Hello there! You may or may not know me, unless you read my other stories, but this is my 3rd story. So for those of you who are new to me and my stories, welcome! For those of you who are following me or my other stories, welcome back. And yes, I'm making another story. Don't worry, don't worry. Like I said with my second story, this story will not get in the way of my other stories. Those take priority. In terms of importance the stories would go: 1. Red Dragon Of Golden Light, 2. Red Dragon Of Stupidity, 3. This one. That doesn't mean this story will be dead for months at a time (like CERTAIN writers on this site). I will still try to update this story at least once a month like my other stories, which I update twice a month. So this story will still live well I'm just saying the other stories are more important. Anyway, this story came up as an idea after I received a challenge fic. My 3rd one! The first one I forgot because it was uninteresting. The 2nd one….was a lemon story...I'll explain later...And this one! Technically….You see, the person who actually sent me a challenge gave me one that was just waaaaaay too ridiculous and just kind of stupid. I'm sorry but if you're gonna send me a challenge fic send me one that isn't ABSOLUTELY INSANE. His challenge started as a Self insert/OC becomes Issei after dying. Which is unacceptable. I hate stories like that. So then I had him fix it and Issei was somebody who had his family killed at a young age but after that it was just INSANE. Having a Harem with like 10 or more members? Making the Devils into antagonists? Having certain characters as harem members just because you want it instead of it making sense? OP Issei? Issei has powers that don't make sense within the original universe?
I CAN'T! I'm sorry but I just f*cking can't! I absolutely detest stories that are so ludicrous that they can't even be written properly. Like come on guys can't we think of more original and simple ideas as a community?
Anyway, no hate to that guy, everyone has their own preferences I guess. But in the end we had so many disagreements about the story that it ended up just being an idea of my own and not even one he came up with. They were just completely different stories. He's not even the reason I thought of this story. It's thanks to my boy JC who wrote "Red Dragons power" (check it out) because it essentially has the same premise. It's just that having that talk with that guy convinced me to actually write this because he said "Issei has his family killed and awakens his Sacred Gear" and that made me think of JCs story so I just said "f*ck it I'll do it". So yeah.
I won't be naming the challenger because I don't want to put him on the spot but at the very least I'll say that without him I wouldn't have made the decision to write this so here we go. This one goes out to our boy JC!
-SCENE-
In a town called Kuoh, there was normal family, living happily in a normal house. The family consisted of 3 humans. The mother, the father, and the young boy - their son. This family was known as the Hyoudou family. The young boy, despite being born into a normal family, was a special case. His name - was Hyoudou Issei.
Ding!
"Ise! Lunch is ready~!"
The one who called out to the boy was his mother. She called to him from the kitchen of their residence. A timer had dinged from the left side of the stove indicating that what his mother was cooking up was done settling and ready to serve. Though she was already preparing the table, which her husband/the boy's father was sitting at, she still received no response.
"Iseeeeeee!...Honey, where is Ise and why isn't he answering me?"
The boy's mother questioned her husband, wondering why it was she was receiving no response from her hyper, playful, loud, and food addicted boy when lunch was ready.
The boy's father, who was reading a newspaper in a stereotypical manner, simply answered her casually while continuing to read.
"Hm? Ah, Ise. He left quite a bit ago. Most likely went to the park."
"What? When was it that he left? He didn't even say anything."
"Mm. I think he may have left around an hour and a half ago. I didn't notice right away either. He must've gone unnoticed intentionally."
The boy's mother looked towards the door worriedly.
"But to not tell us? It doesn't seem normal at all."
"Well, he has been quiet lately. Irina has just left and now he's all alone after all."
"That's true, but then where could he have gone? Even if he's sad, even more than that Ise does not like being alone. It wouldn't make sense for him to go to the park with no one. I would've at least expected him to ask you to play with him a bit."
The mother continued setting the table while speaking to her husband.
"Mm. Maybe he went off to talk with that old man?"
"Oh goodness no! I hate that old man! Such a dirty, perverted, person is a bad influence on my poor Ise. He should be arrested!"
"Hahahaha! Now, now, Kaa-san. Isn't that going a bit far? He is young. Ise is just trying to look up to someone. I don't see any harm in it."
"HA! Are you joking? He is the worst role model there is! He is the last person Ise should be around! Don't you see that he is making Ise think of bad things? Just last month when we took him to the beach all he did was make large round mounds mimicking Oppai instead of sand castles like Irina!"
"Oh come on! He's a boy. I'm sure I did something similar when I was younger."
"At the age of 6? I highly doubt such a thing. Not only that but he's done worse! Just a week ago when I decided to bathe him after so long he asked me what was it that was inside my breasts! Then when I told him it was nothing but fat he asked if he could touch them! Do you have any idea how ashamed I was!"
"Hahahahahaha! I think you may be confusing [lecherous] for something else honey. To me that just seems like a child's curiosity. I like to touch your breasts and that doesn't make me lecherous."
"You're my husband."
"And he is your son."
"Sigh. Nevermind, you are a lecherous husband so it is useless."
"I am lecherous and he is curious. I see no great difference."
"How do you expect him to take responsibility for his actions if you always take his side?"
"He's my boy. I will always take his side."
"And will you take his side if I have you sleep in the living floor?"
"Yes. Then I will just sleep with Ise in his room."
"If I forbid you?"
"Then I will sleep with Ise in the living room futon."
"You would force him to join you?"
"No. But he will join me because he will not want me to be lonely. I know my son."
"SIGH. Such troublesome boys."
The mother sighed once more as she sat in her chair. She seemed exasperated with her family's actions but she was smiling sweetly.
-DxD-
Rrr…..Rrr…
The subtle sound of rusted metal. An empty swing moving back and forth slowly.
A boy swinging on the next swing oh so slightly. Alone. Looking to his feet with a melancholic expression. His shoes not fully reaching the ground below him. The boy named Hyoudou Issei.
"Ossan wasn't here today huh…"
The boy said that quietly. To no one in particular.
It seems the person he had expected to see wasn't present. He was the only one in the park.
"...Guess I'll go home then…"
He spoke half heartedly to himself again. No matter how odd it would seem, the boy felt like there was possibly someone listening. Or at the very least, he never truly felt alone.
He got up from the swing and proceeded to make his way home.
He felt odd. For some reason he felt like he wasn't at that park for long. And yet it was already sunset. He had arrived at the park around 3PM. It shouldn't have been that he was sitting there doing nothing for that long. Not only that, but it seemed like there weren't many people around for some reason. Usually, more people would be at the park so that Issei could at least play with someone else while he was there.
But nobody was there all day. From when he arrived to when he left. Almost as if they were avoiding it for some reason. To be fair, not many people actually went to that park altogether, but there were some kids and their parents. Circumstances aside, there should be at least one family. Or a couple kids.
As a matter of fact...it didn't even seem like there were people around in general. Issei didn't see anyone outside of their houses on his way to the park, but that much was normal within a residential area. The problem was that you would see car pass by the park occasionally on weekdays. People heading to and from work or to the store. He didn't see any cars today. He didn't even hear them. It was like he was the only person left on earth.
As he was walking home he noticed something.
A smell.
A pungent and unfamiliar smell.
But he could not pinpoint where it was originating from. Almost like it was all around him. He decided to walk a bit more quickly towards his home. His home….wasn't this far?...
For some reason, even though he was walking down the right path….It seemed like he should've already reached the exit of the large park….
He felt incredibly uneasy. He felt like his instincts were trying to warn him of something. Something behind him? But there was nothing there.
No, maybe it was something that was all around him. He certainly felt like that was the case. Like he was locked in some never-ending dome.
"Haah...hah…"
His breathing became ragged. What's going on? He wasn't tired. He was walking a bit quickly but not enough to warrant him being out of breath. The reason was simple.
He was afraid.
He doesn't know what it is that he fears, but he can feel it. It's right next to him. It's over him. It's all around him. In this dome of a world. A world that never ends. A place you can't escape.
The sky began to curve. It looked as if the evening sky was now visibly a ceiling. The path he was going down began curving over as well. Almost like he was peering over a hilltop. He could only think one thing.
Like a dome.
He suddenly started running. It wasn't a full on Sprint, but nevertheless the boy was making his way quickly down the path.
He was right! The ground below him seemed curved upward. The more he ran the more he would just see more of the same concrete rolling over the top. As if the path was endless! As if the world was contained within some sort of fisheye lens!
He felt something approaching him from behind. He glanced back and saw nothing. No, it was still there! The feeling! He can't get rid of It! What should he do?!
As if answering his call, something indistinct answered. Not a voice, but more like a physical response. Like something was trying to speak to him subconsciously. And yet, despite not having a voice, he knew perfectly what the message was:
Run you fool
-!-
The boy was in a full sprint. He was running with everything he had.
He could feel It! It was behind him! Something was chasing him! It was closing in! It was right behind him! He could feel it's presence with every fiber of his being! He didn't want to see It! He wanted to keep his eyes shut! He didn't want to see the same path stretch further and further! He kept his eyes closed and sprinted.
It was there! It was going to touch him! It was mere inches away! It was reaching! It's going to touch him! And only one last feeling was surging through his body-
-DEATH
Bom!
The boy tripped and tumbled over.
…
The feeling was gone…
He whipped his head up.
He was no longer in the park…..in fact….The park was behind him…..almost 30 meters away. Hardly in sight.
That's right. He had tripped over something. He looked down.
It was the corpse of a small dog.
"Ah!"
He couldn't help but squeal. After what he had been through he already was paranoid enough. Upon closer inspection, it looked like the dog had been crushed.
"Oh...You must've been run over huh buddy…."
He had calmed down a bit. He decided to forget about the event out of fear. The poor dog lay there lifeless. The death was most certainly instant. It must have been a truck. It looked like it had been crushed completely over its midsection.
He stood up straight.
There was nothing he could do now. The poor thing was long gone. The best he could do is tell a neighbor. He was in the suburban area now after all.
He walked to the nearest house without a fence blocking it off and decide to knock.
Knock knock
…..No response….
"Oh."
Well, maybe he should've rang the doorbell first.
Din-Dun
The cutesy doorbell rang. That's odd. It seems a bit too easy to hear from the other side of the door. It's not a loud doorbell so for it to be heard clearly through the door was odd.
Not to mention there was no answer. All of the lights in the house were on. As a matter of fact….The light was peering through the door….
He pushed it a bit...
Creak
It was open! The door was open….He couldn't tell because it was almost fully closed, but indeed the door was left slightly open…
Another feeling of fear came over him…
He wanted to go home…..but something else urged him forward….two clashing personalities….one telling him this place was dangerous….The other telling him he needs to check….because….there was someone there?
Was it his instincts telling him that? It certainly didn't sound like anyone was in the house. So why does he feel like there is? And why does he feel like that same thing from earlier was telling him not to go in?
….His better judgment would've been to listen to the feeling and back away. Walk home. But…..if there was someone there…..then…..why does it feel like they shouldn't leave them here either?
Creak...
He finally decided to open the door. He didn't announce his presence. A wise decision. The lights were on. The first thing he saw was the staircase leading up to the rooms presumably. He turned to his left and he saw a living room.
It was empty, but everything seemed relatively normal. The TV was left on, playing some talk show.
"Meow!"
"Oh!"
A cat scurried by out the door. Well, if the family is here then he might as well apologize for letting their cat escape.
The next room was too his right. It was a kitch-
"Onii-chan?..."
….A girl stood there. She was standing near the table. She was staring at him. She was a small girl probably around 4 years old with blue eyes, a brown haired bob cut, and wearing a large pink shirt that basically went down over her knees.
She was covered in blood.
-!
Issei approached the little girl quickly.
"Onii-chan?..."
She stared up blankly at him. Her eyes were empty and dull like a dead fish. Her expression was blank and she didn't move anything aside from her head. She had her arms hanging down loosely with a rabbit plushie in her right hand.
But why was she covered in blood? There was nothing in the kitchen that indicated anything bad happened. And what kind of thing could happen that could bathe her in this much blood-?!
Bom Bom Bom
The sound of heavy footsteps. Coming from the left of them, where another door leading into the back section of the house was, meanwhile the entrance which Issei came through is behind him.
For some reason, he had the feeling that he would need to get ready to run.
That reason was-
Creak
"Ah."
A tall, long creature...with black leathery skin….And no eyes and mouth….ducked it's head under the doorway it entered from...with a human head in its sharp, long 3 fingered claws.
-!?-
Issei grabbed the girl and ran outside of the house!
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!
A blood curdling, ear piercing scream was let out from behind him! It screamed and yet it had no mouth!
PKKK!
The sound of glass breaking!
It's going to follow them!
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!
It's above them! It's running on rooftops! No matter where Issei takes a turn it jumps to an adjacent rooftop and effectively catches up!
'Run faster! Faster faster faster faster faster faster faster! Faster!'
He was running with all of his might, but along with the girls weight and his previous sprinting he was already at a disadvantage! No! That didn't matter! This monster was certainly faster either way!
A monster! A real monster! Is this what was at the park?! Is that what was following?! Why didn't it get him?!
'No! Wait! If it's the one from the park-! Then I can outrun hi-!'
SSSSSSSPLLLLLL!
The monster had slashed his back.
BAM!
Issei tumbled over while still maintaining his grip on the girl latched to his chest. He rolled multiple times, sliding against the hard ground to a stop, smearing a blood trail across the street.
Where is he? He doesn't even know. It had to be some neighborhood near his house. It wasn't far from here. Ah, that's right, wasn't he running from something? Why did he bring this girl with him?
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!
-!-
The monster! He sprung himself up and realized he was on sitting on the floor with an searing pain and wetness on his back. He looked everywhere.
'I can't see It! Where did-?!'
Brrrck!
It landed on the ground ahead of him, cracking the floor beneath it slightly. Slowly, it stood. 3 meters tall. As if made from black skin and bone only. It approached.
Issei tried to skid back but-
Clang!
He was met with the fence of another person's residence.
"S-SOMEBODY-! H-HEELP!"
Are there even any people around? Did this thing kill all of them? No, something like that can't be possible. Do they not hear them? Do they not hear the monsters screams?
Only one thing was certain-
-No help was coming.
"S-S-Stay back!"
He mustered up the last of his courage and raised his left arm to halt the monster. Of course he knew that was futile. It only continued approaching slowly while clicking it's fingers and head.
"I-I S-S-S-SAID STAY BACK!"
Is this it? Was this how he was going to die? Without saying goodbye to his parents? The Old man? Rin? His grandfather?
He didn't even get to save the girl?
No.
Something surged within him.
'I don't want to d-die! Not here! Please! At least if I die here-! At least-! Not this girl-! Don't-!'
Click click click
'Just-! Just-!'
In one instant-
-it released
"STAAAAAAY BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCKKKK!"
SHIIIIN!
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
A green light blinded the monster and forced it away from them!
KIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee!
Its screams died down as the light did and when he could finally see…
...nothing….
It was gone….
"...I did it…"
.
.
.
.
"I did it!"
'I don't know what I did, but I did it! It ran! I actually made it run away! I scared it off! Hahahahaha yes!'
"Ah...hahaha….I did it."
Issei laughed tiredly. He was truly exhausted. His child body could not keep up with the extraneous physical activity he forced upon himself. Not to mention, he felt even more exhausted after he stopped screaming. And his left arm felt heavy for some reason…
He looked down to his left arm.
"...Eh?"
It was encased within a red gauntlet…
"...Eh?...What is…"
He lifted the gauntlet. The green jewel set in the middle of it reflected the moonlight. The entire gauntlet glistened against the nights sky.
'This….what is this? Is this why that thing was chasing me? But then why did it run? And what was that monster?'
.
.
[That beast was known as a Nightwalker. They stalked the woods in northern Europe during the middle ages. They happen to be quite cowardly when properly threatened.]
.
.
.
.
.
-!-
"Wha-?!"
Issei immediately whipped his head in every direction, hoping to find the voice that spoke to him.
[Do not search for me. You will not find me.]
-!-
He felt chills run down his spine.
Another Monster?!
[If you wish to "See me" then look to the device located on your left arm.]
He looked at the gauntlet….
[As I said, you will not see me. I reside within you. This is merely the greatest representation of my current self. In other words, I am part of you.]
-!-
"You-...You're inside me?...I am...possessed?..."
[No. I do not possess you. Your body is your own. I have no control over your thoughts nor your actions. I am no more than voice in your head. My spirit is sealed within your gear. Foolish boy.]
"G-Gear?..."
[Sacred Gear. Devices created by the Biblical God. This device is known as the Boosted Gear. One of the 13 Longinus: God slaying weapons. A Mid-tier Longinus to be precise. As it is now, however, it will not display much potential. The fact that you were even able to unlock it through sheer will is remarkable on its own. Especially considering your age. Unfortunately, it does not seem like you are capable of activating its power yet. If you did then you would surely collapse. Whether you would survive it or not is uncertain as well. Be grateful that the beast had fled when it did.]
"..I…...D-..."
Issei had no words, if anything he had no thoughts either. Hardly anything the voice said was properly processed within his young mind.
[It seems I was the foolish one to believe that I would be able to have you understand such foreign concepts. Forget about what I've said for now. That can be discussed later. More importantly, you must find somewhere safe to hide.]
-!-
"What?! Is it another monster?!"
[Quiet boy. Do not speak. You may communicate with me through thoughts alone. You needn't announce yourself to anything else.]
'Eh-? Oh! Okay! What's the problem then- um-!'
[I am the Welsh Dragon Emperor. "Ddraig". So that you may address me when needed.]
'Okay! Um-...D-Ddraig...What is the problem now?'
[Well, as of currently there is no immediate threat within 25 meters of you. The problem lies outside of that radius.]
'Um...Okay. How far is that?'
[Unimportant. The main issue is what, not where.]
'Oh okay- then what is it?'
[Many things. Magical beasts of different variety, measuring in completely different levels of strength. The one you had faced was a pure weakling. Much of its power outside of physical capability was not threatening. Had those people not been measly humans they may have survived their encounter.]
-!-
Issei was suddenly reminded of the girl in his arms. She was unconscious. Maybe during the roll or the initial mayhem she ended up passing out. What was he supposed to do with her?
[Focus Partner. We have greater issues. If you do not find somewhere safe then you will surely perish. There are many looming threats far greater than the Nightwalker. They are moving in separate directions randomly. They are most likely like-minded beasts with no true direction wreaking havoc across this area you reside in. Tell me boy. Is this a capital?]
'Uh...I don't know. This place is called Kuoh. It's my town.'
[I see. I cannot fully grasp the size of your town because you are too weak. Our connection isn't very strong at all yet. There is a limited range I have. And even now it is taking most of my focus in order to create a "radius" for the purpose of keeping you aware. If our connection was stronger then I would do more but this is the extent of it. So the greatest assumption I can make about how many "beasts" are located in your town are limited.]
'So….how many do you think there are?..'
[Hmm. I cannot give you a proper estimate, but the unsettling truth is-]
[You are surrounded.]
…..CHILLS…
Gulp.
Issei's throat felt unbelievably dry. He couldn't begin to imagine what else could be out there, even more dangerous than the "Nightwalker". He needed to find somewhere safe. He needed to go ho-
-!-
"OKAA-SAN! OTOU-SAN!"
He unconsciously shouted.
His parents! That's right! He was too distracted by thoughts of self preservation that he'd forgotten about his mother and father!
[Your family? That is troublesome. If you truly care for them then I believe this is more of a disadvantageous situation than I thought before. They are normal humans?]
'Yes! They don't do anything crazy or have anything like this!...I think…'
[Hmm. I also do not believe that they possess any abnormal qualities. If they had then at the very least the mere daily exposure would stir me even if just a bit. I experienced no such thing.]
'Oh no! I need to get to them now!'
[I would not suggest that Partner. As it is now I do not know the location of your home as I have never experienced being aware in that specific location nor do I recognize the presence of your family.]
'Just-! Can you find people?'
[Yes, I do believe so.]
'Then just find two people who are alone together.'
[Nicely thought. Very well.]
….
[There are multiple.]
'Where?'
[There are 3 directly west of you. Then there are another 2 directly east. West is behind you, East is ahead of you.]
'So- this way!'
Issei looked ahead. Indeed, that did seem like the direction of the house. So they haven't moved yet. Even though he lost his way he should know how to get back if he exits a certain street.
[Ah, it seems one of them disappeared.]
'?!'
[Within the group of 3 directly west of you, one of the group that I had detected seems to have vanished. They must have perished.]
Chills…
Death….
That's right. People were dying. Just like this girl's family. People were dying and there was nothing anyone could do….nothing he could do?
'D-Ddraig? You said this thing...does things right? Can I use it to k-kill those monsters?'
[Impossible. As you currently are you will die in an instant.]
-!-
….Nothing…..
They could do nothing….
'Why?...Why is this happening to us Ddraig?...why…'
[I do not have the answer Partner. I have never witnessed such an event either. It is odd for such an ensemble of powerful beasts to be in close vicinity to each other. Their auras differ in magnitude and compatibility. Something like this is not a spontaneous event.]
'What do you mean Ddraig?'
[It means: This was intentional.]
'?! Intentional…..do you mean this is on purpose?...'
[There is no other possibility. You are in the human world, with the wrong beasts in the wrong area, all placed closely together. This does not occur naturally.]
'...Who could've done something like….'
The image of the girl's decapitated mother flashed through his mind. It was quickly replaced-
-With his mother's.
'I have to go! I have to find Mum and Dad!'
[Partner, I cannot guarantee that when you locate your family that they will be safe. I cannot focus all of my attention on keeping them in view. My first priority is to make sure you survive. The greatest advice I can provide is to tell you to hide yourself. If you cannot do that then I will prioritize masking your presence at the very least to the point where no beast will find you. And that will require almost all of my attention. I may not even be able to warn you when they do indeed get close.]
'I don't care! I have to find Mum and Dad!
[Very well. I will not be able to communicate with you as frequently or easily. You will need to be the one who initiates contact with me. Be sure to keep aware of your surroundings. I will not be the one to warn you of any incoming threats. Listen well to your surroundings and look everywhere you plan to step. Move from shadow to shadow. Avoid open areas. Most of all do not speak. You musn't make unnecessary noise. Especially if you encounter any beasts along the way. Hold your breath and don't make any sudden movements.]
'Okay! Here we go!'
Issei stood and was ready to dash towards his house with the unconscious girl in his arms.
[A fundamental issue still remains Partner.]
'What is it?'
[The child. I cannot mask her presence in any possible way. She is not optimal for your survival.]
'?!'
That's right. The girl is still here with him. She's still unconscious and she is heavier than Issei realized. He wasn't focused on anything besides escaping so he had forgotten that he was running with another person in his arms. She is heavy. How was he even holding her before, let alone running with her?
'Oh no. What do I do Ddraig?'
[The best choice would be to cast her aside.]
….
'Eh?...'
[It would be wiser to abandon her.]
'...Y…..You want me….to leave her?...'
[It is the wisest choice considering your options.]
…..
Issei ran. He stuck to the shadows and tried his best to stay quiet. He still held on tightly to the girl.
He took many different turns, preferring to cut through different adjacent pathways and only crossing streets when necessary.
His body felt absurdly heavy. His legs hurt. His back hurt. His arms hurt. Even his head hurt.
'I want to go home. I want this to be a dream. I want to wake up. I want to go home.'
He kept running. He quickly crossed a street-
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNN…
Issei's body froze….
'...Eh?...'
A sound. A vibration. A rumbling. A Grumbling.
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNN…
A deep rumbling….resembling a bellow…..the snarl of a beast…
'...Ddraig….where is it?...'
[Yes, I hear you child-...-!- Retreat, now!]
Too late.
Splllllgg….
The disgusting sound of…..skin?...something wet…...like a squishing sound….but it was large….directly to his right…..morbid curiosity forced his head to creak slowly to his right…..He was met with-
Spllgg...
A giant glowing red eye.
[Flee you fool!]
He sped off without hesitation!
'Another one! It's another Monster! Again! Not again! It's big-! Too big! Bigger than a house! Huge-! It moved! It opened! It looked at me! It saw me! It had white skin! But I couldn't see it's body! It was too big! Too close! Run! I have to Run!'
Once again he was sprinting more than he ever had in his life. It felt like his legs would break at any moment. Only his sheer will was keeping his body moving.
"Hah! Hah! Hah-hah-hah!"
[That's far enough boy. It will not follow. You are no longer facing East. You are heading North. Many of the lower threats are gathered in that direction. Do not proceed.]
Skid!
Issei forcefully stopped himself. He attempted to catch his breath. He was wheezing uncontrollably.
"Haaaah!…...Haaaaah!...Haah!..."
'It hurts! It hurts a lot! It feels like I'm being crushed! Help! Somebody Help! It hurts! Mum! Dad! I'm dizzy! I can't breathe!'
[Calm yourself Partner. Your current position is not the most disadvantageous. There are no beasts in your immediate area. Nothing has found you aside from the White Whale. But it will not follow. It's body is much too large for it to waste its energy searching for you and I am already masking your presence. As long as your power does not spike it will not smell you.]
'...What happens if it smells us?...'
[You will cease to exist.]
….
How many times can one avoid death in such a certain amount of time? At such a young age?
'...Are?...actually…..aren't I….kind of amazing?...'
Chills…
A sudden feeling of the world crashing down on Issei's body.
'?! Wha-?! Ddraig! What is-! What is that?! This feeling is-!'
[Above you.]
-!-
Lights! An abundance of lights in the sky! In the shape of-
Shiin!
Circles! Endless circles! All different colors! With symbols! They reminded Issei of symbols that his wizard hero would use in video games. Something began to emerge from them.
'People! There are people coming out from them! They're floating! They-!'
[Hide Partner.]
'?! What?! Where?!'
[Anywhere. I will mask your presence.]
'What about the girl?!'
[I cannot protect her and neither can you. Your survival is only guaranteed if you cast her aside. If not then hide yourself and hope they do not find You.]
'I don't-!'
He found some nearby shrubbery and dived straight into it. He did not consider abandoning the girl for a second. His breathing was heavy and ragged. Fear began to pulse through him. He could feel them. Not only could he finally feel all of the Monstrous beings that surrounded him, but even more than that he could feel the people. He could feel the people emerging from the sky. Many of them were descending quickly. They flew off in different directions.
Most of all, he could tell they were heading in the direction of the beasts. Like a fleet or legion, they were in groups, flying towards different monsters, presumably. He noticed that the largest group was sent in the direction Issei was previously in.
They were headed towards the giant one…
A dark feeling overcame Issei like a blanket.
'Are...these the ones who did this?...'
[Control yourself Partner. You may indeed be a child, but regardless your Gear has just been unlocked at near full capacity. You will release pressure in response to strong emotion. Whether or not your body will maintain itself is the issue. I do not believe it will, therefore you must stop.]
'...Ddraig?...who are these people?...why do they fly?...why do they have wings?...What….are they?...'
Issei questioned Ddraig grimly. His response was of slight disgust.
[Devils.]
….
There was once a time when Rin had warned him of such existences. Those beings who take the souls of innocents. Those who insulted the name of "The Lord". Those who wreak havoc and disgrace the holy teachings….
These were the same beings?
[Devils. What meddlesome existences. Our situation is truly disadvantageous indeed.]
Issei looked around the sky. Most of the "Devils" that had populated it were now no longer in sight. They went to the monsters? No. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that he knew they were all around, just like the beasts. Not to mention…
'Ddraig….Those ones in the sky…..They are….'
[Your assumption is correct. They are the most powerful among them. They seem to surveying the landscape and providing intelligence or relaying command. I'm certain even a child like yourself can feel the pressure they emit, even from this distance.]
'What happens if that finds me?...'
[You would perish within an instant. No resistance you could manage would even reach them in your dreams. I daresay there are a few amongst that group that would have relatively no trouble dealing with the large beast you encountered before.]
'?!...I can't handle this Ddraig.'
[You will die should you refuse to. So will your family.]
MAAAAAAAAAAWW!
A roar. It's close. Ahead of Issei a few shadows appeared from atop the roofs of the houses.
ZIN!
The sound of something being pierced followed by a painful growl.
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!
Then suddenly, the large body of a beast crashed in the street in front of him.
'?! Wha-?! It's dead! What did-! What is that even?!'
[A manticore. They are approaching. Do not move.]
Issei placed a hand sternly over his mouth. Multiple figures landed near the corpse, 3 to be exact. It's them. They stood around the corpse. They began speaking.
"How many have they identified?"
"Unknown. As it currently stands they have only been able to spot around 50+ [Magical Beasts] in total. They are evenly spread throughout the entire town."
"Damn! This is chaos! How could this have happened? I've never heard of such an event taking place! How is it possible that someone could transport this many magical beasts of this calibre?! Even the [White Whale] is present! This is madness! Had it not been for the Maou-sama sealing this place from the rest of the world surely some catastrophic incident on a far larger scale would have taken place!"
'What? What are they talking about? They killed it and now they are sounding worried?...Did….They not do this?...'
"Indeed. What haunts me is the fact that if there was a being with the capability to transport such beasts then why would they limit themselves to only a place like this? What sort of motive would drive them to bring them only here?"
"Perhaps their range was limited."
"That would be an illogical conclusion. They have the capability to transport an S-Class Beast such as the [White Whale]. Not to mention, the other SS-Class just south of us, the one that distorts time and space. Its field is practically inescapabale but outside its not as hard to contain as the Whale. Nonetheless, they aren't concerned with range. They have an objective that lies within this place."
"A place of humans?"
"Do not forget, the current Lord of The Gremory Clan was present for certain business before we arrived. It may involve him."
"!"
"It is as you say! Indeed Lucifer-sama had mention of his father offhandedly with another Maou-sama! Could this be an attack from a separate faction? A declaration of war?"
"Not likely. It seems the subordinates of Mephisto-sama have already identified the magic that brought the beasts here was uniquely Demonic in nature. This could be the act of a traitor."
"What?! A traitor you say! What sort of traitor would be able to accomplish this?"
"Not one. There has to be more. It would not be possible for one being. This is a group. Not an individual."
"A possible attack on Lord Gremory's life….is it the Old-Satan faction?"
"Impossible! That faction is no more. An event like this is too chaotic to be considered mere Civil strife! This mayhem was constructed for the purpose of sending a message! No other reasons could be attributed to the arbitrary killing of 100+ humans! For what reason? It was ordered that the humans were no longer a target by all sides! If this was the will of those in the deceased Satan faction then for what reason did they transport so many dangerous beasts in areas not inhabited by anything but humans? Why not only send the [White Whale] to the location of The Gremory? Why not bring it to the territories of the Underworld? Is their only target The Gremory? This attack must be symbolic!"
"Hmm...As I recall The Lord of Gremory was also accompanied by the next heir to the Household. This territory is to be a gift from him to his daughter. Surely it involves that."
"As I thought! It is symbolic! This attack is a message! It's an announcement! Someone is announcing their presence! Likely not the faction of the deceased Satan but maybe a new version of it! Maybe a new group entirely dedicated to another cause!"
"What sort of group would adhere to senseless destruction that did not assist in their goals towards Gremory?"
"I do not know. Something is still missing. I myself do not understand yet still why they did not attack Gremory head on. Who would even be able to bring these beasts here?"
"Demonic Power was detected amongst the low level beasts. However, none of it has been detected on those of great ability such as the Whale…..it could be a Sacred Gear…"
"A Sacred Gear?! Could they be trying to hide the fact that they are Devils."
"No. In that case, it would be more logical to just have the Sacred Gear user transport all of them. This looks to be intentional. As if to mock us by saying [This is what our user can do]."
"A Sacred Gear capable of transporting almost Maou-Class beasts across different spaces, to and from the Underworld, in the possession of traitors….What sort of catastrophe are we witnessing unfold?"
"What sort of enemy are we faced with?"
"That is not something we need to concern ourselves with. That can be discussed by Beelzebub-sama and his colleagues. We have already wasted enough time. Our first priority is to provide enough support to seal or capture the Whale. And any other high level beasts are also included."
"I'm afraid I must depart. My objective was to assist in maintaining a perimeter in which there resided no beasts. Those associates of the Sitri organizations are currently attending to any humans who are wounded. They are also rescuing those in danger. Once they have contained them within a certain area together they will erase their memories and create the false narrative of a natural disaster. It should be accepted considering the destruction and lack of connection with the outside world as of currently. Indeed, if this were an attack on a highly populated capital then the situation would be nearly impossible to deal with."
"I see. Good luck then."
"You two as well."
'Are they leaving?'
Shiin!
Issei's gauntlet suddenly shined and even seemed to release energy.
"?! Did you feel that?!"
"Yes. Behind us."
'?! Wha-?! They found us! What just-!'
[Partner, drop the girl.]
'What?!'
[Separate yourself from her. Just do as I say. They will not hurt her. Separate yourself and hide. Trust me.]
'Wha-?! D-?!'
"It must be there."
"Yes…..that feeling….it couldn't be a beast..."
'They're getting closer?!'
[Do as I say.]
Issei closed his eyes in frustration. They were approaching him cautiously.
"This presence...a human?"
'Dammit!'
He finally put her down and moved further into the foilage.
Rustle
"Wha-?! Who goes there?! Are you hurt?!"
'Don't answer. Be quiet. Hold your breath.'
Issei kept his eyes shut, curled himself into a ball, and covered his mouth. He was only a meter away from the unconscious girl. Had he moved any further they would notice the distance between her body and his movement.
Rustle.
One of them finally approached and separated the shrubbery.
"! I see. It was a human after all."
He pulled the girl out from the shrubs and held her in his arms.
"She is alive, but unconscious. She must have hidden here. But that energy….could she possibly possess a Sacred Gear?"
'They….can't sense me…'
Issei breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"Nevertheless, I shall take her to the Sitri's associates. Remain vigilant you two."
"Very well."
"Good luck."
Foom!
The 3 men extended black leathery wings and flew off. One in a separate direction from the other two.
'What is going on?...I didn't understand any of it….is this their fault or not?...Why is this happening to us?...'
[Do not concern yourself with that now Partner. If you wish to find your family, now is the greatest time. Though I still do not recommend it. This "perimeter" that the Devils have created may not stretch as far as your home. That place may be infested with other beasts. At the very least it is not as clouded by beasts as the North, but I suspect that it is the second worst place to be.]
Rustle!
Issei immediately jumped out from the shrubs and ran towards where his house should be.
'Mum! Dad! Please be okay! I'm coming home so please be okay! Please!'
His body felt heavy. Heavier than ever. He couldn't believe the physical stress he was under. His entire body was on the verge of collapse. Pure will was what was moving it. His sides hurt. He was hungry. He was exhausted, mentally and physically. He was hardly aware of anything around him anymore.
This really did feel like a dream. It was surreal. It didn't feel real in the slightest. But that's okay. When he saw his parents it would all be alright. He would wake up when he saw them. They would have breakfast and his mother would comfort him after his bad dream.
He would apologize for everything he's done. He would be the greatest son ever. He would make his parents proud. No more perverted stuff from the old man. No more pranks against his aunts and uncles. No more being sad about Rin. No more difficulty making friends. No more troublemaking.
He'll take that martial arts class his dad wanted him to take. He'll ask his mum to color coloring books together with him like when he was little. He'll kiss him mum every morning. He'll hug his dad everyday. He'll never ask for anything he doesn't need. He'll never cause problems for his parents ever again.
….
'So please be okay!'
Slip!
"Ah!"
Thud!
Out of nowhere, Issei slipped and lost his balance. He landed flat on his back.
"Rrgh…"
He groaned in pain. If he wasn't already in pain from the stress then he was hurting now.
'Are?'
A liquid. A thick almost sticky liquid. It smells. He lifted his hand. He couldn't see the color of the liquid because he was currently lying in the shadow of a house; the moonlight was not touching him. He tried smelling the liquid.
Copper? A familiar copper smell.
He lifted his upper body up. He could feel the thick liquid seep into the back of his shirt and shorts. It was on the back of his legs too. It was in his hair. All over his back. It felt gross.
Once again he decided to put the liquid up to his nose. It does smell familiar.
'Doesn't this smell like…..that girl I saved-'
Crrck
The sound of something cracking.
Bones.
Issei slowly turned his head to the right, opposite of the house that was blocking the moonlight to the left of him.
He caught sight of a tree. There were little monkey like creatures on one of the branches. One of them was eating a grape. The branch they were sitting on had vines hanging on it.
Drip
But….they were dripping.
In fact, they seemed more like rope than vines….They are bumpy and thick….and they're torn at the ends…
The liquid dripping from the rope….Issei followed it to the ground. A thin streak of moonlight gave the tiniest bit visibility to the things on the ground….
Human torsos.
…..Ah….the thing that was below the tree and Issei's body was blood. The rope was human intestines.
The little monkey with the grape took a bite out of it.
Crunch
It was a human eyeball
"BLERGH!"
Issei promptly and violently vomited onto the ground. The vomit mixed with the blood pool on the ground below him, only disgusting him further. He hadn't eaten in maybe 8 hours and didn't make it to lunch. And now he threw up his breakfast which was the only thing in his stomach.
"Haah….Hah...Hah.."
He was wheezing painfully. His dry throat now burned and his stomach was empty. He didn't get a good look at the deceased mother of the unconscious girl….but now he didn't need to….He was able to get his fill of death properly.
[Partner, distance yourself from those beasts. They are small, but as a normal human they are still a threat. They travel in groups for a reason. They are feasting now so they should ignore you.]
Ddraig's words repeated in his head.
[Feasting]
"Mmm!"
Issei placed a hand over his mouth. He felt the urge to regurgitate again. Probably nothing would come out. Just some saliva and mucus maybe.
[Now, Partner.]
Issei stood up wobbly. His knees almost bucked under his weight. Whether that was because he felt weak or his body was heavy, he didn't know. He didn't care.
All he felt was fear and despair. The sight of the dead reminded him of the possibility of his parents no longer being alive.
'No! I'm home! I'm almost there! Just one more minute! I'm right here!'
He was right. He was just a street down. He was practically limping, but he could make it. He turned the corner.
'There! There it is!'
He could see it. His house was down there. On the right side of the street. He could see it a few houses down. Almost there.
'I'm home! I'm home! I made it! Mum! Dad! I'm here! I made it! I'll never make you mad again! I'll be the best son in the world! I'll always make you happy! I promise! So Please! Please!'
Rrr!
He threw the small fence of his house open and looked quickly towards the front door. It was closed. Nothing was broken. Everything seemed intact. In fact, it looked like the entire neighborhood was alright.
'It's okay! They're okay! Mum! Dad!'
Dakun!
He opened the door.
"Okaa-san! Otou-san!"
…..
The house was empty.
He looked around. Nothing was out of place. The TV was off unlike the other house. The lights were off. He didn't smell anything rancid.
"Okaa-san! Otou-san! It's okay! You don't have to hide anymore! I'm okay! There's no monsters around! Are you in a closet?! Are you upstairs?! It's okay! It's the real me!"
He ran upstairs and searched the rooms. His room was empty. Nothing in his closet. He went across to his parents room. This was the most logical place to be. Their closet would be the obvious choice. He approached it and slid the door open.
"Okaa-san! Otou-san!"
Slide!
….nothing….
'They were saved!'
That's right. The Devils had been saving people. They most likely already have been extracted. He breathed a sigh of relief. It looks like he'll have to rest in the house by himself then.
Bom Bom Bom Bom
He slowly descended down the stairs. He was so tired. Maybe he should eat something. His parents might be mad at him when they see him. They'll have no memories so they'll just think that something like an earthquake happened and he was away during. They'll probably cry a lot too. Or at least his mum will. His dad wasn't always the most expressive.
Ah, that's right. The play area. He didn't check there. In the back of Issei's house there was a play area. It's where he played when he was little. Now he plays games in the living room and watches TV. So that area is just a room that leads to their backyard and has all his old toys. It's past the kitchen.
"Aaaaah….I'm hungry…"
He walked into the kitchen and saw some food made. It must've been lunch. He just threw up so he'll just get something light like rice.
Clang
He decided to serve himself some. He sat down at the table and ate it quietly. He could see the play area from the kitchen. Or at least part of it. With everything that's happened he has thought a lot about his short life. So he was feeling randomly nostalgic.
Before he knew it he had finished the rice in minutes. He thought it was enough.
"I gotta get going. I have to see where they took Mum and Dad. At least I'll stay in the safe area those Devils set up. Maybe even I'll be able to save some people…...actually….Maybe I'll just sleep in the living room….Everything hurts…"
Bom Bom Bom
He made his way to the playroom. He could see his box of toys at the corner of the room. He couldn't see the middle of the room. Not until he turned the corner.
"-Ah."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Aaaah…"
.
.
.
.
"Aaaah….Aah…."
.
.
.
.
.
The only thing visible in the middle of the room was a pond of blood with a severed human hand resting in the middle of it
.
.
.
.
"Aaaah…..Aaaah…..ah…"
.
.
.
.
Issei was moaning robotically. He fell to his knees.
.
.
.
.
.
"Aaah….Aaah?...Aaaaaaah?"
.
.
.
.
.
The hand was inherently feminine. Soft light skin.
.
.
.
And with a ring on its finger
-.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
The household known as the Hyoudou family- was no more.
[Report: Large earthquake in southern Japan. Areas most affected were Nagoya and Kyoto. Kyoto was relatively undamaged. Nagoya had minor damages. Kuoh, Nagoya was the most affected. 112 reported casualties. 108 dead, 4 injured.]
End
Woooh! That's the first one out! Was NOT expecting this first chapter to be this long. But I just couldn't resist. For some reason more and more came to my mind as I was writing. That's passion for you. Man I love starting new stories. It's always like that. Anyway, as I said before this story is a challenge/inspiration fic. Although saying that feel like a lie because literally everything that happened here was my original plot. So the closest thing to inspiration is the fact that Issei's parents die in both this story and my friend JCs story. Other than that there's like NO similarities. And there's absolutely nothing left from that guys challenge either. This is nothing like it.
Anyway, tell me what you guys think and what you think is gonna happen next. I want to hear all your thoughts about this story. So go ahead and let 'er rip.
Read, Rate, Review go crazy.
Stay frosty.