CHAPTER 1
Issei Hyoudou.
That was the name Akane and Gorou Hyoudou decided for their only son.
Pure and honest, like his namesake.
And, from what the doctors had told them after the boy's birth, it was an unexplained miracle that Akane had been pregnant for the third time in the first place.
Not to mention that her pregnancy had no complications whatsoever.
So, for the Hyoudou parents, with no close relatives to speak of, their little Issei was their miracle. Their shine and joy.
They never, even once, commented on some of his... abnormalities... as Issei grew up.
The boy was strong. His hearing, sense of smell and eyesight were out of this world. His dark green eyes turned to reptilian slits, when agitated. His teeth were able to bite off oak wood like it was paper, with his longer than normal canines being his strongest teeth. Also, he was, almost unnaturally, warm, to the point he didn't even need winter clothes. Lastly, the boy seemed like he teleported when he ran around.
And, since the doctors had said that he was miracle, the two parents took it literally and were ecstatic for their son's abilities. They were, especially, proud that he remained humble as he grew up.
As amazing as his abilities were, there were some downsides for the young boy.
Issei had only one friend. It was only because of his sense of smell that he could tell that Rin was, actually, a girl, named Irina Shidou. The boy was devastated when Rin had to move and go to England with her parents at the early age of seven years old.
The boy had done nothing but mope in sadness in his room for three days. He, only, got out of it to go to the toilet. Not even for food or water.
He had a serious crush on Rin and he didn't even know it.
The parents were devastated themselves for not being able to help their son in his time of need. Not only that, but it seemed that Issei didn't even want their help in the first place.
After the three days had passed, Issei had decided to go to the park he and Rin used to play at. It was close to their house and, so, his parents let him go.
They trusted him enough to return, at the very least, on time for dinner. He was a good boy, with a heart of gold and would never try to, actively, make them upset with him.
That day, without the parents knowing, at one side of that park, there was an old man spouting stories of how glorious the oppai of women were.
Issei, being the curious boy he was, just listened, absently, from the swing he was sitting on. He didn't want to be with the other kids sitting in front of the old man and listening closely with unrestrained excitement.
Even if he was there with the other children, the boy knew that things would be awkward, considering the others all but shunned him, due to his abnormalities. They had, openly, admitted that they were afraid of him. So, there was no reason to make them even more fearfull of him.
In the end, even those stories couldn't fill the void that Rin had left behind.
That wasn't to say, however, that Issei wasn't, at the very least, curious.
He was a great deal curious. Not only for those oppai the old man had been spouting off the whole afternoon. But the whole female body.
In laymans terms, the opposite sex.
That night, the Hyoudou parents couldn't even begin to describe their joy upon seeing their son's spirits not on the dumps. He seemed curious about something, but not enough to make him, completely, forget Rin's departure.
Akane could never have expected the conversation the family had as soon as they finished eating their dinner, Issei included, after three days and nights of absence.
Gorou, on the other hand, was positevely ecstatic! His baby boy was growing up!
For Akane, it was weird to see her husband have the talk with their son, when the latter was only seven years old. Even weirder was that, no matter how many bumps she had created on his head with her wooden spoon, her husband kept on with the conversation like nothing had happened.
It seemed Gorou's pride and joy were affecting his sense of pain.
Even worse, her son listened to his father with rapt attention.
And, worst of all, her husband told their son of his unfullfilled dream of having a harem.
Her only solace was that her son didn't seem very eager to fullfill Gorou's dream for the both of them.
That said, Issei's wistful face and matching tone when he had uttered that he wanted to be loved... It almost crashed her hopes.
Almost.
Even if he had looked simply adorable at that moment.
Because, even if she didn't share her husband's beliefs on the matter, Akane wanted many grandchildren to spoil.
So, in the end, Issei would have to have many women by his side, in order for her dream to come to fruition.
Unbeknownst to all three humans, the entity inside the boy was extremelly satisfied with everything it had seen so far, through its future wielder's eyes. Except from the three days the boy had stayed in his room; those were a living hell, or rather, a living storm. Just like the one when it had first seen these humans, only thrice the duration.
All in all, it seemed it had chosen well.
Especially since, after that night, its wielder decided to become even better of a person.
Proper table manners. Studying for school with extreme dilligency. Helping Akane in housework, for whatever and whenever she needed, even outside of their house. Working out. Learning to fight properly through action movies and youtube videos. Learning swordsmanship through the school's Kendo club and the neighbouring dojo. Even learning all kinds of dances. As well as studying strategies through online chess and other online books and videos.
All that in order to become the perfect boyfriend material. As well as a very acceptable and versatile member in society.
Then, when Issei reached twelve years old, Gorou allowed him access to porn sites, in order to see 'how babies were made'.
To its utter amusement, the entity inside Issei discovered its wielder's fetishes. Despite him not showing it, the boy was a pure sadist, with a romantic side and a love for both boobs -no matter the size- and butts. Girls in stockings, high heels and every other sexy undergagement. Last, but not least, role-play and cos-play, with Issei's personal favourite being the strict business women that break down and become mindless and masochistic sluts. Issei was no homosexual, but he held no ill will towards them either. The same went for gender-bended people, as well as traps.
Anyway.
At the age of fourteen, Issei had, already, become a master in Kendo, but with no physical indication he was one; like a gold metal in a tournament. He had gotten the recomendation that he could be a Shishou, though, if he ever wanted.
His overall fighting skills were through the roof and his physical strength was on a whole other level than from when he was just a small child.
A well-mannered boy, wearing his golden heart on his sleeve.
His physique was that of an averagely tall teen, with a lean and muscular figure, yet not overly so. His hair were short, milk-chocolate in colour and spiky enough to point in every possible direction. His facial features were sharp, like his dark green eyes. All in all, his looks gave him the bad-boy, yet enticing vibe that girls his age and a little older seemed to love. His lightly tanned, flawless skin completed his rogueish looks.
Though, due to his reputation from his childhood, he was still alone and without any friends. Even the girls didn't dare to approach him, only admiring him from a distance.
His parents were proud of him, especially since he had become the top student in school, which was all that mattered to him.
The same with the entity inside of him, even if he didn't know about it. Yet.
All in all, Issei had been growing up like a proper young man, albeit with several more abilities.
The entity decided to make itself known to its wielder, as well as about all said wielder's other powers, including the one he was born with. Issei was strong and sturdy enough to withhold all these powers, without his human body being destroyed from the inside.
After all, the entity had ensured that the sword was, always, close to Issei, no matter where the brunet was.
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It was the night of Issei's graduation from junior high school. In other words, the last day of school, right before spring break.
After which -the spring break-, Issei would enter high school as a freshman, or a first year student, in one of the most prestigious schools of the whole country.
Kuoh Academy.
An all-girls school, turning co-ed on the new school year.
As a matter of fact, the Hyoudou boy would be the one with the top scores ever entering the school.
As for the other boys entering with him, they were the only ones that passed the entrance exams. Aside from many dilligent girls, of course.
Thankfully, the japanese school system didn't require the top freshman to give a speech on the first day of the school year. Just be there early and leave when the day ends. As well as get acquainted with the other students and teachers, or the whole school in general.
Akane was so proud of her son that they had all of Issei's favourite foods for dinner that night.
Gorou had tried -and failed- to tease his son, as well as prob him to start his harem in high school. After they had dinner, of course. No fun was worthy of his wife's famous wooden spoon attacks on his head.
The Hyoudou matriarch, however, all but demanded of her son to find a girlfriend and get married quickly, in order to have her grandbabies to spoil as soon as possible.
Issei, for his part, could only sweatdrop at his parents' antics.
After that, the brunet had a shower and, then, went to sleep. He wasn't tired, but the excitement of the day, as well as his overall performance during the exams had taken its toll on him. So, he decided to rest early.
What he didn't expect, though, especially upon entering his room, was to find a seathed sword on his bed.
Issei narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he lightly closed and locked the door behind him with practiced ease.
He would have known if his father had bought it. Gorou couldn't hold his excitement for anything, even if Akane spooned him on the head. Case and point the talk when he was only seven. And any other time Gorou was trully excited.
So, no. His father wasn't the one to buy it.
Akane only got out of the house for grocery shopping with Gorou's money, so it wasn't her either.
So, the question remained. How did that sword get on his bed, if nobody from the family, including himself, never even bought one?
His suspicion grew to its highest point when he had reached the bed and loomed over the sword.
That said, Issei felt a great sense of familiarity with the sword, which made no sence to him whatsoever.
Why was he feeling so familiar to a sword of all things, especially one he had never even seen?
He, subconsciously, used his right hand to reach towards the sword on his bed.
As soon he touched it, he was hit with a tidal wave of information.
Of course, he couldn't have known that. So, he was left breathless, with his eyes wide in complete disbelief at what was getting inside his mind.
Powers. And lots of them.
Even the knowledge to control them and use them in a fight, or even in his daily life.
Not to mention the fighting techniques themselves.
He was so much in shock from it all, that he couldn't even move.
That said, as soon as the flood of information had finished to be so ruthlessly dumped in his mind, did Issei manage to draw a breath.
Even then, all that did was to make him aware of his surroundings and how dizzy he was from the ordeal.
Now, trully tired, the brunet sloppily collapsed on his bed, thankfully in his boxers, with his right hand gripping the sheathed sword like his life depended on it.
His last thought, before sleep overcame him, was that whatever had happened was surreal; like, almost, a dream.
In laymans terms, Issei fainted on his bed.
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Issei's eyes flattered open and he was almost blinded by the sun's bright light.
He managed to notice, however, that the sunlight came from behind him and not directly above him.
With some more effort, and his left arm shielding the upper half of his face, Issei opened his eyes fully and stood up, in order to take in his surroundings.
Doing a slow spin on his place, the brunet took a look around and was surprised at what he saw.
He was on a sandy shore, still on his boxers that he wore after he got out of shower. Calm, crystal blue sea water, with the sand and small rocks, that he could clearly see as if he was upon them, were gently rocked back and forth from the small waves the sea was making.
The shore he was on seemed to be a clearing from a thick and dark forest. An extremelly tall, unnaturally so, oak tree was easily seen from the shore. It was the only distinguishable tree and it was, seemingly, in the middle of the forest.
Issei didn't want to enter the forest, due to him liking the weather on the shore. Not to mention that it was creepy as hell. As strong as he was, he didn't feel confident enough to come across whatever was in the forest.
His ears and nose twitched as he breathed in.
Aside from the scent of trees, sand and sea, Issei caught one more scent that made him freeze in shock as he faced the entrance/exit of the forest.
Despite how slow and purposeful the footsteps he heard were, his heartbeat rose to 150 the moment he caught the scent.
His heartbeat rose even more, as soon as the person he had caught the scent of came out in the clearing, with their hands behind their back, and stopping as soon as they locked gazes.
The figure gave a rogueishly bloodthirsty smirk as they greeted him. "Yo, pretty boy!"
Issei couldn't believe his eyes, which had widened to the size of dinner plates in utter disbelief.
After all, nobody had claimed to have seen themselves right in front of them.
In clear view. Not in the mirror.
Issei just knew that, aside from all kinds of weird, this meeting was anything but normal.
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Author's notes.
Here's the first chapter of the story. Which is more like a continuation of the prologue, than anything else.
I would love to see your thoughts on this.
My wishes for the -sorry for the term- infected people to get their health back to normal.
Stay healthy, stay inside.
With love, from Greece.