Chapter 24: What do I gain from that?!
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Issei glanced at his watch, growing impatient. "Is there a point to all this?"
Saji nodded, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Yeah, there is... I heard that you're a dragon, and I was wondering if you could train me."
Issei gave him an incredulous look. "What?"
"Look, I know it's a long shot, and I'm ashamed to even ask. My Sacred Gear contains a dragon, and I thought that maybe you could offer some guidance, being a dragon yourself," Saji admitted, a tinge of embarrassment evident in his voice.
Issei shrugged dismissively. "Even if I were capable of helping you, which I highly doubt, why would I want to? What do I gain from training a devil to use his dragon Sacred Gear?"
Saji frowned, disappointed by Issei's lack of interest. "It wouldn't be anything extravagant or long-term. Just a few hours of your time. I simply... I really want to become stronger, and I don't know how. I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask you, even though I expected you to decline."
"What's your motivation for wanting to become stronger?" Issei inquired, causing Saji to perk up anxiously.
"I want to be able to protect the President and the others... I want to be more than just her devil servant someday. I want them to see me as someone worthy of the Sitri name," Saji confessed.
Issei rolled his eyes at the response. "Why should I train you so that you can be a more useful servant to them? If you had a genuine aspiration, I might reconsider. But your lack of ambition is precisely why you're weak."
Saji grimaced, feeling the weight of Issei's harsh words. "I was ambitious enough to ask someone like you, wasn't I?"
"You're missing the point, dude... I won't train you if your only goal is to impress some devil princess and a group of girls. That kind of mindset won't lead you to true power. It will only make you a convenient tool. You should strive to become stronger for your own sake," Issei explained.
"What did you just call me? A tool?" Saji replied angrily.
Issei sighed in exasperation. "Yeah, right now your sole purpose seems to be getting stronger to impress some devil princess and a bunch of girls. That attitude won't make you truly powerful. It will only make you a pawn. Only pursue strength for a purpose that is truly your own."
"I guess I don't have my own reason," Saji admitted, drifting off in thought.
"Most people don't...that's why they end up as servants," Issei replied.
Curious, Saji asked, "What's your reason for wanting to be stronger then?"
Issei chuckled briefly before responding, "I have many reasons...but the biggest one is to be the master of my own destiny."
Confused, Saji stared at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I'm strong so that I don't have to serve anyone," Issei explained.
Saji lowered his gaze, reflecting on Issei's words. "I'm not sure if I could have the same goal...especially now that I'm already a devil."
"You don't have to go to the extreme like me, but at least strive for something more for yourself. Get stronger for your own sake, not just to please others. By doing so, you may end up impressing them more than you ever would as a selfless follower. And if you want the President to truly respect you, stop being a suck-up like the other servants," Issei advised calmly.
Saji's expression shifted, showing a hint of realization. "I never thought about it that way..."
"When you discover your own reason, let me know," Issei said casually as he turned to leave.
"Hey, Hyoudou-san, are we at least okay now?" Saji asked.
"Yeah, we're fine, devil...just don't get on my bad side, and we'll stay that way," Issei replied, walking away.
Before he could leave, Saji called out once more, "By the way...you might want to steer clear of that Vali girl. The others are really concerned about her. If you're serious about avoiding political entanglements here, it's probably best to stay away from her."
"I'll keep that in mind," Issei acknowledged before heading toward his motorcycle.
As Issei approached the designated meeting spot on his motorcycle, he was surprised to find Serafall already waiting for him.
'I wonder how long she's been here. She must have known when school ended for Kuoh Academy students,' Issei thought, parking his bike.
Serafall, dressed in a magical girl cosplay once again, excitedly ran towards him. "Issei-chan! You're here!" she exclaimed with childlike enthusiasm.
Issei glanced at her outfit and let out a sigh. "You're wearing that costume again? We're not going to a convention, you know."
"Yeah, but it's the opening day of the Milky Spiral Seven movie!" she announced.
"And why does that require dressing up?" he questioned.
Serafall gave him a guilty smile and looked down. "Well, it is the opening day, so I wanted to make it special..."
"So, what time is the movie?" Issei asked.
"Yep! We have some time before it starts, so let's go to the mall and do some shopping!" Serafall cheered.
Without wasting a moment, she hopped onto the back of Issei's motorcycle, wrapping her arms around his waist. "We can grab dinner before the movie too! You can choose the place!" she suggested.
"Okay...how long is this movie, though?" Issei inquired curiously.
"It's almost three hours long! Two hours and 45 minutes, to be exact! And we have to stay for the special scene after the end credits!" she replied cheerfully.
'Are you serious?! I can't sit through three hours of magical girls,' Issei thought, horrified. 'Since when did anime movies get that long? Aren't they supposed to be around an hour and a half?'
"GO GO GO!" Serafall urged, prompting Issei to start the engine and ride off. They had a wild and fast journey through town before reaching the mall. Issei attracted quite a few stares from the crowd as he parked his motorcycle.
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