AN: It's been a long time coming, but here's the long awaited update to Vol. 1. Let's kick off the Kyoto with a bang as a new ability is showcased. Once again, thank you to everyone for all your continued support and love for the series.
"Augha…"
Groaning in pain at the soreness in my muscles; cracks of sunlight streamed through the curtains and landed on my face. To either side of me lay the naked and still slumbering forms of Rias and Akeno hugging onto each of my arms, pinning them down while Asia and Koneko lay haphazardly strewn on top of me. Yumi and Xenovia also decided to join us last night and were now hugging onto my head as if it was a stuffed toy. Even Gasper had made his way into the room at some point, not wanting to be left out but he was still in his cardboard box the last time I saw him. Last night sure was chaotic with the huge pillow war that took place. In the end, everyone fell asleep from exhaustion so nothing actually ended up happening.
Well… I can't exactly say that I'm not happy, but… my body is seriously not going to last if this is going to be a regular occurrence. Luckily, the school trip was just around the corner so it's just going to be Asia, Yumi, Xenovia, Irina, and me for the duration.
Now how exactly am I going to get out of this situation? My arms, legs, abdomen, and head were all pinned down.
Oh, wait! I still have a lifeline!
"Gasper!" I quietly called out, hoping the Dhampire wasn't still asleep.
To my relief, the trap's head popped out of the top of the cardboard box and stared at me. His face instantly went red before he retreated back into his box.
"Y-Yes?! What is it?!"
His voice came out as a high-pitched squeak, somewhat muffled by the box.
Ah… well… I guess even if he dresses like a girl, that doesn't mean he's comfortable with seeing seven naked girls all in one place. Actually, now that I think about it… is he gay or straight?
No, no, no. That doesn't matter right now.
"Come help me!" I whisper-yelled. "Use your Sacred Gear and get me out of here!"
"E-E-E-Eeeeeehhhhh?!" Gasper exclaimed in panic. Well at least he has the decency to keep his voice quiet.
"Hurry! I can't feel my limbs! I'll buy you your favorite sweets later so please!"
I could hear Gasper gasp at the mention of my bribe. Yep. It really doesn't take much to get Gasper going.
In the next second, I found myself going from lying under a tangled mass of bodies to sitting comfortably on my bedroom floor with a blanket draped over my shoulders. Gasper stood next to me, awkwardly rubbing his arm while staring at the wall.
Well now. I'm happy that it was Gasper that got this ability. If it was any other guy, I'm sure he'd use it to do all sorts of indecent things to girls.
Getting up from the floor, I wrapped the blanket around myself to save Gasper from any further embarrassment.
"Thanks, Gasper," I said as I patted him on his head.
"N-No problem…"
Looking back at the bed, I noticed that everyone had begun clawing at empty space where I used to be as if it would somehow bring me back to bed.
Well now. Let's kick off the day!
After a somewhat hectic morning, the entirety of our club went back to the Underworld to introduce our latest member, Rossweisse, to Rias' parents. She was currently discussing something quite seriously with Rias' dad. Something about establishing a school to train Valkyries and Norse magic practitioners within Gremory territory.
Unfortunately, Sirzechs-nii-san was nowhere to be seen. Apparently he was going to arrive later.
Meanwhile, the rest of us were sitting in the lounge enjoying tea with Rias' mother and Millicas.
"So, Saya, I hear the second years are going on a school trip to Kyoto soon, yes?" She asked.
"That's right. We're scheduled to leave a few days from now," I reply.
"My, how nice. I remember when Rias brought home some Japanese pickles from Kyoto last year. They were quite nice."
I'm going to have to agree with her there. Japanese pickles are pretty good.
"Then, I could bring some more back for you. I'm actually planning to buy some for myself."
"Oh, you don't have to do that."
"Its fine, its fine! I'll also bring back some other souvenirs to thank you for taking such good care of me."
"My, my. Thank you very much. I'm glad that Rias has found herself such a wonderful wife," she said jokingly.
"M-Mother!" The aforementioned girl cried out indignantly at the comment.
Ahahaha…
Our light-hearted conversation continued for a little while before a servant came in and told us that Sirzechs was back.
All at once we went to greet the Maou, only to find him talking with a very familiar Devil.
It was none other than Sairaorg Bael.
"Ah, I see the welcoming party is here. It is nice to see you, Rias, Red Dragon Empress," he greeted with a pleasant smile.
"Yes. It is nice to see you, too," Rias returned the greeting before turning her attention to her brother. "Welcome home. It is nice to see you are well."
"Oh, don't worry about being so formal. I don't really do well with all that, but thank you," the Maou said while scratching his cheek.
"Um… Brother, why is Sairaorg here?"
"Right. He came over to deliver some special fruit grown only in the Bael territory. Also, we were just talking about the next Rating Game. He wishes for a battle with no restrictions."
No restrictions? So it's no holds barred. That's pretty dangerous, right?
Seeing the uncertainty in my eyes, Sairaorg grinned and nodded.
"I mean, if I can't handle the abilities of my opponents at their highest, then I won't have the pride to call myself a Bael, much less an heir," he said to my unvoiced question.
This guy… He's definitely not going to go down easily. He's probably as stubborn as me when it comes to living. Actually, he's kind of reminding me of Valerie with that battle hungry look in his eyes.
"Actually, since we have the time, why don't you have a sparring match against Saya, Sairaorg?" Sirzechs suddenly suggested.
Huh? Wait, what?
"Hm… I did say that I wished to test out the Red Dragon's strength," Sairaorg said before turning to Rias. "Is that alright?"
Um… Don't I get any say in this?
"Of course I'm fine with it. How about it, Saya?"
Everyone's eyes turned to me with looks of expectation.
Even though she gave me the choice… I ended up being backed into a corner. How can I say no when everybody here is expecting me to say yes?! Even Millicas is looking up at me with sparkling eyes!
"Alright…" I answered with a defeated sigh.
I was seriously hoping I wouldn't get into another fight so soon after the whole Loki incident, but I guess there's no luck there, huh?
[Just get used to it, Partner. My power draws in trouble like this whether you like it or not.]
Yeah… That's a problem.
On the bright side, I guess this could be counted as intel gathering. If I figure out how this guy fights, then we can probably figure out some strategies to counter him during the Rating Game. The downside is that he'll be able to gather information on me as well.
Sairaorg grinned at my response and clenched his fist.
"Thank you! I shall make the most of this opportunity! Let us have an honest fight!"
Right. Honest, huh? It's going to be honest, alright. I'm just not going to show you my entire hand.
A couple of minutes later, we were all taken to an underground training facility under the Gremory castle. It might as well have been a university campus with how big it was.
Sairaorg stood across from me at a fair distance, dressed only in a tight training suit that showed off his bulging muscles, while everybody else was watching behind glass windows at the sides.
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]
The stadium shook as the familiar crimson armor once again formed over my body. However, my opponent just stayed in the same spot, not moving an inch.
Is he not going to attack?
He's… waiting for me to make the first move, isn't he?
Well alright then…
Activating my thrusters, I flew towards him with the full intent of launching head-on attack.
He's still not moving… is it a trap?
Using Shundo with the addition of my thrusters, I flew around behind him in an instant and launched a punch at the back of his head.
It made contact with a loud smash, causing the Devil to stumble forward a few steps.
Seriously?! That should've at least knocked him off his feet!
Flying away, I put some distance between us as Sairaorg cracked his neck before turning to face me with a smile.
Haha… He doesn't even look injured… I might as well have just hit him with a yoga ball…
"That was a wonderful attack! You feinted a frontal assault, forcing me to focus my attention in front of me and thus causing tunnel vision. Your punch was also aimed so that any other Devil who took the attack would've been knocked unconscious instantly. However…"
The Devil disappeared from my view before I suddenly felt something pounding into my back.
"That's not enough to take me out."
What the hell?! I didn't even have time to react and defend!
Spinning around in the air, I reoriented myself and began scanning my surroundings for any incoming attacks.
Once again, before I could react, I felt something collide into my back, sending my spiraling through the air. Chunks of my armor were torn out in the area where his attacks landed.
How the hell is he managing this?!
But…
Whirling around, I flipped over a kick as it barely grazed against my helmet.
I think I see his strategy now.
"Hoh? Not bad. How about this?"
As I was flipping over him, his elbow suddenly shot out and sped towards my face. I twisted my body and narrowly avoided it before retreating to as far as I could from the Devil.
Alright… I think I can manage this. His attacks are fairly slow so they should be fairly easy to dodge in normal conditions. The problem is that he combines it with some form of instant movement to mask the speed of his attacks. I'll just have to keep an eye on my blind spots.
Maybe I should get a bit serious now.
"Promotion: Bishop!"
A look of surprise crossed my opponent's at my decision in Promotion. Of course, I had a very good reason for doing this. After all, a certain blacksmith I've been frequenting taught me this incredibly useful magic. Well, I knew how to perform it before, but it was incredibly hard for me to grasp the concept of it so I didn't use it much. She helped me figure out the missing link I needed in order to make the spell work.
"Reinforcement!"
Forcing magic throughout my body, I strengthened my limbs and armor simultaneously. At max output I could probably fight on par with Sairaorg.
The Devil disappeared from sight again although, this time I was ready. Turning around, I crossed my arms in front of me and blocked a punch that was heading towards my face.
Sairaorg's eyes widened in surprise at my sudden toughness and I took advantage of the small opening that gave me. Rearing my head back, I head-butted him causing him to stagger backwards with blood pouring from his nose.
Not letting him rest, I shot forwards and delivered a knee into his abdomen.
Finally recovering, Sairaorg grinned and began launching attacks back at me.
"You surprised me with your unorthodox Promotion," he said in between punches. "I see now that you are using magic to strengthen your body and armor."
"Yeah, but it isn't going to stop there," I replied while deflecting his attacks and hitting back. "I'll give you a little taste of what I can really do."
Jumping backwards, I opened by Vault. Now that I have increased magic reserves and reinforcement, I should be able to handle the strain of using these weapons.
Ripples appeared in the air beside me as a set of swords began slowly peeking out of the air. The first to appear was a silver sword I grew accustomed with through my constant use of it in this life, Clarent. The second to appear was another silver sword that was thinner and didn't have a hand guard, Excalibur Galatine. Third to appear was a pitch black sword that resembled Clarent, Arondight. Fourth to appear was a magnificently ornate longsword, Caliburn. Finally, the last to appear was the holy sword that lies in the center of the others, Caledfwlch, or Excalibur.
With this, all the legendary swords belonging to the Knights of the Round were on the field at once.
[Install! Balance Breaker: Holy Knight Camelot!]
The five swords glowed brightly with golden light before shrinking into orbs that flew inside of my body. After absorbing the swords, my armor began to glow and change forms. Most of the red faded and was replaced by silver while some of it remained. The dragon motif morphed drastically into a design resembling closer to a medieval knight's but the thrusters remained firmly placed on my back. Finally, a massive shield that was as big as my body, with a round center piece, in the shape of a cross with flared ends formed over my left arm.
"So much holy power… How are you maintaining a form like that?" Sairaorg asked incredulously as he stared at my new form.
"Ah… that's a bit complicated to explain. I'm just taking advantage of a loophole…"
Yeah, although the loophole only just buys me enough time to keep this form up for one minute. The Bishop promotion provides me with enough magic to reinforce my body and activate Holy Knight Camelot while also giving me some extra magic resistance. Then, the presence of Lord Camelot, the shield, and Caliburn further increases my overall damage resistance and regeneration. If the shield didn't exist, then I would have turned to ash the instant I activated this form.
[Partner… This power is amazing! It's been a while since I felt this good! Gahahah! Let's do this!]
Now that Ddraig's in a good mood. Let's give this form a little test drive.
[Arondight Overload!]
The thrusters on my back sparked and a massive pillar of light shot out, propelling me forward at near light speed. Raising my shield in front of me, I smashed right into Sairaorg who didn't have time to react.
His body flew across the arena and smashed into the wall. Dust and debris obscured my vision of him as the wall crumbled around Sairaorg. A second later, the cloud was blown away, revealing the male Devil standing and walking towards me. If it wasn't the trail of blood trickling down his forehead then it would've looked like he wasn't even fazed by the attack.
I mean, I did hold back by using the shield to attack instead of one of the swords, but he should be at least a bit dazed.
"Amazing!" The Devil exclaimed as he clapped his hands. "You are as full of surprises as the rumors say, Empress. Unfortunately, it seems we will have to stop here or we might risk destroying the entire training ground. I would rather not damage this property as a guest."
Oh thank goodness. I was afraid that we were going to fight until one of us was out of commission. Dispelling my armor and sending the five swords I used back into my Vault, I stood across from Sairaorg in my uniform while trying to mask the relief I was feeling.
"I agree wholeheartedly, Sairaorg. Let's stop here for today and continue during the Rating Game."
Sairaorg stopped walking once he was in front of me and placed a hand on my shoulder with a wide smile on his face.
"Of course! I look forward to our upcoming battle! Now, I'm afraid I must take my leave."
Turning around, Sairaorg grabbed his clothes from one of the lockers near the entrance before leaving the arena.
Once I knew for sure that he was gone, I let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to my knees. Too much. That form uses up way too much power to be effective in a real battle. Sure, the one minute brings my level of power up to match a god's, but the time limit is too strict and the aftermath isn't worth the risk. It looks like my usefulness still only lies in one hit wonders right now. Compared to my glory days I'd say that's pretty disappointing.
Well, I'll worry about Sairaorg and the Rating Game later after the school trip is done. I'm in due need of some R&R.
Darkness. Once again, I flew through the darkness before arriving at an area bathed with light. The familiar sight of tables and chairs brought some sense of peace, but the people around me frozen like statues were still unnerving.
Although I did say I was going to take a nap on the bullet train on the way to Kyoto, this was my true intention. I want to try and find the secret behind the Juggernaut Drive as soon as possible so I can pocket another tool I can use in fights. The only problem is that I've never made any progress with it no matter how many times I've come here.
"Hmmm~… so this is the current one…"
Huh? A voice?
Spinning around, I saw a beautiful woman with long, flowing blond hair facing me with a smile on her lips.
[Elsha. It's been quite some time, hasn't it?]
"Hello Ddraig. Yes. It has been a while."
Clearing my throat, I smiled back at the woman, Elsha, and curtsied.
"Hello there, miss Elsha, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am the current owner of the Boosted Gear. Is it safe to assume that you were one of the former users?" I greeted as pleasantly as I could.
"That is correct. I am one of the two existences in this realm that is capable of movement and thought. However, I usually lie extremely deep within the consciousness which is why you haven't met me yet or the other one yet."
[Also, Elsha is the strongest female user in history. Although, I thought that you two weren't going to come out here ever again.]
"That was the plan, Ddraig, however Belzard showed an express interest in this girl here so I came out to see what she's like. Unfortunately, he couldn't come himself because he's… beginning to fade."
I'm guessing that means the other guy is going to end up like the rest of these former users. That's… I can kind of understand these two's feelings. It must be extremely lonely and torturous to be stuck in here watching the people around you die.
"Anyways, here. Take this," Elsha said as she held out a small black box with a silver keyhole in the center keeping it locked. "You should already have the key to this, correct?"
Key? Does she mean..?
I grabbed the box and suddenly I felt something in my other hand that wasn't there before. I opened up my hand to see that there was a small silver key.
"The key and box are a metaphor for the Boosted Gear's hidden potentials. Your fluid mind and the way you incorporate your own arsenal into strengthening the Boosted Gear is already allowing you to unlock some more of its power. I have to say. Watching you fight proved to be fascinating entertainment."
"Haha. Well, improv is one of my strong points," I replied with a chuckle as I inserted the key into the keyhole.
The next thing I knew, I was bathed by a white light that drowned everything else out. When it finally died down, I found myself sitting back in my seat on the bullet train. Asia was fast asleep beside me while Xenovia and Yumi were still busy chatting about tactics for the upcoming Rating Game. Even on a vacation like this those two can't seem to just relax. Irina on the other hand was busy staring excitedly out the window, watching the scenery speed by.
Looks like I won't be seeing the potential that Elsha woman mentioned anytime soon. Or maybe it just doesn't have a visual representation. Either way it looks like I finally made some progress in regards to the Inner Consciousness.
Well, in any case we still have about one hour until we reach Kyoto. In the meantime, I'll get some much needed sleep.
Finally arriving in Kyoto, and our hotel, I couldn't help but face palm at the name of the building: Kyoto Sirzechs Hotel. Although, maybe I should've expected this. The Maou's practically have their hands in everything so I guess I shouldn't be surprised if they own their own chain of hotels. In fact, there's a Kyoto Serafall Hotel under construction just a few blocks down. I was kind of looking forward to staying in a Ryokan, but I guess a high class hotel works too.
After a short spiel from the teacher on behavior and being safe in Kyoto, we were all sent to unpack in our rooms with free time four a few hours. As I was walking towards the elevator, Azazel-sensei pulled me to the side and handed me a keycard with a light-hearted wink.
"A special room has been reserved for us in case something comes up," he explained. "It's up on the top floor at the end of the hall on your left."
Ah, of course. We do have to be ready for anything. Although, I do hope that nothing actually happens.
Following Azazel-sensei's instructions, I rode the elevator all the way up to the top floor and easily found my room, considering that it was the only room without an actual room number. Swiping the keycard through the scanner, I opened the door and stepped into a room that you would find in a Ryokan. The floor was covered in tatami mats with an old cathode ray tube TV sitting in the corner of the room.
Hmhm… Not bad. The walls of the room are a little dilapidated and there's a layer of dust covering everything, but it is kind of what I wanted. I just need to remember to clean everything up a little before I go to sleep tonight.
Now then, I suppose it's about time to take advantage of our free time for the rest of the afternoon. First stop should definitely be the Fushimi Inari shrine. That's been one of my favorites.
Walking out the door after dropping off my luggage, I made my way back down the lobby to search for the others in my group.
Finally! It's time to kick loose and have some fun!
"Hawaaa… There are so many gates…" Asia commented, jaw agape at the sight of the countless number of red gates leading to the shrine. "Amazing…"
It really is an amazing sight for first-timers.
Our group continued walking through the numerous tori while taking pictures and enjoying the sights along the way. We stopped about three quarters of the way in to let Asia rest a little while. Compared to the rest of us, Asia had the lowest physical stamina after all.
Leaving Asia to rest with the others, I jogged the rest of the way to the shrine. It was mostly covered in shadows due to the dense foliage, but slight streams of sunlight made their way through, illuminating small parts of the shrine grounds.
Yep. It still looks the same as I remember it. Except… There wasn't anybody else here. The Fushimi Inari was a popular tourist location so there should be at least a few people milling about, but the place was entirely devoid of life except for me.
Something's not right…
I placed a hand behind my back and opened a small rift into my Vault in case I needed to defend myself.
[Partner… Looks like we're surrounded. Seems like they're all Youkai.]
Youkai… I guess Kyoto would be a hotspot for Youkai activity, especially at these shrines, but the fact that I'm singled out like this must mean I walked straight into a trap. Why would they be attacking me, though?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, a little girl walked out from behind the shadows. She was dressed in some variation of a miko's outfit. Her golden blonde hair shone beautifully in the strips of sunlight and a bushy tail of the same color swayed gently behind her.
A kitsune? I'm guessing she's the ringleader.
"You…" She growled. "It was you, wasn't it?"
Her question and sudden hostility caught me off guard.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Don't try to deny it! I know you took my mother! Get her!"
Leaves exploded from the trees surrounding me as several black shapes dive-bombed towards me.
Karasu-tengu!
Drawing a short sword, I repelled three staffs that were aimed towards me before turning to face a group of kitsune that came rushing out of the bushes.
"W-Wait!" I cried out as I fended off the constant attacks from the numerous Youkai. "I have no idea what you're talking about! I just got here today!"
"Liar! I won't believe your lies!"
Dammit! Why is this little girl not listening to me?! The first day here in Kyoto and I'm already getting into a fight?!
All I can do right now is to defend myself. If I attack back, I'll probably lose any chance I have in talking this through with the girl.
"Saya!"
I heard Xenovia' voice come from behind me and turned my head to look just as I batted away another attack from the tengu. Xenovia, Irina, and Asia were all standing under the last gate before the two swordswomen took out the wooden sword souvenirs we bought earlier and dashed in to join the fray. With their help, we managed to push back the relentless assault.
"Tch!" The little kitsune clicked her tongue and raised a hand into the air. "Everyone, retreat! Any more than this and it'll end up being too dangerous!"
At her command, the various Youkai surrounding us dispersed and disappeared into the foliage as fast as they appeared.
"What in the world was that about, Saya?" Irina asked with a huff.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair before shaking my head.
"I have no idea. That little kitsune girl appeared all of sudden and started shouting at me before attacking me. I thought we were free to roam around Kyoto with that special pass thing, but I guess that's not the case anymore."
"In any case, we should report this to Buchou, Azazel-sensei and Rossweisse-sensei," Xenovia said.
We all agreed to Xenovia's proposition before heading back through the many layered tori to the bus stop.
After returning to the hotel and gathering in my room, Xenovia told Azazel-sensei what happened at the Fushimi Inari shrine. He said that he'd try to figure out the cause of the attack and told us to sit tight in the meantime. I did want to tell Rias what happened, but he brought up a good point that telling her when it could've been just a small misunderstanding would cause her to worry for nothing.
So, in the meantime, we all decided to go to the baths after nice, hot, traditional Japanese dinner. Yep. This is how Kyoto is meant to be enjoyed.
"You girls go on and enjoy yourselves," Rossweisse-sensei said as she stopped in front of the entrance to the changing rooms. "I'll stand guard out here."
At this, Asia tilted her head in confusion.
"Guard? Why do you need to guard us?
Ah… She's talking about those two… Uh… What were their names again? Eh, they're not important so it doesn't really matter.
"Alright. We'll go on ahead. Thanks for the assist, Rossweisse-sensei," I thanked the Valkyrie for her selflessness.
The woman shook her head and smiled proudly. I guess calling her sensei is helping her with her self-esteem issues.
"No, no. There's no need to thank me. I'm just doing my duty as your teacher," she declared while puffing out her chest.
Ahahaha… Now that she's been abandoned by Odin, she wants to be as useful as possible.
Leaving the Valkyrie to her own devices, Asia, Yumi, Xenovia, Irina and I all entered the changing room together.
"Hm, now that I think about it this is a first time for Asia and Xenovia, right?" I asked as we all began stripping down out of our uniforms.
The sight of porcelain-like skin and filled curves set my mind ablaze with wild thoughts.
Xenovia and Yumi's toned bodies made for a nice contrast compared to Asia and Irina's bodies who were on the softer side.
Hm… it also looks like Asia is slowly growing up.
Ah… I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such beautiful and cute girls every day.
No, wait! Not now.
Keep calm. Don't stare. Try to keep up a normal conversation.
It's really wonderful to have access to Asia's healing abilities since we don't have to worry about scars anymore. My body would be absolutely ruined by the amount of damage I took.
I absentmindedly traced a finger along my arm where it got severed. There really was not even a single mark there.
Well, no use thinking about stuff like that right now.
"Come on, you guys, let's go!" I called to the others as I grabbed a towel and made my way to the entrance of the baths.
For now, let's enjoy some quality skinship time.
Walking into the bath area, I took a seat at one of the showers and began the process of washing myself.
"Um, Saya, if you don't mind I can help wash you."
I turned around to see a slightly flushed Asia standing behind me with a towel wrapped around her body.
"Of course! Go ahead. I'll make sure to wash you in return, then."
With my permission Asia immediately went to work. Her small hands felt nice as she lathered my back with soap. Before long, though, the feeling of her hands were replaced by a different sensation. Instead of two hands, I felt something more along the lines of two ultra-soft mounds of flesh rubbing up and down my back.
"Errr… Asia?"
"Yes, Saya?"
I could feel her hot breath against the back of my neck as she spoke. This is seriously going to get dangerous if this continues any longer.
Before I could say anything to stop Asia from this extremely indecent way of washing my body, a toned pair of legs stepped into my field of vision in front of me.
"I see… So this is how Japanese people wash each other. It is certainly unusual, but I will try my best to perform this ritual as well," Xenovia said as she crouched down in front of me and began spreading soap across her breasts.
Um, what?
"W-wait, Xenovia! Th-that isn't how-!"
Almost as if she was ignoring me, the swordswoman wrapped her arms around the back of my neck as she pressed her body against mine.
This is… Certainly an experience and a half. I can only offer my thanks to whatever cursed god there is out there that there aren't any of the other hotel patrons staying in here. Especially the other girls in our school.
Maybe I should just make the most of this and enjoy this. I mean… I am here to enjoy and relax in Kyoto. Yeah. Alright. This is fine.
Breathing out a content sigh, I relaxed my body to let Asia and Xenovia have their way with washing my body.
Moments after our bath, we were greeted by Azazel-sensei who told us that Levia-tan wanted to meet us at a nearby restaurant. It was just a couple of blocks down from the hotel and when we arrived at the meeting location, we found the Maou herself sitting in seiza wearing an extravagantly flowery kimono.
Seems like someone's been enjoying Kyoto.
Next to her were Saji and the second years belonging to the student council.
"Welcome, everyone! Please, have a seat!" Levia-tan greeted cheerfully with an energetic wave. "I already ordered some food so be sure to eat up! The food here is amazing, after all!"
I had half the mind to speak up and say that we already had dinner, but unfortunately I didn't have the courage to do so and risk seeing her sad.
A moment later, a waitress came and brought platters of traditional Japanese cuisine into the room and set it down on the table.
Well, might as well dig in. It certainly does smell wonderful.
"Anyways, as you enjoy the food, I'll begin explaining why I've called you all here. In truth, I've come to Kyoto to request the cooperation of the Kyoto Youkai faction," she explained before her tone suddenly turned serious. "Unfortunately, it seems like there's been an incident."
An incident? That little kitsune did say something about her mother being taken. Could that have been the incident?
"It seems that the leader of the Kyoto Youkai branch has gone missing."
"And the ones most likely to be responsible are the Khaos Brigade," Azazel-sensei added.
I sighed and scratched at my head in frustration. Can't we catch break for even one second? This was supposed to be a fun trip and now it's turned into something troublesome again.
"Hey hey, what're you getting all annoyed for, Saya?" Azazel-sensei asked as smacked me on my back.
"Huh? Well we're going to have to deal with the-"
Before I could continue, the Fallen Angel barked out a short laugh and shook his head.
"No. You guys just enjoy your vacation. Let us adults handle things this time. I'd feel bad for having to rely on you guys all the time, after all."
"Sensei… Why can't you act more reliably all the time instead of just in situations like this?"
"Ouch!" Azazel-sensei clutched at his heart in mock hurt. "That may be true, but at least let me look cool for once."
Well… Even though I said that, since he's the strongest Fallen Angel I'm sure things will work out okay.
For now I'll just let him handle things and enjoy Kyoto while I can.
But… Dammit. After all, I really can't just leave a cute girl alone when she's suffering. I'll need to find a way to find that tiny kitsune again.
It was the second day of our school trip and the incident yesterday still burned fresh in my mind. I could barely sleep because I couldn't stop thinking about the kitsune who attacked us. It's not like I want to help her just because she's cute, though. No. There's a much deeper meaning to it. A young child who lost their parents is a pitiful thing indeed.
Anyways, Azazel-sensei told us to enjoy our time here in Kyoto so I might as well try to.
Getting off the bus, we arrived at the bottom of the hill leading up to Kiyomizu-dera. We took in the sights along the road and stopped at a few shops selling sweets to purchase some. Before long, we all arrived at the top of the hill where the entrance to the temple lay.
"Ah! There's a love compatibility lottery!" Irina pointed out excitedly before running to the box of sticks. "Hey, hey! Don't you think you should try this out, Asia?"
"E-Eh?!" Asia looked shocked at the proposal and her entire face proceeded to turn beet red.
"Hm… Perhaps I should draw one as well…" Xenovia added while staring at the box.
"If Xenovia's doing it too, then I might as well join in as well!" Irina exclaimed.
"Huh? Wait, Irina. You're in love with somebody?" I ask, surprised by her willingness to participate.
I mean, she has always been somewhat impulsive, but I didn't think she actually likes somebody.
Instead of answering, Irina just giggled and shot a smile in my direction.
Oh… I see how it is. She certainly has more self-control than the others around me. Maybe that's a side effect of her being something akin to an Angel now.
With a bit more urging from Irina, Asia finally stepped forward and drew a fortune. Next were Xenovia and then Irina. Finally, I decided to draw one as well, just for the hell of it.
"Okay, on the count of three. Let's all read ours together. One… Two… Three!"
Great misfortune.
Well, I guess that's one way to describe the situation I'm in right now. Judging from the expressions on the other's faces, I'm guessing they got the best turnout.
Ahaha… haha… well its best not to take these things to heart. I'll just have to be bit more on guard than before. Although it's not like it actually helped with anything before.
After, we went sightseeing around the temple and bought some souvenirs before heading back down the hill to the bus stop.
Our next stop was the Ginkaku-ji. Once we arrived at the site, Xenovia's expression immediately fell as soon as she saw the pavilion.
"It's not silver…" She whispered, visibly crestfallen.
Ah… She must have been expecting for the entire building to be made of silver, huh? With a name with Ginkaku-ji it's no wonder that she thought that. Well if that's the case, she won't be disappointed with the Kinkaku-ji.
Upon arriving, Xenovia ran out in front of us with her arms spread open.
"Gold! Amazing! It really is golden!"
Her sudden outburst left me a little surprised at the gap between her usual demeanors. Although, I guess it's not that bad seeing her act like this once in a while. It's not good to be too serious all the time.
We spent a bit more time touring the surroundings while taking a few pictures here and there. I snapped a couple with my phone and sent it over to the other members of the ORC that were back at Kuoh. Although, as I was scrolling through the pictures, I swear I thought I caught a glimpse of a fox in the corner of one of the pictures. Normally I wouldn't really have been thrown off, but this was taken from within the middle of a large crowd of tourists. The stranger thing was that when I doubled back to check, I couldn't see anything off about it. Just to be safe, though. I didn't send that specific picture. If the Kyoto youkai are keeping surveillance over us, it'd be best not to accidentally let Rias and the others find out.
After taking in the sights, we decided to take a short rest at a nearby teahouse. We ordered some sweets and tea and sat down to enjoy them.
Traditional Japanese sweets certainly are amazing when paired with green tea. The subtle sweetness they have really compliments the bitterness of the tea. As we ate, we chatted about the other places we visited today while sharing the pictures we took with each other until we heard a crash come from one of the tables next to us.
One of the tourists fell asleep? No. It looks like the man just suddenly face planted into the table. Before long, all the other patrons of the shop began falling asleep one by one.
"Eh? Wh-What's going on?" Asia asked as she frantically glanced around.
Xenovia on the other hand had already reached into her bag and drew her blade as Irina did the same
My eyes were drawn to the only other person still left standing in the shop: the waitress that served us.
As I pulled a dagger out of my Vault, a pair of fox ears and a bushy tail appeared on the woman.
Great. Just great. It was an ambush. I thought that Azazel-sensei and Levia-tan were supposed to be sorting things out right now, though.
I tensed my body and got ready to spring out of my seat at a moment's notice until a familiar voice cut through the air.
"Wait!"
I turned around to face the entrance of the shop to see Rossweisse-sensei leaning against the door while panting.
"Rossweisse-sensei, what are you doing here?"
Taking a moment to catch her breath, the woman stood up and walked over to us.
"Don't worry. This woman here is supposed to bring you to the Kyoto youkai headquarters. It seems the misunderstanding has been solved," she answered promptly.
Oh. Well, that was fast. Looks like those two really did it.
"Yes, that's right," the kitsune said while bowing deeply. "Please accept our apologies for attacking you so suddenly before. Our princess would like to speak with you all in regards to that matter."
Princess… she must be talking about the small kitsune that lead the charge against us. Alright. It looks like we're finally going to get some answers.
-Stat Sheet-
Master: Rias Gremory
Evil Piece: Pawn (x8)
Name: Saya Hyoudou
Titles: The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Conqueror, Hound of the Vatican, Holy Blue Knight
Sex: Female
Race: Half-Beast Reincarnated Devil (Wolf-type)
Height: 5'5" (167cm)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Parameters:
Strength: B++
Endurance: B++
Agility: S
Magic: B-
Luck: A++
Weapons: Varied
Known Unique Weapons: Holy Lance Longinus [Unusable], Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch, Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow, Sessho-Seki Fragments, Claiomh Solais, Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos, Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn, Gan Jing and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung, Valmanway, Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon, Ig-Alima, Arondight, Caliburn, Excalibur Galatine,
Skills:
Magic Resistance: E - Somewhat reduced magic damage.
Battle Continuation: A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a fatal blow is received.
Charisma: C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.
Collector: EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare items.
Disengage: B - The ability to safely break away from combat.
Eye of the Mind (True): C+ - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.
Pioneer of the Stars: EX - An unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" are turned into "events that can be realized".
Abilities:
Boosted Gear: EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.
Balance Breaker – Blade Dancer: EX – An alternative form of Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker that combines it with the Dimensional Vault to summon blades.
Balance Breaker – Iron Fortress: EX – An alternative form of Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker that forgoes speed and offense for thicker, magic resistant armour.
Balance Breaker: Install – Holy Knight Camelot: EX – A super-powered Balance Breaker version that integrates the collective power of the Knights of the Round Table into a single being. However, the combination of such power requires a massive amount of magic and holy resistance. Using it for too long will cause permanent damage to Saya so a one minute time limit has been set. Its activation only requires the presence of four holy swords belonging to the knights, however once it has been activated, Saya is granted unlimited access to abilities belonging to all the knights. It is a powerful conceptual form that literally makes Saya into the collective form of the entirety of the Knights of the Round.
Dimensional Vault: EX - A collection of items that Saya has collected during her journeys. It has an unlimited storage space.
Reincarnate: EX - An ability to revive from the dead.
Mold Reality: N/A
Awakening: EX - A psuedo-time stop ability that involves slowing down one's own perception of time by speeding up the body's processes. It has adverse effects on the user.
Dash: EX - A 1.25x speed boost to movement speed. It will last indefinitely until the user runs out of stamina or combat begins.
Jump: EX - A super jump that can clear mountains. The user will be completely vulnerable before to after the jump.
Adventurer's Insight: EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, ruins, and treasure. It has a maximum range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).
Mad Enhancement: A - Increases one's parameters but trades their sanity for it.
Bash: A++ - A strong physical attack that also inflicts damage to the user.
Seismic Slash: A++ - An area of effect attack with a bladed weapon that creates a shockwave by striking the ground. It has a maximum range of 5 meters.
Iron Wall: B+ - A purely defensive technique that gives near impenetrable defense with a shield but the user becomes completely immobile.
Shadow Clone: B - Creates a physical clone that takes up half the user's stamina.
Flash: D - Briefly blinds surrounding enemies with a bright flash from a camera.
Power to Dominate a Dimension: (N/A)
Infinity Dimension: EX - A barrage of items from the Vault that uses magic as a propulsion system.
Shift: EX - An ability to change one's age. It can only be used once a day and cannot be reversed for 24 hours.
Shundo: A - An instant movement technique that is akin to teleportation using either magic or ki.
Bullet: B+ - A projectile of concentrated magic energy fired from a finger gun.
Elemental Prowess: D++ - An affinity for utilizing all elements of magic.
Makiage: A++ - An advanced sword technique that can only be used against experienced swordsmen. By striking a certain point of the opponent's sword at the right time during an overhead attack, one can disarm them by flinging their sword into the air.
Reinforcement: A+ – A type of magic used to magically strengthen one's own body or objects in contact with the body.
Harem Progress:
Rias Gremory: Rank 10 (MAX)
Akeno Himejima: Rank 10 (MAX)
Asia Argento: Rank 10 (MAX)
Yumi Kiba: Rank 10 (MAX)
Koneko Toujou: Rank 10 (MAX)
Xenovia Quarta: Rank 10 (MAX)
Gasper Vladi: Rank 9
Valerie Lucifer: Rank 8
Rossweisse: Rank 3
Ravel Phenex: Rank 8
Irina Shidou: Rank 7
Kuroka: Rank 3
Kunou: Rank 1