Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD or Naruto.
A/N: Finally... the 100k word mark has been reached. The 1000k Follower mark has been reached. The 500 Review mark has been reached. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and insights. This is Silent Songbird saying, without you, this fic would be nothing. Oh and by the way, this is supposed to be a double update. This chapter was so long I decided to cut in in half, so expect the next chapter out soon.
~~~~~~ Dragon of Dragons: Game of the Year Edition ~~~~~~~
Chapter 9: To Be or Not to Be
Uzumaki Naruto's Mansion
12:34 A.M.
You have slept on a Couch. HP and MP have been 75% restored. All negative status effects and ailments have been cured.
Issei's eyes snapped open with the ferocity of a tiger about to hunt down his prey. Both the combination of his own innate sense of self-preservation, and the unflinching will he had gained after staring Death in the face spurned him to activity. He jumped up and stepped on the couch as his eyes rapidly glanced against the room. He remembered this place as Naruto's mansion, the apparently immortal Uzumaki must probably have an unlimited supply of funds if he had played his cards right during the years
He instantly glanced at his digital watch and confirmed the time as just several minutes past midnight, on the second day he had begun to fully actualize his gamer ability. He found it bizarre as to how it felt like such a long while ago, when in actuality it was a mere couple of hours. Without hesitating, he opened his Stats.
Statistics
Name: Hyoudou Issei
Level: 24 [57.94%]
Current Titles: The Gamer
Race: Human
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
HP: 900/900
MP: 3750/3750 [Chakra: 1900/1900] [LM/DM: 1875/1875]
Strength: 22
Vitality: 45
Dexterity: 59
Intelligence: 150(+3)(+2)(+2)
Wisdom: 57 (+1)(+1)(+2)(+2)(+2)
Luck: 12 (+1)(+3)(+65.6)
Charisma: 11 (-1)(+1)(+1.5)(+2)(+3)
Updated Bio: Hyoudou Issei is a quasi-immortal, time-looping teenager whose goal was originally to become a Harem King; before he can do that he has to settle for the task of preventing the apocalypse. He has fought for centuries beside and against enemies of all types, though he has no conscious recollection of the fact. He must however now use his skills to fulfill his goal of preventing the apocalypse by slaying the Eleven Anomalies, whilst the Shadow of Death watches his every move, waiting for him to falter. Who are the anomalies? And what role does Death truly play in the system of the Exodus Switch?
"My stats didn't get reset…" Issei could not believe it, he had fully been expecting everything to had gone back once he had travelled through time. If he was loading from a saved checkpoint, how in the world did he still possess stats from the future, - or past – when he had technically not yet grinded to gain that level of strength? Slowly, he heard a soft feminine chuckle echo at the back of his mind, and felt as though he had been hit with a bucket of ice water. Did Death have something to do with this? Could she manipulate his game system?
Normally, Issei would simply not bother looking a gift horse in the mouth. However, the last time he didn't look a gift horse in the mouth and entered a place where he could grind quickly had not ended well at all for him. So this time around, he had to carefully search for the reason as to why his stats hadn't been reset, and as to whether or not Death had a hand in it. Sadly, he would have to do that much later, as his plate was already full as it was.
Issei let out a silent sigh of annoyance and gratefulness at the same time. And there he was thinking he would have to grind again just so he could get back to the level he previously was, and wondering how long it would have taken this time around.
This time around; His mind supplied him faintly. Gradually Issei's brain was finally catching up with facts; with what he had considered as reality. His brain yelled at him, arguing blankly about the impossibility of the scenarios he had undergone, it rejected each and everything he could see and observe, and it wondered if everything he had ever known was truly wrong.
In the span of less than forty-eight hours, he had discovered that devils, angels and supernatural beings were real; he had sent a girl to the hospital in one hit with a kendo stick, he discovered that he had been trapped in a temporal loop for centuries without having any knowledge of it. He had met the physical embodiment of Death, and then he had travelled through time.
This was the average day in the life of Hyoudou Issei.
Any other human being at this point would have been grasping the hairs on their head and yelling out absurdities before collapsing onto the ground, frothing at the mouth. He had a burden placed upon him to stop the end of the world, yet, he had never asked for such a burden. He hadn't asked for greatness, he had simply been picked, on whatever random whim and shoved into the limelight.
Issei wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. He wanted to simply sit back and chuckle as to how he had gone from thinking he would never get laid in life to having the fate of the world placed on his shoulders. He had always thought challenges in life would move at an arithmetic progression, little by little, systematically until it got harder and harder. This however, was nothing short of a geometric progression, he had started little, and within hours, he was already reaching the heights of the totem pole. Admittedly, the only reason things had seemingly progressed so much faster was because of the loops, the looping through time over and over again.
Was he even still Hyoudou Issei? Was this version of him simply just another variant from what was supposed to be the original, having being distorted through changes in the timeline?
He didn't know. He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he wanted to be a harem king and he loved the feminine form. Why? Because a man in a park had convinced him of such when he was younger. His suddenly rational mind made him laugh at how ludicrous that sounded. He couldn't imagine basing his entire life goals, wishes and desires in life from a chance encounter with a random stranger.
The question remained though, who was Hyoudou Issei? A lecherous pervert who desired the feminine flesh, but had the heart of a chivalrous knight? No. Such a one-dimensional description was something he could only hope to find in Manga. Why did he do the things that he did? Why did he love the feminine form, yet had a strong enough moral compunction not to act upon his desires in immoral ways? Why did he want to be a Harem King? Was it simply to gain the pleasures of the feminine flesh, for which would indicate nothing but a shallow and empty personality? Or was it because he simply desired company, love and affection for which he was subconsciously starved?
Suddenly, an age old adage had popped into his mind with the subtlety of a wrecking ball.
What do you know, what do you think you know and why do you think you know it?
STOP.
Issei had to smack his head against a nearby wall to stop the thoughts from pouring in. Ignoring the -5HP notification, the teen immediately realized that the Gamer's Mind aided by the Accelerated Thought Process and his higher-than-average INT Stats were making him think for the first time in his short sixteen years of existence. He was thinking clearly, seeing clearly, and suddenly, questions upon questions upon questions popped up in his mind with a burning desire to find the answers. He supposed he was currently thinking at no less than three times the average thought speed for a human being, if such a thing was possible to be calculated or even quantified.
Ping!
Congratulations! Through some unbelievable stroke of luck, you are no longer considered mentally incompetent!
You have gained 100 points in the Intelligence Stat!
You have gained 150 points in the Intelligence Stat!
Your newfound intellect has provided several unique ways to utilize your knowledge!
Major: Arts has gone up by 10!
Major: Science has gone up by 20!
Observe has gone up by 30! You can now view severely more information about targets, irrespective of their levels!
Congratulations! The Observe skill now grants a passive effect even when not in use! This has unlocked the perk, Perfect Vision!
Perfect Vision: You gain an insight into the true world, seeing its nature, forms, strengths, weaknesses and constituents. You can analyze the world at a glance, see the nature of your opponents attacks before they make them, and now gain a truer connection with the world around you.
The Effects of Perfect Vision stack when utilizing any other sight-related skill.
The feeling that overtook Issei was sharp and strong, his eyes stung for a fraction of a second, before he suddenly realized that the colors in the world had magnified in intensity. The only thing he could compare it to, was the feeling of staring at a giant HD television, and then suddenly jumping into the world of utterly clear definition.
However, he suddenly realized that this was not exactly a good thing. He could suddenly see everything. His eyes had simply just glanced around the entire room, but it took notice of every single detail with alarming clarity, without the active aid of the Observe skill. From the ruffles of bearskin rugs to the greaves on the vintage medieval armor, to even the faintest of signatures on the renaissance themed surrealist paintings which adorned the walls; his mind was picking up each and every single one of these details with frightening accuracy. He could deduce rapidly, that the house he was in was over a hundred years old from the faint speck of mold that was at farthest edge of the room, clutching desperately against a small wooden crack in the ceiling.
He could tell, with but a glance, that the medieval armor and paintings within the house were all original, crafted works carefully selected and maintained through the ages, simply via noting the rust on the feet of the armor, and realizing that the frames of the paintings utilized an archaic style that could not be reduplicated with modern technology. He could tell at a glance, that the couch he had been on was not made of pure 100% leather, that it was significantly warmer than the temperature of the room, and it indicated that someone had been on it earlier, as well as the fact that there was very little dust underneath it, meaning that it was a recently acquired purchase.
His mind was a blur of mathematical calculations and estimations. He could give an accurate estimation of temperatures of objects at a glance, he could calculate their distances from other objects, calculate their weight, length/height, and even the volume of a glass of water across the room.
He had very little doubts now that he would be able to see certain elements of the electromagnetic spectrum that were supposed to be invisible to the naked eye.
He also realized that before now, he didn't even know what the electromagnetic spectrum was.
Just to confirm a Hypothesis, Issei activated Devil's Sight. He let out a soft gasp when he realized that he could see heat signatures and even bioluminescence and that he could see through walls and objects. A part of him immediately wondered if he could use the power to see through clothes.
However, the Gamer's Mind did not classify this as a harmful psychological effect. All the same, Issei was finding it difficult to suddenly deal with this newfound weird sense of hyper-awareness. Not to mention, new random thoughts were popping into his head from idle thoughts he had previously entertained. Some were perverted of course, such as:
Why do female devils seemingly have such huge breast sizes? Do they have the same attitude towards Virginity as humans do?
If we are different Races, does that mean that a human can have sex with a devil without fear of getting her knocked up?
But once his mind started clearing up, the thoughts and questions became more serious.
Are the physiology, neurology, and overall anatomy of devils and angels the same as humans?
If so, can their extra-appendages and abilities simply be a manifestation of mutations rather than some supernatural power?
How did they come into existence in the first place? Created by a creator? If such is true, then does this creator not also require a creator of his own, and does the creator of the creator not also require a creator? Does this not spiral into a never ending cycle, in which case, constitutes a needless paradox?
"Enough!"
SLAM!
-10 HP!
He knew that banging his head against the wall wouldn't stop the thoughts from pouring in, but it was the closest he could get in the meantime. How did one solve the problem of an overactive or clouded mind? Ah right, the most effective method he could conjure was meditation. With that in mind, - no pun intended – Hyoudou Issei sat down, closed his eyes and took in deep breaths in slow, timed paces.
Ping!
Through the act of finally realizing that you need some down time to organize the clustered mayhem that is your mind, and successfully doing so, a new skill has been created!
Meditate [Active] Lv. 1
Men of great wisdom invented the art of Meditation in order to achieve silent contemplation and reflection of oneself and also as a mental exercise in order to reach a heightened level of spiritual awareness. It can also be used to achieve inner peace and self-control.
Moving will end the effects of Meditate.
Doubles all Regeneration Rates when Active
Grants a 10% boost in efficiency to Gamer's Mind when active
Grants a 10% Boost to Senjutsu when Active
Grants a 10% boost to all Mind-Related/Awareness skills when active
There was a certain calm and silence that overtook Issei and he let out a deep breath of satisfaction. Without hesitation, he rapidly dedicated to the task of taking all his thoughts, all the ones that asked questions and all the ones that fired with inquisitive curiosity and proceeded to gently arrange it into a part of his mind and give it its own persona. He dubbed it, Logic, for simplicity and practicality. Then once he was done organizing his pseudo-persona in his mind, he immediately tasked it with solving his current problems, the problems he had travelled through time in an attempt to fix.
His eyes snapped open, and solutions poured out of his mind. He needed a plan, and then he needed a backup plan, and then he needed a backup plan for his backup plan. The errors of his ways had been criticized with the cold, hard effectiveness of a military personal sizing up his latest batch of recruits. His mistakes became highlighted as though someone had put it up on a giant screen and proceeded to play it in extremely slow motion. He couldn't risk losing anything anymore, he couldn't risk failing anymore. Not when the shadow of Death loomed over him, telling him to amuse her.
There was a brief surge of anger and annoyance at the thought, but he squashed it down with the Gamer's Mind. It was infuriating to think that Death saw him as nothing more than a mere pawn in a cosmic game of chess, or a personal court jester who would do anything he commanded. She or it, felt that he was beginning to bore her, as though it was his job to entertain Death. Yes, the being or entity was infinitely more powerful than him. Yes, he should be happy that she didn't just end his life there and then. Yes, it was stupid to think that he could do anything against her. Yet, Issei just hated the feeling of being a mere pawn in someone else's grand game of life.
There was a small, asinine part of him that wanted to gain true immortality just so he could give the natural phenomenon the middle finger and proceed to moonwalk away from her while laughing like a deranged psychopath. Or perhaps maybe he could show her how amusing he could be when he made her scream his name in pure, mind-numbing ecstasy.
Issei snorted. And then when he was done, he could proudly wear a t-shirt which read "I fucked with Death. So don't fuck with me."
The Gamer disregarded the random thought and it vanished away into his subconscious. However, what didn't vanish away was a notification that suddenly came up.
Ping!
New Butterfly Quest – [Long Term]!
Immortal and Divine
You do not wish to be a mere plaything of Death. You wish to overcome it, vanquish it and/or to become its master. Therefore, find a way to become Immortal and Achieve true Godhood.
Main Objectives:-
Attain True Immortality
Become: The One Above All – A True God
Defeat Death – [One way or another]
Bonus Objectives:
?
?
?
?
Rewards: 6,000,000,000 EXP! Gain Titles: The One Above All, The Master Of Death, The One True God. Gain Status Effect: Deathless.
Bonus Rewards: 3,000,000 EXP per Bonus Objective, Gain Perks: Omnipresence, Omniscience, Omnipotence. Gain Special T-Shirt: "I fucked with death to become immortal and all I got was this Lousy T-Shirt"
Failure: None.
Would you like to accept this quest?
[Y/N]
'So the game still has a sense of humor.'
The fact that he could subconsciously create quests was the second thing on Issei's mind as he gazed at the alert. He could choose to either accept or deny the quest, but he could not even believe that a quest like this was possible. Hell, the Experience gains were unbelievably immense, but at the same time, the quest was as vague as possible. There were no hints on how he could gain true immortality, but the fact that it was possible for him to master and defeat death was a truly tempting offer. He gazed at the button, wondering truly if he should accept the task of becoming immortal.
Did you want to become a God? 'Logic' had asked. If someone were to ask that question to the average person, the answer would be yes. The most obvious choice to follow would be yes. Who wouldn't want to gain the power to protect himself, to accomplish his goals, and to be literally unstoppable? Not to mention the numerous benefits in bed, he'd be able to make women melt in his hands without even trying.
Do you want to be immortal? His Logic had asked once more, and he found the answer also being yes, albeit more reluctantly. He wanted to live today, and tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. He wanted to live twenty years from now, and even if he were a hundred, he would want to keep living for one more day. Did that mean therefore, that if he wanted to keep living for another day, he did not wish to die?
He had not seen heaven nor hell, but he now knew that they were both real. Did he wish to die and then simply spend his time in heaven, surrounded by the angels, and singing praises all day long? The notion was almost enough to make him laugh. He did not know what heaven was supposed to be like. He wasn't sure, and maybe he would find out. But even if he found out, would he still wish to go there once he died?
He didn't know. All he knew was that Tsubasa, Sona and most possibly Koneko were devils, and once they died, they would not go to heaven. That thought alone, was one reason why Issei did not wish to die, and why he did not wish to go to heaven. That is, if such a place would even dream of accepting him after all the things he had done and planned on doing in his life.
His gaze locked back on to the bright options of yes or no, his mind lost in thought as he wondered if accepting such a quest would be the right thing to do.
Don't be immortal! It's not right! A part of him he rapidly called Ethics had argued, Just think about all the immortals you know, Naruto-san doesn't look happy to be immortal, and Death is bored out of her mind because there's nothing to alleviate her boredom. Being immortal is wrong.
It's not about what's right or wrong. Logic argued back. You are already planning on killing some people called 'anomalies' in cold blood. That isn't right. Your actions can't be judged with good or bad anymore, but only from their consequences. The consequences of immortality are all beneficial to yourself and to others as well.
No. Ethics said. What will you do once you become bored of your immortality? Once you have tasted every benefit of living on earth? Once you have mastered every language, every instrument, every art, every science, once you have lived to the fullest, and then wish to move on to the afterlife, and then you find yourself unable to do so?
Your argument is invalid and your scope is highly limited. Logic said coldly. Even after we would have mastered each and every one of those things, the universe is a vast place. How many gods out there have sought to evolve beyond their station? How many gods have tried exploring the true depths of the universe? The earth is but a tiny, pale blue dot in the vastness of space, a single planet in the milky-way galaxy. There is the possibility of advancing towards other galaxies, other universes, or even, the idea of a multiverse! How many gods do you think have stepped foot on Mars and how many gods have explored the rings of Jupiter? How many gods have thought to even leave the Milky Way galaxy and how many gods have claimed to have travelled to a realm beyond the stars? No, if your imagination is limitless, immortality can never truly be a dull moment.
'Ethics' had lost the argument within Issei and he knew it. His morals had never truly been strong enough to completely sway him, otherwise he would have never thought about becoming a pervert in the first place. His cold sense of Logic was rapidly booming, making him think faster and sharper, think slightly more critically than he was used to. It would seem that he would select his option based on what he could understand.
"To be or not to be… immortal; I suppose that is the question." The voice came out as a slow, dramatic drawl drew Issei out of his internal monologue and he cast a quick, silent and masterful Observe.
Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto Lv. ?
Title: The Nidaime Rikudo Sennin
Race: Immortal Human(?)
Class: ?
Age: N/A
Occupation(s): Writer, Actor, Playwright, Director, Producer and Teacher
Alignment: Varies Greatly, currently Chaotic Good.
HP: ?/?
CP: ?/?
Strength: ?
Vitality: ?
Dexterity: ?
Intelligence: ?
Wisdom: ?
Luck: ?
Charisma: ?
Current Emotions: Intrigued, Curious.
Current Status Effects: None.
Bio: Uzumaki Naruto is an immortal Shinobi from the Shinobi Era, a period of the earth long lost and forgotten to historians of all kinds, but not to the supernatural deities. He is seemingly sarcastic, blunt, and overly-dramatic and acts as though he cares very little for other people. This may be a mask however to hide his insanity and loneliness due to the fact that he has lived for thousands of years and has been looping the same sixteen years for centuries.
Likes: Ramen, Sexy Girls, people who follow their dreams, writing, pranking and fun
Dislikes: The creator of the game, assholes, idiots, bigots, needless wars and boredom
Views: He thinks you will mess up this loop again and that you will never get laid.
"You're back." Issei said, his lips upturned slightly at the sheer amount of information now provided by the Observe skill, albeit he was certain that it was because it was being boosted by Meditate. Still, it gave him Naruto's full name, and some of his likes and dislikes. "And you're ripping-off literature. I'm pretty sure the speech would have been less impressive if Hamlet had said it the way you just did."
"Actually," Naruto said "I was present for when the play was first put on stage. Trust me when I say that the guy who played the role of Hamlet has nothing on me."
"Of course" Issei said with a roll of his eyes "One of these days I'll invent a time machine and travel back just to see if you're serious or if you're bluffing." Issei paused, a random thought occurring to him "Speaking of time travel, when I looped back to the past, doesn't it mean that you never became a wisp of a soul in the first place? I never understood the concept of paradoxes."
"The less you know, the better for all of us." Naruto said, slowly walking down from his stairs. "Time is a fickle thing and interfering with time can be the fastest way to end the world."
"It sucks" Issei said. "There are over a million ways to destroy the world, and very few ways to save it. Is it always that much easier for one psychopath to just wake up and think, 'hey, let's end humanity today' than for someone else to try to find ways to improve things instead?"
"Yes, it is." Naruto said, the man gained an inquisitive look on his face "And you've been finding clever ways to avoid the question. Why do you want to become immortal?"
Issei debated whether or not he should tell the blond, but decided to anyway. "I met Death."
A glint shone in the blond man's eyes "Ah, Death-chan." He said. "She possesses the influence to change a man more rapidly than anything else. A 'near-death' experience is what most would call it. Simply being exposed for a brief amount of time to her aura can make you change the way you see or perceive the world." His face turned grim "But not always for the better."
"More the reason," Issei shrugged "that I think I should find a way to control her if not get rid of her."
There was a bark of laughter, a deep throaty sound that felt completely unfamiliar to Issei, as he watched the blond man divulge into the sort of sarcastic laughter one would have if someone had made a ridiculous statement like 'a diploma guarantees you to become a billionaire overnight.'
Ping!
For verbally expressing such an implausible and downright unbelievable idea that would guarantee laughter and make people question your sanity, your Charisma has gone up by 2!
And the game system was always certain to mock him. At least some things never changed.
"Get rid of death?" Naruto said "That's a really good one kid. You can't get rid of death. It's DEATH. At best, you might control it or keep it at bay, but trying to eliminate death would be like trying to eat your own teeth while it's still in your mouth."
"And even if" Naruto's eyes narrowed "Somehow someway, you do manage to accomplish that impossible task, you would only end up destroying the world. Can you imagine a world where nothing died?"
"Yes I can." the images conjured themselves in Issei's brain within microseconds and the words flowed out rapidly "If there was no disease or death, we'd live happier, fuller lives. There would be no war because since nobody died, the fighting would rage on until both sides realized it was pointless and formulate a truth. Geniuses would live forever, and help make new ground-breaking discoveries in science. Generations of knowledge would remain ever permanent, people could accomplish their dreams hopes and aspirations and you can always have a second, a third or even a millionth chance." Issei took in a breath "Because they would have all the time in the world."
"And what would happen" Naruto said "Once the earth's resources are no longer able to contain its population?"
"Flawed," Issei said, finding it weird to realize that he possessed such knowledge in his own head "That theory is flawed. And even if it wasn't, there is always the possibility of technology evolving so we can inhabit other planets. Other galaxies or even other universes! I mean, you're immortal, but have you even tried leaving the planet earth to gaze out in space or walk on the moon?"
Naruto gave him a small smile that left Issei looking annoyed "You've walked on the moon before haven't you." Issei didn't word it as a question but as a statement.
Naruto said nothing, leaving the room to bask in the monotonous echo of a ticking clock.
"I see" The gamer rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, suddenly feeling the effects of the Meditate skill nullify from his movements "I think the question I should be asking you is not what you have done, but rather what you haven't done before."
"For all the brief intelligence you have gained gaki" Naruto said, looking like the wizened sage he often claimed to be "You fail to realize that humans are not the only things that are affected by Death. I asked you to imagine a world where nothing dies, not a world where no humans die."
"What difference-" Issei sat as a frozen statue, his mind rapidly processed the information, and he realized how flawed his thinking had been. He supposed he now understood the meaning of the phrase 'Intelligence without Wisdom.'
"Imagine" Naruto said "A world where nothing died. Imagine a world where animals didn't die, where plants didn't die. Just pause and think about the utter chaos that would occur. Within days, the rodent and insect population would overtake everything. You can't get rid of them because there is no death."
Issei opened his mouth to speak, but his brain, for all his fast thinking could not counter that perfectly valid argument.
"Just imagine," Naruto said, his lips twitching "Eating your sushi while it flaps around on your plate because it is still alive. Or imagine having a burger in your hand, and the beef inside of it moos when you bite down."
Issei realized that such an image would be both comedic and horrific.
"Not to mention how fast animals would overpopulate... the insects, the ants, the whales... the bunnies!"
"Okay" Issei said "So maybe a world where nothing dies is a really, really bad idea. But what if I decide to simply just make myself and my loved ones immortal?"
"Not everyone will think as you do. Not everyone wishes to live forever. Do you really think, that if given the chance, your parents would accept the offer of immortality?"
The answer to that question was obvious and it did not need to be said. Issei's parents would clearly never take such an offer, for whatever reason they could conjure.
Naruto ran his hand through his hair "Just know that should you succeed in your attempts, and become immortal you will have to forever live alone." Naruto's gaze became serious "Your loved ones will not wish to become immortal and you will have no choice but to watch as they age and die, you will watch as your children and perhaps even your children's children will age and die. And you will remain young forever, soaking up their jealousy, envy and hatred."
Are you speaking from experience? Issei had wanted to ask. But he couldn't. The words had formed in his throat, his mouth and opened, and then they had closed once more. The words being forced back down. It would be a very personal question, one of which he would have to have been a completely insensitive idiot to ask.
"Still…" Issei said, the alternatives where pretty bleak when he looked at immortality. Simply dying and going to heaven or hell? Becoming a devil or an angel? In which case, he could still die, but then he would simply cease to exist? "I still think that immortality isn't a bad thing. You can always accomplish everything you've ever wanted and then more."
Naruto shook his head in exasperation "You simply do not understand how vast the concept of eternity is. You can accomplish everything and more, and then what?"
The Gamer got up, dusted his ruined school uniform and shook his head "Then you keep moving forward! You keep on accomplishing more! Keep on developing! Keep on evolving! Is that so hard to understand?"
"It's easier to say when you don't have to watch everyone you ever loved grow old and die!"
The room was pin-drop silent.
"Could you watch your parents, your friends, your loved ones die again and again? Can you keep your sanity intact as everyone you've ever lost dies over and over? What would you do then, once immortality has rendered you forever alone? Tell me, what would you do?" Naruto's voice was frigid, yet, his eyes had sparkled with the Rinnegan, and those purple orbs showed sheer anger and frustration.
Issei's mind scrambled rapidly, and then he realized that this was seemingly a moment of truth. Within seconds, he came to his conclusion.
Savvy Response Selected.
"I'd get over it."
There was a pause for the second time, longer than the first.
It was a pause in which Issei realized that he didn't like this version of the Uzumaki. He preferred the blond when he was cracking insane jokes and full of sarcastic mirth. But he wondered, he truly wondered, if his insanity was a mask hiding his loneliness and guilt, and even more, if the loneliness and guilt was another mask hiding the true madness that lay buried within.
"You're right, I don't understand how it must feel to watch someone you love grow old and die" he conceded, "and I don't understand how it would feel like for you to know that no matter how many people you would fall in love with, they would always leave you behind. I don't understand how it would feel, for you to have such a fate, to be always alone."
Issei's gaze turned serious "But that's the thing, you loved them, you enjoyed your best moments with them, laughing, singing, eating, playing. Every second you had with them is memory, a precious memory that can't be forgotten, a memory that stays with you no matter how many centuries or millennia passes, as long as you have the memory of them… can you truly say that they are gone? That they have left you with nothing?"
Naruto's expression was one of stone, his hair covered his eyes and he said nothing as his form was as rigid as steel.
"They are with you, no matter what, their physical form may be gone, but their souls will always travel with you. So can't you see…" Issei ran his hands down through his hair.
"Can't you see that moping about how they're gone and how you'll never see them again is nothing but an insult to their precious memories?"
The intensity of the silence in the room would have put a graveyard to shame.
"I mean seriously" Issei said finally with a bit of a smile "You're the one always pointing out these stupid clichés in my life, so get over the whole 'immortal with a tortured past who can never love again' trope, find yourself a nice girl, a good bottle of sake, a bowl of ramen, and enjoy the moments, for as long as you possibly can."
For the second time in their brief conversation, Uzumaki Naruto… laughed.
It wasn't a sarcastic laugh like he had given before, rather, it was more of the bellow of a grandfather watching the playful antics of young children and reminiscing of his own adolescence. Issei was really questioning the man's sanity at this point.
"Kid," he said in between laughs "I've lived for over fifty thousand years. I am older than the Ten Commandments, and I have seen the rise and falls of kingdoms and civilizations. Throughout that era, I had nothing but boredom as my companion. Truly, I knew nothing but total, abject, everlasting, hideous boredom. But…"
"Then I met you and everything changed." Naruto said with a smile "For the past several centuries, I got to live the same sixteen years over and over again. Sometimes I screwed with things just to see how many different outcomes were possible, did insane things because I knew that the loops would reset time eventually, and I found myself having more fun in those few centuries than I have for the thousands of years that I had lived."
He gained a thoughtful look "Well, at least until I was discovered and had rules placed upon me preventing me from interrupting, but that's beside the point." Naruto grinned "Don't worry about me going down the emo, angst-filled immortal route because – it's an overdone cliché in several multiverses already – thanks to you, I've handled my demons a long time ago."
And with that simple weird statement, the Uzumaki Naruto that Issei was beginning to know and cherish was back.
"And if you truly do want to become immortal," Naruto said "I'm not going to stop you. You gave me some pretty good ideas and I think I could use a fellow immortal friend to explore the cosmos with."
"Really?" Issei looked at the blond with some level of surprise.
"Yep." Naruto said "I've seen demons, gods, spirits, ghouls and all sorts of creatures, so it would be nice to see some aliens for a change. Hey, who knows, there's always the possibility of hot alien girls?"
Issei's eyes sparkled as Naruto continued "Not to mention, just think about all the pranks we could pull on the universe? Imagine trapping a ghost on mars and having people believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life?"
Issei grinned "Isn't mars a little bit too big? How bout we start small with a simple prank of putting a werewolf on the moon?"
"Genius! Why didn't I think of it?" Naruto placed his arm around Issei's shoulders "Ah, gaki, I think this might be the start of a beautiful, immortal friendship."
Ping!
Ping!
Ping!
You have gained a new ally – Uzumaki Naruto!
Savvy Response Selected! Gained 150 EXP!
You managed to give a pep-talk to Uzumaki Naruto that being immortal can actually be fun! Your Charisma has gone up by 3!
Issei felt that if you truly knew what you were doing and looked back without regrets, immortality wasn't a coward's choice, nor was it a burden. If it were, then Peter Pan would be a horror story instead of a children's fairy tale. He would prove, that immortality could actually be awesome. With those thoughts, Issei took one look at his notification and pushed down a simple button.
[Long Term] Butterfly Quest Accepted.
Issei truly felt he had made the right choice. So why had cold shivers run down his spine?
He decided to ignore it. He ignored it exactly the same way he ignored the soft feminine voice that whispered mockingly "You poor, poor fool."
Ping!
"What now?" Issei groaned.
You have made a Karmic Choice. These are the choices that determine your alignment, and certain actions or deeds will shift your alignment accordingly.
Choice: You decided to become Immortal due to your desire to explore the universe and your unwillingness to accept death.
Karmic Rating:-
Lawful – [0.1%]
Neutral – [10.0%]
Chaotic – [89.9%]
Alignment Rating:-
Good – [10.0%]
Neutral – [70.9%]
Evil – [19.1%]
Your Alignment is Chaotic Neutral!
"No surprise there." Issei said dryly "So what, no change at all? I need some Hints please!"
Notes: The scores for each Karmic Choice are recorded and kept similar to a Cumulative Grade Point Average System. The more your choices lean towards a particular Karma or Alignment, the more prominent your chances of switching to that alignment become.
For instance, getting a 50% Good Rating three times in a row will equal a total of 150% Good Alignment Rating. If this score overshadows or surpasses any other alignment rating, this will change your alignment to Good. However, getting a 99.9% or 100% Alignment Rating in any of the three areas [Good, Neutral, Evil] may instantly change your Alignment towards that specific preference.
Do note that your race can also affect this system; as all Devils are given the Evil Alignment for being Devils, and all Angels are given the Good Alignment for being Angels, with some exceptions. Also, the Alignments of Gods, Buddhas and several other races may vary just as vastly as humans. Lastly, most animals are given the True Neutral Alignment due to their lack of capacity for moral judgment, since they are guided by instinct rather than conscious decision.
"Huh" Naruto looked over the notification with a bit of amusement. "You'd think making a decision to become immortal would have bigger effects than that."
Naruto glanced at Issei and saw the Gamer grimace.
"I just jinxed it didn't I?"
The resounding echo of a dull Ping! served as his answer.
Ultimate Quest Updated
You have chosen to master and defeat Death. Hence, you have Chosen to Destroy the Eternal Trinity.
Objectives:-
Defeat the One Born of Nothing: "Death"
Defeat the One Born of Infinity: "Ophis"
Defeat the One Born of Dreams: "Great Red"
Your choice cannot be changed and this Quest can neither be ignored nor denied as it is essential to complete the Game.
Issei glanced at Naruto, and Naruto glanced back at him with the same expressionless face, and the blond said the one thing that was on both of their minds.
"Well it's official." Naruto grinned and gave two thumbs up "You're fucked."
~~~~~~~~Dragon of Dragons: Game of the Year Edition~~~~~~~~~
A/N: As I said... double update. Hopefully I'll get the second one out before the day is done.
So. Remember I said that this was going to be a Smart!Issei fic? Yeah. That starts now. And sorry for not updating for in May... my only excuse?
Two Words: Uncharted 4.
Here's a question for the readers though: If you were given a chance to be immortal, unaging and undying, and knowing that no one would think less of you for your choice, would you take it?
I know I would.
R&R!
Silent Songbird.