Then the atmosphere changed, and after the flames finished healing Riser, they completely enveloped him and turned blue.
"What the hell is that?" Rias looked on while being healed by Asia, completely shocked. "This terrible feeling..."
"Riser, how did you discover how to use the Hell Flames?" Lord Phenex asked in surprise. This shouldn't be possible. Only the leader of the Phenex Clan had access to the techniques required to achieve these flames, and Riser was not even the heir.
He had received no assistance to obtain this technique, which meant he had achieved it entirely on his own.
"Lord Phenex, what is this technique?" the current Lucifer, Rias's older brother, asked in surprise. "This technique feels very similar to my true form."
"It is a Clan secret. Unfortunately, I cannot say much, but it is a unique technique of my clan, and Riser should not have access to it." Lord Phenex sighed.
--++--
"Look at this! You will witness my blue flames of death!" Riser declared proudly, beating his chest. "You will be the first person on whom I test this technique. Be honored, Hyoudou Issei!"
"Ohhh, so you also have a trick up your sleeve." Issei spoke in an amused tone and threw his hand into the air.
"Boost, Boost, Boost."
The gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor appeared on his hand.
"In fact, I am the current Sekiryuutei!"
Issei shouted while looking toward the sky, and the artificial sun in the background of the school seemed to shine brighter.
"Let's have some fun, Riser Phoenix!"
Issei shouted, revealing his fangs. His eyes turned red, monstrous vampire eyes, and a black aura began to appear around him.
—The Mad Enhancement has been activated.— Vlad laughed in an excited tone. —Don't completely lose yourself, boy.
—Have fun, kid. It's not every day you get to fight someone this strong.— Scáthach spoke inside his mind.
(Balance Breaker.)
Ddraig declared, and armor made of red dragon scales covered Issei's body.
--++--
"Hahahahaha!"
Arcueid began laughing in delight while hugging Shiki.
"Look, Shiki! Look! He's turning into a human dragon!"
"I see it, I see it."
Shiki looked on with his red eyes, partially hidden beneath the bandages covering his face.
--++--
Everyone in the viewing room was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
"Hey, wasn't the current Sekiryuutei supposed to be one of the Celts?" one Devil said. "I heard he was a descendant of Lugh."
"Could it be that the Gremory family sold themselves to the Celts to escape the marriage?"
The rumors only increased.
Sona was pale and didn't even know what to say. She simply stared at Issei during the battle and showed no reaction whatsoever.
Then Issei's words echoed throughout the field.
"Just to make this clear, my Irish relative has nothing to do with this. I was simply born with great divinity inside me and he recognized that, that's all..."
Issei declared while staring directly into Riser's eyes.
"Come at me without fear, you little bastard."
Riser's blue flames burned like a miniature sun.
Issei's crimson armor shone in response.
The two stared at each other for a second.
Then they smiled.
"What is it, Sekiryuutei? Already tired?" Riser provoked, though he was breathing a little heavier.
Issei spun the crimson spear he had created from his stakes.
"I was just thinking that you're a lot tougher than you look, pigeon."
"Hah! Of course I am! I'm a Phenex!"
The blue flames exploded.
Riser unleashed a storm of fire.
Issei answered with dozens of stakes.
BOOOOOOM!
Their techniques collided in midair, turning the sky into a sea of fire and explosions.
The two burst through the smoke at the same time.
BAM!
One of Riser's punches struck Issei's chest.
The armor absorbed the blow.
BAM!
Issei responded with a headbutt.
Riser staggered back two steps.
Then both of them fell silent for a moment.
"You just headbutted me?" Riser asked in confusion.
"I'm a lancer, not a martial artist."
Issei burst out laughing and attacked again, and Riser retaliated.
BANG!
BOOOOM!
CRASH!
An entire building collapsed when Riser was launched into it.
The next instant, Issei crashed through the wall of the same building after taking an explosion of blue flames directly to the face.
Both of them stood up.
Scratched.
Scorched.
Smiling.
The Mad Enhancement caused the black aura around Issei to grow more and more.
His strength increased.
His speed increased.
His smile became wilder.
Even his red vampire eyes seemed to shine brighter.
"Hahahaha! More!" Issei shouted.
"You're insane!" Riser answered with the same tone of amusement.
He flew toward Issei.
The pocket dimension itself seemed to be slowly falling apart.
Then Issei finally did it.
The thousands of stakes around him began to compress.
One.
Two.
Ten.
A hundred.
All of that energy condensed into a single stake.
A monstrous crimson spear.
Even Ddraig fell silent.
"Partner..."
Issei smiled.
And threw it.
BOOOOOOM!
The stake pierced through the blue flames.
It barely grazed Riser's chest.
A thin cut appeared on his clothes.
Then the stake disappeared into the horizon.
Riser barely paid attention.
"Oho? That was a good one."
The blue flames intensified once more.
"You almost got me."
He didn't even look at his own chest.
To him, a scratch meant nothing.
His body always regenerated.
Always.
But Issei...
Stopped.
Behind his helmet, his eyes narrowed.
The small cut was still there.
One drop of blood rolled down.
Then another.
And...
Nothing.
It didn't close.
It didn't disappear.
It didn't regenerate.
The wild smile on Issei's face diminished.
The madness in his eyes seemed to retreat slightly.
"...Huh?"
Riser raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
Issei didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on Riser's chest.
On the small cut.
Still open.
Still bleeding.
For the first time since the beginning of the battle...
A sense of alarm passed through his mind.
"Partner...?" Ddraig spoke.
But Issei didn't answer.
He simply kept watching Riser.
Then...
The aura around him weakened a little.
He took one step back.
Then another.
His posture changed.
Less aggressive.
More cautious.
Riser seemed offended.
"Hey! What happened?!"
The blue flames intensified.
"Don't tell me you're losing your spirit now!"
Issei kept staring at the small wound.
Without saying a word.
He slowed down.
--++--
"Thank goodness the Sekiryuutei noticed."
Lord Phenex sighed in relief, almost dropping to his knees.
"This fight needs to end quickly. Riser is burning through his life force."
--++--
"As fun as this is, let's end it."
Issei spoke in a serious tone.
"When you master that terrifying technique, we'll fight again, and maybe I'll remember your name, pigeon."
"What are you talking about?" Riser growled, pointing at Issei. "Are you out of energy already, Sekiryuutei?"
Riser provoked him.
"No. It's just that if we keep going, I'll end up having too much fun and lose myself... and kill you."
Issei spoke in a sad tone.
"I also don't have complete control over my power, so let's stop here. It's going to hurt, but you'll survive."
"Kazikli Bey."
"What the hell are you— AAHHHHH!"
Riser screamed in pain as several stakes suddenly emerged from his body. None of them pierced any internal organs; all of them came out through his limbs, but it was enough to destabilize him.
The pain caused Riser's blue flames to disappear, and he lost the ability to fly.
Issei ran forward and caught him before he could hit the ground.
"Why catch me in the air? It's not like I was going to die." Riser growled angrily.
When he tried to get out of Issei's arms and remove the stakes from his body, Issei placed him on the ground and held him there.
"Look at your chest."
Issei spoke, not allowing Riser to move.
"What is there to look at—"
Riser went into shock when he saw the blood and tried to stop the bleeding.
At that moment, Issei struck the back of his neck and knocked him unconscious.
--+--
"What kind of abnormal power is that?"
The Devils began discussing among themselves.
"It's cheating! That vampire can defeat you without even touching you! He didn't use it from the beginning, so there must be some condition... It's impossible for a power like that not to have conditions!"
The Devils debated in shock, while some very old Devils merely watched with expressions of fear.
"It can't be..."
One old Devil almost collapsed as his legs trembled.
"Has he returned... Dracula...?"
--+--
"Well, it's time for us to leave."
Zelretch spoke, and Arcueid and Shiki nodded.
"Wait."
He heard a voice.
It was Serafall Leviathan.
"You cannot leave, Third Ancestor of the Dead Apostles, Zelretch."
"Ohhh, you know who I am?" he asked curiously.
"No. That's the only thing I know about you. Just a single sentence."