Reincarnated in the World of High School DxD

The sound of wings flapping caught his attention as he ran. Ravel was flying alongside him, her fiery wings trailing embers through the air. Her tone was mocking, but her words were edged with cold calculation.

"You're still going? I'll admit, your potential is impressive. A few more years and this match might've ended differently. But today? It's over."

"What makes you so sure?" Kazuki snapped, not breaking stride.

"Because by now, your team's stamina must be nearing its limit. No matter how skilled your Bishop is at healing wounds, she can't restore depleted energy, can she?" Ravel's tone was dripping with smug certainty.

She pulled out a small vial from her pocket and held it up for him to see. "This is Phenex's Tears, a priceless treasure from the Phenex family. One drop heals any wound, instantly. As long as we have this, our victory is guaranteed."

Her words continued in the form of a lengthy lecture on the wealth and power of the Phenex clan, but Kazuki Fuwa tuned her out.

He didn't have time to waste on her arrogance. Picking up speed, he left her behind, her indignant shriek barely registering as he bolted toward the new school building.

Kazuki scaled the stairs to the rooftop in a matter of seconds, his body propelled by urgency. When he reached the top, his heart clenched at the sight before him.

Issei stood in the middle of the rooftop, battered and bloody, but still trying to rise to his feet. His legs trembled as he struggled to steady himself, sweat and blood dripping down his face.

And standing across from him, completely unharmed, was Riser Phenex, his golden wings of flame glowing brightly against the night sky.

Kazuki narrowed his eyes, his fists tightening at his sides. "Issei..."

The clash against Riser Phenex had driven Rias, Akeno, and Asia to the rooftop of the new school building.

Rias had placed her faith in her power of destruction, believing it could even bring down an immortal Phenex. But no matter how many destruction-laced magic blasts she hurled, Riser simply regenerated, his smirk only widening with every attack.

She was on the verge of losing all hope when it happened…

"BUCHOUUUUUUUUUUU! ISSEI HYOUDOU HAS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE!"

Issei burst onto the scene with his usual cocky enthusiasm. He had a way of making even the most hopeless situations feel like they could be turned around.

His unshakable determination and raw stupidity always managed to lift the spirits of the Gremory Peerage.

At that moment, Rias truly believed the battle was far from over.

However, reality wasn't that kind.

Issei's body had already reached its limits. As a recently reincarnated devil, his endurance wasn't anywhere near what was needed for battles like these.

Living an ordinary human life until recently, Issei lacked the mental and physical conditioning for prolonged combat. Despite his boundless energy and lecherous spirit keeping him going, even that had its limits.

Even the amplified attacks from the Boosted Gear, which multiplied his power exponentially, failed to leave a dent in Riser.

Initially, Riser had mocked Issei, but his smirks eventually turned to pity as he watched the boy's futile struggle.

Every time Riser's flames burned Issei, Asia healed him, and he threw himself back into the fight. It was almost ghostly, the way Issei staggered to his feet again and again.

But eventually, he fell for good, his body crumpling under exhaustion. Yet, even then, he refused to stay down, his trembling arms pushing against the ground as he tried to stand once more.

Watching this, Rias's resolve finally broke.

'What have I done to my precious servants?' She thought, overwhelmed with guilt.

'My selfishness has dragged them into this mess and left them battered and broken. Akeno, Yumi, Koneko, Asia, Kazuki and now Issei... Forgive me. Please forgive me for being such a worthless King.'

Choking back her emotions, Rias decided to surrender.

"I surrender. Riser win—"

Before the words could leave her mouth, a hand grabbed her arm tightly.

SLAP!

A stinging pain flared across her cheek as her head snapped to the side. Standing before her was someone she hadn't expected—Kazuki Fuwa.

"K-Kazuki...?"

'How was he even here?' Issei had told Rias that Kazuki and Yumi were holding off the rest of Riser's peerage to give him a chance to reach the rooftop.

'If Kazuki was here now, did that mean...?'

"What the hell were you about to do?" Kazuki's voice was ice-cold, his usual gentle demeanor replaced by unrestrained fury.

"W-what?" Rias quivered.

"I said, what the hell were you about to do?! Answer me, Rias Gremory!"

"I... It's over, Kazuki. We've lost. I don't want anyone else to get hurt..."

Her voice cracked as she tried to reason with him, but Kazuki wasn't having it. His anger boiled over as he grabbed her by the collar, pulling her closer.

"Don't you dare spout that crap! Do you have any idea what you're doing? By giving up now, you're spitting on everything we've fought for! Do you think so little of your servants?!"

Why couldn't he understand? She'd already made peace with surrender. Anything was better than watching her friends suffer any further.

"You chose to fight because you couldn't accept this marriage, didn't you? If you're going to give up, at least have the guts to look Issei in the eye and tell him that to his face!"

"What...?"

Kazuki's words pierced through her despair. Following his gaze, Rias turned her attention back to Issei.

There he was, his body drenched in blood and sweat, his breaths ragged, every fiber of him being trembling from exhaustion. And yet, his eyes—his fiery, determined eyes—remained locked on Riser.

"I-Issei!?" she whispered.

"He's a fool, a pervert, but he's also the most straightforward guy I know. If you give up now, you're betraying us all—and most of all, you're betraying him." Kazuki added.

Rias's heart clenched at his words. She had almost made the ultimate mistake. To give up would be to betray everyone who had fought so hard alongside her.

She was their king. No one else could afford to break. She was the one who had started this battle, and it was her responsibility to see it through. She had to be strong—her resolve had to be unshakable. She couldn't falter now.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she wiped them away furiously, her voice strong.

"I'm sorry, Kazuki... I'm sorry, Issei. I was wrong. I won't give up anymore. We're going to win this game—I will make sure of it!"

With renewed determination, Rias Gremory rose to her feet once again.

Kazuki placed a firm hand on Issei's shoulder as he tried to get up.

"Issei, did you hear that? Your king has come back. It's alright now. Leave the rest to me."

"Ka...zu...ki...senpai...?" Issei's voice was weak, barely audible.

"Yeah," Kazuki answered firmly.

"...Take care of it... please..." Issei mumbled, his strength finally giving out as he collapsed.

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