High School DxD Crossover: Defying The Heavens

Two hours.

For two hours, Issei fought against the dummy without stopping even once. Whenever he was pushed back, he would charge forward. Whenever he was blocked, he would attack again. He did not stop.

On this two hours, Issei's abilities in battle increased by leaps and bounds. The reason for that was because he finally found an opponent he could go all out on.

Although on Shinso's castle he always fought with the servants and Shinso himself, they always held back, afraid of harming Issei too badly. But, the dummy was different. It could not think, it would only attack when attacked. It was simple, yet deadly.

On this two hours, the skills he used the most were the first and second levels of the Heavenly Swords Might. If it was to be said that Issei had completely mastered the theoretical usage of them before, now Issei could claim that he mastered it to an unbelievable level in terms of practical uses.

Being able to launch the defense and counter attack from any position, also coupled with his quick reaction speed, the dummy was hard-pressed to damage him once he got the hang of it.

The dummy, on the other hand, had suffered many bruises. At the start of the battle, it had an absolute advantage, but now, they were, at most, evenly paired. Issei probably even had a slight advantage.

Currently, Issei had just finished clashing against the dummy for god knows which time. Although he was heavily bruised from the attacks he suffered at the very start, he could probably keep on for a couple more hours if it was only that.

In reality, the main problem was that Issei had spent too much of his spiritual power. Constantly using it to fuel the swords, along with launching martial skill after martial skill, even Issei had a limit.

Glaring at the dummy once more with a bit of excitement, Issei finally shrugged his shoulder and sat down, crossing his legs. He then began to cultivate, once more filling his dantian and profound veins to the brim with spiritual power.

Once they were filled, he didn't continue anymore, because that would be the same as trying to increase his maximum amount of spiritual power. Although normal cultivators did that most of the time in order to break through to new levels and realms, Issei didn't bother doing that. He knew that it was useless for him.

After regaining his peak condition, Issei didn't jump at the dummy again. Instead, he pulled out the scroll containing the Heavenly Double Swords Might martial skill.

Quickly jumping to the part that explained how to cultivate the third level, Issei began to read it with rapt attention. After a couple of minutes, he completely understood what he should do and then began practicing according to the instructions.

One hour, two hours, three hours... after a whole day, Issei had already finished mastering all three levels of the martial skill.

If any of the other disciples of the Heavenly Might School were to know of this, they wouldn't believe it, no matter what.

Actually mastering a skill that even the biggest genius of the school couldn't even to comprehend after three years in a single day, that was just too absurd.

Nevertheless, Issei, as always, did the impossible as if it was a walk in the park.

After mastering all three levels of the skill, he walked back to the dummy. Instead of attacking it, he went to its base and changed it's power to level 4.

At the moment, he needed to put the skills that he had learned to practice and to be able to use them fluidly.. Only then would he be able to completely master it.

After the dummy changed to level 4, Issei walked back a few feet and then glared at the dummy. He then slightly shook his hands, making the drawings of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye to appear along with their physical bodies.

This time, he planned to fight until his limits. He knew that only by pushing his body to its limit could he truly become stronger.

As he adjusted his stance, he glared at the dummy, his eyes sharpening. At the moment, aside from testing the complete set of skills from the Heavenly Double Swords Might, he had another objective, which was to test an idea that had come to mind when cultivating the third level.

Five hours later, Issei was still battling the dummy. He was currently staring at the dummy who had just thrown him far away with his arms. Facing the dummy who only had a few shallow cuts that were quickly disappearing, Issei, whose body was beaten black and blue and whose clothes were in ruins, didn't back down.

Must not give up...

Gathering spiritual power inside and outside of the swords, Issei leaped forward in extreme speeds, reaching the dummy in seconds. Just as he reached it, he swung Gan Jiang and Mo Ye at it at the same time, aiming at its side.

"Heavenly Strike!"

At that moment, the spiritual energy on both swords grew erratic, covering the swords in blinding white light as he used the skill of the third level of the Heavenly Double Swords Might – Heavenly Strike.

Just as the swords were about reach their targets, two of the dummy arm immediately defended against the incoming swords, blocking their paths. At the same time, another two arms shot towards Issei. His worn out eyes widened as the arms flew towards him.

Must not give up.

Before the attacks could reach him, Issei focused his strength of his left foot and jumped up, at the same time calling both Gan Jiang and Mo Ye back, completely dodging the attack.

While in air, he quickly brought both swords back.

Must not give up!

"Heavenly Strike!"

Once more, the swords started shining as Issei held them in a crossed position as he fell down, aiming at the dummy's head.

Just as Issei was about to strike at the dummy, all six arms quickly went up, intending to block the sword.

When they were about to clash, Issei immediately called back both swords, making him fall down in front of the dummy who had all of his six arms still up.

Must not give up!

Before the dummy could recognize that it had been fooled, Issei immediately brought both swords back and slashed at the defenseless dummy's body while using Heavenly Strike.

With a bang, the dummy's body was cut in half as its torso fell ot the ground.

"Finally..." Issei muttered as he watched the dummy fall to the ground. He was battered, beaten, ragged, but within his eyes, as sense accomplishment could be seen.

Those five hours were, undoubtedly, the most accomplishing of life.

Looking at his two swords, Issei smiled. If he had normal swords, he could never pull off what he just did.

Although it was possible to bring swords back and forth from his cosmos sack or Sky Poison Pearl, they couldn't be called back or be brought out instantly. But, the swords in his hands were different. Because of being infused with his spiritual power, they seemed to attach themselves to his body and could be called out whenever he wanted.

After smiling at the swords, he turned his head to look one more time at the dummy. When he looked at it, his eyes widened.

"So it seems it was true..." Issei muttered as he watched the torso of the dummy use its six arms to carry itself to its legs. After entering in contact, the dummy began to close the gap and in a couple of minutes, it was as good as new.

In a couple of minutes, what he took five hours to accomplish was simply washed away like the rain. Although his accomplishments were for naught, Issei still smiled, "So, it seems like that no matter how much I hurt you, you can take it," He began, "Well, seems like I have found the perfect punching bag."

At the moment, Issei was too exhausted to fight a second time. Instead, he sat down cross-legged and picked the second martial skill, the Four Ways Of the lightning and began to read it.

The first thing he discovered was that the Four Ways Of The Lightning wasn't nearly as simple as the Heavenly Double Swords Might. While on the latter, all you did was to enhance the attacking power of the sword with spiritual power, on the former, you actually manipulated spiritual power into lightning.

To manipulate spiritual power into an element wasn't something that could easily be done by any means. It was tantamount to creating something out of nothing. From that, one could imagine the level of difficulty.

Well, that would be for normal people, and of course, not including Issei. As far as he was concerned, it was only slightly more difficult than Heavenly Double Swords Might.

In short, like Heavenly Double Swords Might, Four Ways Of The Lightning was also divided in levels. Just like the name, there were four levels, or, to be more correct, ways.

When cultivated to the first way, one would be able to bring forth a wall of lightning, with only defensive properties. It could not attack at all, only block incoming attacks.

After cultivating it to the second way, would be able to create lightning for attack. According to the scroll, the attacks that could be done were spheres of lightning or lightning strikes.

Once cultivated to the third way, one would be able to channel lightning beneath their feet and use it for an increase in speed.

Finally, on the fourth way, one would be able to use lightning to enhance the cultivator's body or a weapon.

Those four ways made the rank 4 martial skill, Four Ways Of The Lightning.

After reading that far, Issei closed the book and called back his swords. He then sat down cross-legged and for three days and three nights, he cultivated the first way, and on the end of the third night, mastered it.

After that, he ate some food before beginning his path on the second way. On it, he took a relatively longer time, four days and four nights.

Immediately after, Issei did not rest as he quickly cultivated the third and fourth level in ten days time.

During the entire time, he would only eat when absolutely necessary. He would no sleep. He would focus his whole soul into learning and comprehending the martial skill.

It had already been eighteen days since Issei had entered the room.

"Finished," said Issei as he finally mastered all the four ways. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked around the room. His gaze wasn't the same as the one from before he entered the room.

He was more calm, more collected, and, most importantly, more deadly. Also, in his eyes that used to be chocolate brown, an azure hint could be seen courtesy of cultivating lightning based martial skills.

Slowly moving his body, Issei got up from his cross-legged position. Looking at the Dummy, he didn't directly launch an attack at it. Instead, he calmly placed the scroll containing the Four Ways Of The Lightning in his cosmos sack, and then brought out the Illusionary Palm martial skill.

Illusionary Palm, although being of the same rank as the other two martial skills, it was the most simple by far. It consisted of channeling spiritual power into one's palm and then launching the spiritual power forward in the form of a palm. It could be used for attack and defense.

Being the easiest out of the three, the time Issei spent learning it was also the smallest, only a trifling four hours.

Now, Issei had completely grasped the three most difficult martial skills available for inner disciples. And, he did that in eighteen days. Something of that level... if the geniuses of the Profound Sky Continent were to hear of it, they would feel unworthy of their status of genius.

Now that he had mastered all the skills, Issei quickly placed the Illusionary Palm scroll on his cosmos sack. Once more, he didn't proceed to attack the dummy immediately. Instead, he brought forth a pile containing a lot books.

Those were the books that Sa Ji had brought him about medicine and pill concocting. Issei then picked the one on top of the pile and began to quickly read through it.

Because of his abnormally high intelligence and memory, he only needed to so much as glance at a page to understand it. Using his extremely fast reading speed, in two days, Issei completely devoured the pile of books.

At the moment, his knowledge on all medicinal areas was greatly enhanced, also his knowledge on pill concocting.

Currently, he could already use the Sky Poison Pearl to concoct any of the pills and medicines described on the books.

Now that he had already finished all he had to do, Issei placed all books on his cosmos sack and directed his attention to the dummy.

Walking over to it, he then did something that not even core disciples dared to do. He actually went and set its limiter to the fifth level!