Fate: Gremory [Remake] (ENG)

Translation: Word (Microsoft), there are probably errors in the masculine and feminine pronouns.

Chapter 13

The sun shone high in the sky, illuminating the city with its radiant light. For anyone, it was a normal weekend day, but for me, Issei Hyoudou, this was the most important day of my life.

"Finally... my first date with a beautiful girl."

He repeated those words to me over and over again as I walked to the meeting point, a park near the city center. My heart was pounding, a combination of nerves and excitement running through my body. My friends Matsuda and Motohama had been shattered when I told them about my date, but that only made my win even sweeter.

"I'm the first to go on a date... and with a beauty."

I stopped near a fountain, checking my reflection in the water. I had tried to dress up as best I could: a casual shirt, well-chosen pants, and even used a little cologne. I had to make a good impression.

Then, I saw her.

Yuuma-chan was walking towards me with a sweet and charming smile. Her long black hair fluttered in the wind, and her violet eyes reflected a warmth that made me feel lucky. She was wearing a beautiful dark blue dress that highlighted her figure, and as soon as she saw me, she waved her hand energetically.

"Issei-kun~! I'm sorry for the wait."

My heart skipped a beat. "N-No, not at all. I just arrived."

She laughed softly and moved closer. "I'm so glad you came. I want today to be a special day for both of us."

I felt a chill run down my spine. That sounded... strange, but in my excitement I ignored it.

"Of course! Let's make it the best day."

❅──────✧❃✧──────❅•

The park was full of life. Families strolled, couples enjoyed the weather and children played around the central fountain. Issei couldn't believe that such a beautiful girl was walking beside him.

"This is the best opportunity of my life!" he thought, as he glanced sideways at Yuuma-chan.

She stopped in front of an accessories store and looked at Issei with a smile.

"Can we come in?" he asked sweetly.

"Of course!" he replied immediately.

Inside the tent, Yuuma examined necklaces, rings, and bracelets curiously, while Issei tried to maintain his composure.

"Which one do you think would suit me best, Issei-kun?" she asked, holding up two necklaces.

One had a small silver heart and the other, a bright blue moon.

Issei swallowed hard and pointed to the one on the moon.

"I think that one matches you more."

Yuuma stared at him and smiled. "Then I'll keep it."

When they left the tent, Yuuma intertwined her arm with Issei's naturally.

"Good heavens, it's my turn!" he thought, his heart racing.

"Do you want to go to the fair? It seems like there are a lot of attractions."

"Yes, of course!" said Issei excitedly.

When we arrived, the fair was full of lights and music. Yuuma headed straight for a target shooting station.

"I want that stuffed animal!" he exclaimed, pointing to a large teddy bear.

Issei, motivated by a desire to impress her, took the airgun and took aim. He missed the first two shots, but in the last one he managed to hit the target.

The clerk handed the stuffed animal to Yuuma, who hugged it happily.

"Thank you, Issei-kun! You're amazing."

Issei's face turned red as a tomato.

After going through some rides and attractions, they decided to grab a bite to eat. They sat down on a bench with a couple of crepes in their hands.

"Issei-kun, you have cream on your face."

Before she could wipe it off, Yuuma bent down and ran her finger across her cheek, bringing it to her lips.

Issei almost fainted at that moment.

"She's too cute! This is like a dream!"

❅──────✧❃✧──────❅•

The appointment went almost perfectly. We walked through the city center, visited several stores, and even passed a dessert shop where Yuuma insisted on sharing an ice cream with me. I blushed several times when he got too close or grabbed my arm without warning.

"Issei-kun, you're so funny," Yuuma said with a laugh as we finished touring a gift shop.

"Haha! Well, I guess it's a natural talent."

She tilted her head with a playful expression. "You know, I'm glad I went out with you today. I had a great time."

My heart was pounding. It's now or never...

"Yuuma-chan, I..." I started to say, but she placed a finger on my lips, gently shutting me up.

"Shh... Issei-kun, the most special part of our date is still missing. Let's go to a quieter place."

We ended up in a lonely park, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. At that time, the sun began to set, painting the sky with orange and reddish tones. The atmosphere was perfect, the ideal setting for a love confession.

I turned to Yuuma, determined to tell her how I felt.

But his expression had changed.

His sweet smile had faded, and in its place, an indescribable coldness covered his face. His eyes were shining with something... inhuman.

"Issei-kun..." His voice sounded deeper, almost like an echo. "Before we end our date... can you do me a favor?"

My body tensed instinctively. "W-What favor?"

She smiled, and her eyes turned dark. "Die for me."

Before I could react, something sharp pierced my stomach.

My vision blurred. I looked down, seeing a spear of light piercing my abdomen. The pain was immediate, searing. My legs lost strength and I fell to my knees.

"Why... what...?" I managed to whisper as blood gushed from the wound.

Yuuma looked at me coldly. "Don't worry, you're just fulfilling your purpose. Goodbye, Issei-kun."

My body fell backwards, and darkness began to envelop my vision. I'm going to die...

"Is this how my story ends?"

The cold spread over my body. My blood soaked the ground beneath me, robbing me of the warmth of life. My vision was gradually darkening. My limbs were unresponsive.

Death was seconds away from reaching me.

"No... I don't want to die..."

I wanted to move. I wanted to get up. I wanted to live. But my body did not obey. Only a deep emptiness stretched out inside me.

Fear.

It was as if my whole existence was fading away. As if my soul was already leaving this world.

"Why? Why me? I haven't even done anything important... I never kissed a girl... I was never a hero... I wasn't even someone special..."

Everything was getting dark. Everything disappeared.

"Is that all?"

It was then that a voice echoed out of nowhere.

"If you really want to live, then stop clinging to fear and fighting."

My breathing stopped.

From nowhere, two figures emerged in front of me, their silhouettes silhouetted against the evening light. One was a white-haired boy with small horns on his forehead. The other, a girl with black hair tied with a purple bow. The same kids I saw in the park.

The red-eyed boy looked at me indifferently.

"Are you going to die this pathetic?"

The girl, her voice devoid of emotion, added:

"If your determination to live is real, then wake up."

Something inside me reacted.

A spark.

A roar.

"I don't want to die!"

Suddenly, thousands of images flashed through my mind. My parents. My friends. My ordinary life. And now, everything was falling apart.

"It can't end here!"

A burning heat exploded in my chest.

I didn't know what it was, but it was familiar. As if it had always been inside me, waiting for this moment.

"If I have a power of attorney... if there's something inside of me... THEN LET ME USE IT!"

My fingers twitched. My breathing, once ragged and weak, began to stabilize.

The children in front of me said nothing. They just looked at me. As if they were waiting.

And then...

I felt it.

A roar tore through the darkness, echoing in my soul.

My eyes snapped open.

A deep red glow lit up my right arm.

The fragments of my consciousness came together in a single scream.

"I won't give up!"

And at that instant, a strange gauntlet appeared in my hand.

A red claw with gold accents and an emerald jewel shone brightly, pulsing with fierce energy.

And then, a deep voice echoed within me.

"Hmm... you finally wake up, my bearer."

My lips parted, my lungs filled with air, and despair became a single certainty.

I wasn't going to die.

❅──────✧❃✧──────❅•

As Issei awakened his Sacred Gear, something tense was happening at Kuoh Academy.

Inside the Occult Research Club, Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri, along with their respective nobilities, were being held.

Izayoi Saigou sat with a relaxed expression, but the air in the room was heavy, oppressive. Beside her, Kuroka Toujo, his arms folded, watched her in silence.

But what really paralyzed everyone was the intense bloodlust emanating from Izayoi.

It wasn't a demonic energy. It wasn't magic. It was a pure and sharp killer instinct.

Akeno tried to move, but his body was unresponsive. Kiba, Shirone, Momo, Saji, Tsubasa, Kusaka, Tomoe, and Tsubaki, were completely frozen, their muscles tense with fear.

Even Rias and Sona, who had great resistance to power pressure, felt that they were short of breath.

"What... Is this it?" Rias murmured, breathing heavily.

Izayoi opened only one eye and smiled mockingly.

"Oh, this? Just a little trick to keep them still. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you... today."

His tone was playful, but the threat was real.

Kuroka sighed, showing no discomfort whatsoever. The difference between her and the others was clear.

"Nyaa~. Don't exaggerate, Izayoi. We don't want them to faint before the show."

Izayoi let out a slight laugh and relaxed his presence a bit, allowing everyone's bodies to regain mobility.

Rias staggered slightly, but stood her ground.

"Why are they doing this?" he demanded, anger contained in his voice. "Issei Hyodou is in danger!"

Izayoi looked at her with amusement.

"Exactly."

Rias frowned, blankly.

"This is your test," Izayoi continued, resting one elbow on his knee and resting his cheek on the palm of his hand. "If it really is the Sekiryuutei, then let him prove it."

Kiba narrowed his eyes, analyzing his words.

"You mean... that they knew what was going to happen?"

Kuroka cocked his head and smiled.

"Nyaa~. Come on, it's not that complicated. The existence of the new Sekiryuutei has been rumored for some time. We just want to know if he really deserves that title that so many legends have feared."

Akeno clenched his fists.

"What if he dies?"

Izayoi shrugged.

"If he dies, it means he wasn't worth it in the first place."

Silence.

Izayoi's words were cruel, but worst of all... it was that he really believed it.

Rias felt her blood boil.

"You're not the one to decide that!"

Izayoi smiled again, but this time, with a twinkle in his eye.

"I don't need to decide anything. I just watch."

At that moment, a deep heartbeat echoed through the air.

The atmosphere in the room changed.

A crimson energy erupted in the distance.

Rias felt a chill.

Sona, for the first time, opened her eyes in surprise.

Akeno brought a hand to his chest, feeling a vibration within it.

All of them felt the shuddering awakening of a powerful force.

Kuroka narrowed his eyes.

"Nyaa~. It seems that the Sekiryuutei-san survived."

Izayoi flashed a smile of pure emotion.

"Oh... This got interesting."

Rias did not hesitate for a second longer.

Her aura burst out, disappearing from the room in a flash of demonic power.

Sona, though more controlled, immediately followed her.

Kuroka sighed, reaching into the sleeves of his kimono.

"Well, that was faster than I expected."

Izayoi stood up slowly, with a spark in his eyes.

"Now... Let's see if that power is real."

The Sekiryuutei had awakened.

The sound of a couple of footsteps echoed through the park.

Rias Gremory appeared first, enveloped in her demonic energy, her eyes ablaze with urgency. Sona Sitri arrived a second later, her expression cold, but with a spark of uncertainty in her eyes.

Around him, the rest of his nobles landed on the spot, quickly dispersing to scan the area.

But the moment Rias looked up... froze.

What?"

The place was intact.

The ground was in perfect condition, the trees swayed gently in the night breeze, and there was no sign of battle.

No trace of Issei Hyodou.

Akeno frowned, his skin feeling stand on end.

"But... This is where we feel the explosion of power."

Kiba looked around with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"There are no signs of a struggle... or that anyone has been here recently."

Koneko leaned over, touching the ground with the palm of his hand. His ears trembled slightly.

"Nothing... There are no footprints, no smell. As if no one had ever been here."

Rias gritted her teeth.

"It can't be... His power exploded here."

Sona, with a stern look, raised her hand and began to analyze the area with magic.

"This makes no sense. A power of that magnitude should have left some residual trace... But there is nothing."

His nobility was also bewildered.

Tsubaki Shinra, the Queen of Sona, used her enchanted mirror to detect magic in the area, but frowned upon finding no trace.

"Sona-sama... This is not normal. A Sacred Gear shouldn't be able to hide its presence so perfectly."

Momo Hanakai, the Tower of Sona, looked around with a confused expression.

"This is... as if Issei Hyoudou had never been here."

Reya Kusaka, the Bishop, closed her eyes, trying to track down any remaining energy.

"There is not even a residue of power in the environment..."

Saji swallowed, feeling the cold sweat on his back.

"Is it possible that... has vanished?"

Saji's words sent a chill down everyone's spine.

The Sekiryuutei had not only awakened... but had disappeared completely.

"That doesn't make sense. The same would happen as in the past when a part of the Underworld vanished due to the lack of control of the Sekiryuutei. So Issei Hyodou is still alive," Rias said firmly.

But then... where was it?

Behind them, two figures arrived walking calmly.

Izayoi Saigou had his arms crossed and an amused smile on his face.

"Well, well... I really didn't expect this."

Kuroka, with his hands on the sleeves of his kimono, looked around curiously.

"Nyaa~. It looks like Issei Hyodou did something interesting."

Rias turned sharply toward Izayoi.

"Do you know what happened here?"

Izayoi raised his hands in a gesture of innocence.

"Hey, hey, don't look at me. I just came to see the result... but it seems that our Sekiryuutei decided to become a ghost."

Sona frowned.

"Are you insinuating that he himself caused her disappearance?"

Izayoi put a hand to her chin, thoughtful.

"I don't know... But if he did, that means he's already using his power in ways you can't even imagine."

A tense silence fell over the group.

Kuroka sighed, stretching out his arms.

"Whatever it is... nyaa~, he's not here anymore."

Rias crossed her arms.

"The Sekiryuutei..."

Sona adjusted her glasses.

"He woke up... and disappeared."

The wind blew gently, and for the first time in a long time, Rias felt uncomfortable.

Not because of Issei himself... but because of what their existence represented.

A Celestial Dragon had awakened in their territory... and now no one knew where he was.

That... it was a problem.