Chapter 68: The Perfect Red Dragon Emperor (II)

10+ Advance Chapters: patreon.com/Accel14

Discord Link: KQAtTw9u7x

500 Power Stones = Extra Chapter 

━━━━━

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!] 

Now that Issei was in [Balance Breaker], there was no longer any need for him to abide by the 10 second interval the [Boosted Gear] had in its base form. His aura expanded immensely as a result, his comrades watching from afar able to feel their skin tingle with a certain hotness in spite of their distance from the battle. 

Serafall on the other hand could afford to be much closer, interested to witness Takauji fighting first-hand. 

"Now we're getting somewhere," Takauji coated himself in [Touki], Issei's eyes widening from behind his helmet as he felt his opponents strength skyrocket. "Don't get surprised too early on, there's still much for me to show you." 

To Takauji's surprise, Issei didn't recklessly charge at him like usual. Instead, he heard the sound of his scale mail starting to tremor as his pieces of it started to fall onto the ground, reducing the weight of his armor significantly. 

"I didn't know it was possible to integrate Evil Pieces into the [Boosted Gear] in such a way, color me impressed, Hyoudou Issei." 

[Illegal Move Triaina: Welsh Sonic Boost Knight!] 

His current form made use of an illegal move he had invented, allowing his scale mail to assume three different forms, each of which held different specialities. 

His current Knight form exchanged a great deal of his defense for superior speed, a high risk high reward type ability. 

"I'm not the same from back then, not even remotely." Issei lunged forth, taking off at bullet-like speed with Ascalon primed and ready to pierce through Takauji's defense. 

CLANG! 

"What a coincidence, neither am I." Even with Issei's current speed, Takauji's reflexes were still more than capable of blocking his attack.

But Issei wasn't done. 

["Penetrate!"] 

He used Ddraig's ability to destroy any and all defenses again, catapulting Takauji into the distance as he landed his first solid attack on his former ally for the first time. Filling both him and his comrades with confidence. 

He had indeed grown. 

"So you're capable of activating that ability even after you land an attack, very impressive." 

Issei was left aghast, if Takauji's skin had been pierced by the Dragon-Slayer then there was no feasible way for him to be left unharmed after the attack. 

If it had pierced his skin. 

"But like your flames, that ability still isn't on Ddraig's level, therefore it does not carry the same level of certainty that it should have." The area of impact on Takauji's body had been lit up with [Null Vene], having blocked the attack head on. "Relax, just [Boost] a few more times and you should be able to surpass it." He casually suggested. 

Issei forced him to swallow down his shock, Ddraig had warned him, this would not be an easy fight. 

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!] 

The ground beneath him started to crack, his power still capable of reaching new heights, and Takauji's [Touki] tightening in response. Prepared to match whatever Issei threw at him. 

"You know what? I'm feeling a little nostalgic at the moment." Takauji activated [Umbral Rope], using it in its ranged form for the first time in a hot minute. "It's been a while since I've fought like this." 

He catapulted the Sayafushi copy towards him, Issei confident that he could accurately read and evade it in his current state, which would give him another opening to attack Takauji with, hopefully successfully hitting him with Ascalon this time. 

"Wha–" He was sure had calculated its trajectory correctly, so why was Takauji's blade currently lodged into his shoulder?

The answer was simple, Takauji had used [Phantom Blade], an old technique he had created to mask the trajectory of his attacks. 

"I told you, you need to start using those eyes of yours correctly. Even Raynare's proficiency is probably better than yours at the moment." 

Hearing that name did nothing good for his mental state.

Issei scowled, pulling out Sayafushi from his shoulder and crushing it with his brute strength, enduring the pain having a [Contamination] infused blade hit him caused. 

"Wrath is your concept, don't be afraid to embrace it. It'll only help you in the long run." He smiled, grabbing another Sayafushi and changing [Umbral Rope] to its close quarters mode. "You can smell it can't you? The ashes of Ddraig's power, breathe them in Hyoudou Issei. Let them give life to your strength." 

Not interested in listening to Takauji's nonsense, Issei dug his hands into the ground, lifting up a slab of concrete and hurling it towards him without hesitation. 

Takauji effortlessly cleaved the concrete in two, watching as Issei had Ascalon primed at him once more, only a few inches away from reaching him. 

"Stop worrying about strategy so much, it isn't like you anyways. Focus on bending your wrath to your will, that is the only thing that should matter to you." 

Having anticipated the move, Takauji created another [Umbral Rope] and wrapped it around Ascalon's metal. Tossing the blade aside, and then much to Issei's surprise, throwing away Sayafushi as well. 

"That blade is distracting you, let's change the rhythm a bit shall we?" 

Right before Takauji's fist slugged his stomach, Issei managed to switch into his [Welsh Dragonic Rook] form within a split-second. Sheltering him from much of the impact. 

"Now that's some serious mastery you have there, and I'm not being sarcastic either. I suppose that's to be expected with the path you've chosen, fusing all the predecessors into your soul, that is, at this point I'd say you've got about 20% done, would that be accurate?" 

Everyone that wasn't Takauji was left shocked, both at the revelation, and Issei at the fact that he knew such a thing. 

The normal path hosts of the [Boosted Gear] would take was to try to dominate the will of the predecessors, suppressing their insanity through nothing but brute force. There was also another path one could take, where you could try to free them of their chains, which was extremely tough to do, but possible to some extent. 

However, Hyoudou Issei had chosen neither. Instead, he was attempting to fuse the memories, experiences, and insanity of the predecessors into his soul. Including that of Belzard's and Elsha's, enabling him to acquire all the knowledge of the [Boosted Gear] that had been accumulated throughout its long history.

Like he had said, Issei really was attempting to become the Perfect Red Dragon Emperor. 

"How did you–" 

"How did I know? Remind me what the third line of the [Juggernaut Drive] chant is?" 

Issei swallowed a nervous gulp, eager to unveil just how much Takauji knew. 

"I laugh at the infinite, and I fret over the dream." He repeated. 

"I am part of that dream, a huge part of it actually." The 'infinite' referred to Ophis, and the 'dream' referred to Great Red, his other half. "Did you really think your predecessors could fear me without my knowing? Don't be ridiculous, I am the despair they're hanging onto Hyoudou Issei, my power is now a definite part of the [Juggernaut Drive]." 

Like Great Red had said, she was hope, and Takauji was despair. 

"What are you talking about?" 

Takauji sighed. 

"Ah, I thought Azazel had explained it to you, maybe it's still too early for us to have this conversation. You still haven't embraced your wrath enough for my liking if I'm being honest, talk to Ddraig about it later, he should be able to explain it in greater detail." He nonchalantly dismissed the topic. "Let's continue." 

Takauji inhaled a sharp breath, Issei breaking into a nervous sweat as he felt him starting to take the fight seriously. 

BAM! 

The glow around Takauji's fist darkened, being charged with [Contamination] as it tore through Issei's chestplate, even in his Rook form. 

A chunk of saliva jetted out of Issei's mouth, being met with a flurry of blows in quick succession, each hit feeling hundreds of times heavier than Sairaorg's when they had spared one another.

Issei's body ended up being shot backwards by the impact, the Red Dragon hoping he could use the distance put between them as an opportunity to recompose himself. 

"No chance." 

But Takauji caught his torso with [Umbral Rope] before his feet could even touch the ground, greeting him with a solid blow to the chin as Issei felt his brain rattle, nearly losing consciousness for a second. 

"What's wrong? You wanted a fight to the death didn't you? I didn't take you seriously back then, so I'm making up for it now." 

Taking full advantage of the momentum he had built up, Takauji leaped into the air with Issei still held within his grasp. Throwing him downwards, and shooting a bullet of [Touki] at him to worsen his crash. 

BOOM! 

A crater formed in the ground below, with Issei planted right in the middle of it, barely able to keep his eyes open from the onslaught of attacks he had just endured. 

"Oh no, I'll decide when we're finished." He picked Issei up, healing and revitalizing him with his [Senjutsu] before lightly tossing him aside. "You're not leaving until I see the you I want to see." 

It was obvious now, Takauji wasn't approaching the fight with the same level of indifference as before. Both his aura and manner of speech made that clear. 

"Why are you doing this?" Issei asked, bringing himself to his feet. "I'm trying to kill you, but you keep treating this like it's a training session or something, I don't understand!" 

"That's because it is a training session," he stated. "This isn't going to end, this back and forth between you and me. I don't care how strong or how resolute you become, as long as you're incapable of killing me, I will continue to teach you, beat you down, heal you, and wait for it to start all over again. Come at me with whatever intent you please, I promise you this isn't ever going to change." 

Issei hated Takauji, he had every right to hate him, his hatred for him had led him to this point after all.

But Takauji refused to hate him back, only interested in seeing him grow, nothing more. 

And that frustrated him, more than anything. 

"It's the same with Vali isn't it?" Takauji added. "He didn't kill you because he wanted to see if you could achieve more, I am the same. To you Asia's death meant everything, to me the only value it had was furthering your desire for strength. That's all." 

"You have no right to utter her name," he gritted his teeth. Furious to hear him say her name so casually. 

"You'll have to shut me up yourself if you want me to stop," he looked at the members of the Gremory peerage behind him. "My inaction was one of the causes behind Asia's death, but do you honestly believe that was the only cause?" 

"Are you seriously making excuses?" 

"No, I'm just trying to enlighten you. For example, if Asia had not been lured by Raynare she wouldn't have died, if Asia had not awakened [Twilight Healing] she wouldn't have died. If you had been stronger than Raynare back then she wouldn't have died. If your friends had cared about Asia more, instead of shunning her for her status as a nun she wouldn't have died. If they had allowed you to take measures to protect her earlier, instead of admonishing you for your association with her, she wouldn't have died. Honestly the list goes on and on." 

Takauji smiled, knowing exactly what was going through Issei's head at the moment. 

"But you don't care about those variables do you? You never have, hence why your rage is directed at me. Haha, not that I mind." He started to pace around him. "No, the only reason you care for, is the fact that Ashikaga Takauji didn't care about Asia Argento." 

"Stop acting like that's all that happened! You're the one who rescued Raynare!" 

"I did, what of it?" He said plainly. "It's not as if killing her would bring Asia back or anything, her soul had already faded away by the time we arrived at the church, or is the dissatisfaction of Raynare still being alive too much for you to bear?" 

Issei's emotions continued to boil, Takauji preparing to give him the last push he needed. 

"Wanna know something funny? If you had told me Asia was a Sacred Gear host, I would've saved her." 

And just like that, he had done it. 

Issei's aura imploded, Serafall scurrying to create a barrier around the Dragons to protect the members of the Gremory peerage. Those inside the West Youkai Faction were shocked to feel such an overbearing pressure crashing down on them, one that made them feel dread unlike anything before. 

The air was burning. 

"I, who am about to awaken."