3A month ago he had found out that the woman he had fallen in love with was in a relationship with someone else. He had heard them having sex, Rias Gremory and Raiser Phenex.
There came a time that he didn't care after thinking about it, he loved Rias, but it didn't make sense if she couldn't be happy with him. That hurts him alot, recognizing that the woman you loved would not be happy by your side.
"Damn...this life...wasn't how he wanted it...to die in such a way...", Issei muttered as his blood dripped from his hands. corners of his mouth. His vision was getting blurry, he felt like the whole world was spinning around him and his was feeling cold.
[It even reaches my partner, he is so powerful that I lose consciousness at times]
Draig spoke to Issei tiredly and in pain.
"Fuahaha, it hurts you! ... I was thinking of using that on Vali, but to think that someone like you forced me to use it", Shalba spoke with disgust and hatred in his words, turning his head towards Ophis who was nearby.
"Ophis! Ophis! Give me that snake one more time! That way I'm sure to reach a higher power than the previous demon king! I need it to defeat this man!"
"Right now I'm unstable, I can't create the increase strength type snake"
Shalba who heard this, turned his face into one of disgust and despair.
Issei's body was holding on as best he could, the cannons of his armor appeared on his shoulders, increasing his aura and compressing it as much as he could.
"A bastard like you...trying to take smiles away from children. That alone is reason enough to give you what you deserve!"
"If you're trying to snatch their futures, I'll kill you right here and now!" The armor's cannons charged with more power as Shalba tried to flee by releasing his wings and flying.
"DIE ONCE YOU BASTARD!" Issei roared with all his might.
[Fang Blast Booster!]
ZUUUU!
BAAAAAAAM!
Huge amounts of scarlet aura were released from the cannons!
"Fuahahahahahaha! You'll die from Samael's curse either way! Sekiryuutei!"
All the fired aura reached Shalba and it enveloped him while he was screaming and then disappeared...
Issei didn't rest and walked towards Ophis untying the little loli from the ropes made of demonic power while he endured Samael's curse.
"Why did you help me?"
Issei sighed as he answered.
"You saved Asia and Irina..."
"That's my gratitude to them, it's not enough for you to help me," Ophis said.
"It is for me, they are important friends"
Issei knew that Ophis was not a bad person, the only thing he really wanted was to return to his home. He didn't care if he used her to achieve that goal.
Dream . Issei felt sleepy .
"I went to Sekiryuutei's house because I thought I would find something to achieve my dream. Your abnormal growth. I thought that the secret behind the true dragon and heavenly dragon was there. I thought... that I could find the reason why I exist".
Issei looked at her and understood that Ophis was pure, purer than anyone. She was only used for the selfishness and schemes of the hero faction and the former demon kings for her own actions.
He thought she was weird at first, but she was just pure and naive.
Dream ... her consciousness was getting much worse ...
"Ophis, do you want to be my friend?"
"What would I gain from that?"
"You could at least have someone to talk to"
I see .that sounds like fun
Issei looked to the side, the buildings were collapsing and being sucked into a dimensional hole.
In the ruined field, Issei was walking...
But he didn't even have the strength to walk properly, Ophis was affirming it as he leaned on her shoulder.
That's weird ... I don't even feel pain anymore ... I'm not sleepy ...
[Partner! Hold on a little more! Azazel and the others should be opening the dragon portal for us!]
Draig...yeah...going back would be nice...but ...
[Don't give up dammit!]
My eyesight when did I fall? ...
[Damn partner! Issei! Even if that girl doesn't love you! You have the others!]
[Asia, Rossweisse, Ravel! All of them are waiting!]
If...even if Rias doesn't love me...there are still them...I have to go back...
Issei turned her body around as he began to crawl. His nails dug into the ground as they bled and blood came out of his mouth.
[That's it! You can't give up!]
"Draig, the curse on this person is already all over his body. It's at his limits".
[I know Ophis dammit! But he can't die! he always stood up! he always stood up!]
[ can't fall now!]
Issei's hand stopped and her head fell to the ground.
"Draig...he's not moving..."
[ ... I know]
Are you are you crying?
[ ... Yes]
He wasn't a bad person ..he was my first friend .. For some reason, when Ophis said those words, something resonated inside her.
She was always alone, she was born from nothing and was infinite.
But the moments in which she was next to this person, in his house. They were different from others.
Now, she could understand Draig's tears. In her thousands of years, she had never felt that way when she talked to Hyoudou Issei. No matter how irrelevant her words were, he would listen to her with a smile.
She understood something surprising.
Hyoudou Issei was somehow infinite.
An infinity different from her.
Ophis felt something on her cheek and touched it with the tips of her fingers.
" ... A tear? ... "
A single tear had fallen from her left eye to her cheek.
"Infinity ... the ..."
Somehow, Hyoudou Issei was the infinity that filled her nothingness.
It hurts .Draig ..
[I know ..I know Ophis]
[End of prologue]
[Alternate titles: The Infinity That Fills Nothingness, First Tear of Ophis, The Red Dragon Emperor Perishes]