to life between the pillars. The devils took a moment to recognize the familiar inn visible through the portal.
"Come on kids. Let's go!" Senna called out while clapping her hand, appearing in front of the gate with Tatsuki and Sajin in his dog form. The canine yokai immediately moved to stand next to Kunou, the Shinto priestess and Gotei teens bowing to the rest of the group and vanishing using Shunpo.
"Saji, Kiba, carry Issei and make it seem like you were having a great time. The rest of your class is here." Tatsuki warned while flashing a proud smile, trying to make her mood infectious for the tired teens. "If it helps, I can tell you all made great progress today. Excellent job." She offered in praise that felt completely genuine, invigorating the Kuoh squad. With that, they directed the teens to their rooms for the night. None, save for Azazel, noticed anything out of the ordinary.
(Butterfly's Rest Inn Rooftop)
Artemis stood on the edge of the building, blue hair floating in the wind. A scowl was pasted on her lips. Another day of cold trails and zero progress and failure at her appointed task. It was beyond vexing for the Goddess of the Hunt to fail at tracking her quarry. Hunting was her domain, and to fail so spectacularly at her task galled her for more than one reason. The Nine Tailed Fox was still lost to the four winds, and Artemis could do nothing but scowl.
She had taken on this task, for Yasaka was one of her to-be sister wives. Ichigo was a good friend and his wives had made every effort to welcome Artemis into the folds of their family, even though Artemis' marriage was merely a political ploy to draw Olympus into the war against the Khaos Brigade. It was only right she made every effort to help her future family. Footsteps approached and Artemis turned to find Tatsuki and Senna. Her scowl lit up with a smile, the distraction of her to-be sister wives quite welcome at the moment.
"Hello, my future sisters." She only wished she had good news to share. "I have had fortune in tracking our wayward sister. With how the trails abruptly end, they must have moved her across dimensions."
"Probably the only way they could hide her." Senna said as she held out her hand and snatched a Khakkara staff appearing out of thin air. She moved the staff in a series of hypnotic swings, drawing a gentle whirlwind with the goddess acting as the focus. Artemis closed her eyes and sniffed the air, grimacing as she shook her head.
"And still nothing on the wind." The goddess told them. Senna released her Zanpakuto with a frown.
"Damn it! This is infuriating!" Tatsuki cursed, drawing her anger into a fist and punched the wall. "I should be trying to help, but I'm stuck with babysitting and that fallen perv." She groaned, frustrated at her inability to help. She looked straight at Artemis. "We only have another two days before this field trip is over. Please find the ones who did this." She slammed a fist into her palm. "Because I REALLY want to beat someone's skull in instead of giving these kids those gentle taps!" She said, making the other two look at her incredulously.
'Gentle taps?' Senna and Artemis thought as they stared in incredulity, fully aware of how many skulls Tatsuki had nearly fractured.
(Unknown Dimension; Random Hotel)
It was an empty realm save for a single building and the people within. Frustratingly, their orders were to stand by and wait until their ritual spell was ready. Ophis may be gone from their ranks, but the mission of the Khaos Brigade remained the same. The reason why the mission had not changed was simple. Someone higher up the chain of command decided the mission was still worth pursuing. That was enough for the members of the Hero Faction. They had gathered together to challenge the supernatural, the gods, the angels, the devils, and monsters controlling the world of humanity from the shadows. As the lineage of heroes, it was their duty and responsibility to rid humanity of these pests. To slay the monster. To slay the monsters in the dark. To drag the gods from their thrones. Above all, to let humanity rise to the top.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" A man asked aloud, seated on a recliner in a room bare of everything save for the two items holding his interest. The first was a gemstone of pure amber placed on a table in the middle of the room. A deep golden fire burned within the crystal, casting a soothing warmth across the room. The second was the only other occupant of the room, lying on a bed. The woman was comatose and world not be waking up without significant help.
Still seated, the man wore a black male Japanese school fall uniform with ornate white Chinese robes as a second layer. In his hands, spinning idly about with dexterity and precision that belongs to a master of such a weapon, was an ornate spear. The most powerful Sacred Gear, the True Longinus, in the hands of a man descended from the great Cao Cao, inheriting the name of his great ancestor and burning with the desire to prove the supremacy of humanity.
Yet, he and his team were forced to hide inside a world created with the power of Dimension Lost. Biding their time under the gazes of the Kyoto Yokai and Soul Society. The higher ups of Khaos Brigade made strong remarks regarding the fortunate timing of their attack. They spoke of fortune playing a role in their successful attack against the military headquarters and securing the Master of the Kyoto Leyline.
Cao Cao was sick of all this talk of fortune on a successfully executed strategy. There is always an element of luck in every plan but to attribute the entire plan to 'good fortune' struck him as foolish. Though he does understand where the higher ups are coming from. News of the aftermath of Loki's attack on Japan had reached him. So had news of Gotei's slaughter of the Old Satan Faction and Crom Cruach's battle against the Leader of the Gotei, Ichigo Kurosaki.
Ichigo Kurosaki. There were a great many rumors, stories and even legends surrounding the man across the lands of Europe and Asia. Gaining the friendship of greater powers, fighting beings of incredible strength, slaying the monstrous and all of them underlined by this Ichigo's insistence on keeping his 'Humanity'. If even half the deeds were true, the man would earn the admiration of Cao Cao. A human ascending to the planes of Godhood and challenging those who would threaten humanity. It was everything Cao Cao wanted for humanity.
This was precisely the reason why Cao Cao doubted Kurosaki's claims of Humanity. The man had earned his strength, maybe even some of the deeds were true but Kurosaki had strayed far from the humans Cao Cao held dear. In another day and age, Cao Cao might have sought out Kurosaki and offered him a place in the coming utopia. That would never happen now. Stealing the man's wife had earned Cao Cao his enmity and by all accounts, Kurosaki did not forgive slights against his family.
"Finished my surveillance of Kyoto." Georg stood where there was once empty air. He had spiky black hair, glasses, and wore a school uniform similar to his own but with red mage robes over it. He was the descendant of the man that made the infamous contact with the devil Mephistopheles, Johann Faust, and the wielder of Dimension Lost. His Sacred Gear wass the key to their recent successes, especially after that Granz fellow gave them some ideas.
"What did you learn?" Cao Cao rose from his chair to stretch himself out. They were aware of the devils and angel from Kuoh arriving not too long ago and he was looking forward to the prospect of a decent battle. He was eager to bathe the True Longinus in the blood of the monsters.
"We've confirmed the path to the dimension referred to as 'Shadow Kyoto'." Georg pulled out a notebook filled with his findings. "Inside was an exact copy of the city as a home for the yokai and spiritually aware. Inside the main castle was a man that matched the description of Ichigo Kurosaki. Fortunately, he's bady damaged from fighting for the northern pantheon. Missing both of his arms. The stories of his incredible healing must've either been horribly exaggerated or he was completely overwhelmed in his last battle."
"Disappointing. I was hoping for a proper match against him." Cao stated with a tone of regret at the loss of a challenge. "Anything we can use?"
"Possibly, but we probably won't be able to capitalize on it." Georg admitted. "He apparently brought all of his sons and daughters with him, including a kitsune that seems to be Yasaka's daughter. However, they are guarded at all times by the dragon king Tiamat along with some other women of considerable strength. I attempted to approach but my instincts decided otherwise. So, I left them alone."
"Anything else?" Cao asked, hoping for something useful out of his ally's excursion.
"According to those still stationed near the Soul Society, while the Gotei's numbers took a substantial hit, Soul Society is already back to nearly complete operations." Georg told him before turning to the only other occupant in the room. "As disappointing as it is, she is our only asset for the ritual to summon Great Red."
"Indeed." Cao agreed as he turned to face Yasaka's lifeless body, lying there on the bed in a dreamless sleep. "It's a shame that we'll have to return her soul soon." He turned back to the gem on the table, the fire inside now moving violently. "It made for such a lovely stone."