The Lone Dragon Emperor
is an ongoing High School D×D alternate universe fic. It was published on Mar 4, 2018. It sees Issei Hyoudou losing his parents at the age of 6 and awakening his power as the Sekiryuutei, after a group of unidentified Devils attack Kuoh.
Afterwards, Issei comes to live in Nagoya, with his father's cousin, Satoshi Aikawa, and his family. However, being the Red Dragon Emperor means leading an unfortunate life, so it doesn't stop there.
Tropes contained in The Lone Dragon Emperor:
- Adaptation Personality Change: Several characters in the story experience this.
- Of course, the most notable example is Issei. In canon, he's a pervert who sits on the fence between Stock Shōnen Hero and Stock Light-Novel Hero, and undergoes Character Development as the story progresses. In this fic, Issei, while retaining a lot of his heroic traits in canon, is noticeably colder and less friendly. In addition, Issei starts displaying sadistic and sociopathic tendencies later on, to the point of sliding into villainy.
- Raynare is less psychotic and more self-deprecating than her canon version and while she doesn't get to show much of her dangerous traits due to how strong is Issei by this point due to being paralyzed with fear, she does show signs of being remorseful of her actions and appreciating of Asia's kindness, even if she doesn't want to admit it.
- Played with in Asia's case. She may seem even nicer than in canon, as she is willing to stop Issei from killing the fallen angels, and even takes pity on Raynare upon witnessing what the latter has become, and invites her to Issei's house, much to his chagrin.
- Downplayed with Rias. Simply because it's unknown to which extent her canon character would bear with being repeatedly insulted for the sake of getting what she wants.
- Adaptation Species Change: Issei and Asia remain humans instead of becoming Devils. Well... half true in Issei's case at least, as he starts displaying a few dragon powers after trading his eye.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Most notably happens to Issei and, surprisingly, Raynare.
- Adaptational Badass: Issei. Played straight in the first arc after the prologue, where he single-handedly disposes of the fallen angels at the abandoned church.
- Adaptational Intelligence: Again, Issei. In canon, he is a borderline Idiot Hero: his grades at school are average and his pervertedness makes him look stupid, overshadowing his fairly good common sense and his quick learning. Here, Issei is more knowledgeable, to the point of getting good grades and being able to learn several languages, such as French and Italian. Justified, as he has the brain of a Dragon after the Incomplete Balance Breaker incident.
- Adaptational Villainy: Issei. While he retains some of his more heroic canon traits to some extent, a lot of his actions in this story are morally questionable, not to mention he has a higher kill count than in the original series, and as the time passes, he begins to slide into the teritorry of a sociopathy.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: When asked by Sirzechs to fight Riser to help Rias break off her engagement with the Phoenix heir, Issei demands that Sirzechs kneels before him and apologizes to his parents, considering him responsible for the Kuoh disaster. Sirzechs complies.
- Beforehand, Raynare pleads with Issei to not kill them, even going as far as saying what would Asia think. Issei becomes frustrated and gives them an ultimatum: Leave Kuoh, and never return. Raynare's three companions decide to try and kidnap and kill Asia while Issei is away and nearly get all of themselves killed as a result.
- Aloof Big Brother: Well, they are cousins, but Issei becomes one for Maki after leaving Nagoya at the ending of the prologue arc.
- Alternate Continuity: Let's say the prologue arc justifies the different dynamics between Issei and Rias' group, as well as the events being played in a different manner when the story reaches canon. Of course, it's to be expected of an Alternate Universe Fic.
- Alternate Timeline: Starting with the Kuoh disaster, the whole prologue is set in Nagoya, which is, in this fic, close to said town. Issei has a different family and establishes various relationships with the characters in this arc. However, the rest of the story takes place in the High School DXD universe, once the fic reaches canon in Chapter 11.
- Anti-Hero: Issei. He is a Knightin Sour Armor, able to display genuine kindness and concern in spite of an overall jerkass or aloof attitude, and cares for the wellbeing of his loved ones. However, as of recent chapters, he starts displaying more psychotic traits.
- Anyone Can Die: A few characters die in this fic, some of which are either OCs or alive in the origin story, but there's no big death flag for the characters yet...
- Ax-Crazy: Zealous. And Freed Selzeen. And Issei starts developing these tendencies as the story progresses.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Raynare comes to genuinely care for Asia due to the kindness she showed her.
- Berserk Button: If you as much threaten Asia in Issei's presence, he will literally give you hell for it. Mentioning Marie can be one too, if you unwittingly question the nature of their relationship.
- Big Damn Heroes: In chapter 1, Issei saves a little girl from a nightwalker during the Kuoh disaster. He is forced to abandon her, however, as he was about to be discovered by devils.
- Big Damn Reunion: Issei and Haruka, the girl he saved from the nightwalker, in Chapter 11.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Most of Genesis' followers, due to the organization's policy concerning "pagans".
- Break the Cutie: Happens to everyone involved with the supernatural.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl:
- Issei is the brooding boy, Asia is the gentle girl.
- Also, in a non-romantic example, Maki also qualifies as the gentle girl to Issei's brooding boy in the prologue.
- In a more romantic example, Marie is one to Issei in the same arc
- Bullying a Dragon: Quite a literal example. As per canon, Xenovia tries to kill Asia, naturally earning Issei's ire. He almost chokes her to death, before Asia stops him.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Marie, about her feelings for Issei. She will drop hints at times, but that's about it. Later chapters reveal that Issei himself qualifies, as he had returned Marie's feelings, but was unable to spell it out due to "the fear of the uncertain", by the author's own words.
- Cat Girl: Maki, every now and then.
- Character Tic: Issei's habit to unconsciously shut his right eye whenever he's nervous.
- Clip Its Wings: Issei rips off the wings of Raynare's group as a means of punishment. Mittlet, Donnaseek and Kalawarner get their wings regrown. Raynare doesn't.
- He rips off the descendent of Asmodeus' wings in a very brutal fashion.
- Cosmic Plaything: It wouldn't be too far fetched to say this Issei qualifies. Even while living a relatively peaceful life, he can't catch a long break before some tragedy occurs.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Issei brutally kills a stray devil by giving it more power so that he could kill it slower. By the time Rias and her peerage arrive, the stray devil was so badly mutilated that they were left speechless and horrified.
- In chapter 32, the last of the three heads of the Khaos Brigade is Eaten Alive after having all her limbs reduced to dust. So brutal was the murder that everyone thought it was cruel and barbaric murder.
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- In Chapter 5, Issei is on the receiving end of one by Zealous, due to the strenght gap between them, and would have died if the stray devil didn't repeatedly weaken himself by praying to God.
- In Chapter 14, Issei single-handedly defeats the Fallen Angels and rescues Asia.
- In Chapter 19, Issei defeats Raiser without sustaining as much of a damage as a punch to his torso. Accounting for Raiser's immortality, Issei, at first, only toyed with him, but went berserk after Raiser made accidentally touched Marie's cross, leaving him to forfeit the match after sustaining too many injuries that slowed his regeneration powers, thus bringing him close to Dying For Real.
- Darker and Edgier: OH BOY. The prologue arc alone is darker than most, if not all the light novel.
- And then, the rest of the story is Lighter and Softer, at least compared to the prologue.
- Dark and Troubled Past: All the members of Rias' group retain their canon background, in addition to Issei's in the prologue.
- Deadpan Snarker: Issei. Koneko too.
- Death by Adaptation: Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou, due to the disaster in Kuoh. Their actual bodies are never found, but it's clear they didn't survive the outbreak.
- Death Seeker: Played with. Issei doesn't explicitly want to die, but his motivation for returning to Kuoh is keeping his family safe from the threats he faces as the Sekiryuutei, to the point he is prepared to die alone.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Marie dies in Issei's arms in chapter 10. She smiles and apologizes before succumbing to her wounds.
- Eating the Enemy: After activating his Imperfect Balance Breaker in the the battle against Genesis in their building near the forest, in chapter 9, Issei goes berserk and actually starts cannibalising his enemies. He immediately throws up after regaining his consciousness.
- Everybody Has Standards: Despite his hatred for devils, he despises hypocrites like Freed even more, brutally knocking his ass out for his sheer hypocrisy.
- When listening to Asia's story of how she was ex-communicated from the church for healing a devil, he is disgusted with the church for exiling such a sweet girl for the crime of healing someone not of their faction.
- Eye Scream: Also in chapter 9, Issei is shot with an arrow by one of Genesis' priests, and loses his right eye. However, to ensure his survival, Ddraig replaces it with a dragon's eye, which gives Issei some dragon abilities.
- In Chapter 14, he gouges out Donasheek's eyes alongside tearing the man's wings off.
- Expy: Design-wise, Marie resembles Boudica
- Fantastic Racism: Issei really hates devils. Justified, since some Devils are responsable for the disaster in Kuoh, but that's also mentioning that he didn't hate them at first. Countless fights with stray devils that followed afterwards might have changed his mind by the time he meets Rias and her peerage, though...
- Forgotten Friend, New Foe: The dynamics between Issei and Irina upon their reunion. By the time they meet again, Irina is an exorcist while Issei is allied with the Devils of Kuoh and has developed a strong animosity towards the church. Irina starts to feel weary of Issei after realizing he is a potential danger, while Issei is ready to disregard their past connection if she and Xenovia turn out to be an enemy of Rias and her peerage.
- The Gadfly: Marie.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Issei, of sorts. He starts displaying dragon-like abilities after having his missing left eye replaced by Ddraig with a dragon eye. Ddraig points out, before Issei breaks from his berserk state, that he's no longer 100% human by this point.
- Happily Adopted: Issei, by the Aikawa family, in the prologue. It doesn't last.
- Innocently Insensitive: When wondering where Issei's parents are in Chapter 14, Asia finds out that Issei's parents have been dead for nearly a decade. Issei doesn't hold it against her, as she didn't know.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Again, Issei. It's still there, underneath his snarky, brash personality.
- Mercy Kill: Shalba kills Creuserey in a bid to kill Issei, but also because the man had lost three of his limbs, his wings and Issei was in the process of ripping his spine out while he was still alive.
- Mood Whiplash: This fic can switch from it's casual, comedic slice of life moments to action-packed, blood-soaked events and back in just one chapter. Lampshaded by Issei.Issei: When the hell was it that my life became equal parts Shakespearean tragedy and equal parts gag manga..?
- Morality Pet: Asia, to Issei.
- Naïve Everygirl: Maki.
- Nice Girl: Asia and Maki are too pure for this fic.
- Not Blood Siblings: Issei and Maki are cousins, but their relationship is akin to an actual big brother and her little sister.
- Oh, Crap!: Raynare begs and pleads for her life the first time she meets Issei when her attempt to kill him goes sideways.
- The second time, she is shaking in fear when she finds Asia had walked him to their base, with Mittlet and Kalawarner shocked at how terrified Raynare was at the presence of a mere human.
- The third time, Raynare fearfully confesses that they planned to steal Asia's Sacred Gear from her after they all encounter Issei. She ends up convincing him to not kill them by saying what would Asia think. They are told to leave Kuoh, lest they wish to die.
- The fourth time, she becomes terrified when her three companions and Freed kidnap Asia from Issei's home. When Rias and her peerage arrive to the destroyed church, Raynare is so terrified, she's hallucinating that Issei is a monster-like dragon that wants to rip her to shreds.
- Original Character: A LOT. Nearly every character in the prologue except for Issei and Ddraig is this.
- Parental Substitute: Satoshi and Akane Aikawa, to Issei. Satoshi was already related to Issei, as he was his father's cousin, but after the disaster in Kuoh, he took him in and treated him like his own son.
- Plagued by Nightmares: Issei begins experiencing nightmares on a regular basis ever since eating members of Genesis alive in Chapter 9, but these nightmares get even worse after his return to Kuoh.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Raynare and her allies really come close to facing a gruesome death by a berserk Issei, and it takes Asia's pleadings to stop him from killing them, but it comes at a cost of being accordingly punished, as well as Issei promising not to show the same mercy if he finds out they didn't leave Kuoh.
- Ship Tease: Issei has a fair amount of it. Especially with Marie, in the prologue, and with Asia.
- Shout-Out:
- In Chapter 8, the stray devil Issei kills is an expy of Rize Kamishiro.
- The Imperfect Balance Breaker Issei activates in Chapter 9 is based on Ken Kaneki's first half-kakuja state. Moreover, he goes berserk and starts canibalising his victims...
- Sociopathic Hero: Issei begins to slide into this, especially after Marie's death.
- "Reason You Suck" Speech: Issei give a BIG one to Michael at the peace treaty in Chapter 31, calling out he and the church for thier neglectful attitude toward people like Asia and Xenovia, where there actions only proceded to get them branded as heretics, out of fear that it might cause peoples faith in heaven to fracture.
- Talking Is a Free Action: Discussed. When Issei asks the Alkassa why they're doing the discussion before they try to kill each other, he explains that it's a form of entertainment. When he tries to flee Issei, he soon realizes why Issei doesn't bother with talking with his opponents before fighting.Every moment before death - is silent.
- This Is Gonna Suck: When Raynare finds out her group kidnapped Asia while Issei is away, she is left terrified as unlike the others, she knows the moment Issei arrives, they're all dead. While they're not killed, Raynare is still terrified of Issei, even when it fades.
- Tongue Trauma: After ripping off Mittlet's wings, Issei puts two metallic fingers into her mouth and cuts her tongue out, saying she talks too much.
- Too Dumb to Live: Raynare's three companions decide to take Issei's offer by kidnapping Asia and trying to steal her sacred gear, despite Raynare's protests. Had Asia not pleaded for Issei to spare them, all four of them would be dead.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Issei becomes more sarcastic, outspoken and rude, especially in his relationship with Rias and her peerage.
- Tragic Keepsake: Issei has worn Marie's cross ever since her death, especially since she handed it to him in her last moments. He also kept the jacket he wore when he hold her dying body in his arms as a memento, noting that the stains of blood never washed away.
- Trauma Button: When Creuserey is getting his wings ripped off, Raynare, who had her wings ripped off, closes her eyes and covers her ears to drown out the sounds of a devil screaming for mercy while saying he deserves it.
- Western Terrorists: Genesis. They are mentioned to be a radical Catholic cult originating from France, and are said to have two divisions: one in Ukraine, and one in Japan, the latter being the Big Bad of the prologue arc. It's revealed they were members of the Khaos Brigade, as their leader mentions to Marie before killing her, but Issei remains unaware of the fact due to the circumstances. Issei later learns it from Sirzechs anyway.
- Wham Episode:
- In Chapter 10, Marie dies after an off-screen fight with Genesis' Japanese division leader. Issei activates his Balance Breaker and destroys the last of Genesis in retaliation.
- In Chapter 24 Issei, the exorcists, and the peerages take on Kokabiel and his army.
- Chapter 32, The Khaos Brigade attacks the peace treaty, which leads to Issei decimating and killing most of the devils and magicians thier, including Katerea Leviathin, Cruerasy Asmodeus, and Shalba Beelzebub, in which he easily kills off.
- Chapter 33, Issei activates an altered version of the Juggernaut drive, in which he uses Ophis's Snake to keep on consuming materials so that way he can infinitely use Juggernaut drive at no true cost to himself, against Vali. Which leads into some of the major faction leaders being forced to take them down. It is also Revealed that the two Fallen angel Cadres, Baraqiel and Aramos fight in a battle for Grigori, though most of the fighting happens off screen.
- You Are Not Alone: Maki does this for Issei.
