Chapter 3: The Red Vigilante Rises
Issei was standing in a dark landscape. Looking around him, he saw nothing - Nothing but darkness.
"Ddraig?" Issei called. He was hoping the Red Dragon Emperor could hear him, but no answer came.
Issei called out again "Ddraig!"
Again, there was no answer.
Issei started to get uncomfortable. He started running… and running… and running… in the silent dark void. There was no sound, just the echoes of Issei's footsteps. It was then that he saw a light at a distance.
Gaining hope, Issei ran toward it. As soon as he arrived, his hopes turned into horror.
The sources of the light were the dead bodies of his parents! Issei stepped backwards in reflex. He wanted to run away, until…
"Well, well, well…" a voice came from the darkness. A man stepped forward, covered by a hood and a street jacket.
Issei looked at him in shock. It was the same thug who killed his parents!
"…if it isn't the piece of s*** that killed me the other night" he said, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Issei. Issei widened his eyes. He tried to run, but he couldn't because of fear.
The man pulled the trigger with the bullet hitting Issei in the leg. Issei fell down on his rear, screaming while holding his leg. The man smiled sadistically.
"How does it feel? Hurts, doesn't it? Well, now you are going to pay for killing me" the evil man said.
Issei whimpered in pain. He closed his eyes expecting death, until some voices echoed into Issei's head.
'Issei, don't give up!' one said.
'Wha-' Issei mentally responded. But another voice interrupted him.
'Indeed, don't give into fear! You still have so much to live for! You beat him once, now do it again!'
'B-but he's got my leg… I can't fight him like that!' Issei protested.
'Issei, calm down! When you are in a desperate situation like this, you must make sure to turn the disadvantage to an advantage!'
The thug approached Issei as he moved closer to Issei. He knelt down and put the gun to his temple.
'I'm dead!' Issei thought. 'How on earth, can I turn a disadvantage into an advantage? Unless… wait a moment…'
Issei just realized something. He saw a way to turn this situation around! But would it work? He had to try…
"Die you piece of s***!" the man said before squeezing the trigger.
"BANG!" the gun went, but not into Issei's head.
Instead, it went upwards, courtesy of Issei grasping the man's hand and the gun with both of his hands and pointing the gun barrel upward. As if by instinct, Issei summoned his Boosted Gear and crushed the man's gun, breaking it into many pieces.
"AAGH!" the thug screamed, as his gun wasn't the only thing being damaged. His right hand also suffered because Issei broke the bones of the thumb by using his right arm.
As the man fell down, while clenching his right arm, Issei used this opportunity to grab a hold of him and smash his face with the gauntlet-covered left arm.
The thug struggled, but Issei was stronger.
[Boost!] the gauntlet rang, increasing Issei's strength.
Over and over Issei punched him, but the man tried hard to break free from Issei's hold.
[Boost!] it went again. Issei was going all out, his fists hitting him with the strength of a hammer.
The thug's resistance broke and so Issei managed to punch him in the face again and again.
The villain's face got bloodier and his strength weaker with each punch, until he moved no longer.
Seeing that he was dead, Issei stopped and fell down right beside him. The voices started echoing again in his head, as he was lifted up into the air.
'Who… who are you…?' Issei asked weakly.
'You did well, Issei…' one of the voices said.
'I couldn't be more proud of you…my son…' said the other one.
Issei widened his eyes as he recognized the voices who were speaking to him.
'M-mum…? Dad…?'
'Issei, there is so much we wish we could say… But we don't have much time… Please, whatever happens, you must never give up on life… You have so much to live for… so much to see…' his mum said as her voice faded away.
"Wait! Come back!" Issei shouted.
'We'll always love you… Goodbye, Issei…' his father said before his voice faded, too.
"Wait! Mum! Dad!" Issei shouted again, desperately trying to get his parents to stay, but to no avail.
Eventually, as Issei went up higher in the air, the light became brighter and brighter, engulfing him in the light.
Kuoh, Japan – Issei's room, Hyoudou Residence – 4:30 am
"AAGH!" Issei awoke with a scream.
Breathing heavily, he looked around. He was in his room on his bed. At that he relaxed.
"It was a dream. It was just a dream…" Issei mumbled.
To be honest, although it was a nightmare, it left him a bittersweet aftertaste. He saw his parents again, even though it was a dream.
Though, he had to admit, for a dream that seemed pretty realistic.
[Partner!] Ddraig called to him worriedly.
"Ddraig!" Issei yelped in surprise. "Where were you and what the heck was that dream all about?"
[I looked into your head. I saw everything. I presume it was a nightmare] Ddraig answered.
"That still doesn't explain where you were" Issei said. Ddraig sighed in response.
[I was with you, Partner. But I intentionally stayed out.]
"What!? Why!?" Issei demanded.
[Because I wanted to see how you would deal with your nightmares) Ddraig explained. [Besides, it turned out to be a good training opportunity for you. You learned how to turn a disadvantageous situation into an advantageous one.]
"Really, huh?"
[Yes. But that's not all. You were able to face your traumas head on and defeat them. That, partner, is a very good beginning to becoming stronger. I'm impressed. You have a lot of potential...] Ddraig praised Issei. Issei just put his hand behind his head and blushed.
"Oh, please… Stop, you're flattering me, hehehe…" Issei chuckled.
[…Which is even more reason, why I want you to get dressed and go run the same course as yesterday] Issei froze for a second.
"W-w-wait, what?" Issei asked confused.
[You heard me! Only this time, you're going to run back to the graveyard, then to the hospital, then to school and then back here. Get running! Didn't you say you wanted training?] Ddraig asked rhetorically. Issei struggled to find an answer.
"Umm, well…" Issei actually didn't want to get out of bed. It was about 4:30 in the morning. Who would want to get up at this time? On the other hand, he knew Ddraig was right, so he struggled to say anything.
[Well then get your lazy bum out of bed! We've got a long way to go! And I promise you, it won't be easy. Now move it!] Ddraig demanded.
Issei got up as demanded and got dressed. It took him five minutes until he was finished, before he rushed downstairs. Issei was putting his shoes on until Ddraig suddenly made him stop.
[Wait! Before you go, take a wristwatch and your school bag with you.]
"What? What for?" Issei asked.
[The wristwatch to record your running time and your school bag in order to add weight to yourself] Ddraig answered.
"Weights? Really?" Issei groaned.
Running all the way from the graveyard to the hospital to Kuoh Academy and then to his house was exhausting enough. However, the home-graveyard-hospital-school-home course that Ddraig told Issei to run was going to be especially arduous.
Moreover, he was going to carry his school bag during his marathon, so that was going to be tough.
Nevertheless, Issei complied. He needed to get stronger. He had no other choice. If what Ddraig said about the three factions coming after him was true, then he had to do this.
As the saying goes no pain, no gain.
Going upstairs, he took his school bag and his wristwatch with him. After that, he went down, put his shoes on, opened the door and left the house.
Outside, 5:00 am
Issei huffed and puffed as he jogged with his school bag behind his bag. It was dark outside with very few if any people or vehicles in sight. It was quiet, the air was cool and all that Issei heard was himself. Issei had to admit, seeing the streets of Kuoh like this was quite fascinating. It was as if Kuoh was completely deserted - but Issei knew better, of course.
'No wonder, given that most of them are sleeping' Issei thought.
He eventually got by the cemetery. That was when Ddraig gave him the first instructions outside the house.
[Go in] Ddraig instructed.
"Go in?" Issei asked confused.
[Yes, go in, go to the graves of your parents and then leave. I figured you need the extra exercise.]
"Must I do this?" Issei groaned. He didn't want to go to the cemetery again, holds to many sad memories. Ddraig nodded.
[Yes, must. Now move it, Partner.] Ddraig beckoned.
He figured it would be good training for Issei. Not only physically, but also in order to cope with the dark (and also in order to come to better terms with his parents' death).
Issei went in. The cemetery was even darker than the streets. Issei stumbled on, as Ddraig guided him.
[Forward, to the right, no not that way, there!] Ddraig gave Issei multiple directions in order to find the graves of his parents.
Issei tried as well as he could, but it was not easy for someone who didn't have night vision (which Ddraig had, by the way).
Eventually, Issei did find the grave of his parents. He collapsed on his knees, as he did so.
[All right, Partner. You can take a break for five minutes. From now on, for every run you will take each morning, this will be a checkpoint of a sort] Issei was shocked when he heard "run" and "every morning".
"Seriously, Ddraig? We're going to do this every morning?" Issei complained.
[Indeed, what do you think soldiers have to go through when they join the army? They go through grueling exercises like morning runs and calisthenics in order to build up their bodies. Besides, the devils, for example, have much stronger and more robust bodies than you. They are able to move faster and have more strength in their bodies than any human ever would.]
Issei dropped a sweat at this. This was definitely not going to be easy. He thought that if he had to continue this exercise for… don't know how long, he might eventually die from that, than get killed by the three factions.
However, Issei did have a question about becoming stronger.
"What about the Boosted Gear? Didn't you save my power goes up with every boost?" Issei asked. Surely, if he had that why even train?
[While it is true that your power doubles up with every boost, it can only go as far as body can take it. After that, it will reset and you will lose all the power you have gained. Besides, it can only boost every ten seconds. What do you think would happen if you were to fight an enemy that could finish you off before you could reach the desired strength?]
Issei shuddered at that. Ddraig had a point. No matter how good your sacred gear is, it would not help you if you're not in shape, similar to how a kid with a machine gun, could still lose to an experienced soldier with a handgun.
Issei sighed. He sure had many things that he had to do before things got better. Before he could ponder about it some more, Ddraig spoke up.
[Partner, you still have three minutes left. If you want to say anything to your parents before you leave, then you better do so now.] Issei jolted up in response.
'Oh yeah' Issei remembered. 'Since I am here, why not?'
He got up from the ground and walked up to his parents' graves.
"Hi, mum, dad" Issei said. "As you can see, Ddraig made me run this grueling marathon. I had to wake up at four just to run, can you believe that?" Issei chuckled.
"Yeah, unfortunately, I'm not yet done. I still have to run to the hospital, pass by Kuoh Academy and then get home – with this school bag, no less!" Issei said while showing his school bag.
"So, yeah… as you have heard, I don't have much time so I have to make this quick. I…" Issei drifted off. He thought it would be weird if he said it, but since supernatural beings of all kinds exist, why not?
"… I wanted to thank you… for saving me from that thug in my dreams. I don't know whether you came back to rescue me or whether it was just my imagination, but I wanted to thank you, nonetheless…" Issei smiled a bit, before it vanished.
"Ironic, isn't it?" Issei continued. "I couldn't save you when that guy killed you and yet… you saved me… after you died…" Issei began tear up.
"I… I failed you... Even, when I had all this power stored inside me… I still could not save you… Yet, you were able to save me… I'm pretty pathetic, isn't it?" Issei said in a self-mocking tone.
"Well, I won't stay weak for long." Issei said before wiping his tears away. "I'll become stronger. I will definitely become stronger. I'll make sure that I'll continue to train with Ddraig, even if it kills me." Issei then turned around and adjusted his school bag.
"I won't disappoint you. Until then. See you tomorrow." Issei said before departing.
He once again, continued his long and tough jogging course. Although, Issei was still somewhat tired, he felt energized. Speaking to his dead parents gave Issei the necessary motivation to press on.
Ddraig chuckled at that. It seemed like having Issei come here was the best decision. This was going to be interesting.
Later at 6:20 am at Issei's house
Issei lay exhausted on the floor at the door, his breathing heavy. That run took a lot out of him. His bag was lying on the floor and Issei was reeking of sweat.
Moreover, it turns out that Issei had jogged took one hour and forty minutes! Seriously, how did he do that? Granted, Ddraig gave Issei a five-minute break at the cemetery, but still! Running like that might really kill him some day…
[Partner?] Ddraig spoke up.
Issei looked up weakly in response. "Yeah...?" Issei asked still exhausted.
[I must say, you did quite well there, running like that. You just have to make sure that you do this every morning. Eventually, you will get used to it and then you will not be as exhausted as you are now.] Ddraig praised him. [I wanted to have you start combat training right after the run, but I'll save it for a later date once you get used to running.] Issei widened his eyes at that.
"W-wait…" Issei said weakly. "I want… to begin… combat… training…" Ddriag was surprised at Issei's request.
[Partner, you are too exhausted. Wait till-]
"N-no…" Issei interjected while getting up. He barely managed to stand and his breathing was still heavy. "I want to become stronger… and I want to do so, now…"
[Partner…]
"Ddraig, please…" Issei said.
Ddraig marveled at Issei's resilience. He saw fire in his eyes, a zeal to get things done, something many of his previous holders had and yet Ddraig always was astounded at how his holders tried to become better.
However, Ddraig knew better. Why? Because Issei then fell down on his knees, clutching the sofa nearby in order to prop himself up.
[Partner, I understand your desire to become stronger, but you must not overexert yourself. You might end up harming yourself more than building up your body.]Ddraig spoke.
Ddraig meant what he said, after all, he was one of the two Heavenly Dragons and those two always craved for a good fight, trying to become stronger.
Suddenly, there was an audible grumbling coming from Issei's stomach. Issei clutched his tummy in embarrassment.
[Another good reason to take a rest, Partner. Your stomach seems to demand some food before we continue] Ddraig joked as Issei's stomach continued to growl.
At 6:30 am in the Hyoudou residence
Issei was munching hungrily on some chocolate cereal, devouring it as though he had not eaten in days. It felt like a whole day had passed and yet it was still early in the morning. He had about an hour before he had to get ready for school.
Issei sighed the moment he thought of school. He remembered that he left school early because of his depression. Surely, Matsuda and Motohama may have told the teachers about it. He wondered if the student council president knew about his parents' death as well.
Issei thought. How could he show his face at school? He bet that everybody would be staring at him. Issei shuddered at the thought. The last thing he wanted was to be an object of pity for the rest of the school.
That was not his problem though. The three factions… Devils, angels and fallen angels… Where were they? Did they already find out his identity? Could it be that they were at Kuoh Academy, too? If Issei had to fight them, he would not stand a chance against them. Sure, he could double his powers by every ten seconds, but like Ddraig said, if the enemy could finish Issei off before he could power up, he would be dead before the fight even started.
Now that he thought about it, what would they do with ordinary people like him anyway? Do they just keep to themselves while fighting each other or did they have even more sinister goals? Is enslaving humanity one of them?
Issei shook his head. No, that is impossible. If they wanted to do that, they would have done it a long time ago.
'But still…' Issei thought. 'There is always the possibility that at least some of them might try to do so… just like in shonen anime…'
Whatever the case, if they wanted a fight they would have to go through him. He was the holder of the Boosted Gear and the Red Dragon Emperor. He would not go out without a fight and anyone who to take him on would have to realize this the hard way.
Issei stood up from where he sat and summoned the Boosted Gear and did a power-rangers-like pose to make his point.
"Beware you evil-doers! Your days of terrorizing and oppressing humanity are over! I, Hyoudou Issei, will see to it that you will be brought to justice!" Issei exclaimed.
[Partner, what are you doing?] Ddraig deadpanned.
Issei snapped out of his fantasies, as he sat back down.
"Nothing, ehehehe…" Issei laughed it off.
He continued eating breakfast that morning, keeping his thoughts to himself.
7:40 am - On the way to school
"Haaah…" Issei yawned. Despite his apparent fatigue, he was nervous. Worrying about his classmates and the dangers of violent supernatural beings made him wary.
"Oh well, at least Matsuda and Motohama are there for me" Issei said.
As if on cue, Matsuda and Motohama appear and greet Issei. They seemed to be a bit nervous for some reason. It probably must be because of yesterday's gloominess. Perhaps they thought Issei must have still been affected by it.
"H-hey, Issei…" Matsuda began. "How are you… today…?"
"I'm fine, guys" Issei reassured them. "It was kind of rough, knowing that your parents are dead… but I still got the future to look forward to, right? I'm pretty sure that's what my mum and dad would have wanted."
The two perverts brightened up. He wasn't gloomy anymore, though they still treaded carefully with him.
"Well, that's good to hear" Motohama continued. "But what are you going to do, now that you're… well… an orphan?" Matsuda's face paled out of shock.
"Dude! Saying "orphan" isn't all that appropriate, you know." Matsuda said, rebuking him. But Issei calmed him down.
"Guys, it's ok!" Issei reassured them yet again. "As for your question, I'm not sure what will happen to me, but I'm pretty sure I won't be sent to an orphanage or anything like that."
Suddenly, Issei remembered something he wanted to ask the two.
"Guys?"
""Yeah?""
"What about classes? Did I miss anything important?" Issei asked.
The two looked at each other, before looking at Issei.
"Well, you missed quite a few lessons in physics, geography and chemistry, but other than that, there wasn't that much homework" Motohama answered.
"Oh… that's good to hear…" Issei said. Inwardly, he was relieved.
'Whew, at least there isn't that much homework I have to take' Issei thought.
"Although…" Matsuda continued. Issei perked up. Although what?
"The student council president has been asking for you. She has been wondering about why you left school that day… and we told her… about your parents…" Matsuda confessed.
"What!?" Issei exclaimed. The student council president asked for him? That doesn't sound good.
"A-and what about the teachers?" Issei asked urgently.
"Well, we only told the teachers that you were ill, just like you said. Although, Murayama and Katase apparently found out about your depression. Did you tell them about your parents?" Matsuda asked Issei.
Issei quickly shook his head. "They only saw me leave school early… I may have lashed out at them, but… anyway how did Shitori-kaichou find out?"
"Well…" Motohama said. "Apparently, they were the ones who went to Shitori-kaichou and told her about what they knew. Naturally, she called us to her office and asked us about you. We tried to tell her what you wanted to tell us, but… uh…" he drifted off. Issei narrowed his eyes, as Motohama seemed to be nervous about what he was going to say next.
"What did she do…?" Issei asked in cold tone. Matsuda continued where Motohama left off.
"Well, you see… she apparently found out that we were lying… because, you know… the kendo girls told her about you being upset and so… and how you didn't seem sick, but depressed… and… well…"
"And well what?" Issei queried.
"She threatened to have us work for another week in the school yard! And that's when we told her!" Issei's gaze softened. So that was the reason, huh?
"Y-yeah, after we told her that she seemed kind of shocked" Motohama said.
"Totally, we've never seen her this shocked before! Normally, she has this strict appearance and look that can make anybody step away as though she were a demon, but to see her like this…" Matsuda trailed off.
The three of them just let the image hit them – especially Issei! The strict cold student council president being shocked? That was something they couldn't warp their minds over.
"But that's not all!" Matsuda suddenly remembered. "She also barraged us with a lot of questions."
"Questions?" Issei asked. What kind of questions could she possibly be asking?
"Yeah, like if you were ok or how your parents died…" Matsuda recounted.
"…or whether you had relatives who could take care of you or whether your parents had enemies…"
Issei was overwhelmed by these questions. He was already shocked to find out that the student council president knew about his tragedy. But now it sounded like she was literally concerned for him. He could barely even imagine the look on her face or how she sounded like.
'Oh, boy! What have I gotten myself into?' Issei wondered.
"Anyway, I think we should get to school first. When did she say she wanted to meet me?" Issei asked.
"As soon as possible, she said" Motohama replied.
"Yikes, is my morning going to be more hectic than it already is?" Issei asked aloud.
As if on cue a three brown and black bull-dogs come out of nowhere and charge full speed at the perverted trio, snarling as they went.
Seeing the three dogs, they immediately widened their eyes before instinctively running for their lives.
"ISSEI!" Motohama screamed.
"WE TOLD YOU NEVER TO ASK THAT KIND OF QUESTION AGAIN!" Motohama screamed as well.
"NEVER MIND THAT, WHERE DID THOSE FRIGGIN' DOGS COME FROM!?" Issei shouted.
"WAIT! FIFI! FUFU! FOFO! COME BACK HERE!" a man wearing a singlet, shorts and sandals shouted chasing, behind the dogs. Judging by the leashes and collars around their necks, it seemed like he was taking his dogs for a walk, but had seemingly lost control of them for some reason.
"""WHAT KIND OF NAMES ARE FIFI, FUFU AND FOFO!?""" the perverted trio yelled, as they ran for their lives.
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEM? THEY'RE LOVELY DOG NAMES!" the man exclaimed.
The bulldogs, in the meantime, were gaining on them, coming closer and reaching out to bite them.
[Hmm, I should consider, using dogs for our next training…] Ddraig thought out loud.
"OH NO! DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED, DDRAIG! I HAVE NO TIME FOR YOUR GAMES!" Issei yelled annoyed, clearly not in a mood for games.
"Who were you talking to, Issei?" Motohama asked Issei, while looking back at him and running.
"Uhh… No one… ehehehe… No one in particular…" Issei chuckled while still running. His face turned into a frown a bit later.
'Come on! I have been running all morning for more than an hour and a half! Just give me a break already!' Issei thought while the dogs were just a few inches away from him and were ready to bite him.
8:02 am at Kuoh Academy
"All right, class!" the math teacher said. "We'll continue with our algebra lesson on page-"
"""WAHHHH!""" a scream interrupted her, as the perverted trio came running only to trip due to their own clumsiness and fall through the doorless classroom (the door's repairs were scheduled to be on the upcoming weekend).
The whole class jumped up in shock, but then immediately calmed down as they had a sense of déjà-vu about this situation. But to their surprise, this time the perverted trio had tears on their school uniforms and bruises and bite-marks all over their bodies.
"MATSUDA; MOTOHAMA AND ISSEI! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?! AND THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU!?"
"SORRY, TEACHER!" Matsuda responded, while getting off the ground.
"A BUNCH OF DOGS WERE TRYING TO KILL US!" Motohama added, likewise getting up.
"YEAH, BUT LUCKILY MANAGED TO ESCAPE WITH OUR LIVES! THE OWNER USED A SPECIAL WHISTLE TO CALL THEM OFF! Though I wish he could have done that before we were almost mauled to death" Issei finished, also standing up.
"I DON'T CARE!" the teacher yelled. "That doesn't excuse coming late to class! You're going to sit down, right now! I will go to the the student council to notify them of your lateness. Until then, turn to page 65 to 66 and read the text until I come back!"
The teacher left the class and promptly went to the principal's office.
The perverted trio quietly went to their seats and sat down as they took out their math books and turned to the given pages.
Whispering and gossiping about the perverted trio became the order of the day once again.
"Dogs chasing the perverted trio, hehe, I would have given the world just to see that."
"You know, it's a shame they didn't kill them. They would have been doing the world a good favor."
"Wow, look at those bruises! I sure am glad they even got wrecked by those dogs! Perverts and extreme fetishists like them need to die!"
Matsuda sighed. Everybody liked to gossip about them and say all kinds of stuff about them. They just wouldn't understand the love for sex and oppai. If they did, they wouldn't be gossiping about them.
'Oh well, I guess people never will learn' Matsuda thought sadly.
"Hey, guys. I heard the rumors. I heard Issei's parents died a few days ago" a girl with raven-black hair said. At that, everyone perked up.
'They found out? Oh boy… this is going to be a doozy…' Issei thought.
"Wait, is that true?" a boy asked. The other boy nodded in response.
"Yeah, I heard it from one of the girls in the student council. Apparently, they were going home from the Grand Old Theater in the city when they were ambushed" the raven-haired girl said.
"Ambushed how?" Katase asked this time.
"They were ambushed in an alley. His mum got smashed over the head with a gun and his dad, well, he got shot. Interestingly, the killer himself was killed, too."
"Really how?" Murayama asked.
"The killer had his spine broken for some reason. We don't know who did him in, but whoever it was, he had a red gauntlet on his arm" the girl smirked while answering.
Matsuda and Motohama looked at each other with uneasy faces. They were the ones who unwittingly spread the information of the details of Issei's parents' death and they were starting to regret it.
'We should have never talked about it in the first place' Motohama thought regretfully.
But he also didn't have a choice. It was either that or face the wrath of the student council president.
Katase and Murayama were shocked. What kind of people would do these kinds of horrible things?
Sure, they have heard of murders and violence of all kinds, but actually finding out that one of your classmates was an indirect victim of such a callous act…
So that explained why Issei was so broken yesterday. He had lost his parents… and they were pouring salt on his wounds by scolding him the other day.
They felt terrible. Really, terrible…
"Wow, sounds awful…" the first boy said. The raven-haired girl laughed it off.
"To be honest, I'm kind of glad that something bad happened to him. Hopefully, his perverted antics will die down because of it" she said spitefully.
At that, Issei widened his eyes. He thought he misunderstood. Someone was happy that his parents were killed? No, this has got to be some kind of joke!
"Umm… I'm not sure if that's the right thing to say…" Murayama said. She didn't like where this was heading.
"Oh, come on!" another girl with red hair said. "Perverts like that need to be taught a lesson! They don't even deserve any shred of happiness" she continued on haughtily.
Matsuda and Motohama were shocked by those callous words. They knew that people didn't like them. And they also knew that people wanted them "to die" in the words of the club, but this was different
Issei's confusion on the other hand started to turn into anger. How dare they! Making fun of him at the expense of his suffering!
Being hated by the school was one thing.
Being gossiped about was one thing.
Being insulted for his love for oppai was one thing.
Being beaten by the kendo club for peeping was one thing.
But this? Insulting his parents?
Issei started trembling at his desk in anger. He was trying to stay calm in the hopes that all this hurtful talk would stop, but it didn't.
"I mean, come on" the raven-haired girl continued. "These perverts are practically rapists. They treat you like sex objects. I mean, you girls should know" she said looking at Murayama and Katase. "They peep on you all the time."
Issei grew angrier. His hopes of staying calm were fading.
"I just hope Hyoudou would starve to death since his mummy and daddy won't be there to cook for him."
Issei's anger was starting to boil. He gritted his teeth and clenched his left hand.
"Or better! He'll be sent to the orphanage with poor quality-food" the red-haired girl gave her two cents.
Issei was getting furious. His bangs were overshadowing his eyes. He was considering many different ways of how to hurt those girls for their words.
"He must have been crying like a wuss when he found out about their deaths" A blond-haired girl added mockingly.
"Yeah, like "Mummy, Daddy, please come back! I need you guys to support my porn-obsessed lifestyle for the next 20 years!"" the raven-haired girl said, making the impression of a whiny little kid.
The other two girls laughed in response, though the kendo girls looked on uncomfortably.
Matsuda and Motohama were angry. There have been many times in their lives where they had been angry, but nowhere nearly as this.
But the worst one effected was Issei.
He has had it.
He was going over there and show it to them and he knew just the way how to do it.
He stood up quietly, his bangs still covering his eyes and walked over.
The girls were so engrossed talking, they didn't even notice him coming near them.
Matsuda and Motohama looked confused, as Issei approached those girls. They noticed that how calm he looked, but they knew that something wasn't right. The rest of the class thought the same thing.
Approaching those three girls, Issei walked on, he started to approach the raven-haired girl. At that, the girls stopped talking and glared at Issei.
At that Matsuda and Motohama had a bad feeling about what Issei was going to do, so they stood up as well and started walking over to them to prevent any escalation.
"What do you want, Hyoudou?" the raven-haired girl asked meanly.
Issei didn't say a word. But then…
"KYAAA!" the raven-haired girl screamed.
Everyone looked in shock as they saw what their classmate was doing.
Issei suddenly grabbed her hair and yanked her forward causing her to fall to the floor, her chair falling down as well.
But Issei wasn't done.
Still holding her hair, he forced her to stand. She yelled in pain as she was forced up, only to be punched full force in the face, sending her flying to the floor again, head first, knocking her unconscious.
The result of Issei's pummeling was a bleeding nose and a bloodied head.
The classmates closest to her gathered around her to check on her, as she lay on the ground. She wouldn't be getting up any time soon.
"HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" the blond-haired girl yelled, as she stood up.
Issei didn't reply, he just grabbed her by the shirt near her chest and shoved her at the nearest wall. The girl yelped as she hit the wall.
Normally, he'd be aroused at just feeling near her oppai, but he was so enraged that he didn't care about that. Instead, he just grabbed her throat and punched her in the face repeatedly as she tried in vain to free herself, but to no avail.
After the fifth punch, the red-haired girl, along with a number of other students, stepped in trying to force him away from her. Issei let go of her, as the blond-haired girl fell to the floor with a bloody and bruised face, gasping for air.
"HEY; WHAT THE HELL, MAN!?"
"ARE YOU CRAZY!?"
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" the red-haired girl screamed.
Issei turned his eyes at the red-haired girl in anger.
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!? WHAT'S SO FUNNY ABOUT MY PARENTS' DEATH, HUH?" Issei shouted, trying to break free. But unfortunately, his classmates had a tight grip on him.
"WHAT'S THE MATTER? CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH? FACE IT, YOU AND YOUR THREE FRIENDS DESERVE TO BE MISERABLE! ESPECIALLY AFTER RAPING US WITH YOUR MINDS LIKE YOU DO!" she shouted back. Issei snarled as he tried to get her, but the boys that restrained him, really did a good job at that.
As the class was restraining Issei, Matsuda and Motohama approached her.
"HEY, WHAT DO MEAN WE DESERVE TO BE MISERABLE?" Motohama yelled.
"YEAH, ARE YOU TELLING US THAT YOU WISH OUR PARENTS TO BE DEAD, AS WELL?" Matsuda queried angrily.
"AS A MATTER OF FACT, YES!" she replied.
With that, even Issei's two friends were itching for a fight.
"YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'VE HAD IT! MOTOHAMA?" Matsuda yelled. Motohama nodded, as they pounced on her like a pack of hungry wolves.
"OH NO, NOT YOU, TOO!" the kendo duo shouted as they got up to restrain those two idiots.
Matsuda was restraining the red-haired girl while Motohama was on top of her. She struggled hopelessly, but Matsuda was too strong.
"TAKE THIS! NIPPLE TWISTER!" Motohama yelled, as he twisted two of her most sensitive parts. She yelled as Motohama caused her a lot of pain.
Thankfully, he was yanked off by the ear and his buddy Matsuda likewise had to let go for the same reason.
"NO, PERVING AROUND, WHILE WE ARE HERE!" Katase shouted.
"YEAH, NO WAY IN HELL!" Murayama added.
By now, the neighboring classes had already gathered in front of the classroom to see what the commotion was all about.
They saw Issei raging like a deranged beast, struggling to get up from the floor, while his classmates were still restraining him.
They also saw Motohama and Matsuda, who were still being held by their ears by the kendo girls.
But most shockingly of all were the three girls on the floor.
One of them had bloodied and bruised face and was crying, as a girl was comforting her.
Another was lying unconscious and bleeding on the floor from her nose and head, as classmates tended to her.
And another girl was writhing and seething in pain, while tossing and turning on the floor while holding and rubbing her… chest.
While they were pondering about what they were seeing, the math teacher came storming in with the principal.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?" the principal shouted.
Everybody stopped what they were doing. It was principal Hiroto Kujou himself.
"I was in the middle of doing important work when one of the students here came up to me and told me about a fight that was going on. Now will someone enlighten me why there are… three students here obviously injured…" he said glancing at the injured girls on the ground.
"…A whole bunch of rowdy boys wrestling in class…" he said looking at Issei and the boys pinning him down. They all backed off from Issei, while he got up and dusted himself off.
"… and girls pulling ears here?" he finally turned to Murayama and Katase. Embarrassed, they let go of Matsuda's and Motohama's ears, leading the two boys to massage their ears.
Everybody tried to explain. But the chattering was so loud that the principal shouted: "ENOUGH!"
The chattering stopped immediately.
"I want all of you to go to the hallway in front of the student council and wait there. And I want someone of you to call an ambulance. These young ladies need medical attention" he said before turning away.
The class did as they were told. They left one by one and went to the student council.
Issei and his two friends left as well, as they looked each other in the eyes. They were clearly down. They already had enough trouble for today, why did they need some more?
The one who was most affected was Issei. First his parents were dead, then he finds out that the supernatural was after him, then he has had to deal with his parents' burial, then his school finds out about his tragedy, then the troubles with the dogs and now mean-spirited classmates that managed to anger him like never before.
Issei dreaded what was coming before him. He already was scared of meeting with Shitori-kaichou. But now, he had even more reason to be scared. He was going to have to deal with the principal as well – and maybe the police, too!
Issei just sighed in resignation. He made sure not to wonder what could get worse because, clearly, a lot could get worse! He just wanted to go home and go to sleep.
And so Issei went, expecting the worst from what the future holds for him.