"Partner," Ddraig's voice cut through her spiraling torment, firm but lacking condemnation. "Anger is a forge. It can temper resolve, fuel action. But this… this consuming fire? It only burns you from within. It serves no purpose but self-destruction."
It took long, agonizing moments. The storm of emotions didn't vanish, but Irumi wrestled it down, forced it into a semblance of control. The raw, screaming fury subsided into a cold, hard ember glowing deep within. She felt herself sinking onto the non-existent ground of her mindscape, utterly drained, utterly lost. She looked up at the immense, patient form of the Red Dragon Emperor.
"I… I don't know what to do," she whispered, the admission tasting like ash. "Where do I even start?"
Ddraig lowered his massive head slightly, his emerald eyes holding hers. "You stand at the threshold, partner. The path ahead is obscured, yes. But you possess the potential to shape it. The power to overcome lies within you. This is the essence of the Boosted Gear. This is the absolute might of a Dragon Emperor – the potential for limitless growth, the power to dominate fate itself."
"But… how?" Irumi asked, the ember of anger flickering with a new intensity – a need for direction. "It's a weapon, right? How do I use it? How do I… live?"
Ddraig's gaze held a touch of solemnity. "I must be blunt, Irumi Ito. The life you knew, the mundane world you inhabited… that door is closed to you now. The nature of a dragon, especially one of my lineage, is to attract power, conflict, and ambition. You cannot hide from the supernatural currents of this world. They will find you."
"So…" Irumi's voice hardened, the confusion giving way to a steely edge. "You're saying even if I wanted to pretend this never happened, crawl back into some semblance of normalcy… I couldn't? Is that it?"
"Yes," Ddraig confirmed, his tone unwavering. "From this moment, you carry a target upon your back. To be the host of the Red Dragon Emperor is to be a beacon. You cannot hide. You cannot run. Your life will be one of constant challenge, constant vigilance. To embrace this power is to embrace the fight."
Irumi absorbed this brutal truth. The dragon wasn't sugarcoating it. In a strange way, she appreciated the harsh clarity. "At least you're honest," she sighed, a sound heavy with resignation and the dawning acceptance of a new reality.
Silence descended again, thick and contemplative, as Irumi floated in the void, wrestling with the implications. If this was her fate, she wouldn't be swept along by it. She would seize it. Shape it. Her way. The ember of anger flared, not as a destructive fire, but as a forge for determination. She pushed herself upright, facing the colossal dragon with a resolve that burned brightly in her eyes.
"I've made my decision."
Ddraig tilted his massive head, a flicker of surprise and perhaps approval in his ancient gaze. "Speak, partner. What path have you chosen?"
"I still have friends here," Irumi stated, her voice gaining strength, ringing clear in the mental space. "People I care about in Kuoh. You said you could give me power, right?" She took a metaphorical step forward. "Then give it to me. All of it. I will protect this town. I will shield the people left in it. And I will find justice for my parents' deaths. Myself!" The declaration wasn't a shout, but a vow, firm and unwavering.
A low, rumbling sound emanated from Ddraig, starting deep within his chest and growing into a full, resonant chuckle that vibrated the void. "HA! I LIKE YOUR SPIRIT, IRUMI ITO! I LIKE YOUR WILL TO CONFRONT THE STORM! TRULY WORTHY OF A PARTNER BEARING MY NAME! VERY WELL! THE POWER OF THE BOOSTED GEAR IS YOURS TO COMMAND! I STAND WITH YOU!"
Irumi nodded, a fierce light in her eyes. The partnership, forged in trauma and defiance, felt real. "Before you return to the waking world," Ddraig added, his tone shifting back to seriousness, "there is one more thing. Before your consciousness faded, I sensed distinct presences near your broken form. Devils. It was likely they who intervened and brought you to safety."
'Devils?' The question formed in Irumi's mind, but before she could voice it, the void dissolved. Sensation rushed back—the soft pressure of bedding, the scent of antiseptic and something floral, the dull ache of healing injuries.
04/11/2012, Kuoh's Old School Building, Lunch Time
Irumi jolted upright in the unfamiliar bed, her heart hammering against her ribs. Sunlight streamed through a tall window, illuminating a comfortably furnished room that was clearly not a hospital.
Her body felt stiff, wrapped in bandages across her torso and limbs, but the sharp, debilitating pain she remembered was blessedly absent, replaced by a deep, healing soreness.
"You're finally awake." The voice was warm, melodic, and familiar. Irumi's gaze snapped upwards. Standing near the foot of the bed, holding a tray with a steaming bowl of soup, was Himejima Akeno, her beautiful face framed by her long, dark hair, a gentle smile playing on her lips. Relief warred with confusion.
"Senpai Himejima?" Irumi rasped, her throat dry. "Where…? What are you doing here?"
"I was ensuring your recovery," Akeno replied smoothly, placing the tray on a nearby table and moving closer. Her smile widened, genuine warmth in her dark eyes.
"And it seems my vigil was worthwhile. You look much better." She settled gracefully into a chair beside the bed.
Irumi studied her senpai, the beautiful, popular upperclassman. The memory of Ddraig's final words echoed: 'Devils.' A suspicion, wild yet fitting the impossible circumstances, solidified. "Senpai," Irumi began, her voice still rough but steady. "Are you… are you a devil?"
Akeno's smile didn't falter, but a flicker of surprise, quickly masked, passed through her eyes. She inclined her head gracefully.
"Yes, I am. How did you come to know that?" Her tone was curious, probing gently. Internally, Akeno's thoughts raced.
'Did whatever lies within her told her? It confirms the Sacred Gear theory. Rias will be ecstatic… and deeply relieved.' She barely suppressed a bubble of triumphant amusement.
"A dragon told me," Irumi confirmed, meeting Akeno's gaze directly. "He told me I have a Sacred Gear. He also said it was devils who saved me." She left Ddraig's name unspoken for now, testing the waters.
Akeno's expression softened, the gentle smile replaced by a profound, sorrowful sincerity. She reached out, her hand hovering briefly before resting lightly on Irumi's bandaged forearm.
"Irumi…" Her voice dropped, losing its usual musical lilt, gaining a hard edge of regret. "I need to apologize. Profoundly. If it weren't for our… oversight, for failing to detect the threat sooner… your parents might still be alive."
The unspoken pain in her own past resonated in her words. "I know… I know what it means to lose those you love. The emptiness it leaves."
The genuine remorse in Akeno's voice was palpable. It wasn't pity; it was shared understanding of a specific, devastating pain. Irumi felt a lump form in her throat, but she shook her head slightly. "It… it wasn't your fault, Senpai. That monster… he chose to attack."
The anger was still there, a cold ember, but she recognized the distinction. The blame lay squarely with Kazan Ishikagawa.
Akeno nodded, accepting the words but not absolving herself entirely. She then proceeded to explain, carefully and patiently, the hidden reality of Kuoh Town—the existence of devils, fallen angels, angels, and other supernatural factions, the delicate balance maintained largely by Rias Gremory's peerage. She spoke of their role, their responsibilities, their quiet guardianship.
As Akeno spoke, Irumi's resolve hardened further. "Senpai," she interrupted, her voice gaining strength. "You protect this city, right? You fight these things?"
Akeno met her gaze squarely. "We do. It is our duty, and our home. We strive to protect it, yes."
"Then I want to help!" Irumi declared, pushing herself upright against the pillows, ignoring the twinge of pain. "I want to protect Kuoh too! I want to make sure no one else suffers like my parents did! I want to protect my friends!" Her eyes, wide and fierce, locked onto Akeno's.
"You mentioned… Evil Pieces? If President Gremory uses them to resurrect me… I would become stronger, right? Strong enough to fight? To protect?"
Akeno's smile returned, genuine and warm this time, touched with admiration for the girl's spirit. She gently pressed Irumi back down. "Yes, Irumi," she affirmed. "You would become significantly stronger. You would gain the inherent powers of a devil, and your Sacred Gear would integrate with that new nature. You could protect this town."
The strategic value for Rias's peerage—a member bearing a Dragon-type Sacred Gear, potentially the legendary Boosted Gear itself—was immense, a golden opportunity. Yet, Akeno felt a pang of protectiveness. She didn't want to exploit Irumi's grief and desperation.
"However," she continued, her tone turning serious, "this is an irreversible transformation. It binds you to Rias, not just as a leader, but as your King. You become part of her peerage, her family. There are obligations, duties, a hierarchy. It's not a decision to make lightly, in the raw aftermath of trauma. Please, take time to consider."
Irumi's gaze didn't waver. The cold ember had become a steady flame. "It's okay," she said, her voice calm and resolute. "If it means I can stop another family from being torn apart like mine… if it means I have the power to fight back… I'll do it. I'm ready." The decision felt right, a path forged from her anger and her desire to shield others.
Akeno sighed softly, but the happiness blooming within her was undeniable. 'We can help you carry this burden, Irumi. We can be your family now. Rias… we finally have the piece we desperately need.'
"For now," Akeno said firmly, adopting a nurturing tone that brooked no argument, "the priority is recovery. You need sustenance. Come on, eat." She gestured to the soup.