Island War [Manga]

[Sordes Pilosus]

Revan5, please wait til AFTER there is a readable version of 86 before posting it. If not your simply spoiling other readers. If not at the very least place it in a spoiler tag and referance it to chapter 86 Material, since 86 is not Scanlated or Translated yet and this chapter has nothing to do with chapter 86 directly please spare those that actualy wait til chapter 86 is out before posting material of that chapter, it really sucks to be spoiled.

[Ancient Soul]

...@Weils already postet a first translation on chapter 86...which most of us already read it

It would be intersting to know if there are DODs (like this month chapter suggest) on the Island they are following OE (Organisation Enemy) orders or act on their own!As far as we know Rubel don't know anything about DODs being on The Island!

A powerfull rogue DOD (or many) may chance everyone course of action especially that of Miria who plan to take down The ORG.A rogue DOD would be against what Rubel told them (that his side will not directly attack) and thus their plan must be changed since their info on which they acted until now is not accurate.

Also if The ORG find out that may ask for reinforcements or begin to redeploy from the Island.

[revan5]

Originally Posted by Sordes Pilosus

Revan5, please wait til AFTER there is a readable version of 86 before posting it. If not your simply spoiling other readers. If not at the very least place it in a spoiler tag and referance it to chapter 86 Material, since 86 is not Scanlated or Translated yet and this chapter has nothing to do with chapter 86 directly please spare those that actualy wait til chapter 86 is out before posting material of that chapter, it really sucks to be spoiled.

I waited until there was a spoiler with a plot translation to post. Anyways, I put everything in a nice spoiler section just for your sake.

Spoiler:

Anyways, it appears that the Island's situation was not exactly like what we thought.

Interestingly the Organization seems to have known about this new power, but Riful and the Ghosts obviously do not know. I would severly doubt, considering they have only one (or two depending on Beth's strength) Abyssal level fighter(s), that this Demon is under their control.

It is either a rogue AB (which everyone seems to doubt), or it is a Dragonkin either there to set the stage for invasion (seems odd though that this "Demon" has been there so long, if in fact it moved in around the time Isley did) or has gone rogue itself and found the island a nice place to "retire".

I wonder if this is the nail in the coffin of the Org (signaling impending invasion) or something else. It seems odd that at the same time Isley moved into the South something else moved in as well. It either means that Priscilla/Raki are searching for an ally in Claire/Co or they've left Isley for the relatively greater safety of the West, where they only have to deal with another Abyssal One weaker than Priscilla. Isley either couldn't force them to stay or this Demon is more dangerous than he is and he has some sort of strategy set against it.

What I will say is that it appears Isley is NOT tracking Raki/Priscilla, so therefore must not be interested in Riful's fate and that of her possible new Abyssal ally.

Perhaps Isley will be the first Abyssal to die...and probably will die by this Demon's hands.

[Sordes Pilosus]

My sake ? No I followed the Chinease version and all that like most other hardcore fans. Just really annoying when a mods comes around later or someone likes to wait to get to read it online and takes part in this topic for instance to just have their exiting wait ruined due to a misplaced spoiler.

[MisterJB]

Spoiler for spoiler:

I think that with this new (awesome) chapter we can have a whole new vision of the war on the Island.
We were ranting about how Clare and Miria could half-Awaken and defeat Isley but Helen and Deneve almost cried out off fear just because Isley was near them on his HUMAN-form.
I think we underestimated the Abyssal Ones a little. Isley could feel Deneve and Helen's Yoki eve while they tryed to hide it so the stealth ability of the Ghosts is out of the equation

[Awakened]

Originally Posted by MisterJB

Spoiler for spoiler:

I think that with this new (awesome) chapter we can have a whole new vision of the war on the Island.
We were ranting about how Clare and Miria could half-Awaken and defeat Isley but Helen and Deneve almost cried out off fear just because Isley was near them on his HUMAN-form.
I think we underestimated the Abyssal Ones a little. Isley could feel Deneve and Helen's Yoki eve while they tryed to hide it so the stealth ability of the Ghosts is out of the equation

I think Isley saw Helen's sword.
pag 25,27,28

[Walter]

Isley is known for being very cunning. I think he would find two people in black hooded cloaks standing in the middle of street looking at him extremely suspicious.

[revan5]

Originally Posted by Awakened

I think Isley saw Helen's sword.
pag 25,27,28

Spoiler for Isley, the Ghosts and the new Balance of Power:

Have to agree with you on that, plus, come on, does anyone think Isley so dense that he can't notice a swordbelt and oddly non-civilian black clothing. They may be in cloaks, but Helen/Deneve still stand out in a crowd from a clothing perspective. It was a dead give-away, and I'm sure Isley was not in the least fooled by a mere cloak over their eyes. He knew exactly what he was dealing with...well, at least he thinks he does.

As for the strategic situation, this Demon and the fact that Isley is not anywhere near Priscilla/Raki means a few things.

For one:

Southern Abyssal Faction:

Now dramatically weaker, and apparently vulnerable to this new power, the "Demon"-it remains to be seen whether he's done in by the Demon or the Ghosts.

-Let's think about this logically...the Ghosts have not one but two Eyes, one of whom is beyond exceptional. Does anyone really think they won't recognize Helen/Deneve's Youki surging past their limits? This Demon might attack Isley, but there is a significant chance that if it doesn't finish him fast, or vice versa, both sides will leave themselves open to attack by the crack team of Ghosts under Miria's command in Rabona (Miria (CO), Tabitha (LT), Galatea, Miata and Clarice) or possibly Alicia/Beth. After all, why not try to kill two birds with one stone?

The Org is the less likely to attack, as they know that Riful is planning on awakening a former member of Abyssal strength, or at least suspect it. Thus why Isley's only real threats are the Ghosts and this Demon. If they're weakened substantially by the time the other Ghosts show up, then expect a possible end to both factions or just one

Rogue Super-Abyssal:

New faction apparently, with Raki calling the shots even though his partner is capable of tearing apart anyone (excepting perhaps the Demon). Their only real threat is internal issues (Priscilla needing to eat) and a merged "Raciella".

Unknown if they have irreparably split with Isley or know about the "Demon".

Western Abyssal(s?):

Riful's faction is in danger, possibly of death should her experiment go horribly wrong, but at the same time stands to gain much if the new Abyssal is to her liking.

Of course, it could all backfire...the new being may only partially awaken or decide to turn on its supposed Master. If the merging occurs but stops short of a full awakening, expect an alliance with the Ghosts/joining the Ghosts and possibly Riful's death

Organization:

Just when things couldn't go any worse, their No 1 potential deserts, and their No 8 now appears headed into enemy arms. Of course they could have some things up their sleeves, but don't count on it. They are also missing their "Eye", and thus are practically blind compared to the Ghosts, who seem to be assembling the best intelligence on the island.

Ghosts:

If Helen/Deneve survive, expect the Ghosts to regroup and prepare their campaign. If (and I'm pretty certain it will happen) they see the "Demon", then expect the Ghosts to change strategy. There are a lot of "ifs" here. They could lose Helen/Deneve, which would be a heavy blow. They could lose all of Claire's team (really unlikely), but they also could gain No 8 Dietrich and No 6 Renee and several others.

I expect that if Miria thinks the "Demon" is a Dragonkin she will start preparing for invasion by mobilizing Rabona and neighboring towns/villages and raising an army. I know, sounds bold, but it's rational if you think the Dragonkin might be accompanied by their smaller, human-like allies.

However I expect the Demon may just be content to terrorize the South for now, which will probably mean we'll see the Org-Ghost fight coming in 20 chapters or so. Don't expect it to be pretty or one-sided. Neither side is exactly weak: the Ghosts are all single-digit level (excepting Clarice) and the Org has Alicia/Beth + large numbers of weaker Claymores.

The Demon (possibly Dragonkin/Organization's enemies?)

-We currently don't know much about this faction, but I'd hazard a guess it is not affiliated with the Organization. If it was affiliated there'd be no reason for Dietrich to hide from the "Demon". Instead it appears to be either a new, rogue power or a test-fighter sent in by the Organization's Enemies, and thus likely a very strong Dragonkin. Expect this faction to attempt to eliminate the Southern Abyssal, Isley.

One thing, though we don't know its strength, we can infer that it was the Demon and not Isley eating through the towns of the south. If it engages Isley it may eliminate another faction and take over the South entirely. That would change things entirely. It however would remain vulnerable to an attack by the Organization or the Ghosts in the aftermath of victory, should it have been a tough fight.

If Rubel's bosses have lost patience, this creature may be their answer. However I expect it will stay in the South even if victorious for a while, unless it has allies. Rubel can be expected to keep attempting to annihilate the Org from within, so the Demon may merely be a nice way to help move the process along.

[shelter]

I was hoping the key event in Chapter 86 would NOT happen. It just makes the idea of a "total war" on the island a bit more confusing & muddled.

So, Revan5, if we go along with your hypothesis (which itself is quite likely), then:

Spoiler for Spoiler:

There are Dragon-Kin operating in the South, which would:

1. Tip the balance of power in favour of Abysals in the South
2. Render the Organization and the Ghost's control over the land much more questionable
3. Meaning that some factions would need to probably ally each other.

Two things that are a bit unclear though: Yagi has not developed this story progressively. (I feel we are getting snapshots of events all happening simultaneously: Riful & Raciela, Clare & Rubel, Helen/ Deneve & Isley etc). So the scope of war on the island is still very much a free for all. It's a messy chaos.

Second, why destroy the towns? In the context of an Island War, probably only Dragon Kin will have incentive to destroy anything local.

What's your take on that? How would you fit that into your hypothesis?

[revan5]

Originally Posted by shelter

I was hoping the key event in Chapter 86 would NOT happen. It just makes the idea of a "total war" on the island a bit more confusing & muddled.

So, Revan5, if we go along with your hypothesis (which itself is quite likely), then:

Spoiler for Spoiler:

There are Dragon-Kin operating in the South, which would:

1. Tip the balance of power in favour of Abysals in the South
2. Render the Organization and the Ghost's control over the land much more questionable
3. Meaning that some factions would need to probably ally each other.

Two things that are a bit unclear though: Yagi has not developed this story progressively. (I feel we are getting snapshots of events all happening simultaneously: Riful & Raciela, Clare & Rubel, Helen/ Deneve & Isley etc). So the scope of war on the island is still very much a free for all. It's a messy chaos.

Second, why destroy the towns? In the context of an Island War, probably only Dragon Kin will have incentive to destroy anything local.

What's your take on that? How would you fit that into your hypothesis?

Spoiler for Concerning the Balance of Power in the Island War:

My take? Let me see, ah, well for one, I believe you may have accidentally combined the Demon with Isley for the Southern Abyssal faction. No worries, I've done similar mistakes on this forum (see above posts relating to accidentally revealing chapter 86 spoilers).

What I will say is that the concentration of power in the south in the two opposing factions (Southern Abyssal/Isley & the Demon/Organization's Enemies?) is far higher than anywhere else on the island. Whoever comes out on top there will swing the island war decisively, to the point where a "Raciella" would be required to put things out of balance again.

We know now that the West Central part of the island is occupied by the Ghosts and an indeterminate number of Org. Claymores. West of that is Riful, the Western Abyssal(possibly Abyssals) faction. In the east central part of the island you're likely to find Nos 1, 2 and 3 of the Org. All the factions, barring Riful, are within quick striking distance of one another. That is a relative word, but it sets up the coming conflict very well.

There are some possibilities of alliance, but few are palatable to any side. Riful doesn't trust the Ghosts after what Claire did. Claire/Ghosts would never trust an Abyssal, even if they were forced to ally with one. The list goes on and on...

Destroy towns huh? Sounds like somebody needs to delve into some history (see Russia v. Napoleon or Soviet Union v. Nazi Germany). This Demon is committing total war against Isley. Isley, like all awakened beings, needs a huge amount of food to keep going (just like Napoleon's army did or the German Army did). Humans however have to replace those lost and more in order to make this sustainable. The Demon is steadily depriving Isley of territory and food by annihilating the towns in the South. Isley cannot live where there is no food supply after all unless he wants to wind up like Priscilla!

Steadily Isley is being ground down, losing his wits in a bout of total war. That's exactly what this is: total war. Isley is used to fighting Abyssals interested in killing him and getting land, but not in creatures willing to wipe out his food supply in order to kill him. In addition, since he can hide as a human, I imagine by wiping out the towns the Demon steadily eliminates one potential hiding spot after another.

My guess why Isley is hiding is that this Demon has proved as strong if not stronger than him. Thus he's able to survive, but only by keeping alert at all hours, which I imagine is slowly driving him up the wall (note the eyes...those are a good support of this theory). The coming showdown will probably be Isley's last moments unless something changes in his bout of bad luck.

I would imagine this Demon might need to eat, but nobody's sure. I assume it is in fact a dragonkin, which no one has any idea of its characteristics.

Who knows-perhaps it has ranged weapons on par with Isley's...like fire for instance. Hard to fight something breathing fire with no shield if you're a Claymore (thus why I feel there may be this need for awakened beings).

My guess how Miata fits in all this is that she may in fact be a bizarre hybrid; part human, part Yoma, part Dragonkin. After all, no other warrior has demonstrated her bizarre levels of strength at such an age nor been able to find people purely based on some sort of sixth sense!

[MisterJB]

Maybe the Demon eats AB and Isley is a potential snack

[shelter]

Originally Posted by MisterJB

Maybe the Demon eats AB and Isley is a potential snack

Hey! That's possible But I don't think Isley will taste that nice. Last we saw of him, he seems to be in quite an anal mood.

@Revan5:

Spoiler for Amendment to Hypothesis:

"... I believe you may have accidentally combined the Demon with Isley for the Southern Abyssal faction. No worries, I've done similar mistakes on this forum..."

I can exactly remember what I was referring to back then. But what I possibly meant was that - with Isley AND this mysterious demon in the south, it would be quite hard for anyone to get a foothold there. By implication, of all the locations on the Island the South is more or less a zero-sum game. Either one will have control, & the other factions are least likely to unseat the winner.

A lot of people interpret that Isley is hiding from the "demon". Deneve certainly makes some reference to it in Chapter 86, although she did not say hiding from whom. It would turn things around a lot if Isley wasn't hiding from the "demon". Even better, while most likely, the "demon" might not be a Dragonkin - one of Yagi's long rides to throw us off guard


Destroy towns huh? Sounds like somebody needs to delve into some history (see Russia v. Napoleon or Soviet Union v. Nazi Germany). This Demon is committing total war against Isley.

That I understand. Although it does not make a lot of sense - in the context of Claymore. The "demon" is not out for territory. If we go by your hypothesis, he is simply looking for Isley. Destroying towns, which Isley doesn't even bother to hold in the first place, is a bit illogical.

Second, don't you think if half the towns in the south were already wiped out, the Organization would've notice? Since the Organization has much more profit-motive vested interest in human settlement, they would have sent someone (I'm thinking Alicia/ Beth) south to engage. And they would have much more info rather than the vague description given by Dietrich.

Last, half the towns is a lot. And no concrete witnesses? It sounds quite incredible

Probably both Isley & the "demon" have been doing demolition. But I think its a bit too early to make a real conclusion.

[revan5]

Originally Posted by shelter

Hey! That's possible But I don't think Isley will taste that nice. Last we saw of him, he seems to be in quite an anal mood.

@Revan5:

Spoiler for Amendment to Hypothesis:

"... I believe you may have accidentally combined the Demon with Isley for the Southern Abyssal faction. No worries, I've done similar mistakes on this forum..."

I can exactly remember what I was referring to back then. But what I possibly meant was that - with Isley AND this mysterious demon in the south, it would be quite hard for anyone to get a foothold there. By implication, of all the locations on the Island the South is more or less a zero-sum game. Either one will have control, & the other factions are least likely to unseat the winner.

A lot of people interpret that Isley is hiding from the "demon". Deneve certainly makes some reference to it in Chapter 86, although she did not say hiding from whom. It would turn things around a lot if Isley wasn't hiding from the "demon". Even better, while most likely, the "demon" might not be a Dragonkin - one of Yagi's long rides to throw us off guard


Destroy towns huh? Sounds like somebody needs to delve into some history (see Russia v. Napoleon or Soviet Union v. Nazi Germany). This Demon is committing total war against Isley.

That I understand. Although it does not make a lot of sense - in the context of Claymore. The "demon" is not out for territory. If we go by your hypothesis, he is simply looking for Isley. Destroying towns, which Isley doesn't even bother to hold in the first place, is a bit illogical.

Second, don't you think if half the towns in the south were already wiped out, the Organization would've notice? Since the Organization has much more profit-motive vested interest in human settlement, they would have sent someone (I'm thinking Alicia/ Beth) south to engage. And they would have much more info rather than the vague description given by Dietrich.

Last, half the towns is a lot. And no concrete witnesses? It sounds quite incredible

Probably both Isley & the "demon" have been doing demolition. But I think its a bit too early to make a real conclusion.

Spoiler for Isley: Total War, food supply and towns:

No, the Organization would not send Alicia/Beth south for several reasons, one of which is Riful. They leave their HQ unprotected and who knows if the other Abyssal One will take advantage of it. In addition they have no idea where Priscilla is, or if they think they know where she's at, her supposed place at Isley's side would discourage an attack.

As for the towns, Isley may be forced into holding/hiding in them by this Demon. If the Demon starts wiping out Isley's food supply, his territorial turf will shrink naturally. This makes him both potentially weaker as an opponent but also narrows down the search for him. You're right that the Demon is probably not out for territory...it's probably out for blood and killing Isley, a rival. If destroying towns helps narrow the search/hunt for Isley, then I'm sure this "Demon" would have no problem carrying such an action out.

Then there is the Org's intel on the situation. Obviously the Org is better informed about the situation than they're letting on. Dietrich herself knew what this thing was when it showed up. That's not to say she knew it was a Dragonkin or something else. It is quite likely that due to fear of its Claymores finding out the truth, the Org is only telling them the bare essentials.

About the lack of witnesses, if you had two Abyssal-level fighters ransacking the South in order to keep going after their fights, wouldn't they annihilate whole towns to compensate for the energy used? I'm saying it isn't necessary for people to survive for Claymores to find out what's been going on. After all, one deserted/damaged town after another would tell them something's going on.

[MisterJB]

Originally Posted by shelter

Hey! That's possible But I don't think Isley will taste that nice. Last we saw of him, he seems to be in quite an anal mood.

Luciela would surely taste much better

[revan5]

Originally Posted by MisterJB

Luciela would surely taste much better

I'd like to second that idea. Although I'm sure you'd only "dig in" after she was long dead. Nothing worse than eating something only to realize it has begun to eat you too (I'm referring to Luciella's many mouths she can create across her body).

Anyways, does anyone have any bets, now that we know of a new power, whether or not it eats humans? It's got to eat something, though nobody seems to know for sure what. Anyone willing to explain what it eats and why?

[MisterJB]

Originally Posted by revan5

I'd like to second that idea. Although I'm sure you'd only "dig in" after she was long dead. Nothing worse than eating something only to realize it has begun to eat you too (I'm referring to Luciella's many mouths she can create across her body).

Anyways, does anyone have any bets, now that we know of a new power, whether or not it eats humans? It's got to eat something, though nobody seems to know for sure what. Anyone willing to explain what it eats and why?

Actually, that's something I like about Luciela, all those mouths are... suggestive

Anyway, the demon should eat humans because I just don't think that Isley would kill half of the South. It doesn't seem his style.

But if that thing is something that the Organization created just to destroy AB, something like Alicia, then it should eat AB

What if is Alicia who has gone berserk, the Organization couldn't call it Abyssal One because the Soul-Link project was a secret. But they called Luciela Abyssal One, oh i'm confused now

[revan5]

Originally Posted by MisterJB

Actually, that's something I like about Luciela, all those mouths are... suggestive

Anyway, the demon should eat humans because I just don't think that Isley would kill half of the South. It doesn't seem his style.

But if that thing is something that the Organization created just to destroy AB, something like Alicia, then it should eat AB

What if is Alicia who has gone berserk, the Organization couldn't call it Abyssal One because the Soul-Link project was a secret. But they called Luciela Abyssal One, oh i'm confused now

Yes JB, you of all people, judging from how much reaction I've seen to your posts on the image thread, would say that. But hey, at least we're not dealing with certain individuals on this thread (to our knowledge) that skip certain chapters because of nudity, so you're fine.

I would agree that it seems this Demon (we really should put this to a vote as to what it is) probably eats humans. It does seem totally unlike Isley to go on a rampage of eating, particularly when he's living in amongst a group of humans.

I rather doubt this is an Organization creation...the reason being is that Claymores are afraid of it, and it doesn't appear to be directed from the east. Instead it's settled in the south, which may be closer to the mainland and where the Dragonkin roam. Again, on the Alicia theory, it seems fine right up until you notice the eyes had irises (hers do not) and there is no outline of armored hairlets. So I'm going to take a minor risk here and guarantee you it is in fact, not Alicia. It could be Beth, but it isn't Alicia.

[MisterJB]

Originally Posted by revan5

Yes JB, you of all people, judging from how much reaction I've seen to your posts on the image thread, would say that. But hey, at least we're not dealing with certain individuals on this thread (to our knowledge) that skip certain chapters because of nudity, so you're fine.

I would agree that it seems this Demon (we really should put this to a vote as to what it is) probably eats humans. It does seem totally unlike Isley to go on a rampage of eating, particularly when he's living in amongst a group of humans.

I rather doubt this is an Organization creation...the reason being is that Claymores are afraid of it, and it doesn't appear to be directed from the east. Instead it's settled in the south, which may be closer to the mainland and where the Dragonkin roam. Again, on the Alicia theory, it seems fine right up until you notice the eyes had irises (hers do not) and there is no outline of armored hairlets. So I'm going to take a minor risk here and guarantee you it is in fact, not Alicia. It could be Beth, but it isn't Alicia.

Hum? what do you mean by reactions?
Let's not badmouth that person who doesn't like nudity, she is my friend too.

Have you ever hunted and animal? A good way to hunt an animal is to go after what they feed on, that will make our prey uses drastic measures.
I think that is what the demon is doing, he is killling human and those are the Isley's food. That is making Isley use drastic measures

[KillerYomaFromSpace]

Originally Posted by MisterJB

Hum? what do you mean by reactions?
Let's not badmouth that person who doesn't like nudity, she is my friend too.

Have you ever hunted and animal? A good way to hunt an animal is to go after what they feed on, that will make our prey uses drastic measures.
I think that is what the demon is doing, he is killling human and those are the Isley's food. That is making Isley use drastic measures

consideering that Priscila has survived without food for more than 7 years, and that Isley's town looked fine, I don't think thats an option.

anyway here is my theory...

I stil think that Isley is not necessarily a bad guy, he is a knight, his awakened form and his behavior are proof of that.

That town is Priscila's hometown (is in the south)

The town is surprisingly in a very good condition (Helen or Deneve were surprised of how lively it was), meaning that Isley may be protecting it, like being the guardian of his master's castle.

He saw two hooded people entering the town, he probably know that no strangers get near that place because of his huge youki, so he wanted to check it out, he probably know most people in town already.

Isley youki-tricked Helen's leg trying to find out their intentions, then he got pissed at Deneve's lie when he saw the tip of her sword (you don't tell lies to a knight and expect him to respect you) also at this point he may have seen them as assassins entering his town, the lowest form of life to a knight.

and finally the lie thing would be some kind of moral message, because in the same chapter we saw a complete opposite behavior from Dietrich's part, she would rather die than tell a lie.
I think it would have been better if Dietrich was with them in that town.

That's how I understood the chapter.

oh, and for the shape of his face, I'm 95% sure that the demon is one of those dragon-f*cks (they have no oficial name yet so I can call them whatever I want =P)

[revan5]

Originally Posted by MisterJB

Hum? what do you mean by reactions?
Let's not badmouth that person who doesn't like nudity, she is my friend too.

Have you ever hunted and animal? A good way to hunt an animal is to go after what they feed on, that will make our prey uses drastic measures.
I think that is what the demon is doing, he is killling human and those are the Isley's food. That is making Isley use drastic measures

I should have said that it was more like joking around about the whole thing with no intent to harm. Let's be honest, your friend has confused some people here. A number of us still cannot figure out why they'd still be reading Claymore after one takes a look at the chapters. There is implied rape, mutilation, and nudity throughout this manga. Hopefully your friend can balance things as a fan of Claymore, although I'm not sure how that is possible.

I agree with you on the hunting analogy...the best way to hunt Isley is to wipe out his food supply, and once that's nice and contained, you strike!

Originally Posted by KillerYomaFromSpace

consideering that Priscila has survived without food for more than 7 years, and that Isley's town looked fine, I don't think thats an option.

anyway here is my theory...

I stil think that Isley is not necessarily a bad guy, he is a knight, his awakened form and his behavior are proof of that.

That town is Priscila's hometown (is in the south)

The town is surprisingly in a very good condition (Helen or Deneve were surprised of how lively it was), meaning that Isley may be protecting it, like being the guardian of his master's castle.

He saw two hooded people entering the town, he probably know that no strangers get near that place because of his huge youki, so he wanted to check it out, he probably know most people in town already.

Isley youki-tricked Helen's leg trying to find out their intentions, then he got pissed at Deneve's lie when he saw the tip of her sword (you don't tell lies to a knight and expect him to respect you) also at this point he may have seen them as assassins entering his town, the lowest form of life to a knight.

and finally the lie thing would be some kind of moral message, because in the same chapter we saw a complete opposite behavior from Dietrich's part, she would rather die than tell a lie.
I think it would have been better if Dietrich was with them in that town.

That's how I understood the chapter.

oh, and for the shape of his face, I'm 95% sure that the demon is one of those dragon-f*cks (they have no oficial name yet so I can call them whatever I want =P)

I don't buy the Isley is a good guy in this Island War saga, especially after his words to "wipe" all life out in Pieta. He has a clear ruthless streak hidden by an overarching "nice" personality. Sure, one minute he could be offering to help you up, but the next he could be slicing you up just like he did Deneve. Isley in my eyes is just as power-hungry as the other factions.

About the dragon-expletives, ah, I believe their unofficial names are Dragonkin or Descendants of Dragons (thus why you see DoDs mentioned). I believe the demon is one simply for timing issues.

What I mean is that we first saw an awakened being in chapter 23 or so, but didn't hear about them until 25, and didn't see them another one involving Claire until Chapter 26/27. Yagi has done something similar with Dragonkin I believe: we first hear about them in chapter 79, but it may be our first sighting has already happened in chapter 86. My guess is that Yagi likes to give the story a little time to develop before introducing new beings into it.