"The Buchou I know has always been confident and noble. Please don't stay so dejected anymore. In the future, we'll face everything together. You were the one who brought me into the devil faction and the supernatural world—so please take responsibility, Buchou!"
Raising his hand and clenching his fist, a streak of crimson light flowed across his knuckles and forearm. At this moment, Issei's will and emotions were extremely intense, and he was being just as serious.
"Buchou, didn't you say that guy also seems to be a Sacred Gear wielder, and a human as well?"
Rias looked at Issei, whose expression was resolute, with some confusion, not quite understanding what he was getting at.
Although that man called Raize had been terrifyingly strong just now, she was certain he was a pure human.
An unbelievably strong human. There had been no information about him in the Gremory family's intelligence network, and she was already planning to investigate him when she had the time.
If Raize had merely been strong enough to amaze her, rather than to make her tremble in fear, she would definitely have invited him to become her peer.
But Raize was far too strong—so strong that he surpassed all of them by an enormous margin. If she dared say something like that, she would truly be brain-dead.
When did strong people serve the weak? And even try to make him your servant?
"Buchou, don't forget that your servants also include Sacred Gear holders. Since that guy who doesn't look much older than me can be that strong, then I can do it too!"
"When the time comes, I'll beat the hell out of that fiancé you hate. By that guy's logic—if he can't even defeat a mere servant of the Buchou, he still wants to marry you?"
Listening to Issei's earnest, hot-blooded declaration, everyone's gloomy mood improved quite a bit.
Akeno regained her smiling expression as she sized up the big-talking Issei, her evaluation of him rising slightly.
Koneko also looked at him and pouted. Although what he said was overestimating himself, it was undeniably sincere.
Sincere in wanting to help Rias break free from her predicament.
Rias was also amused by Issei's sincerity and comedic bravado. Her face suddenly bloomed with her usual confident smile, and the words she spoke carried a teasing tone as well:
"That will have to wait until you grow stronger. Let's work hard together, Issei. If I end up powerless by then, I'll be counting on you~ If you really can do it, then you can touch mine and Akeno's oppai~"
"R-really!?!"
Issei, who had been brimming with passion and seriousness, instantly turned into a lecherous pig. His blood rushed upward as he stared in disbelief at Akeno's and Rias's magnificent boobs, spurting hot breaths from his nose as he repeated himself.
At that moment, his emotions and will burned even hotter—so much so that even the Sacred Gear within him resonated.
There was nothing more motivating than oppai. If there was, it would probably be something even more H.
"Ara ara~ since it's the master's wish, of course I'll comply." Akeno shot Rias an annoyed glance, then smiled at Issei's piggish face. A trace of lightning flashed at her fingertips as she said, "If Issei-kun really can become as strong as that man, then not just touching oppai—even more H things will be allowed~"
"If Issei-kun can defeat Rias's fiancé by then, perhaps Rias's fiancé will become you instead~"
Akeno was no longer joking. Devils revered power. If Issei truly displayed strength far beyond Rias's fiancé, it wouldn't be impossible for devils to accept it.
More likely, Rias's brother would maneuver behind the scenes and truly allow a more outstanding existence—one Rias wouldn't reject—to become his brother-in-law.
If Issei truly had power on the same level as that man Raize, then marrying Rias would be nothing. Even gaining more beautiful women would be perfectly natural.
But the premise was that you truly possessed strength worthy of respect and reverence—like Raize's.
"Ooooooh! I—I'm fired up! I have to become stronger!!"
Sure enough, Issei was completely stimulated by the future and rewards Akeno painted for him. Under everyone's amused, 'there goes the hot-blooded idiot again' gazes, his eyes—and even his body—were truly ignited with fighting spirit and… lustful flames.
Seeing Issei completely led astray and ignoring the harshness of reality, everyone found it rather funny.
But no one mocked this hot-blooded idiot. Only the relatively calm Sona would shatter his illusions and make him face reality. With a faint, ominous tone, she suddenly spoke up.
"If you're setting that man as your goal, then it's hard to say whether fate truly exists."
"Huh? Why would you say that?" Issei froze, confused.
With a smile that inexplicably made Issei feel a chill down his spine, Sona pushed up her glasses and turned her head toward the direction Raize had left.
"You are the wielder of the Longinus Sacred Gear Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet, Boosted Gear. And if Rias and I aren't mistaken, he is the wielder of the White Dragon Emperor's Light Wings, Divine Dividing. Do you know what that means?"
Everyone except Rias froze—both Rias's servants and Sona's servants alike. Their expressions became strange, their gazes subtle and filled with pity as they looked at the utterly baffled Issei.
Those looks made him extremely uncomfortable. Being stared at by everyone like that gave him the feeling of being excluded.
It was only natural they would think this way. At this point in time, Vali had not yet fully revealed himself as the host of Divine Dividing. Seeing the wings of light Raize used to travel, it was inevitable that they would jump to conclusions.
"W-what? What does it mean!?"
Issei was no longer fired up at all. He asked nervously, stammering.
"Issei-kun, the Sacred Gear you possess—the Boosted Gear—and Divine Dividing have such a story…"
Kind-hearted Kiba sighed and began explaining the origins of Issei's Sacred Gear to his naïve junior.
From the legends of the two Heavenly Dragons of old, to the long-standing feud passed down between the two famous Sacred Gears.
The more Issei listened, the greener his face became. The hot-blooded determination he had just mustered felt like it had been doused by a basin of ice-cold water.
"Throughout history, the hosts of the Divine Dividing and the Boosted Gear inherit the hatred between the two Heavenly Dragons. It's a life-and-death conflict—you could call it a battle of destiny."
After Kiba finished speaking, Issei nervously glanced in the direction Raize had left.
He was now very worried that Raize might suddenly come back and casually kill him, his destined rival. He wanted to become as strong as that man—but it was impossible to do so immediately.
Who knew whether the other party would take advantage of his weakness and kill him, the current Red Dragon Emperor?
"Um… can't we just not fight?" Issei asked pitifully as he looked at his Buchou and Akeno. "I don't really have any grudge against him."
Just imagining the power Raize had displayed earlier made his legs tremble. How could he possibly win right now?