It had been ten minutes since I'd bolted out of the infirmary.
I'd raced home, grabbed what I needed, and practically dove back through the doors of the clinic where everyone was waiting. I looked at Diarmuid; her complexion had gone from a sickly pale to a ghastly gray.
Dammit... there's no time to lose.
Azazel-sensei looked up as I skidded to a halt. "Issei. I take it you've come up with a plan... but what exactly are you thinking?"
I reached into my jacket and pulled out a small, heavy case. Its weight felt significant in my palm. Every eye in the room followed my hand. Rias was the first to realize; her eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat.
"Evil Pieces...? Issei... you don't mean..."
"Yeah," I said, my voice steady despite my racing heart. This case held the set I'd been given when I was promoted to High-Class Devil. I'd already used two 'Rooks' for old man Maurice, and all eight 'Pawns' for Riesha, Nina, and the three Valkyries.
That left two.
I clicked the case open. Resting in the velvet lining were two 'Knight' pieces, glowing with a faint, crimson light. I picked one up.
"I'm going to reincarnate Diarmuid," I declared. "She's going to be my servant."
A collective sharp intake of breath filled the room. Everyone looked back and forth between the crimson piece in my hand and the unconscious girl on the bed.
Azazel-sensei rubbed his chin, a low hum vibrating in his chest. "I see. If she becomes a Devil, her physical durability increases, and so does her resistance to demonic energy. Right now, Nidhogg's miasma is eating her alive from the inside out. If we boost her natural resistance through reincarnation, then the medical treatment might actually stand a chance of working..."
I nodded silently. That was the gamble. Reincarnating her would make her vulnerable to holy light, sure, but it would give her the strength to fight off this curse. As a human, she'd be dead before the antidote even hit her system.
It was a desperate move. Maybe even a reckless one. There was no guarantee it would work in time. But if there was even a shred of a chance to save her...
Sona adjusted her glasses, the light glinting off the lenses. "Issei-kun, are you certain about this? I understand your desire to save her, but for a High-Class Devil, the selection of your peerage is a life-altering decision. Your pieces are limited."
"I don't care about that," I snapped, though not unkindly. "What matters right now is saving her life. If I stand here and do nothing, I'll never be able to live with myself."
Sona offered a small, knowing smile. "I see. That is a very 'Issei' sort of answer."
She was right, of course. Choosing a servant is a massive responsibility; you're bound to them, and they to you. You're supposed to weigh their abilities, their character, their potential.
But what was really eating at me was something else: Was I the right person to do this?
Diarmuid had always said she wanted to be Miwa's servant. She wanted to wait until Miwa was promoted so she could be reincarnated by her hand. That meant something to her. If I did this now, I was taking that away.
Even if I trade her back to Miwa later... is this right?
I looked at Diarmuid's shallow, ragged breathing, and then at Miwa, who was still clutching her hand.
Am I making a mistake?
I shook my head. I literally just said I'd regret doing nothing. Stop second-guessing yourself!
I caught Miwa's eye. Diarmuid couldn't answer me, so it had to be her.
"Is this okay?" I asked. Just those three words.
Miwa looked at Diarmuid for a long moment, then nodded firmly. She looked me straight in the eye, her voice trembling but certain. "Please... save Diar-san."
Miwa reached out, gave Diarmuid's cheek one last gentle brush, and stepped back to give me space. I placed the 'Knight' piece directly over Diarmuid's heart. I closed my eyes and poured every ounce of my will into a single thought.
Live.
"In the name of the Red Dragon Emperor, Issei Hyoudou, I command thee! Diarmuid, become a Devil and serve as my kin. Reincarnate now as my Knight!"
The piece erupted in a blinding crimson light. It hovered for a second, pulsating with heat, before sinking slowly into her chest.
In that light, a memory surfaced—the day of the career counseling, when I'd talked with Miwa.
—Diar-san told me she really thinks of me as family. I think it's the same way I feel about you, Big Brother.
—You mean... she thinks of you as an older sister?
—Yeah, probably. She said she finally learned how to smile after coming to our house. That she felt like she'd found something she'd lost.
She was blunt and unsociable, sure, but lately, she'd been smiling. She saw Miwa as family. She'd protected my parents because she wanted to protect Miwa's happiness.
So you can't go yet!
"If you disappear, she's gonna cry, dammit!" I screamed, my voice raw and cracking. "Live! Live and smile! You're Miwa's sister, right? You're part of our family! This is where you belong! So... DON'T YOU DARE DIE!"
As if responding to my desperation, the red light intensified, turning searingly hot. Then, Diarmuid's entire body began to glow.
"What is...?" someone whispered.
I looked around. Shimmering, rainbow-colored particles were drifting through the room like snow. They were spilling out of the infirmary, out into the hall, and beyond.
The source was me—and Ignis. Our bodies were radiating a soft light, birthing these iridescent embers.
Ignis stepped forward and placed her hands over mine, a gentle smile on her face. "Issei, remember this feeling. Can you feel it? The heat of everyone's prayers? Their hopes?"
It hit me then. I could feel them—everyone's emotions flowing into me. It was the same sensation I'd felt in the Heavens... and when I fought Rizevim... when I received the holy swords from Xenovia, Irina, and Yaegaki.
Even Azazel-sensei looked baffled, but Ignis kept her eyes on me. "It is still incomplete. But you are changing—evolving. My true power and yours are beginning to weave together. So... this is what Assem was hoping for."
"Assem...? Why bring him up now?"
"You'll understand soon enough. When the potential inside you truly awakens. But... he is a tragic child. If my guess is right, he—"
Ignis trailed off, her eyes clouded with a deep, ancient sorrow. Had she figured out Assem's true goal? He'd told us some of it in the Underworld, but was there more to his plan?
Before I could ask, the rainbow particles faded, and the crimson light vanished. The piece was gone, settled deep within her soul. I could feel it now—the distinct, dark hum of a Devil's aura coming from her.
"Ngh... h-huh...?"
Diarmuid's eyes fluttered open. Miwa lunged forward, grabbing her hand. "Can you hear me? Can you see me?!"
"Master... Yes. I see you."
Diarmuid offered a faint, weary smile. Miwa burst into fresh tears of relief.
"What the—?! How is this possible?"
We all turned. Azazel-sensei was staring at the medical monitors, his brow furrowed in utter disbelief.
"What's wrong?" Rias asked.
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