For some odd reason, Hyōdō Issei was finding himself in dire straights a lot recently. It all started when his psychotic ex-girlfriend turned out to be a bitch of an angel who decided he looked better with a hole in his stomach and spiraled from there. Frankly, he should have died at least three times in those first few weeks, but thanks to some, ahem, intimate contact, he was able to survive and get a "little sister" whom he wouldn't mind banging. He constantly berated himself for that, but he was a pervert, Asia was adorable with a decent-sized rack, and the two had recently almost had a bath together. It was only natural… right?
Then came the whole "Buchō has a fiancee" fiasco, and that was a nightmare. It wasn't like it started off horribly, though. Far from it! Seeing a naked Buchō asking him to take her virginity was so awesome, it would make gays go straight! Too bad it would probably be the greatest "what if" of Issei's life. He really should've taken advantage of the golden opportunity, because it wasn't ten seconds later before some super-hot silver-haired maid cock-blocked what could've been the greatest evening of his life. And it only went downhill from there. Buchō being engaged was the first blow, and finding out that the blonde bad boy bastard that had showed up out of the blue was the other half of the marriage contract didn't help matters at all. And if that wasn't enough, Issei had to go and get one-shotted by a (cute) petite girl who turned out to be Buchō's bastard of a fiancee's weakest servant, which gave a solid grounding on how far Issei had to go in order to be a serviceable Pawn for Rias Gremory.
There was no other way to say it: Issei sucked. And that wasn't going to help Buchō in the Rating Game at all.
Thus ten days of torture under the guise of training ensued. It would have been painful enough on his body, but his heart was broken after getting so close to joining all the girls in the Occult Research Club in the paradise known as the the bath. Why couldn't Koneko-chan just given him one chance? Just one chance? He would've promised not to stare at her body - besides, she had small boobs! He would be much too focused on staring at Buchō's and Akeno-san's oppai to pay attention to the loli! … Oh, who was he kidding? He'd probably stare at Koneko-chan, too. So maybe it wasn't right to blame her on missing out on that little piece of heaven. Besides, he saw plenty of skin and oppai, thanks to a little help from Asia! Hehehe. Dress Break. Damn, he loved that move!
Oh, and he actually got good enough to fight rooks too. That was pretty cool, even if he had to use Dress Break to make an opening. But hey! It was his ultimate technique, and this was war! Didn't that saying talk about everything being fair if that was the case? If so, then he'd do whatever it took to save Buchō, and he damn straight was going to try his best to enjoy it!
But for every high there was a low, and now Issei felt further down in the dumps then he ever had. For all of his progression, for all the strength that he had gained in those ten grueling days, he still couldn't match that bastard's strength! No, he had failed Buchō! He hadn't been able to protect her, and because of that she was forced to announce her engagement to that yakitori bastard!
He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't!
And that was why he now was willing to talk, not with a devil, but something far more dangerous, disturbing, and devious:
His left arm…
Or, more specifically, to the dragon whose soul resided within the Sacred Gear that formed on said arm.
"Oi, come out if you can hear me. You are there, aren't you? Welsh Dragon Ddraig! If you are there, I need to talk to you. Come out!"
… [Yeah, what is it brat? What business do you have with me?]
The lewd teenager gulped. It wasn't the first time he had ever talked to the dragon - he'd met him in a dream once (and that had been embarrassing), and just recently had an odd discussion that he hadn't really understood. Since he'd been out of it for both of those times, it wouldn't have been too hard to think he'd just had some weird giant red dragon popping up in his dreams, but this … response from the beast proved that Ddraig wasn't a figment of his imagination. That within him laid the soul of an all-powerful dragon.
It was scary, if he had to tell the truth.
Still, this was not the time to quiver in fright. He needed to get to the engagement party fast if he wanted to save Buchō and lay it on the yakitori! But to do that, he needed to be stronger, and the dragon had promised him power, should he need it.
"I… I need you to give me that power! The power to save Buchō!"
For a second, there was nothing but silence. Ddraig didn't say a thing. Issei started to worry whether he had been mistaken - perhaps it had been a dream after all. Then, if that was the case, he couldn't gain the strength to fulfill his goal! The only thing that he wanted, no, the only thing that mattered at that moment!
[Quit lying to yourself.]
"W~what?!" Issei gaped. Of all the ways he was expecting the dragon to answer - and that included hearing no answer, making him worry whether he was starting to hear voices in his head - hearing Ddraig berate him for no reason wasn't one of them. "What do you mean, lying to myself? I want to save Buchō!"
[No, I believe that. I've been in your dreams, remember? But when you say that that's "the only thing that matters," well, you're lying.]
Why was the dragon being confusing? This wasn't the time! "I don't care about that! I just need the power so I can save her!"
The dragon didn't respond right away, and for a second Issei thought his feelings finally reached the Sacred Gear, but ~
[No can do, brat. I told you, it's all about desire. What you desire, what I desire…]
This was maddening! Issei had already said what he wanted! What, was the dragon telling him that his desire to save Rias Gremory wasn't his true wish?
[Oh, I know one of your wishes is to take Rias Gremory's virginity… but that's just what it is: one of your wishes. Don't forget, brat, there's two of us here. You gotta think what I want, too, and I'm a pretty stubborn guy.]
Yeah, he was. Here Issei was, asking just like the dragon told him, and the prideful jerk wasn't listening! … Wait. That was something. Ddraig was prideful… so he wouldn't take any flack from anybody… like that yakitori bastard!
[Ah, you figured it out. I guess sometimes treasure can be unearthed from that dumpster of a brain you have.]
"Shut up, Ddraig!" Why, of all the Sacred Gears out there, did Issei have to have one that treated him with such disrespect? It's not like he did anything wrong to it!
[Now's not the time, brat. Tell me what it is that you want. Prove to me that you truly are worthy of being my possessor! Prove to me that you are a true Sekiryūtei!]
And Issei remembered how another arrogant bastard treated him. The way the yakitori's face morphed into a smug smirk, as if Issei wasn't even worthy to breathe his air. The way that he didn't bother remembering Issei's name, as if he was only trash. The arrogant way he went about, acting as if everything was his, as if nothing Issei could do would make a difference.
"Raiser…"
Suddenly a blue box popped up in front of him. The teenager blinked, surprised by the appearance. It took a second for the thing to focus in, but once it did, Issei could only gape.
Welcome to Godslayer, the program for possessors of the Tools that Destroy God!
… This made no sense.
Would you like to download this program? Yes/No
[Click yes, partner.]
"Huh?" asked Issei ever so eloquently, failing to notice how Ddraig addressed him had changed.
[If you truly want my power to defeat Raiser, click yes. And then tell the world that no one should underestimate a Dragon Emperor ever again.]
Indeed, it wasn't two hours later in a crowded hall, when the newest Sekiryūtei, complete with a scaled, reptilian left arm, walked away from a thoroughly beaten and disheveled Phenex and up to his club president, ready to take her home. He had done it. He had saved her.
And while that was the only thing on his and her mind, an aristocratic-looking redhaired young man couldn't help but reminisce on what his little sister's only pawn had desired, should he claim victory in the duel. No doubt the high school student had said it at the spur of the moment, perhaps in a fit of anger. The hot-blooded kid was probably going to regret what he said later on.
In fact, the young man would put his role as a Maō on the line on the Sekiryūtei gaining a number of enemies among the pillars of Hell. Of course, it wouldn't really make a difference if there were or not. Hyōdō Issei was capable of standing up for himself. He wouldn't be a Longinus possessor if he wasn't.
"So there's a new player in the games of gods and heroes," muttered Sirzechs Lucifer, a jovial grin on his face as he watched the two teenagers fly away on the back of a griffin. "You certainly have picked up the most interesting Pawn, Rias."
Naturally, the two would be targeted in the future. She, the younger sister of a Maō, and he, the Red Dragon Emperor. They may have been players, but they didn't have enough experience points yet to be true contenders. Not that Sirzechs doubted they would in the future. Given time, and Ria-tan's peerage would grow up to be true monsters. After all, what kind of big brother would he ever be if he didn't believe in his precious little imōto?
Then again, what kind of big brother would he be if he didn't offer a little bit of help every now and then? Ria-tan's peerage was almost full... perhaps it was time to push them to the next step? His Bishop probably could help out a bit.
Hello! So, this here's my version of DxD with Gamer aspects. Honestly, the Gamer itself is such an OP power that it doesn't make sense for someone who already wields an OP power - say, a Longinus in DxD or a Tailed Beast in Naruto - to have it. So why not incorporate it into that character's already accessible strength? In other words, if you haven't guessed it yet, seeing life as a video game will not be exclusive to our perverted protagonist. I can imagine twelve others wielding similar powers.
Hope you enjoyed the prologue. The true first chapter should come out next week.
