Issei had finished all his commitments and was now living his daily life in a more normal manner, but there was something the boy had wanted to do since he finished the Rating Game against Riser.
"I want to train!!" (Issei)
"Let's devise an effective plan, but we need time." (Qin)
"Yes, I'll wait." (Issei)
"You don't like your current strength??" (Qin)
"I need more." (Issei)
"More strength than you already have??" (Qin)
"Yes, I want to be at the top of the High-Class Devils in strength right now. I want to be stronger than Riser." (Issei)
"This current ambition of yours is fun; let's do it." (Qin)
Qin and Issei were discussing how they would get stronger when the boy saw something strange: an adult man with the same hair as Rias. That man was very powerful and was near the school; he was accompanied by a silver-haired maid that Hyoudou knew very well, and she signaled for him to come over.
"Hello, I am Devil King Sirzechs Lucifer." (Sirzechs)
"I am Hyoudou Issei." (Issei)
"Thank you very much for helping my little sister get rid of that nuisance." (Sirzechs)
"I'm the one who thanks her for always helping me." (Issei)
Issei felt comfortable with that man; the guy was Rias's brother and didn't seem to have bad intentions toward him.
"I wanted to meet you without drawing my sister's attention at school." (Sirzechs)
"Seems like you failed." (Issei)
"Do you want to be a Devil King??" (Sirzechs)
Sirzechs stared into Issei's eyes; the boy did the same to demonstrate his determination about being King.
"Yes, I do." (Issei)
"For political power??" (Sirzechs)
"No, I want to be a Maou because of my ambition to be King." (Issei)
"Will you take care of the devils as if they were your family in that case??" (Sirzechs)
"Of course I will, for the duty of a King is to safeguard his people." (Issei)
Issei and Sirzechs were laughing as they exchanged more and more words; the two seemed to be having a conversation between a monarch and a crown prince.
"Do you want something as a reward??" (Sirzechs)
"I want a small thing if you can help me with it..." (Issei)
Sirzechs was expecting a very large request from that brown-haired man with the ambitious smile; he could feel it coming.
"Could you help me reach a certain place and give me a 1 or 2-week leave of absence from school for me and my parents, along with the group??" (Issei)
Sirzechs was laughing when he heard Issei's request and promised to do it; the request to help him reach a certain place also surprised him when he heard it, but he accepted that too.
...
Sirzechs said goodbye to Issei when the brown-haired boy was already in his standard luxury clothes similar to the redhead's and heading somewhere with the Gremory magic circle.
"I'm happy my sister likes someone like him." (Sirzechs)
"The House of Gremory will see an ascent with this person helping Rias-sama and the underworld." (Grayfia)
"Yes, I feel the same. What an incredible younger brother I've gained." (Sirzechs)
Sirzechs was laughing as he thought of Issei's ambition and also about the way he acted; he was certain the Underworld would be in good hands if it fell into his.
"Has the Emperor of the Dead also awakened??" (Sirzechs)
"It seems so; the two rivals are already in this era." (Grayfia)
...
Issei had arrived at a mansion with the Phoenix symbol; he was received by a noble lady with curly blonde hair, the sister of his former enemy.
"I have been awaiting your last-minute arrival." (Ravel)
"Can you take me to your brother??" (Issei)
"What do you want with him??" (Ravel)
Ravel was finding it strange that this blindfolded man wanted to talk to her brother after defeating her tactically and her brother physically with a plan.
"I want to talk to him." (Issei)
"Okay, but it's only because Maou Lucifer asked." (Ravel)
Ravel was a bit apprehensive about taking that man to her brother in the current state he found himself in after losing the match. Issei found all of Riser's peerage in a room near a very luxurious gold door with the Phoenix emblem; they seemed to be waiting for someone to come out of there.
"Onii-sama, someone has come to see you." (Ravel)
Ravel knocked on the luxurious door so her brother would hear; the room seemed to be being tossed from side to side with the sounds of someone in there.
"Who has come to see me??" (Riser)
Issei smiled even wider as he was about to announce his presence to Riser Phoenix; that would surely amuse him.
"Me!" (Issei)
A loud scream echoed from the room; the scream was one of fear and anger toward someone. The blonde man was cursing Issei.
"Get out of here! I don't want to hear your crap about the Emperor's route or royalty! Wasn't it enough to rub it in my face that I'm an idiot??" (Riser)
Ravel worried about Riser at that moment, but one person was not worried about it and advanced with a powerful kick to the door to find a blonde man in pajamas and wrapped in sheets.
"I came here just to see you." (Issei)
"See me?? Get lost!" (Riser)
"Let's train! Let's go, let's go!" (Issei)
Issei dragged Riser by the legs to the courtyard of the Phoenix mansion; the man tried to summon his flames, but his messy state didn't allow for it. His group even tried to intervene, but they were intercepted by Ravel.
"Train! Train! Train!" (Issei)
"Help!! Save me! This monster is going to throw me into hell!" (Riser)
Those were the words Issei and Riser said on the way before arriving at the courtyard. Hyoudou threw the man to the other side when they arrived and even took off his blindfold.
"Let's train!" (Issei)
"I don't want to! Get lost!" (Riser)
Riser tried to run because of the trauma he had acquired after having his pride crushed as a High-Class Devil and other things, but Issei didn't allow it as he stood at the door and intercepted him with a punch.
"Get out of here!" (Riser)
Riser was furious when that man intercepted him to return to his room, but the only thing he managed was to be sent flying again with another punch.
"Let's fight seriously!" (Issei)
Riser didn't tire of trying to return to his own room, and Issei didn't tire of sending him flying through the air with a punch; the process repeated for 2 hours until Riser grew tired and lay on the ground.
"What a disappointment." (Issei)
Riser was a bit confused when Issei said those words; he was very irritated and not at his peak due to the trauma of defeat, but he still wanted to know something.
"Why the disappointment??" (Riser)
"You are the strongest and most talented guy I know, and you stay like this." (Issei)
Issei was praising Riser sincerely and the man could perceive it; his enemy who traumatized him was recognizing him.
"I lost to you; I'm just an idiot being spun around by your hands and now I'm being tossed from side to side by them—a broken toy." (Riser)
Riser was depreciating himself a lot when he thought that he had always been in that man's hands, that he never had a chance of victory, and that the subject in front of him was a monster in strength and intelligence.
"That may be, but it doesn't take away the fact that you are strong and talented. Your idiocy is just because you were spoiled too much, and that can be fixed." (Issei)
Issei was sitting beside Riser while his blindfold was placed back on his face.
"Let's fight once more, but without powers or fire—just fists." (Riser)
"Okay." (Issei)
Issei smiled as he saw that spark of hope for the blonde-haired man; he was going to fight without powers, so he didn't take off his blindfold and simply entered a combat stance.
"Let's go!" (Riser)
Riser advanced upon Issei with his fists; the blindfolded man didn't dodge as he landed a punch too. The two were locked in an exchange of punches without dodging, smiling all the while.
"This is fun!" (Riser)
"That's the spirit." (Issei)
Issei and Riser exchanged more and more blows for a consecutive hour. The blonde-haired man fell to the ground while his body regenerated once more, but this time there was no despondency, only joy.
"Want to continue in a bit??" (Issei)
"Of course, I won't lose to you." (Riser)
Riser continued after a few hours to exchange blows with Issei; he lasted 2 hours now fighting only with fists. His body was all sweaty as he fell to the ground once more, smiling.
"Why are you here??" (Riser)
Issei smiled when Riser asked him that question; it wasn't the ambitious smile he always gave, but one he gave only to his friends.
"To cure that arrogance of yours. I didn't want to see someone as talented as you sink just because of a defeat." (Issei)
"Did you know this would happen??" (Riser)
"I knew... Your ego is very large—not as large as mine, but it's very large—and it's also a bit fragile. That's why I came here to help you heal so you don't lose your talent." (Issei)
Riser was laughing intensely as he heard that man say those words to him; the blonde recognized that it was indeed true.
"Do you really want to be Maou??" (Riser)
"Yes, and I want you to be with me when that time comes." (Issei)
"Me??" (Riser)
"Yes, I recognize you as someone capable, and I need capable people to improve the Underworld by my side when I become Maou." (Issei)
"He..." (Riser)
Riser was hit by an emotion he had never felt before from other people—an emotion of seeing a person as his superior and possessing an unshakable charisma.
Day after day passed with Issei and Riser training; the brown-haired man already seemed to belong to the house as he was seen chatting cheerfully with Riser and Ravel. The older brother and heir, Ruval, also liked the boy being there.
Riser and Issei trained with powers and without powers; he also helped train the physical combatants of Ruval's or Riser's group with his knowledge in martial arts or tactics with Ravel. The days in the Phoenix Clan house were increasingly cheerful with the feeling that surrounded the place; this was the spirit that Hyoudou Issei spread.
...
The day to go home finally arrived after a week and a half, but no one wanted Issei to leave.
"Take care." (Riser)
"Visit us when you have time." (Ruval)
"Don't forget to visit us, Issei-sama." (Ravel)
The three, along with Riser's group, said goodbye to the blindfolded boy in Phoenix clan clothes, all of them smiling.
"Brother... Can I ask you to contact the best magic and combat trainers??" (Riser)
"Why??" (Ruval)
Ruval was in doubt as he saw his arrogant brother wanting to be taught by someone, but he had an idea why.
"I need to be stronger to follow the road that man is going on." (Riser)
"You really do." (Ruval)
Riser smiled as he watched the place where Issei had been; he had a look that Saji understood very well—a look of adoration for a certain idol and leader.
"Now you are more powerful than me. I look forward to when you become the Maou; I'm certain you will manage. I will be there to congratulate you when the time comes, and to serve you." (Riser)