Chapter 43: Adaptation
"Hey, Vahn, check this out...!" exclaimed Issei, showing off a distinctly different gauntlet than he typically wore. Now, it covered the entirety of his forearm, his fingers, and the horns that previously flanked the sides of his fist now projected from the back like a pair of yellow-hued blades. All in all...
"That looks awesome. But how did you change its appearance...?" asked Vahn, tilting his head slightly from his position behind Koneko around the campfire/rest area, allowing him to brush her hair.
"It's not just its appearance that changed," stated Issei, looking almost smug as he explained, "Now, instead of doubling my power once, it can activate multiple times. And check this out..."
Pumping his fist, Issei caused a silvery, spear-like blade to emerge from the front section of his gauntlet. Vahn immediately recognized it as the blade of the spear he had given Issei to deal with monsters that were resistant to striking, so he wasn't too surprised when the latter explained, "I can now absorb other items and boost their power and effects, similar to your spear, but better in every way."
"That's really amazing, Issei," affirmed Vahn, taking a bit of wind out of Issei's sails with his nonchalance. To everyone else, it was obvious that Issei was showing off comparatively, but Vahn just interpreted it as him being excited to show off his new toy.
Throwing Issei a bone, Rias smilingly explained, "It's actually beyond amazing, Vahn. Issei-kun's new gauntlet, the Boosted Gear, is one of the thirteen original Longinus created by the God of the Bible and is regarded as the fifth-most powerful Sacred Gear alongside its counterpart, Divine Dividing. And this is the first time it's ever been in the hands of a long-lived species like Devil, so if he trains hard, Issei-kun could become one of the most powerful beings in existence."
Feeling his ego inflate like a balloon, Issei rubbed the underside of his nose with his Boosted Gear, causing it to rather abruptly state, "Do not get your snot on me, boy," in a distinct, masculine voice.
Startled by the sudden yet familiar voice, Issei stared at the large green gem embedded in the Boosted Gear's fist plating, asking, "Ddraig, is that you? You can speak outside of my dreams?"
"More importantly, this boy you're trying to pick a fight with carries the scent of the Chaos Karma Dragon and the lingering odor of Heaven. You should not antagonize him," advised the voice, ostensibly belonging to an entity named Ddraig, who, according to Sis, was the Red Dragon Emperor, one of two Heavenly Dragons.
"Vahn-sama has been to Heaven...?" questioned Asia, tilting her head to the side from her position next to him, nursing a cup of hot cocoa as she awaited her turn to have her hair brushed.
"I have," confirmed Vahn, causing even the usually stoic Grayfia to be surprised as he casually revealed, "When I first appeared in this world, it was in a place called the Seventh Heaven. There, I met a bunch of eyes calling itself Throne. It invited me to stay in Heaven, but it had been one of my dreams to attend school, so I left and came to Kuoh."