So, here's half of Chapter 8!

Warning: Do not expect a whole hell of a lot from this chapter.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than my OC(s), original plot lines and ideas. If anything seems ripped off from something else, then whoever came up with it 'first' can have it. I'm just writing a story here, I don't want any trouble.


Guide as to how to read this story:

"Speech"= Spoken Speech by people like you and me.

"Speech speech Speech." = The bold part is stressed, or exaggerated.

Regular words. Regular words. = Thoughts and descriptions.

Warning: Thoughts and descriptions won't be written any differently in terms of font or punctuation. This is for my convenience. For a detailed explanation, refer to Chapter 2's beginning notes.


Chapter 8: An...Oddly Normal Week...


11:15 AM – 1 Hour Later...

Kuoh, Japan – Discount Store

"You're sure that you want to shop here?" I asked the silver-haired girl next to me. Looking over, I could only see her blue eyes shimmering with delight at the sight in front of us.

I know the novels really threw it out there, but Rossweisse really does love discount stores. I like them too, but not with such...religious devotion as this girl.

"But of course! It's important to save money wherever you can, which means discount stores are far more important than any other establishments in all of existence~! Oh, I remember my first time in one, all the way in London! I took a-...You know, that doesn't matter! Let's go!" she replied before starting to go off into a memory. However, before she went into detail, she just stopped herself and turned her head away from me before shrugging it off.

Grabbing my arm and squeezing (OW!), she tugged me into the store without any kind of delay. I followed along, primarily due to the fact that I didn't have a choice.

Her STR 'Stat' is considerably superior to my own.

Entering the store, which happened to be the same one I entered yesterday during my little 'touring spree', I noticed that there were other people in the store this time. A few customers were browsing through the collection of cheap stuff, whilst the cashier was lazily reading a magazine behind the counter.

Using [Observe] on the cashier, I was greeted with another human's rather pitiful 'Stats'.

(((Note: Despite watching a crap load of anime, I'm not good with coming up with random Japanese names right off the top of my head. Also, this guy's name doesn't matter in the slightest, so yeah...)


-OBSERVED-

Name: Sakaki Kondou
Age: 22
Birthday: March 14
Race: Human
Affiliation: Akira's 100-Yen Shop

LVL: 8
HP: 121/121
MP: 52/52

STR: 26
END: 25
AGI: 29
INT: 32
MAG: 5
LUK: 22


Yep, that seems to fall in line with a lot of other humans.

I noticed that, from about a few dozen uses of [Observe], a lot of humans rarely have a single 'Stat' above 50. The ones that do, are probably the really hard workers or those who train those 'Stats' explicitly. There was this one really buff dude that Rossweisse and I passed whilst we were walking to this store that had a STR 'Stat' that was at 102.

This guy, though, is obviously one that hasn't put a whole lot of work into either his body or his mind. I've seen children with higher INT 'Stats' than him.

Well, that's assuming that INT indicates a regular person's general level of intelligence. However, I doubt that intelligence can be measured in a quantitative way whilst still being accurate. There are just too many factors involved for any form of testing to be able to evaluate accurately and fairly.

But, I digress...

To be honest, the only reason I'm even bothering with doing this is to see where I stand compared to humans. After getting a general idea of their 'Stats', I can easily proclaim that I have surpassed humanity, if only slightly.

However, the real problem at the moment, are the Devils. Especially since Cameron has already left, and I'm already going against his advice by leaving my 'seige-proof' house. However, after looking at Rossweisse wearing a tattered dress with my jacket being the only thing preserving her modesty as a girl...

...along with the idea that she'd be suspicious at me for both having a set of female clothing, and that I got it from nowhere in particular (*cough* Store *cough*)...

...combined with the fact that I didn't even know what size clothes would fit her...

Well, I decided that, all things considered, it wouldn't hurt for us to step out for a bit in order to get her some clothes. I had thought ahead, though, and bought a matching set of baggy t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops in order to let her have something a little more decent to wear when we went out shopping.

I even got her a belt, simply because my size of pants kept slipping too low on her for her comfort.

So, as a pair of teenagers show up in a discount store, wearing the same outfit and with the girl tugging on the boy's arm, one can only imagine what this must look like...

"Ufufu, young love, huh~..."

"They're certainly cute together~..."

A pair of older women looked at us with some teasing grins. I just shrugged at them.

It wasn't a date, so I didn't need to feel embarrassed. I don't know how Rossweisse felt about it, but the fact that she acted like she didn't even hear the old ladies seemed to indicate that she wasn't even paying attention to them.

At that point, I had pried Rossweisse's hand from my arm and told her to go pick out a couple of outfits and that I would wait for her at the counter.

She went off almost merrily, zipping over to the clothes section like a predator about to snatch up its prey.

Looking over at the old ladies, I saw that they looked disappointed and a little miffed at me. I just smirked and shrugged.

Why the hell should I have to go along with their delusional fantasies?

Making sure to stay out of the way of any customers, I stood by the end of the cashier's counter and waited.

...

Not even two and a half minutes later, Rossweisse was coming up to the counter with a few pairs of clothes in her arms, consisting of a pair of sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a blue jersey, and a pair of slightly less baggy blue jeans.

Going up to the cashier, we watched as he rung everything up for a grand total of 2,350 Yen.

Sheesh, I probably could have saved 500 Yen if I shopped at the 'Store'!

Having him bag up everything, I paid him and picked up the bag before we left the discount store.

At that point, I turned to Rossweisse.

"Hey, mind if we stop by the market? I just moved in recently, so there's not a lot of food at the house."

"Sure."

So, turning down another street and following some signs, we came to a pretty large food market that was just bustling with activity.

As we walked around to the different areas and purchased various foods, I decided to try and start some casual conversation.

"So, it's supposed to be around a week until your grandmother gets here?" I asked while looking over the pears, since I really like them and they make a great afternoon snack. Rossweisse nodded.

"Yes. Transportation isn't easy, even for people like us. Especially between different continents. We can't just get on an airplane and fly wherever we want in a day. We have to go through a bunch of channels and get permission to cross through the territory. Plus, Granny is a really busy person. Though...with all that happened, I can imagine that even she would shirk off her work to come here early." Rossweisse explained, though she looked a little happy at the last bit. I guess (even though I know from the novels), that she really loves her 'Granny'.

I wonder...if any god-like omniscient beings are out there, can they give me an easy explanation as to how Göndul is pronounced? I'm fairly certain that 'Gone Dull' isn't correct.

"That's why...um...could I...please stay with you until they come?" Rossweisse asked, not seeming embarrassed, but definitely hesitant on asking for someone to house her like this. I grinned.

"You like pears?" I asked, holding up one of the fruit to show it to her. Rossweisse seemed a bit confused as she nodded.

"Yes. I'm pretty much okay with most fruit." she replied. I nodded.

"My thoughts exactly." I spoke, paying for a small bag of pears and walking away. Rossweisse, probably from not expecting my answer like that, followed me after a moment.

"W-Wait, what abou-I don't particularly mind." I cut her off, moving onto the next and most important area of the food market.

The meats.

"I don't understand. Not very many people would accept a stranger living in their home, even if its just for a few days." Rossweisse countered, seeming to just be a bit confused as to how easily I accepted. I shrugged.

"True. But, so long as you don't point the equivalent of a cannon at my face anymore, I don't mind. Also...uh...well, I'll have to do some...stuff for a while, so if I disappear for three or four hours at a time, then could you just ignore that." I reasoned, though I also tried to discreetly get her to accept my 'unexplained absences' if I just go 'poof' into thin air.

Even though I'll do my best to not do that in front of her, it never hurts to get some reassurance.

Looking to my right, I saw Rossweisse staring at me with a single dainty eyebrow raised.

"Some stuff, that takes four hours to do. And you'll be doing those things a lot?" she asked, sounding like I would be doing something suspicious. Leaning over to her, in order to convey a sense of privacy, I murmered to her.

"I'll be training, okay. I'm fairly new to this world, and there are Devils in this town. They already know I'm here, and have even tried to kidnap me. I need to get stronger so that I can fend them off, should push come to shove." I explained to her, doing my best to make sure that other people weren't trying to listen in on my little explanation. Rossweisse sighed and nodded.

"Fair enough. Though, if we really are in Kuoh...that means this is Gremory and Sitri territory. They're pretty well-known Clans that don't typically use such...underhanded tactics. Especially with humans." Rossweisse countered, also making sure that other people were ignoring her, though she probably had a 'magic trick' to do that.

Turning to face me directly, she just smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I doubt they want to do anything too drastic when it comes to you. They're probably just curious as to why you're in their territory, and why you're avoiding them." she reasoned. I sighed in response.

"I'm avoiding them because I just want to mind my own business. Not to mention, the idea of slavery kind of rubs me the wrong way. I don't care how much the Gremory profess to 'love their servants like family', at the end of the day, the slaves don't have any legal rights or free will of their own. Sitri...well, I don't know a whole lot about them, other than that they spawned Serafall. And with her being who she is..." I shot back, pretty much whining because I felt like they wouldn't leave me alone until one of two things happened.


1. I die.

2. I become a member of their Peerage.


In any case, as we continue to shop for food, I couldn't help but feel some kind of awkwardness in the air. I usually only felt this in high school when other people would look at me and gossip. It didn't happen often, but I know what it felt like.

I think we're being watched.

Turning my head quickly to the left, I barely manage to spot, amongst all the dark-haired Japanese people, a small head of white hair. However, shortly after spotting it, the person with the white hair quickly moved out of my line of sight.

The scared little kitten, huh?

Well...objectively speaking, we should probably stick to crowded places as much as possible. After all, the Devils can't reveal the existence of the supernatural to the regular humans. But, should that not work, then I'll pretty much have to rely completely on Rossweisse to save my ass.

But, with how passive she seems to be when it comes to the Devils, she might not do anything at all. Especially considering that, even if I saved her life, she could get housing from the Devils quite easily. I don't really have any kind of value that would convince her to help me, except out of the kindness of her heart.

She's a good person, but she's also much more involved in supernatural politics than I am.

The only other option would be to create an 'Empty ID'. Rossweisse can take care of herself far better than I could. I would just slip back to my house like that and be home free!

After another 10 minutes or so, and after dumping 5,500 Yen down the drain, I finish with my grocery shopping, whilst also talking with Rossweisse about some of her preferences concerning food. If only so that I won't be making something she hates over the course of the next few days.

She doesn't like seafood...huh...

...neither do I. I hate it, actually.

Seriously, the first time I had crab, I nearly puked all over the table at the restaurant. At that point, my parents knew that it wouldn't be an enjoyable dinner, so we got out of that resaurant and went to a steakhouse instead.

Despite being on 'high alert' as we walked back to my house, the Devils didn't seem to be making any moves in order to approach either myself or Rossweisse. I can't really think of any reason they'd do this, unless they are either afraid of us, or they've already been told about us.

I mean, Cameron apparently brought Akeno back to Rias last night after he knocked her out cold, so maybe he had spoken with the Devils and convinced them to leave me alone at the very least.

But, regardless of why they didn't approach me, I could only feel a little thankful that I wouldn't have to deal with them yet. After all, I'm still nowhere near strong enough to fight against even a single one of them.

I'm almost thinking of shirking my training as far as my abilities go, sleep in my bed for a bit and then go in for some hardcore 'EXP grinding'.

I wonder how fast I'd level up if I did that for 12 hours straight...

Either that, or I could upgrade my 'Crib' again, and purchase a better bed. I had checked earlier and found that I can sell any of the things I bought from the 'Crib Store' in order to get my 'Tokens' back.

That's really nice. Basically, I'd be able to keep on getting better and better furniture, rooms, appliances and shit from the 'Crib Store' without having to worry about a shortage of 'Tokens'.

Yeah...I think I'll just do that. I should probably do that now, actually...

So, as we were walking down the sidewalk, I pulled up my 'Crib Screen'.


-Douglas Roland's Crib-
-Residents: Douglas Roland
-Location: Kuoh, Japan
-Allow Guests: Friends Only

-Crib LVL: 2
+Upgrade Crib – Costs 100,000 Yen. Gain 10 'Crib Store Tokens'.
+Renovation Mode
+Crib Options


Upgrading my 'Crib', since I did 'non-stop grinding' for over five hours straight and have enough money to do so, I got 10 more 'Tokens'.

Going into the 'Crib Store', I went ahead and started shopping...


5 Minutes Later...

"I'm fairly certain that this TV wasn't here when we left."

"Fairly certain, you say? I'm looking at a TV right now, and if it wasn't there when we left, then that means that either somebody put it there while we were gone...or...you just didn't notice."

"...hm...possibly. I'm still suspicious of you."

"Good job."

This was approximately the type of banter that Rossweisse and I engaged in upon our return to find a (surprise, surprise!) 36-inch flat-screen TV in the living room, situated against the wall the divided the living room and the kitchen. It was in a pretty decent spot for people who are sitting in the chairs to simply turn their seats slightly and relax with some mind-numbing television.

Turns out, that when a [Gamer] buys a TV, they automatically get basic cable as well, which is sweet!

For a higher-level 'Crib', though...you can basically have an entire movie theater in your house with near instant access to On-Demand 'anything'.

[Gamers] have it good~~!

Despite simply wanting a better bed for gaining EXP, I couldn't resist getting some kind of TV. I would be a pretty poor host if I simply left Rossweisse here alone with nearly nothing to do.

I also bought a small bookshelf, which I put into her room. I even bought a few cheap novels from the regular 'Store', mostly centered around the 'fiction'-genre. Just in case she likes to read.

I do. I read lots. Much words.

I smart.

Anyways, along with those basic amenities, which make life just a bit funner and easier to live, I also switched some stuff up and changed the room that Rossweisse was staying in into the 'guest room' and giving myself a much better bedroom. Other than that, I bought a better shower for the bathroom and a refridgerator/freezer for the groceries I bought at the market.

On top of all of that, I also bought a new bed using the 'Token' I got back from selling my 'new' bed.


+Enchanted Full-Size Bed

-Type: Sleeping Furniture
-Level: 3
-Comfort Level: 1/10 (Horrible)
-Enchantment Slots: 2/2

-Enchantment Types-
+2 Amateur EXP Plus Enchantments (2x EXP for 12 hours after waking)


It's not a 'hell of a lot better' than my old one, but this one will provide just a bit more of a bonus when it comes to 'grinding'.

And, that's all I bought. I wanted to get some more rooms for the house, but I felt like that would be too drastic of a change, especially since Rossweisse is living with me for the time being.

She was perceptive enough to notice the new TV I got...

...best not to push my luck too far...

Handing Rossweisse's clothing bag to her, I took the groceries into the kitchen and started putting them away.

All in all, this was a pretty successfu-*knock* *knock* *knock*

...

...who in the hell?

"Hm?" Rossweisse hummed as she stuck her head out of the guest room's door just as she was about to close it. She just turned to me with a questioning face as I sighed and started heading over to the front door in order to see who it was.

Please, please, please! Let this not be the Devils!

Opening up the door, I could honestly say that I was at least a little surprised.

"Hello. My name is Rias Gremory and these are my friends. Mind if we have a word or two with you?"

...

...

"Hah..." I sighed, not even hiding how annoyed I felt at seeing that, not only was there a crimson-haired bombshell standing outside my front door, but her 'entire' Peerage was standing slightly behind her, all of them being dressed in casual outfits that one would usually see females wear...

Akeno Himejima, who seems to not be unconscious anymore.

Yumi Kiba, who was smiling elegantly at me like some kind of princess.

And, Koneko Toujou, who was staring at me like her 'canon deadpanning self'.

Last, and certainly least in my opinion, was the girl standing directly in front of me with an incredibly confident and lax smile on her face, as if she fucking owned everything she laid eyes on.

Taking about a few seconds to stand there and just stare at her, because I could, I went ahead and used [Observe] on her and Koneko, along with glancing at Akeno and Yumi again, in order to get a firm grasp on how good I'm gonna need to be in order to not be pushed around by these girls.


-OBSERVED-

Name: Rias Gremory
Age: 16
Birthday: April 9
Race: Pure-Blooded Devil
Affiliation: Devil Faction, Gremory Clan, Rias Gremory's Peerage

LVL: 28
HP: 2,262/2,262
MP: 9,692/9,692

STR: 686
END: 842
AGI: 725
INT: 3,178
MAG: 7,840
LUK: 3,155


-OBSERVED-

Name: Akeno Himejima
Age: 16
Birthday: July 21
Race: Reincarnated Devil – Human/Fallen Angel
Affiliation: Devil Faction, Rias Gremory's Peerage
Evil Piece: [Queen]

LVL: 30
HP: 3,294/3,294
MP: 5,974/5,974

STR: 974
END: 1,306
AGI: 1,191
INT: 5,267
MAG: 4,975
LUK: 1,853


-OBSERVED-

Name: Yumi Kiba
Age: 15
Birthday: May 30
Race: Reincarnated Devil – Human
Affiliation: Devil Faction, Rias Gremory's Peerage
Evil Piece: [Knight]

+Sacred Gear – [Blade Blacksmith]: Click for details...

LVL: 22
HP: 1,216/1,216
MP: 1,836/1,836

STR: 916
END: 596
AGI: 2,443
INT: 2,372
MAG: 1,340
LUK: 1,889


-OBSERVED-

Name: Koneko Toujou (Shirone)
Age: 14
Birthday: November 23
Race: Reincarnated Devil – Nekoshou
Affiliation: Devil Faction, Rias Gremory's Peerage
Evil Piece: [Rook]

LVL: 21
HP: 2,678/2,678
MP: 910/910
KI (DXD): Sealed

STR: 2,186
END: 2,071
AGI: 874
INT: 2,121
MAG: 698
LUK: 845


(((In response to any and all flamers: Yes! YES~! LET THE FLAMES BLOW HIGHER~!)))

(((Note: There will be an explanation at the end of the chapter.)))

(((Note: Remember that Rias and her gang are pretty pathetic compared to the rest of the DXD universe right now.)))

I intentionally blinked a few times before raising an eyebrow.

Out of all of them, Akeno is by far the biggest threat in my eyes...

But, I'll have time to worry about this stuff later.

"Okay then. What do you want?" I asked in response. She seemed to try and take a step forward, only to hit some kind of invisible barrier.

It was at that moment, a pink screen appeared in front of me and all the people both outside the house and inside the house got frozen in time.


-Someone who's not on your 'Friends List' is attempting to enter your Crib!-
-Would you like to add 'Rias Gremory' to your 'Friends List'?-

+Yes

+No


Mentally clicking 'no', I was treated to the sight of Rias's eyes narrowing as she realized she couldn't simply enter my house like she owned it. She just looked at me, though she kept her confident smile.

"Aren't you going to let us in?" she asked expectantly, probably trying to play on my 'morals' and 'manners'.

"No." I replied instantly, crossing my arms in order to enunciate my position.

Cameron told me that I'd be safe inside this house. I took a huge risk by going out to take Rossweisse shopping, but I'm not going to recklessly allow potential 'enemies' inside of my house. Rossweisse was an exception, simply because she was both unconscious...and I was fairly positive she wouldn't kill me without letting me explain myself.

I was right in the end, though she did threaten me a bit...

However, Rias and her group are 'not my friends', so I will not sacrifice my only safe haven on the grounds of 'politeness'.

I took a little bit of delight in how all of their expressions seemed a little surprised that I would refuse to let them inside, probably thinking that I was aware that each of them could kill me quite easily.

Rias, though, seemed to be stuck between being amused by my defiance, and feeling insulted by my defiance.

After all, she's a Pure-Blooded High-Class Noble Devil. I'm just a human. I should bow down and kiss her ass just to save my own, right?

"No?" she parroted in a curious tone. Bringing up her arms to rest on her hips, she raised an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, 'no'. 'N' to the 'O'. It means you're not coming inside my house. Now, what do you want?" I replied, giving her a very clear understanding that I wouldn't be cooperating with her like she obviously intended for me to.

"Ufufu, oh, don't be like that~. We only wish to talk." Akeno piped up from beside Rias, probably hoping to 'placate me'. In other words, she thought that she actually had a chance to persuade me to let them inside my house when she was the one who basically threatened to physically harm me last night.

Rossweisse did it out of reaction and uncertainty. Akeno did it because she wanted to.

"You had your chance to 'talk' with me last night. That ship has sailed." I responded, not even bothering to look at her.

As for what I said, though, it seems that Rias took it as quite a terrible insult.

"Do not speak to m-I'm sorry, was I speaking to you?" I loudly cut Rias off before she could do her little schtick.

"Mr. Douglas, is it? We realize that you simply wish to be left alone, but you must understand that our Master is the owner of this territory. It's her job to verify who you are and what your intentions for being in her territory might be." Yumi spoke up, obviously seeing that things were already not going as her 'Master' had planned.

To be honest, it feels kind of nice, knowing that they can't touch me right now. However, I'll need to hurry up and get stronger so that they can't push me around should I want to leave my house.

"I don't have any intentions for being here. This is my house. I live here. End of story." I replied to the blonde-haired girl.

"...Is that so?" Rias haughtily said, as if mocking my answer for being 'such a poor lie that I am amazed you even said it out loud'.

"Yeah, that is so." I responded promptly.

"Mr. Douglas, what's going on?" came a voice from behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Rossweisse standing there, still wearing the t-shirt and jeans I loaned her. She was staring at me with a quizzical expression as her gaze shifted to the red-head standing in front of me.

"It seems the Devils came to this house, expecting to...'talk', with me." I replied, turning back to look at Rias who was keeping an eye on the Valkyrie behind me.

"Who is she?" Rias pretty much demanded. The silver-haired girl in question came up beside me.

"My name is Rossweisse. I hail from Asgard. I was forced to come into this territory by accident. My grandmother is coming to get me, but it will be a few days until she gets here. I have no intention of causing any trouble." Rossweisse clearly stated. Rias looked her up and down before smiling again.

"I see. I've already been informed, so I understand your situation, but your...housemate is another story." Rias replied, causing my jaw to drop slightly. I pretty much glared at her at that point.

"Oh?" I mumbled like I actually cared. Rias lost her smile at that, glancing at Akeno briefly.

Taking a small moment to make up her mind, I guess Rias decided that she'd have to share info before she could get any.

"There was a brown-haired teenage male who attacked my friend, Akeno, here just last night. From what she told me, you were there as well. Considering you're still alive, and that you were carrying Ms. Rossweisse here in a very...tender way-*ssrreeeee*." Rias explained, before I heard a familiar sound of magic charging up behind me. I sighed.

"It was either that, or piggy-back. Besides, I didn't do anything weird with you." I told Rossweisse, who was powering up her 'magic cannon' once again.

After a moment, Rossweisse relaxed again and let her magic circle fade from existence, though she took a step away from me for good measure of something...

"*cough*-As I was saying...considering that you're still alive and were there at the time it happened, I can only assume that you're affiliated with the man that attacked my precious servant." Rias finished, deducing everything quite accurately, though she seemed to jump to a rather extreme conclusion due to those facts.

I sighed again, knowing I should at least explain about what happened last night.

"He didn't mean any harm. At least, I think he didn't. He was just protecting me, considering your [Queen] had threatened to...actually, she was basically asking for me to resist her so that she could use physical force to capture me and bring me to you for an 'interrogation'. He knocked her out, as clean as possible and without excessive force, in order to protect me." I explained, leaning against the door in a much more casual stance. Everyone present listened to my words quite intently, especially Rias, Akeno and Rossweisse...

"Mr. Douglas, we can certainly understand that you believe that your affiliate meant no harm...however...for a human to defeat a Devil with such ease is nearly unheard of. Where can we find him?" Yumi responded cleanly. I had to admire the fact that she has the gall to keep acting like the 'voice of reason' for the group. Really, she's just calmly asking her questions and giving a false pretense of 'politeness' to make you think she's harmless.

But, you can't go through high school in my old world without learning how to tell the 'truth' from the 'pretty lies'.

Even if she hasn't lied, she certainly gives a misleading atmosphere by making you think that she's just innocently curious. If I were to tell her where they can find Cameron, they'd probably commence a man-hunt on him.

Though, I did take a bit of satisfaction in hearing a Devil sound shocked that a human could defeat them so easily. I know that I'm not capable of it yet, but knowing the guy who is feels pretty damn good.

"I dunno. France?" I responded, telling the truth in that I didn't actually know where he was at the moment.

I suppose that they don't believe me, though. Based on the looks that I'm receiving.

"How can you not know? You're affiliated with him, are you not?" Rias pressed, obviously wanting more information. I sighed a bit.

"Even if I did, do you expect me to rat out my friend?" I replied as if it was obvious what my intentions were regarding this subject.

Rias...obviously didn't take to that so well.

"He harmed my servant! My family! Tell me where he is this instant!" she resorted to raising her voice at me.

...big mistake.

*SLAM*

I slammed the door right then and there, effectively ending the conversation...and probably making things take a turn for the worse.

Within a split second of slamming the door in Rias's face, a golden screen popped up in front of me.


-Campaign Quest Alert!-

Campaign Quest Title: The Human Gamer's Story! - Chapter 2

Campaign Quest Details:
-After going through the [Dark Puppet's Temple], you have rescued the lovely and powerful Valkyrie, Rossweisse, from the clutches of the Dark Puppet King! Having taken her back to your Crib, you allowed her the chance to heal! However, she seems to not know this, and is thus suspicious of you and your motives! Now, you must accommodate her properly as a guest in your Crib, whilst also attempting to placate her worries and, hopefully, earn her trust!

Difficulty Level: '2' (Puns Can Be Funny)

Objectives:
-Level up your Crib. (COMPLETED)
-Make Breakfast. (COMPLETED)
-Be nice to Rossweisse.
-Do not die to Rossweisse.
-Talk to 'Rias Gremory'. (COMPLETED)

(Optional)
-Compliment Rossweisse (3/10)

Time Remaining: 10 days

Completion Rewards:
-Rank Increase (+2)
-x2 'Magic' Store Tokens
-x2 'Skill' Store Tokens
-Ally: Rossweisse
-'?'

Failure Penalties:
-Forced 'Campaign Quest' Switch
-20% EXP Garnishment: 2 Weeks
-Inventory Wipe


After checking how many times I 'complimented Rossweisse', I closed out the screen, thus returning time back to normal for the frozen silver-haired girl to my left.

Looking over, I saw Rossweisse with a surprised expression.

"To be honest, I'm shocked that I didn't do that sooner. No man should ever have to stand for a woman raising her voice at him. Vice versa, too. If she wants to stand outside my house and scream her lungs out, then so be it. I'll just ignore her." I explained, before walking back into the kitchen to start putting things away. Rossweisse soon followed, seemingly concerned about something.

"Your friend, Cameron, hurt that black-haired girl?" she asked, hesitating with the wording. I nodded.

"A little. Like I said, he just knocked her out without resorting to brutal measures. If I know him, he also wouldn't do something as meaningless as beat up an unconscious teenage girl just to send a message. Knocking her out would've been good enough to deter the Devils...or, at least, it should have been." I replied. Rossweisse nodded after a moment of consideration, probably also seeing that using excessive force would've just provoked the Devils into going after me in spite.

"Perhaps. But, I hope you realize that being so rude to them is just going to provoke them anyways. You're honestly the first human I've ever met that is so...casual when it comes to the supernatural. What you just did, was something that not even some of the warriors who reside in Valhalla would think to do." Rossweisse reasoned, before giving what sounded like a compliment to me.

However, I was easily able to understand what she really meant.

-You are crazy and reckless for having slammed the door in the face of a Pure-Blooded Devil. Especially if they're the legal owners of the territory you're standing on.-

T'was not a compliment, it was both an insult...and a warning.

Within a moment, I heard someone harshly pounding on my door.


-Someone who's not on your 'Friends List' is attempting to enter your Crib!-
-Would you like to add 'Koneko Toujou' to your 'Friends List'?-

+Yes

+No


"I think she's trying to have her [Rook] break down my door." I explained after rejecting the offer on the screen without even a second thought. Rossweisse just nodded.

"My point exactly. Though, despite the enhanced strength of her [Rook], your door seems to be holding up just fine..." she agreed, though trailed off in suspicion at the door. I just grinned.

"This place is sturdy, remember? Actually...strike that 'sturdy', and replace it with 'seige-proof'~!" I replied cheekily. Rossweisse just sighed before smiling and shaking her head in exasperation.

"Maybe. But, you'll have to leave sometime or another. You can't stay inside your 'seige-proof' house forever." she reasoned. I grinned at her.

"I won't need to." I responded vaguely, before going about with putting the groceries away after that little. Rossweisse seemed a little perplexed at what I said, before shrugging and going back to the guest room where her clothes were probably at.

Having the same pink screen pop up on me again, detailing that one of them wishes to enter my house, I sighed and opened up my 'Crib Screen'.

Under 'Crib Options', I managed to find a setting that can 'black-list' people from my house. Putting down Rias and her gang of goons into that 'list', I suddenly stopped hearing any noises from the door.


-'Rias Gremory' has been banned from your Crib!-
-'Akeno Himejima' has been banned from your Crib!-
-'Yumi Kiba' has been banned from your Crib!-
-'Koneko Toujou' has been banned from your Crib!-


"Heh." I let out a single chuckling sound.

I love my house~!

Putting away the groceries quickly, I turned my head slightly to see Rossweisse standing in the entrance to the kitchen with a curious expression on her face.

"The Devils...they apparently stopped?" she asked as if verifying something. I just smirked slightly.

"Probably. After all, I'm nothing but a lowly piece of human scum. They might have figured out that there are far more productive things to do with their time than beat on the front door to my house..." I replied in a snooty tone. When I was finished, Rossweisse seemed to have a rather complicated expression on her face.

"A lowly piece...of human scum? Mr. Douglas, is that how you think the supernatural world sees you as? I mean, I wouldn't blame you, since there are quite a few beings out there that would agree with that viewpoint in a split second. But...how can I put it...I can't help but..." Rossweisse tried to explain something to me, though she seemed to have a bit of trouble with wording it in an understandable way. I just shook my head at her.

"Rossweisse. With all due respect, we literally met about an hour and a half ago. This is the kind of conversation that you have after you know someone for, like, a month or so. Besides, it's the truth. Maybe not everyone in the supernatural world has that viewpoint, but a majority of them do." I responded, cutting off her argument promptly whilst reminding her that we were essentially strangers.

Seriously, I know it's an 'anime thing', for these incredibly deep conversations to just happen out of freaking nowhere. But, I came from a place where people never discuss their true feelings. And, if they do, they do it over the Internet so that they face absolutely no punishment or judgment whatsoever.

Because every, single, person, is, a, mother, fucking, snowflake.

My response caused Rossweisse to go silent for a moment, just staring at me with an ashamed expression before nodding.

"Yes. Yes, I suppose that's right. But, stranger or not, I know what it's like to be judged. Maybe not for what I am, but judgment is judgment. It never feels nice when others look at you as if you either don't matter...or deserve to suffer because of something you can't control." Rossweisse stated, hinting at having experienced some form of discrimination before. I know that what she went through was not 'traumatic' by any means, but I do know that she gets bullied from time to time.

I just sighed slightly.

"Heh, I'm used to being looked down on. Where I come from, everyone did it. Eventually, you just have to start trusting yourself and what you can do. It's no different with the supernatural and me. But, you seem pretty all right~!" I jokingly said while winking at Rossweisse, who seemed to blush deeply and shrink slightly as she sighed.

"W-Well, I'm glad we had this discussion. Even if we're strangers, we're going to be living together for a little while. Not to mention...well, it's nice to talk like this every now and then." she admitted, giving me a small smile as she waved and walked into her room. I chuckled.

"I think so too...even if you embarrass easy~!" I called out, trying to milk this for everything it's worth. I heard a small yelp from her room followed by a 'thud'.

...

...she tripped. Didn't she?

Ah well...


7:46 PM – 7 Hours 43 Minutes Later...

"...So..."

"..."

"...I know this looks bad."

"Yes. It does."

"I swear, I didn't mean to tug on it that hard."

"Uh-huh."

"I-I promise I'll fix this! Just...give me a sec."

"Mm."

"So...this obviously goes here...and where's the little 'nut-thingy'?"

"..."

"Ah! T-There it is! Now to, uh, put it on."

"Need me to hold onto that for you?"

"S-Sure! It, uh, yeah...that would really help. S-So...I'll just tighten this down and, uh...it's...a little harder than I thought."

"Quite."

"U-Uh...d-do you happen to, uh, have a...uh..."

"Ratchet?"

"Y-Yes! One of those!"

"...Here you go."

"T-Thank you!"

"..."

"So, if I just stick this end on...and turn i-*CRACK*..."

"..."

"...uh..."

Inhaling sharply through my nose, I stared right at the foot long crevice that just formed in my kitchen counter next to my sink due to Rossweisse putting too much force in her cranking of the ratchet on the bolt she was working on.

See, what happened...was something along the lines of Rossweisse...


2 Minutes Earlier...

"Ah, that was some good stuff~!" I remarked as I leaned back in my chair after finishing my plate that was chock full of food just a couple of minutes ago. Rossweisse sat across from me, an equally satisfied expression on her face.

"Yes. You're a fairly decent cook, Mr. Douglas. Maybe not top class, but those pork chops, mashed potatoes and green beans were quite good. Thank you for the meal." Rossweisse commented. I just smiled in appreciation of her compliment before moving to stand up and collect her plate in order to go wash the dishes...only for Rossweisse to eagerly stand and speak up.

"No. You cooked dinner. It's only right that I, at least, do the dishes." Rossweisse spoke, smiling as she held her hand out for my plate. Sighing slightly, I gave it to her with a smile.

"Thanks."

"It's the least I can do as a freeloading guest, after all." she responded like she had rehearsed it many times beforehand.

Sitting back down in my seat, I turned on the television and found some B-rate fantasy/adventure movie that was halfway finished. Leaning back, I was ready to enjoy the rest of my evening (with company) before going into hardcore training again tomorrow when...

*SNAP*

Quickly rushing out of my seat at the noise, I rounded the corner to look into the kitchen to see Rossweisse standing in front of the sink with a small blue glowing magic circle in front of her. After a moment, she dismissed the circle. Within an instant, the sound of a piece of metal cluttering against another piece of metal filled the house. Reaching her hand into the sink, she fished out one of the handles that were mounted to the faucet. Glancing over to me, she held the piece in her hand with a guilty expression on her face.

"...So..."


"So, Rossweisse?" I asked the girl who was currently laying on her back whilst her hands were still underneath the sink, having just over-tightened the bolt. A side effect of doing so, is that one of the water pipes had been busted slightly, dousing her in water. She looked at me with a scared and guilty expression on her face.

"Y-Yes?" she responded meekly. I sighed slightly.

"Go get yourself some new clothes and go get washed up." I ordered her, knowing that I'd need the 'Crib Store' in order to fix this mess. I'm slightly surprised that my sink got busted up so bad when my wall took one of her 'magic cannon' blasts and barely got damaged at all.

Standing up whilst dipping her head slightly, I noticed that Rossweisse was still wearing the t-shirt and pants that I loaned her.

There's this thing when it comes to water and white t-shirts...

Though I certainly noticed how the clothes clung to her rather well-developed figure, I turned away from Rossweisse in order to show a sliver of respect and decency. I heard her footsteps rapidly walk away as I sighed.

Well, accidents happen. I'm kind of used to it, having come across situations like this many times in my old life.

So, waiting until Rossweisse had turned on the shower, and even making sure to check if she was spying on me or not, I entered the 'Crib Store'...and also used [Observe] on my kitchen sink and counter.


+Faulty Sink
-Type: Kitchen Appliance
-Level: 1
-Note: Congratulations! You've found one of the two [Hidden Gag Items] that was planted in your Crib!


+Faulty Counter
-Type: Kitchen Furniture
-Level: 1
-Note: Congratulations! You've found one of the two [Hidden Gag Items] that was planted in your Crib!


-inhale-

-exhale-

First, I bought a replacement sink that was the same appearance-wise as the one I had. Next, I bought a new counter for my kitchen, one that matched the same light brown wooden style that it had before. After buying those two things, I washed the dishes as planned before going back and sitting in my seat to continue watching the movie.

About 10 minutes later, the door to the bathroom opens up as Rossweisse comes out in the pair of gray and pink sweats that she got at the discount store earlier. She was busy drying her hair with one of the blue bath-towels that I had bought a little after lunchtime.

Looking at me with a clearly guilty look on her face, she glanced over to find the sink and counter 'fixed'. She looked shocked, before turning back to me.

"How...did you...?" she remarked. I sighed.

"Look, what happened earlier was not your fault. The sink was faulty. As for the counter...I can easily fix stuff like that. Though, from now on...it might be best if I do the repairs, just to be safe." I explained, giving her a small wink to let her know that I'm not mad at her. She just glanced away, still looking guilty.

I guess...I'm gonna have to compliment her again...

"Look, uh...I know you're gonna probably feel guilty no matter what, so...well, thanks for at least trying to fix it."

"I-I...I only made things worse in the end, though." she replied, not being reassured at all. Taking a deep breath, I rubbed my temples in an exaggerated way.

"Damn you, Rossweisse." I remarked crudely, causing Rossweisse's face to form a depressed frown as she obviously seemed to think I was mad at her. Continuing on, I planned to make her feel better...right...

...now.

"You're, like, ten times nicer than the girls back home!" I nearly yelled, almost as if I was exasperated. Rossweisse seemed shocked for a moment, not being able to respond clearly. After a moment or two, she seemed to try and speak up.

"N-No! I-I'm not reall al-Any other chick would've just been like, 'Oops! Well, sorry I broke your shit~! Have fun fixing it~!'." I cut her off, giving a very real example of what a normal teenage girl would've done in this situation.

Seriously, teenage girls are 'trolls' in every sense of the word!

Besides this chick! Rossweisse is fucking nice as what a saint is supposed to be like!

Looking over, I saw Rossweisse with her jaw dropping slightly as a red hue danced over her cheeks. Maybe she was shocked that I used 'vulgar language'. Or, like before, she was simply not used to being complimented.

This poor girl...

"..."

"Look...you know, like I said earlier, it wasn't your fault that the sink or the counter broke. It's fixed now, and there was no harm done. Well, other than the shirt...that...uh, let's calm down a bit, okay?" I raised my hands up slowly to show my surrender as Rossweisse had brought out her 'cannon' again.

Seriously, is this gonna be a 'thing' for the rest of the [Game]!?

"Y-Y-You just f-forget everything you s-saw, UNDERSTAND!?" Rossweisse sputtered at me, clearly embarrassed beyond all words.

Here's a little fun fact that differentiates 'anime' from 'reality'.

When people get embarrassed, they might end up acting all cute...or they might get extremely aggressive, especially if your relationship with them is not intimate in the slightest.

Rossweisse, as you can clearly guess, is of the 'latter variety'. She may not hate me, per se. But, we only met this morning...and I saw her go through a 'solo wet t-shirt contest' without her expressed consent.

"O-Okay! I doubt that I can, like, just forget, but I'll do my best to move on from it." I tried to calmly reason with her. Rossweisse just turned her face away before dismissing her 'cannon' and stomping away towards her room.

Sighing in sweet relief that I had avoided death once again, I decided that I was as ready for bed as ever.


8:00 PM

Walking into my bedroom, which was still fairly bare besides the bed sitting against the far wall, I shrugged off my shoes and socks before hopping into bed...

Only to understand what a '1/10 Comfort Level' really means.

This...is only slightly more comfortable than a yoga mat!

Forcing myself to try and relax in order to fall asleep...I was met by a glowing blue screen in front of my face.


-You have entered a Bed!-
-Benefits of Sleeping in this Bed: x2 EXP for 12 hours, HP/MP restored
-Would you like to go to Sleep? (8 Hours)-

+Yes

+No


I pressed yes...and right then and there...my vision went black...and my mind felt completely at ease...


9:15 AM – 5 hours after waking up...

[ID: Puppets LVL: 10]

"SpIn AttAAAck!"

Spinning in a circle amongst a group of 13 Soldiers that had huddled around me with my sword braced in my right hand, I sliced through each and every one with the precision and grace of a blind donkey.

Which, of course, meant that I fell on my ass after I was finished slicing all of them. Luckily, by which I mean 'skillfully', they were the last ones left from the final Soldier area I had just gone through.

Once I had woken up from my sleep, I got a notification box telling me about the 'benefits' I received from sleeping in that extremely uncomfortable bed. It didn't detail the 'consequences' of sleeping in that bed, but I think a sore back is plenty enough to explain why I've had a little trouble with doing certain 'tricks' whilst fighting Puppets.

Such as the classic 'spin attack'.

Anyways, after I had woken up, I immediately started getting ready to re-enter the 'Puppet ID' in order to get the most out of the benefits the (stupid) bed gave me.

I kind of lost track after the time I've been going in and out of this dungeon, though. It wasn't until I looked it up this last time to get an idea of how long I've been doing this ever since I woke up.

5 hours. 5 freaking hours of going into this dungeon.

By this point, the amount of time/precision with which I can beat thirty areas of the 'Puppet ID' is almost down to the dot.

After 5 hours of training, I've hit my 'benchmark' 12 times with this 'go around' being the 13th time I've gone through this dungeon.

These guys now pose absolutely no threat to me whatsoever.

Pulling up my 'Status Screen', I checked how much progress I've made.


-Status Screen-

Date: August 14, 2014 (Canon Start: 970 days)
Time: 9:15:47 AM

Name: Douglas Roland
Race Bonus (Rank 2 Human): +2 LUK/level
Title: Numbnut Noob (+1 LUK)

Sacred Gear – [Twice Critical]: +1 END/level

LVL: 53
EXP: 28,461/720,178
HP: 1160/1160 (+299.5 HP/minute)
MP: 1160/1160 (+300.5 MP/minute)

STR: 270 (250+0+0+0) (+20)
END: 235 (182+53+0+0)
AGI: 260 (260+0+0+0)
INT: 316 (316+0+0)
MAG: 235 (182+53+0+0)
LUK: 108 (1+106+1)

Stat Points: 0

Stat Bonuses: 0


Concerning my abilities...

My [Observe] ability has been raised to level 121. Considering that both of my [Regenerator] abilities have the same format concerning 'levels', I think it's safe to say that those abilities will also continue to grow past level 100.

Oh yeah! [Health Regenerator] is at 52 and [Magic Regenerator] is at 54. I try my best to always be recovering, but it's kinda hard to stay concentrated on doing seven or eight different things on top of fighting.

I've also 'maxed out' my [Boost] and [Block] abilities. That means that, hopefully, when I get my 'Skill Tokens' for completing this [Quest], I'll be able to have them as potential options for me to upgrade.

From what Cameron said, [Boost] being upgraded to [Rank: D] will give me the [Boosted Gear]. Whilst I wouldn't want to rely on that to help me defend myself from the Devils (along with pretty much everything else out there), beggars can't be choosers.

Looking at my 'Stats' compared to my 'level', I might have been a little concerned seeings as Rias and her gang have lower levels than me, but considerably higher 'Stats'.

However, Cameron summed it up quite nicely...


During First Training Trip...

"Aren't my 'Stats' increasing too slowly?" I asked Cameron as I launched more [Arrows of Fire] at the Archers he was holding down with his abilities. Cameron just cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Oh, you mean compared to those Devils, huh? Nah. For them, 'level' is a very pure form of measuring their 'combat experience'. However, we get power from those same 'levels'. Not to mention, that 'Stat Bonuses' are bullshit. It gets fucking insane after a while. Sure, you may not even be into the hundreds yet, but what if you were just given 10 'Stat Bonuses'? Each 'Stat' could be boosted to nearly 150, or you could push one of your stats to 300 or so. Not to mention that it will keep increasing with every level up. Trust me, 'kay? Those things will fork out beaucoup points real freaking quick. And, as easy as it is to get 'Tokens' for abilities, it's also just as easy and quick to get 'Stat Bonuses'." he explained, seeming to get another idea once he was done...

"Also, don't ever waste 'Stat Points' on LUK. It's super freaking useful, but you're a Human. We have no weaknesses, and get LUK for free. The amount of LUK you have, if you don't waste your 'Stat Points' on it, should always be just a little bit more than the combined total of 'Stat Bonuses' rewards that you get. So, like, if you have 100 'Stat Bonuses', your LUK should be 'your level x 100'." he finished, seemingly ending the conversation by rushing off to the next area.

Running to catch up to him, I wondered just how fast I would get stronger with 'Stat Bonuses'...


I've also spent a little bit of time trying to acquaint myself with a few of the 'given abilities' that I received by raising each of my 'Stats' to 100.


Skills:

(((STR)))

+[Perfect Grip] – LVL: MAX – Passive
-When gripping an object, the object will not crumble from any external forces applied to it (such as gravity, force of grip, etc.). Allows the player to lift the object as they please as well, so long as they have enough STR.


(((AGI)))

+[Control Stick Physics] – LVL: MAX – Passive
-Allows the player to go from standing still to an all-out sprint in an absolute instant, with absolutely no time wasted on speeding up. Also allows the player to stop on a dime with no time wasted on slowing down.


(((INT)))

+[Perfect Memory] – LVL: MAX – Passive
-The player can perfectly recall any memory or information they desire, so long as they genuinely experienced or learned it at some point.


(((LUK)))

+[Blessed Looter] – LVL: MAX – Passive
-Doubles amount of money player obtains from defeated enemies.


[Control Stick Physics] caused me to trip and eat dirt a few times, simply because I wasn't ready to suddenly go as fast as my legs could carry me. It feels weird, but I'm fairly certain that I'll be able to get the hang of it after a while. [Perfect Memory] sounded a little scary at first, but it only activates when you 'want' it to. [Blessed Looter] hasn't changed anything, though making me richer as I kill these Puppets (which I think anyone would be okay with).

As far as [Perfect Grip] goes, I haven't really tried picking anything up yet. I've never needed to, after all. But, I'll probably see what I can do with it later on. Maybe I can increase my fighting potential by throwing rocks/ boulders/ mountains...

That would actually be pretty cool, to be honest...

I mean, it would definitely fuck up a city or an army without much trouble, throwing a mountain that is. If you threw it high enough, it could even be used as a 'meteor-type' attack.

However, considering that it's already past 9 AM in the morning, I should probably leave my room so that, should Rossweisse be up, she won't question my sleeping for 13 hours straight. Especially since she knows that yesterday was, in no way, taxing enough to warrant such an amount of sleep.

Even though I've already asked her to overlook me disappearing for three or four hours at a time, I can't really trust that her 'suspicion meter' won't rise if I do things like that too often.

So, exiting the ID early, I get ready to go and greet Rossweisse for another day.


"Fuaah~..." I looked as I exited my room to see Rossweisse sitting in her chair in the living room with a slight bed-head. I only noticed this now, but she doesn't have her purple ribbons that she ties in her hair.

I guess she either doesn't possess them yet...or the Puppets took them.

"Well, 'sleeping beauty' has a cute yawn, huh?" I decided to try and rack up a few compliments to finish the 'optional' part of the [Quest]. Rossweisse, however, just glanced at me before dipping her head slightly, her eyes showing a level of grogginess I (as a college student) was quite familiar with.

"..."

"You doing alright there?" I asked with a gentle tone, knowing that one can feel like shit in the morning due to grogginess. However, due to [Gamer's Mind], I didn't possess those problems anymore.

But, it's not mine to deal with at this point, it's hers. And, if I want to 'be nice to Rossweisse', then I have to try and help her out with stuff like this.

"...yes. I...ugh...I stayed up late and studied." she responded in a grumbling tone. I just raised an eyebrow at her.

"Studying?" I parroted, having not expected her to have access to anything related to school. I mean, it's not like I thought she didn't, it just never crossed my mind before.

"Yes. I'm going to college now. Being kidnapped by sentient wooden puppets is...well, I'm used to studying like that, though." she replied, raising her knees up to her sweatshirt-clad torso and burying her face into them whilst wrapping her arms around her head to block out the sunlight entering the room from the window.

"Ah, a fellow nerd, huh?" I asked as I sat down in my chair across from her. Something about what I said seemed to surprise, or confuse, Rossweisse as she peeked out from her 'hide-y hole'.

"Nerd?" she asked, as if she didn't really hear what I said before. I just shrugged.

"Well, maybe not a 'nerd', so much as a 'geek'. I do better with technology than math and such. What are you studying in college?" I enunciated, before making sure to push the conversation more towards 'her' school life.

After all, if I said that I had gone to college as well...she might just get suspicious again, even in her drowsy state.

Rossweisse just hummed a little before sighing.

"Hah, I'm studying to become a Valkyrie. Do you know about those?" she asked, to which I just gave a small shrug and a perplexed face.

"As far as I know, they're like the servants of the Norse Gods, right? Also, that thing where they lead warriors who died in battle to Valhalla to await Ragnarok. Well, that's just trivia I found online when I looked up Norse Mythology out of fleeting curiosity. Other than that, I learned a few of the Gods names from watching superhero movies and anime." I answered, knowing that my knowledge of the 'DXD-verse' is not absolute. It would be best to respect that fact.

Apparently satisfied with my answer, Rossweisse nods.

"Yes, nowadays Valkyries are considered 'helpers' to the Gods. But, they don't just lead the souls of glorious and honorable warriors to the halls of Valhalla, they also determine whether they live or die on the battlefield in the first place." Rossweisse clarified, causing my jaw to drop slightly.

"You're just gonna...pick and choose who lives and dies!?" I asked, slightly incredulous. I mean, I know that the supernatural determines a lot of things for humanity, but to hear that this silver-haired girl (who is my favorite girl in the whole show) who I thought to be just a socially-awkward yet nice person...will have that kind of authority...

...it's a little off-putting.

Seeing that I was a little shocked, and concerned, by her explanation, Rossweisse quickly raises her hands in a placating gesture.

"C-Calm down! It's not as though we simply point and say 'you die' or 'you live', we...well, we 'evaluate' the warrior. Their virtues, their reasons for fighting, and their character. I-If we deem them worthy of attention, then we're expected to protect and help them. But, should they die in battle still, we'll carry them to Valhalla. After that, they're expected to prepare for Ragnarok, as you said, and the Valkyries are to...serve them properly." Rossweisse hastily explained, lessening my worries slightly that I wasn't looking 'Death Incarnate' straight in the eyes. However, at the end of the explanation, she seemed to hesitate on the word 'serve'.

"Serve? I think I read about that. You serve them mead, right?" I asked, having remembered reading something like that. Noticing Rossweisse's face slowly turning a flushed red, I immediately realized what she meant.

"O-Ohh...'serve'...as in 'that'." I lamely surmised. Rossweisse made a small whining sound.

"N-N-Not a-always, but...s-sometimes." she amended. I nodded.

"Do you guys have a say in the matter?" I asked. She just nodded.

"Y-Yes."

"Mm. So, what kinds of things do you need to learn to be a Valkyrie?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation back towards a milder topic. Rossweisse smiled slightly, seemingly appreciative for the 'save'.

"W-We mostly have to learn how to fight and be proper 'helpers' for the Gods. We also learn quite a bit about 'inter-faction politics'. With everything combined, it's a lot like human education...with magic." she finished, burying her head again. I just crossed my legs and rested my hands on the arms of my chair as I breathed deeply.

...

...

Sitting in peaceful silence for a moment, I decided to go ahead and view Rossweisse's 'Observe Screen' due to the level of my [Observe] skill now being higher than her level.


-OBSERVED-

Name: Rossweisse (?)
Age: 17
Birthday: August 8th
Race: Half-God (Valkyrie)
Affiliation: Norse Faction

LVL: 105
HP: 73,682/73,682
MP: 163,329/163,329

STR: 44,688
END: 52,901
AGI: 43,144
INT: 98,144
MAG: 110,574
LUK: 12,372


(((Explanation in description, so hold off on disbelief for thirty more seconds...)))


FUCK ME!

I'M NOT GONNA EVEN FUCKING TOUCH THIS CHICK!


CHAPTER END


AN:

Ah~, don't I just love pissing on people's expectations of 'Stats' and 'Plot'~...?

Of course I do.

Now, for some rather forward explanations as to, mostly, my reasoning behind the 'Stats'...

First off, I like big numbers. So, there is a bias to start out with. Okay? Good.

Secondly, Rias and her Peerage DON'T FREAKING DO ANYTHING! At least until a ways into canon. I hate the idea, even with genetic superiority, of her and her Peerage being anything special in the supernatural world.

However, if you want to view their 'Stats', 'abilities', [Sacred Gears], and 'experience' as their 'defining traits' when it comes to measuring their combat abilities, then my system IS for you.

I've now shown that Devils are naturally superior,in terms of 'Stats' alone, compared to humans. Not to mention that they have magic and [Sacred Gears] and special abilities to further emphasize how well they make use of their 'Stats'.

Akeno is better than Rias in terms of 'skill' and 'diversity'. She is also far more capable of learning than Rias is. Period. That's not even a question for ANYONE who knows DXD.

Rias, however, has more natural power in her than Akeno.

Remember, the INT 'Stat' in my system does not refer to ACTUAL intelligence. It's merely a quantitative measurement of how fast you learn new abilities.

It doesn't mean anything in relation to the amount of knowledge you hold, how wise you are, how good of decisions you can make, your SAT scores, etc.

Those things, in my opinion, are just 'too vague' to be quantitatively measured in an accurate and fair manner. Oh, people can certainly try all they want, though.

Now, for Rossweisse's 'Stats'. Just so people don't go all 'wacko' on me for making them 'too high'.

I'll go ahead and spoil it for you. The leaders of the Three Factions will have average 'Stats' in the millions. The MILLIONS.

Rossweisse, on the other hand, is an extremely prodigious Demi-God who is studying and training extensively to become a direct subordinate to literal Gods. I feel like, even pre-canon, she should still be leagues ahead of Rias and her Peerage. Besides, even if she has numbers in the tens of thousands, it doesn't exactly denote that she can demolish mountains with a single punch. However, should she hit someone with an all out physical attack, then the damage formula I've concocted through trial and error will determine how much damage they take.

Every living being in my story will work under the rules of the [Gamer System] that I created. That is absolute, mainly because it's a bullshit concept to throw the system to the side just for the NPCs to do cool things or have meaningless 'Stats' compared to the [Gamers].


I would like to apologize, though, to Kinunatzs The Eternal for basically taking a big dump on our previous conversation regarding 'Stat Averages amongst different Classes'. After looking through it all, I just felt like the prospect of the bigger numbers will help sell a more 'game-like feeling' to everything. There need to be obstacles to be overcome for a story to be even remotely good. Considering that you had put in genuine effort to work out a system which even I hadn't really thought out yet, it leaves a kind of bitter taste in my mouth considering that it seems like I'm going against it so blatantly.

However, I will continue to try and make the story interesting, make no mistake about that.

I've also have taken some of your previous points into consideration concerning the 'Stat Averages amongst different Classes' and have come up with my own version which is basically yours but with bigger numbers and ranges. I did that considering that I've basically stated that my OC will be getting the [Boosted Gear]. Can't let him have it too easy, can I~?


So...yeah.

I don't really think I have anything else to say at the moment.

Oh yeah, almost +19k views, 200+ Favorites and Follows, along with 100+ Reviews.

...

...Thanks guys. I really mean that.

Also, I will be posting the updated 'Status Screens' into 'DXD: Gamer Files'. Hopefully, it'll make things a little easier to keep up with.