Surprise!
Chapter Eighteen
It had been five years since Daichi had done anything more than briefly visit his homeland, and yet even now, he had not returned to rest or recuperate. He stood directly before the gate of the Hyoudou household, his arms crossed with a frown marring his face while his five tails flicked about in agitation.
It would be easy.
So easy, to simply walk in, knock the guy out and drag him over to the Fallen Angel church. He could wipe out the crows and their pet exorcists with barely any effort and leverage their little Sacred Gear extraction setup to pull the Boosted Gear from Issei's soul.
It would be easy.
An instant and immediate power boost, with limitless potential. And yet…
And yet, he couldn't bring himself to take the step. All he had to do was walk the few steps to the front door, knock, and let his Senjustu do all the work of restraining the kid. Sure, Issei would die, having part of your soul ripped out tended to do that to you, but was he really going to let that hold him back? All of his work, and time, and effort, to reach his current heights, it would all be worth it, and the future would be smooth sailing… or was that the problem? Was his pride getting in the way? Or perhaps a mixture of both, pride and compassion? Kindness mixed with an unwillingness to commit murder in cold blood for the sake of power? He had killed before, was a killer, and would kill again in the future, so why was this so different?
His animal instincts were remarkably quiet as his internal struggle continued, the only signs that he still lived being the occasional twitch of agitation in one of his appendages. It was with one massive sigh that he bled out all of his frustration and irritation as he turned on his heel and walked away.
He knew this decision was a major turning point, a destinic knot that had inevitably altered his own fate in ways he could never know.
He chose to walk away from easy power, but that changed nothing. It simply meant he would walk a longer road to reach the same destination.
Daichi's teleportation dropped him into the palace entry hall where he immediately made to move towards his room. He felt mentally exhausted and needed a nap, but those plans were quickly derailed as he was intercepted by one of the lower ranked shadows, the masked three tailed kitsune pooling out of a nearby shadow and dropping to a knee.
"Prince, Lady Yasaka requests your presence in the meeting hall. The topics her visitors wish to discuss directly involve you."
Daichi slowly inhaled before letting out a long, loud sigh, slumping slightly. He rolled his shoulders back and raised his chin before finally addressing the still kneeling man.
"I understand, thank you for informing me, I'll attend shortly."
The kneeling Yokai saluted sharply, his fist knocking against his chest before vanishing into the same shadow from which he initially appeared. Daichi spun on his heel, picking up the pace as he made his way to the hall. The location told him much about whoever was visiting. Friendly and known well enough to deserve a private audience, but not so friendly as to be hosted in a more comfortable lounge. It was only a few brief minutes before Daichi found himself knocking and entering. It was only his immense intuition for danger and sharp reaction time honed from years of life-threatening situations that saved him as he spun out of the way of a projectile that came barreling through the now partially destroyed doorway, cratering the opposite wall.
Daichi ignored the dust and debris and stepped through into the room. Yasaka had a small amount of irritation painted across her face at the unnecessary destruction, but it was mostly covered by her mild amusement as Daichi surveyed the room's occupants.
"Sirzechs, nice to see you again. It's been several years." He stated casually as a much less violent force glomped onto his back.
"Mouuuu, Dai-tan! No dodging, it's mean!"
"Then don't attempt to tackle me into a wall, Sera."
He could feel Serafall puff her cheek out in a pout as she rested her head on his shoulder next to his face. Daichi continued into the room, depositing Serafall in her previously knocked over chair before he swapped to his smaller fox form and hopped into her lap where Serafall immediately began rubbing his ears and cuddling his tails.
"What can I do for the two of you?" It was a courtesy question. He could already guess.
The three powerful allies exchanged glances for a moment. Yasaka broke the brief stalemate, which meant it was going to be something he would normally decline out of hand if it came from the maou. Serafall also being in attendance was probably another attempt at manipulation, though she wouldn't do something like this unless it was very important to her, which really only meant one thing: Him or Sona, and since he was accounted for, it was in regards to Sona. With Sirzechs in attendance it wasn't a very difficult leap in logic to determine the purpose of their visit.
"With your recent return to Japan, Lucifer and Leviathan were hoping to hire you for an extended assignment."
Daichi raised his paw to stop her there.
"You want me to babysit your younger siblings. I'm not a guard dog, nor am I a bodyguard. I'm a bounty hunter. I make a living killing others, not defending them."
"We know that, which is why we believe you to be the best to handle this kind of situation." Sirzechs broke in. "We aren't really looking for a bodyguard. While they are weak in comparison to much of the supernatural world, our little sisters and their peerages are not totally helpless. We are mostly looking to hire you as a… neutral deterrent, for anyone looking to stir up trouble by targeting our family. You have a reputation in the supernatural world that I'm sure you're very well aware of by now. Having you claim the Kuoh territory as your own would ultimately be all we are asking. As devils, we would of course pay tribute to the territory master for the privilege of being allowed to operate within your area of influence, that would of course be in addition to payments we felt indebted to you for when cleaning up any incidents that protected our own interests in the course of your natural duty."
Daichi gave Sirzechs a flat stare.
"All those flowery words and circling around the issue. This is why I hate politics." Daichi's five tails flickered about in irritation on Sera's lap. "In layman terms, you want me to babysit your little sisters and keep any big bad men away while getting paid salary, and commission for any troubles that crop up from their stay in my hypothetical territory."
Sirzechs gave a wry smile but nodded.
"No. It's more trouble than it's worth. I'm already immensely wealthy from my work, so I have no incentive to take this kind of pain in the ass job. No amount of money would be worth taking care of two spoiled high-profile devils and handling the trouble they would bring."
Sirzechs sat back, studying Daichi's fox features. It was significantly easier to stay unreadable to those used to interacting with other humanoids which is part of the reason he adopted his animal form, using Sera's cuddling as a convenient unspoken excuse. Sirzechs eventually let out a small sigh.
"We figured you would say something along those lines which is why we've brought something a little more precious than anything as mundane as money." Daichi's stoic façade was broken as one of his ears betrayed him and flicked itself around, curiosity at what they thought would be able to buy his services winning out over perceived inconvenience. Daichi increased his size slightly to be able to peer down at the small case Sirzechs slid onto the table.
It was heavily enchanted, the inscriptions chiseled into the metal to form as perfect of a containment as was possible. Sirzechs spoke as he began channeling mana into one of the various enchantments riddling the box.
"This is one of the Satans' most valuable treasures yet is ironically completely useless to us." The case cracked open as he finished speaking. Every hair on Daichi's body stood on end as he stared, eyes riveted on the unsealed container. The moment the wards released, the purest nature energy Daichi had ever felt filled the room, rolling across him and filling him with its presence. Sirzechs pulled the top of the case back revealing a single small acorn.
"This is a seed of Yggdrasil, one stolen away during the chaotic times of an earlier era from Ratatoskr. The ancient Gremory family luck played a large role in how we ultimately acquired it, but we also have no real use for it either."
Daichi barely comprehended his words, his entire being was focused on that little seed. The pure desire he felt to possess, to consume it, to become one with it, nearly overwhelmed him before he clamped down on his haywire senjutsu. His eyes shot up in a glare, teeth bared in a silent growl.
"A little warning would be nice next time before you go releasing the equivalent of a senjutsu bomb around practitioners. I prefer staying sane, and it's only through rigorous training and a lot of luck that we don't have several berserk Yokai attempting to take this for themselves, myself included."
Sirzechs managed to look appropriately chastised as Serafall and Yasaka glared at him as well, but before anything further could occur, Daichi transformed back and swiped the box, closing it so the enchantments could reengage.
"I'll do it." There were some offers that ultimately could not be refused.
Daichi only managed to escape with his prize a few hours later, Serafall having dominated his time since they were so rarely able to meet. All good things had to end though, and Sera had her own duties to return to, leaving Daichi alone to finally make use of his windfall.
Resources such as the seed in his grasp were best utilized immediately, otherwise some bigger fish may have time to formulate plans and steal such a valuable item away from him. This thought process was how he found himself calling out to Heimdall from in front of Yasaka's estate. A rainbow bridge of light slammed down in front of him, yet no damage was done, and no dust was disturbed by its seemingly violent arrival. Daichi stepped forward, once, twice, and suddenly found himself next to the Watcher.
"Thank you for your expediency, Heimdall."
Daichi only received the barest nod in return, the god's eyes constantly scanning beyond his station. Daichi didn't hesitate any longer, immediately turning into a blur of color and vanishing as he sped towards Freyja's home. He refused to take any chances. He had yet to meet Loki, but the little bastard had the reputation of turning up at the worst moments for most people and Daichi was in no mood to tempt fate.
He only paused briefly at the palace gates, the Einherjar and Valkyrie on duty waving him through momentarily as soon as they verified his identity. He was off like a shot immediately after, arriving as quickly as he could at Freyja's estate where his senjutsu flowed out and quickly pinged the goddess' location in her study, the woman already standing to meet him from the moment his energy was released. Daichi was before her near instantly, the door lightly clicking shut behind him as he pulled out the box.
"I need help."
Freyja cocked an eyebrow.
"This must be pretty serious for you to come rushing to me with such urgency."
Daichi threw up a few magical rune constructions, isolating the room as best he could before he turned a pleading eye to the goddess in front of him. With a roll of her eyes, she waved a hand, reinforcing his precautions while adding a few of her own.
"It's done, now what's got you in such a tizzy?"
Daichi simply placed the box down and cracked it open, Freyja's eyebrows skyrocketing to her hairline as she immediately identified the item from its presence alone.
"Oh."
Daichi gave her a deadpan stare.
"I see. Yes. Right. I'm guessing you want to use this to boost your natural synchronicity and senjutsu?"
"Exactly. Not only that, this is the catalyst for my sixth tail. I've been on the border for ages but haven't had a proper catalyzing event."
"Right. You remember the Grove, I'm sure. I'll meet you there, I'll need to set up some precautions."
Daichi simply nodded as Freyja vanished with the seed. They had long since cultivated a close enough understanding of each other for Daichi to read her intentions. Based on what he had seen in the past, she would need half an hour to establish masking and defensive measures around the grove, while it was also likely she would do her best to bring the grove to Yggdrasil's attention. It honestly shouldn't be hard considering the moment he revealed the seed within one of her branch worlds they had likely immediately pulled her gaze. Daichi sank into a meditative trance, doing his best to center himself as he listened to the flows and whispers of nature. The time passed in a flash, Freyja tapping Daichi on the shoulder to break him from his meditation. The pair flashed away in the next instant, arriving in front of the stone altar.
The seed sat atop the altar, floating gently. The scene would have been almost serene had an immense pressure not encompassed and smothered the area. Daichi felt the full weight of Yggdrasil's gaze as they stood in a locus of her power, and it was critically appraising him. Ratatoskr chose that moment to make his presence known and Daichi exchanged a glance with Freyja who watched the messenger of Yggdrasil closely. Just as the divine squirrel carried messages between the eagle and Nidhogger, so too did he carry messages from the tree herself.
"Yggy sends her regards, though I imagine you can feel her with how much attention she's directing this way. She's willing to give her blessing for your consumption of this seed in exchange for a favor at a later date." Before either could speak the squirrel continued. "Ah, this is non-negotiable. She said it's take it or leave it, though she specified that it won't be excessive. The favor will be within whatever your current capabilities are at the time, though, personally, I don't doubt that it'll be at the upper limits of your power whenever she calls that favor in. It'll be difficult, whatever she asks of you, but I can also guarantee that while you can still absorb this without her help, you will reap significantly more benefit from having her blessing." Ratatoskr flicked his tail. With a single claw he picked at a splinter of bark seemingly stuck between his teeth. Daichi didn't hesitate in his decision.
"Agreed, a later favor for her assistance now."
Ratatoskr hummed in approval.
"Excellent. Sit atop the altar and cup the seed in your hands. You'll want to press it into your heart. It will be painful but it's most effective where the power can naturally flow and disperse through your body. Yggy will help support you, so don't fret too much." Ratatoskr gestured at Freyja, shooing her away. "Vanir, you can scram. You'll just be in the way. Even I will be returning to Yggy's branches for the process. The fewer disturbances in the natural energy of the area the better it'll be." With those parting words, Ratatoskr ran up a nearby tree, vanishing between one blink and the next. Freyja cast Daichi a concerned look that he shrugged off with a grin.
"I'll come see you as soon as I've finished."
Freyja sighed, nodded, and stepped forward, pulling Daichi into a hug.
"Be careful."
"Of course! What kind of fox do you think I am?"
She cast him a look full of skepticism while he chuckled.
"Get going already, I'll be fine. I'll spend a few days here catching up with you, Rose, and that fat bastard teacher of mine once I'm done."
"Fine, fine. I'll see you soon." Freyja finally vanished, Daichi's reassurances having stemmed some of her anxiety about the situation. Consuming the essence of a powerful artifact was a dangerous undertaking, regardless of the blessing of the mother. Daichi turned and placed himself to Ratatoskr's specifications, centering himself once more.
Without hesitation, Daichi plunged his sharpened nail through his chest and directly into his heart. Blood immediately began cascading out, soaking the altar beneath him in moments. Daichi didn't hesitate any longer, doing his best to shove the seed into the hole in his body. It was with immense relief that he finally placed the acorn within his still beating heart, blood leaking from his lips as he promptly keeled over onto his side, eyes rolling to the back of his head as his back arched. All of the spilled blood vanished, vaporized from the excess energy expelled from Daichi as he convulsed, his wound having instantly healed with the massive influx of natural energy to his system.
Time ticked by, Daichi's body slowly unclenching itself as the energy of the acorn dispersed, either through his body or into the atmosphere, integrating into the grove seamlessly. Vines, grass, flowers, and trees blossomed and bloomed, growing at an exponential rate around him as he lay atop the stone bed. It wasn't long before what appeared to be a cocoon of vegetation surrounded the platform, encasing Daichi within. It was far from dark inside, however. Daichi's body cast the entirety of the enclosure in brilliant emerald light as it integrated the tiniest fraction of Yggdrasil's essence.
Hours ticked by on the outside, but the process continued. It was only after Daichi's body had been entirely permeated by the seed's power did Daichi's sixth tail finally spring from his back. Then the process repeated itself. Every cell, every nerve, every atom that made up Daichi's physical existence was bathed in natural energy repeatedly until the seed was finally spent.
Daichi's body finally collapsed entirely, his muscles slackening as he passed fully into a natural sleep. The overgrown vegetation gradually retracted as he slept. Vines returned into their trees, the grass receded, and flowers wilted before turning to dust. Such was nature, such was the cycle, such was Yggdrasil.
Daichi flopped onto his bed, six tails spread haphazardly across his back and sides. His apartment in Kuoh was only a short walk from the academy, which in turn was a short walk away from most important locations in the small town. The canon timeline, or rather, the shambling remains of its existence that had not yet been derailed, was due to begin any day. The crows were making their move on Issei, Raynare had been staking him out for the past few days and he was slated to take her out on their date two days from now. All that was left was for him to die and for Rias to resurrect him, then Daichi could finally let loose. All the training and planning had lead up to this moment, the world would soon know chaos, and his inner monster shivered in excited anticipation.
Or it would if it wasn't as absolutely spent as his physical shell was. Freyja and Rossweisse had run him ragged once he returned from his secluded nap. It normally wouldn't have been a problem, but he was thoroughly wrung out by the process, Yggdrasil and her energy not making the enhancement and absorption any easier, only giving him a larger harvest than he would have on his own. It was substantial, but he had yet to fully evaluate his body and the changes he had undergone. For now, Daichi needed a nap. He was 'transferring in', so school started for him tomorrow, and he at least needed to be rested enough to attend his first day.
AN: I have the next 2 chapters finished as well and the chapter for the end of the first season of the anime/this story arc done. I'm estimating about 3-4 more chapters between what I have completed (chapter 20 currently) and my final chapter, so we'll likely be wrapping things up around chapter 24-25 for the first season events from the anime.
