Chapter 184 — A Song

Yuki

The thing that Issei had become was standing still in the ruins.

It was howling into the air in grief.

Even in his mindless state, Issei was feeling the pain of Asia’s loss.

We all were. 

But the shock of it drove Issei into the state he was now.

He couldn’t accept her loss, and when Shalba Beelzebub announced that he had killed her, his intense emotions had triggered something in his Sacred Gear.

Emotion and desire always fueled Sacred Gear, and in Issei’s case it was typically intense perverse desire.

But this time, something else had responded to his rage and grief.

I could feel it as his power had increased.

A curse attached to that ability [Juggernaut Drive].

It affected his mind, filling it with rage and the desire to destroy everything around him.

It had turned him into the thing wailing in the ruins now.

It was an old and powerful curse built on intense, malicious, and negative feelings.

It was far beyond my abilities to remove it.

Even if I wanted to, Issei might react violently to any attempts I made.

But the curse was tied to the ability he was using.

If he canceled it, then the curse’s effect would fade away.

We all stood silently watching him for a few moments.

Buchou turned to me.

“Yuki, you said he was affected by a curse, right? Can you remove it? O-Or reduce its e-effects on Ise?” She asked, becoming slightly desperate at the end.

I shook my head.

“It’s too much for me. And even if I tried, I don’t know how he would react. We need to get someone who knows more about the [Boosted Gear] to help. Like Azazel-sensei.” I replied.

“We need to do something! We can’t just leave Ise like that!”

“Rias-Buchou. Xenovia and I can barely fight if we had to. And the rest of you aren’t injured, but everyone is shaken by what’s happened to Asia and Issei-san. Fighting him if he became violent again would be impossible enough normally. Now it would only be suicidal.”

Rias looked around the group after that.

One of my arms was broken and cradled to my chest.

I was also favoring my left leg over my right.

And I was still feeling weak and slightly nauseous from my empowered Misstep I had used to free Asia.

Koneko was standing next to me in case I needed help again.

Her normally expressionless face was full of worry. 

Gasper-kun had stopped crying but looked like he was close to starting again as he helped Xenovia stay standing.

Xenovia didn’t have any obvious wounds, but she seemed injured all over as she watched Issei with concern.

Both Akeno-san and Yuuto-san both were looking at Issei with worry and despair.

Rias looked back at me, then to Issei. 

I thought of how even after having another seal replaced, I was still powerless to save Asia or help Issei now.

I had only been able to free Asia from the device due to Issei’s power.

Issei was the one to fight and defeat Diodora, and then after Xenovia and I failed to put up a real fight against Shalba, Issei defeated him too.

I shook my head.

 I could wallow in self-pity over my weakness later.

I stepped towards Rias to suggest we contact or try to find Azazel when a crack appeared in the air to our side. 

“It seems like you guys aren’t doing too great, huh?” A voice said.

Then three figures stepped out of the crack in space. 

The Hakuryuukou, Vali, appeared first.

Then Bikou, the current Sun Wukong.

And last was the wielder of the holy sword Caliburn.

Our side immediately got ready to fight.

“You’re a part of this attack too, Vali?” Buchou asked as her aura flared around her. 

“No, not today,” Vali replied.

Neither he nor his two companions were prepared to fight.

They didn’t display any hostility towards us at all.

“I didn't come here to fight,” Vali continued, looking at Issei in the distance. “I’m only here to observe the Sekiryuutei’s [Juggernaut Drive]. However, it looks to be an incomplete version. You are rather lucky that this occurred here, in a special battlefield, rather than in the human world. If Issei Hyoudou used his Juggernaut Drive there, then the death toll would have been massive after her leveled a few cities.”

Rias observed him for a moment before shaking her head.

“Is there a way for him to revert from how he is now?” She asked.

Vali thought for a moment before making a so-so gesture with his hand.

“He might be able to, but he also might not. It’s hard to tell with the incomplete state that the ability is in. But Juggernaut Drive uses the possessor’s life force as fuel, so either way his life is in danger the longer he stays like that.”

Biko approached Yuuto while carrying someone.

I froze as I realized it was Asia.

“This girl is part of your group, right? We picked her up on our way here since she looked familiar.” Biko said as he handed her to Yuuto.

I rushed over to her along with everyone else.

“Asia!” “Asia-chan!” “Asia-senpai!”

“She’s breathing!” Yuuto cried out with joy.

Asis looked pale and wasn't conscious, but otherwise seemed unharmed.

I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders as I took a shuddering breath and slowly let it out.

Xenovia choked out a sob as she hugged Asia in Yuuto’s arms.

Yuuto lowered Asia to the ground and handed her to Xenovia so that she could hold her properly.

Xenovia cried freely as she hugged Asia to her chest tightly.

I wiped away my own tears as I watched them.

“Why did you help her?” Yuuto asked the three of them.

“We happened upon her by chance, and Vali recognized her. We had been investigating an area of the dimensional gap, and since Vali knew her, we decided to bring her with us,” The wielder of Caliburn said. “She’s quite lucky. If we hadn't happened upon her, the nothingness of the dimensional gap would have consumed her.”

I felt Koneko take my hand after I finished wiping away more tears.

I glanced down at her and saw that she had also been crying.

It seemed everyone had broken down seeing our friend come back from the dead.

Koneko gave my hand a small squeeze.

I returned it and didn't let go.

Xenovia calmed down enough that she was no longer sobbing.

She took a stuttering breath.

“N-Now we just have to get Issei back.”

Rias looked to Issei, who was still roaring in his own grief, before looking to Vali.

“Would it be possible to break him out of the ability by showing him that Asia is alive? Thinking she had died was the reason he entered it in the first place.”

Vali shook his head.

“While it may work, I wouldn’t risk it. You're likely to get killed trying, but if you want to attempt it, I won’t stop you.”

I thought of offering to go in myself to tell him, but decided against it.

While I could teleport and would have the best chance of escaping if I needed to, we had seen how fast Issei currently was.

I likely wouldn't be able to get away.

On top of that, I was already injured from trying to fight Shalba.

Despite wanting to offer it as an option, I kept silent.

Akeno and Yuuto stepped forward.

“I know that we are enemies, but please, could you help save him? You’re his rival, the Hakuryyukou. If anyone could match him now, it would be you, right?” Akemo asked.

“You want to face him as he grows stronger. Having him die like this isn't what you want. We will do everything to assist you in bringing him back as well,” Yuuto added.

Vali paused at their pleas.

He contemplated it for a moment.

“If we were able to break through to him with something that would stimulate his heart, it may work…” Vali muttered to himself.

“Well, couldn't you just show him some oppai?” Bikou asked, scratching his head. “They seem to be really important to him.”

I wanted to call him an idiot, but it was Issei he was talking about.

I could sadly imagine Rias exposing herself to him and him returning to normal after seeing her breasts.

I noticed that pretty much everyone else must have had a similar thought.

Rias’s cheeks heated despite the situation.

“I don’t think that would work with how he is now,” Vali said. “In legends and stories, you would need a song to calm down a Dragon, but that won't work either. There aren't any songs for the Sekiryuutei and Hakuryuukou.”

“But there is!” A new voice shouted energetically.

Irina dropped down from the sky and flared her white wings out to slow before she landed.

“Whoa, there are more people here than I expected.” She said as she looked around with a smile. “It took a while to get here! Wait, is that Ise-kun? Michael-sama and Azazel-sensei told me that something happened to him, but I didn’t know it was this serious!”

“Irina, why are you here?” Xenovia asked.

Irina displayed the holograph projector she had in her hands.

It was one of the ones Devils would use, similar to the one Azazel-sensei would use when we had meetings.

“The leaders in the observation area of this Rating Game field are aware of the transformation that Ise-kun underwent and that he is out of control. Realizing that we needed to do something to help him, Maou Lucifer-sama and Azazel-sama had me bring this here to help! Odin-sama helped too and was the one to teleport me onto this field!” Iriana said, full of energy.

“And he has a huge beard! But he did try to look at my butt.” Irina added with a pout.

Despite everything, Irina was still warm and bubbly.

It lifted some of the depressed mood that had been cast over everyone.

I was more interested in what could be on that projector that would help Issei.

It was prepared by both Sirzechs-sama and Azazel-sensei, so whatever it was, it should work.

“I don’t understand how it will help, but I will trust Onii-sama and Azazel,” Rias said as she took the holograph projector from Irina and then activated it with the press of a button.

A huge, blank holographic screen appeared in the air above us.

Issei stopped his wailing and looked to the screen.

Then something appeared on the screen.

It was Issei in his armor, and a group of children gathered around him. 

[Oppai Dragon! Now starting!] The holographic Issei shouted.

[Oppai!] The children around him shouted. 

I blinked, trying to clear my eyes.

I stared at the image with disbelief.

Issei and the children started to dance as music began to play. 

Then words appeared on the image.

The lyrics and song name, as well as the credits of the song, showed up on the screen.

[The Song of Oppai Dragon]

Lyrics: Azazel

Composer: Sirzechs Lucifer

Choreography: Serafall Leviathan

[THERE IS AN OPPAI-LOVING DRAGON LIVING IN THE EDGE OF A CERTAIN COUNTRY.

THE DRAGON GOES FOR A WALK WHEN THE WEATHER IS GOOD

DRAGON DRAGON OPPAI DRAGON—]

I stared, trying to understand what I was seeing and hearing. 

The lyrics continued, but I ignored them.

I tried to understand how this children’s song and dance about a breast-loving Dragon had been made by two of the four Maou and the Governor of the Fallen Angels. 

Serafall-sama I could understand, somewhat, as she had her own show and character, Levi-tan.

Which was still strange, as one of the leaders of the Underworld. 

But Azazel-sensei and Sirzechs-sama were different.

Azazel-sensei was the leader of the Grigori.

He may have a tendency to push off work onto his subordinates, but this was strange, even for him.

He normally was only interested in Sacred Gear and encouraging Issei’s lecherousness. 

And there was Sirzechs-sama. 

The man who placed me into Rias’s peerage, gave me secret orders, threatened me if I failed or revealed my orders, and was keeping an eye on me even now.

And apparently he was writing music for a children’s show where the kids sing about a breast-loving Dragon. 

I didn’t know whether to laugh or be annoyed by the absurdity of it.

Instead, I felt tired. 

This must have been what Issei had left to film while we were in the Underworld for our interview.

I could understand why he was told not to tell anyone about it.

Rias likely would have gone to her brother to complain. 

I looked at the others.

Rias looked stunned.

She was frozen in place with her mouth open in surprise.

Yuuto was shaking her head as if disappointed at everyone involved.

Akeno looked shocked, but was covering her mouth like she was holding back laughter.

Xenovia was staring blankly at the screen.

Koneko’s eyes were wide in disbelief.

Gasper-kun was nodding along to the music, and Irina was humming along as well. 

I closed my eyes for one second.

Then opened them again.

It was sadly still there.

“……Uuu…….oppai…….” Issei spoke from within the ruins.

He was shifting in place and had lowered his head.

“He responded!” Buchou cried with joy.

Koneko looked disappointed.

“…….He actually responded to a song like this…perverted senpai...”

I agreed with her. 

Out of everything else, the first word he responded with was oppai.

It made sense that you would need an epically strong stimulus to break through the curse of his ability, but this was ridiculous.

I honestly shouldn’t be surprised that a song about breasts would be what Issei could latch onto and break through the malevolent curse clouding his mind.

The music stopped, and Rias turned to Irina immediately.

“Irina-san, play the song again!”

Irina nodded energetically.

“Got it, Rias-senpai!” She said as she pressed the button on the projector again.

There wasn’t a reaction at first, but then Issei began to show more signs of responding to the song.

[—DRAGON DRAGON OPPAI DRAGON

GROPE-GROPE SUCK-SUCK PAFU-PAFU

THERE ARE SO MANY TYPES OF OPPAI

BUT HE LIKES THE BIG ONES THE BEST—]

“Uuu….Oppai….. Grope…grope…….. suck…..suck….” Issei groaned while holding his head.

[—DRAGON DRAGON OPPAI DRAGON

CLICK-CLICK ZOOM-ZOOM IYAAAN

HE HAS SEEN LOTS OF OPPAI, BUT HE LIKES BIG ONES THE BEST

OPPAI-DRAGON ALSO PUSHES TODAY!]

“…….Z-Z-Zoom zoom……..Iyaan…….push…..”

His armor shifted and became less monstrous.

The claws on his gauntlet retracted, and some of the arms and blades retracted back into the jewels of his armor.

Vali nodded to himself.

“I should be able to do something now,” he said before summoning his armor.

[Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker!!!!!!]

He immediately flew to Issei in an instant.

[Divide!]

Vali touched Issei for a moment to activate his ability before moving away.

It happened so quickly that he looked like a white blur as he moved.

After he used his ability, the pressure coming off of Issei dropped sharply. 

Vali landed next to us, still in his armor.

“You should be able to approach him now. The song has calmed him, and I’ve reduced his power, so you’ll be able to try reaching him.”

Akeno spoke up with a suggestion immediately.

“Rias! Ise-kun needs your breasts! He’s searching for them to poke!”

Rias turned red and looked bewildered.

“Eeeh!?”

I looked at Akeno, hoping she was just teasing Rias, but she seemed serious. 

“Ise-kun reached his balance breaker by pressing your nipples, right? Maybe he will be able to leave it by doing the same. Now that we can approach him, you should try it.”

Rias didn’t look completely convinced.

“B-But… will it really let Ise turn back to normal?” She hesitantly asked.

“Of course it will! It’s Ise-kun! Breasts are the thing he’s most obsessed with,” Akeno said with a grin. “And yours are the ones he likes the most. Only you can do it, Rias.”

I let out a sigh as I saw that Rias was seriously considering it.

Rias looked to Vali for his opinion.

Vali looked away and began to sweat.

It looked like he wanted nothing to do with this.

Biko was clutching his stomach, laughing hard at the conversation. 

I'm sure this would be hilarious if you weren’t a part of our group. 

Rias took a deep breath before nodding to herself.

“Alright. I'll do it.”

She began to walk towards Issei.

The song began to play again as she approached him.

Yuuto turned to me.

“Do you think that Rias will be able to break through the curse you mentioned and reach Ise-kun?” She asked.

“I have no idea anymore,” I said with a sigh. “It’s a powerful and old curse that needs an especially strong emotion or stimulus to break through. But with Issei-san, I have no idea what will work. I’d imagine learning Asia is alive may work, but touching Rias-Buchou’s breast may be just as effective or even more so. He is obsessed with breasts.”

Yuuto nodded.

“Buchou really has been willing to indulge him recently, hasn’t she…” Yuuto muttered to herself.

I looked back at Rias and Issei.

She arrived in front of him and began to remove her uniform and then her bra. 

Issei turned to her.

“H-Here…i-its..m-my o-oppai…”

Issei reached out his hands towards Rias’s chest. 

Rias let out a strange noise, and Issei’s armor disappeared around him.

The large, monstrous Dragon armor vanished into particles of light before he collapsed against Rias.

She caught him and lowered the two of them to the ground. 

Vali stared at the two of them intently.

“…Are Rias Gremory’s breasts some sort of control switch for Hyoudou Issei?” He asked with far too serious an expression.

That made Biko laugh harder. 

No one bothered to respond to him.

I felt the exhaustion and fatigue from today hit me all at once.

Asia was back and unharmed.

She hadn’t been violated or abused. 

She wasn’t killed before we could go home together.

And Issei was back to normal.

He wasn’t burning through his life force as he rampaged through the battlefield.

Everyone was together again.

We just needed to get home.