章 20: Chapter 20: Talking to Issei
Evening at the Occult Research Club
In the warm room of the Occult Research Club, Rias Gremory sat on a large chair, her chin resting on her hand, her eyes absentmindedly looking out the window. Surrounding her were her close friends: Kiba Yuuto, Koneko Toujou, and Akeno Himejima.
"That boy… possesses a Boosted Gear," Rias said, breaking the silence.
"Really?" Akeno asked, her voice sweet but no less surprised.
"That's right," Rias nodded. "But the problem is… Hanzo is also keeping an eye on him."
"So that's why Hanzo saved Issei Hyoudou?" Kiba spoke up, his expression serious. "He's weak, but he has great potential. Hanzo must have seen that."
"… I think Hanzo-senpai saved Issei-senpai because they're friends. I think Hanzo-senpai is cold but he is a good person." Koneko said.
"Ara ara, what did Hanzo talk to you that you seem to think so highly of him. I'm curious." Akeno said when she saw that Koneko was in a good mood recently.
Rias fell silent, her eyes becoming sharper. "I'm hesitating. If I invite him to join the peerage, he will become a strong chess piece. But at the same time, that might also make Hanzo our sworn enemy." Akeno then looked towards Rias and spoke.
"Rias, you need to decide soon. If Issei goes to Hanzo's side, we will lose a precious talent."
Rias closed her eyes, her hands clenched. "I know.."
The room fell silent again, only the light from the lamps shining on Rias's thoughtful face.
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At the same time at Hanzo's house
The light from the large chandelier shone down on the living room, making everything inside radiate a majestic and powerful aura. Hanzo sat comfortably on the black velvet sofa, his legs crossed. Narberal walked over with a tray of water. She placed the cup on the table and said, "Here is your water, Hanzo-sama."
"Thank you, Narberal." Hanzo smiled in response and took the cup of water that the cute maid handed him.
In front of him, Kalawarner knelt on the soft carpet, her head bowed low as if she didn't dare look straight at him.
"Speak, Kalawarner." Hanzo's voice was deep but carried an undeniable weight.
Kalawarner raised her head, her eyes shining with awe. "Master, everything has gone as planned. Issei now has complete trust in Raynare. He doesn't suspect a thing."
Hanzo curled his lips slightly, a smile that contained satisfaction. "Very well. Raynare has played her role well. But you are no less important. Once Issei trusts us, manipulating him will become easier than ever."
Kalawarner bowed her head even deeper, feeling a strange sense of honor at hearing Hanzo's rare praise.
Hanzo placed his glass of water on the table, his sharp eyes seemed to penetrate the space.
"Tomorrow, I will take the next step. According to my calculations, he will come to me tomorrow before Rias can approach him. If she succeeds in pulling Issei into her peerage, all my plans will be in great danger."
He pondered while thinking about the fiery red haired girl. Hanzo's eyes showed calculation.
"No matter what, we cannot let her convince Issei. We will have to gain his complete trust."
"Kalawarner. Raynare is currently at Issei's house, right? Tell Raynare that. I want her to influence Issei to come see me tomorrow morning."
"Yes, master." Kalawarner bowed before leaving.
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The Next Morning
As the morning sun filtered through the cracks in the door, Issei stood before the large door of Hanzo's house. His mind was filled with questions and confusion after what had happened the night before. He didn't understand why this world was so complicated, but one thing he was sure of. Hanzo was the only one who could help him understand everything.
The door opened, and Narberal appeared. The beautiful but cold looking maid looked at Issei with eyes that showed no emotion.
Issei was surprised to see Hanzo living with the beautiful maid. Issei was stunned before Narberal urged him on.
"Hanzo-sama is waiting," she said curtly and stepped back, making way.
"Ah yes thank you." Issei scratched his head shyly.
Issei entered, his heart pounding. The room inside was simple but looked extremely luxurious. Hanzo sat on the sofa, his sharp eyes following him.
"Sit," Hanzo ordered, pointing to the chair opposite.
Issei nodded, sitting down with a stiff posture.
"You have many questions, right?" Hanzo began, his voice calm.
"Yes. I want to know… everything. What happened yesterday… this world… and why I got caught up in it all. Aniki, tell me."
Hanzo smiled slightly, placing his teacup on the table. "Good. Let me tell you. But remember, what I'm about to say, once you know it, you can't turn back."
Issei swallowed, but his eyes were firm. "I'm ready."
Hanzo began to explain, his voice deep but clear:
"In this world, there are more than just humans. Besides us, there are angels, fallen angels, demons, and many other supernatural beings. In order to protect humanity, God created special weapons called Sacred Gears. These are powerful artifacts, given to a select few, to help them fight against supernatural forces." Hanzo began to summarize the events surrounding him in an easy-to-understand way for Issei.
Issei listened, his eyes gradually shining with curiosity.
"Issei-kun, please activate your Sacred Gear for me to see."
Issei scratched his head and recalled how Raynare had instructed him to activate his Sacred Gear. Issei concentrated his power into his left hand. A red glove with a green gem and intricate patterns appeared on Issei's left hand. Hanzo nodded as he saw Issei's Sacred Gear and continued speaking.
"There are many types of Sacred Gears, but only thirteen are called Longinus, the strongest weapons, capable of destroying even gods. And your Boosted Gear, your Sacred Gear, is one of them."
Issei was startled, his eyes widening. "My Sacred Gear... is Longinus?"
"That's right," Hanzo nodded. "The Boosted Gear contains the soul of Ddraig, one of the Heavenly Dragons. It allows you to double your power every ten seconds. The power will increase until your body reaches its limit."
Issei looked down at his red gauntlet, feeling both excited and scared.
"But that's not all," Hanzo continued. "This town of Kuoh is ruled by two high-ranking devils from the Underworld: Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri. While they're not enemies right now, it's still best to be careful since no one knows what the future holds."
"Heh? Rias-senpai and Sona-buchou are devils?" Issei asked, surprised that the town he lived in was ruled by devils.
"That's right," Hanzo nodded.
"If they rule this town, why didn't they save me when I was attacked? They should have intervened when the fallen angels came to their territory."
"That's a good question, Issei-kun. I'm not sure… I have a theory, maybe they want to draw you to their side. They plan to kill you and then reincarnate you as a devil."
"Heh? Reincarnate me as a devil?" Issei exclaimed in surprise.
"High-level devils have the ability to turn humans into their subordinates through the Evil Pieces system, which are like pieces in chess. If you join Rias' peerage, you will become a reincarnated devil with a few weaknesses as a bonus."
"But why do they want me to join their peerage."
"Don't you already have the answer?" Hanzo looked at Issei's red glove and continued speaking.
"Rias will definitely find a way to approach you today."
Issei sat motionless, his mind reeling from the information he had just received.
"So… what should I do?" Issei said.
Hanzo stood up, approached and placed his hand on Issei's shoulder. "You have to decide for yourself. We are both human beings and friends. I will help you if you need it. Now it's time to go to school, Issei-kun." Issei raised his head, his eyes gradually becoming determined after hearing what Hanzo said.
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