The next Red Dragon Emperor

Arc 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: After tragedy strikes

3rd person

The world was eerily quiet, only occasional tremors breaking the silence. What were supposed to be bustling cities were now empty, littered with broken buildings and footprint shaped craters. Further away lines of refugees were heading away from what had been the final bastion between them and the destruction.

Among the devils travelling there was a group of particularly beaten up and disheartened. Moving slightly behind the rest, they seemed rather unconcerned with actually escaping. A blonde male was the only one that seemed to be trying. He and a few figures in armour were carrying five girls.

"President! Don't give up!" he begged in a strained voice. "We have to hold out if we're to get Issei and Gasper back."

However his pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, the rest of the girls remaining still, staring at nothing in particular with lifeless eyes. The boy wanted to do the same, but that couldn't happen. Right now all of them had to at least survive and get revenge on the ones responsible for this. With renewed determination the arduous journey continued.

Timeskip

It had been weeks since the initial assault. By now a full on war had broken out, with the current four great devils struggling to keep control of the few remaining cities. The reinforcements from heaven were helping, but unfortunately the biggest problems had yet to be solved. Specifically the giant monsters prowling the land.

"Gasper seems to be safe for now. He can't control his power so we're keeping him unconscious." a man with black and blonde hair explained.

"We have to find a way to get Issei back as soon as possible. You said that Cao Cao and Georg are in Hades' realm."

"Trying to get to them is dangerous, Rias…" the man said. "Neither you nor Koneko have developed enough to ensure you'll be safe. Without Issei you're more likely to fail than anything."

"Yet you're not giving us any information!" Rias screamed, getting support from the rest of her peerage."

The man sighed and looked away for a second. This put the devils on edge, each holding on to the pawn they had been given. Issei's pawns. The only real piece of him they had left. Holding out a tablet the man presented it.

"We've gotten hold of an energy signature that can only be coming from the boosted gear. We couldn't tell you before because we weren't certain about it…"

"Is it him, Azazel-sensei?!" Akeno interrupted.

"Unfortunately it doesn't seem like it… Ddraig's power is nowhere near the same level as before."

The words were like thunder in the room, causing everyone to either fall on the nearest chair or look for something to hold on to. Azazel was preparing to leave and let the group some time with their feelings. It had already been decided that Gasper's situation would be handled by the adults. Yet something about the silence stopped him. Instead of cries, unrest and such the place was still. A stillness he had only felt in Hades' section of the underworld.

"There might be a way…" he said, catching himself slightly late.

"What is it?! How?! Please…!" Rias said, grabbing his arm weakly.

"After being separated from the evil pieces he would've been left with little power and no way to promote to his "True Queen". His only option would've been Juggernaut Drive. If that happened it's possible his consciousness is still in the sacred gear. The new host this time isn't a newborn either, so something's certainly out of the ordinary."