UO: *Falls through the ceiling* Damn it, I thought I had that jetboard fixed. *Stares at set* Again? *Views Script* Another take on DxD, alright then.
NS: The blame for this idea comes primarily from my friend Jackie Avocado, he of the bombastic memelord SIs. Also my desire to emulate Solo Leveling without just redoing SL canon. And my frustrations at the only other Annihilation Maker fic I've read, over on the WebNovel site. Basically, my ideas and ambitions for this story snowballed until I couldn't not write it anymore.
UO: Translation, no matter how much I try, he's like a kid in a candy store when it comes to ideas.
NS: Good ideas gotta get written. Good fics need to be written.
"Speech"
Text
Thoughts
Mental/Magical Communication/otherworldly thoughts
Beasts/Dragons/Super Mode/Balance Breaker
Spell/Technique/Ability
Chapter 1: Mob Rule
The sounds of pencils tapping across the paper as the teacher spoke about early Japanese history. It was not a particularly popular subject, some of the students already dozing off. One student was somehow managing to still listen, writing down anything he found pertinent in it.
While he of course wrote down his notes in Japanese like everyone else, on occasion he would find himself writing in English, only to grimace and switch back.
For Yatogami Roy, such a thing would not have been too out of the ordinary. Having grown up in America for his early years before moving to his mother's home country, the half-American boy was fairly fluent in both languages, something that his English teacher often praised happily.
At the same time, however, being a foreigner was a double edged sword, especially a half foreigner. Some people, especially the girls, thought he was exotic, with his blue-gray eyes and somewhat wavy hair. Others thought that his narrow eyes and usually flat expression made him look arrogant, but what was he supposed to do with that? It's not like there was a cure for Resting Bitch Face.
It had been difficult to make friends, to say the least, especially since Roy was a taciturn fellow. But for some reason, he found that it didn't bother him all that much. Not when he remembered the good friends he'd made online.
Only, he didn't really have a presence in online communities.
His brow furrowed, pencil pausing as he considered that. Again…why do I remember things that never happened?
All throughout Roy's life, especially as he grew older, he found himself experiencing flashes of memories that he knew for a fact that he had never experienced, even as he knew for an equal fact that he had.
Was this reincarnation? In all the anime and manga he'd read (not that he really had time for such things), lucky people who reincarnated into another world sometimes got to keep their memories.
...Another world? He blinked. Ridiculous. Why would that be my first thought?
At the bottom of his notebook page, he wrote down in Japanese 転生(Reincarnation). Underneath that he wrote, in English, Another World? If so, what?
His mouth twisted in annoyance and confusion. Seriously, why the hell would I think such a wishful thing? That's the kinda thing Otaku wish for to get superpowers out of the deal.
But isn't my current life not that bad? And wasn't I also a total nerd?
It was true; thanks to his high grades in classes- which he remembered learning quite clearly -that he'd managed to enroll at the prestigious Kuoh Academy, a school that had been a girls' only place up until just a few years ago. It didn't hurt that pretty much all the girls around him, and there were a lot, were pretty cute as well.
Isn't that just like the setup of a harem anime?
He squeezed his eyes shut, barely stifling a groan of dismay as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Goddamnit, Hyoudou's gotten to me!
Huffing, he firmly crossed out the Isekai theorizing in his notebook and turned his attention back to the teacher. It was nothing that he hadn't heard before, so he let his mind wander. As he did so, his eyes caught something glinting in his desk. Reaching inside, his fingers closed around a smooth disk; a blank coin.
He scowled again. Even if I did have some kinda power, having some weird random-ass coin follow me around is kinda lame.
Roy had woken up that morning with that coin in his hand, which had been under his pillow. He thought that he'd placed it on his bedside table, dismissing it as an interesting knick knack, only to later find that it had somehow found its way into his pocket.
The more he held it, the longer he looked at its unmarked sides, the more a feeling of… something, passed through him.
This is not a normal coin.
No, I just put it in my pocket without thinking.
No, I didn't. It's following us. It's special.
Gritting his teeth, Roy gripped the side of his head, trying not to scream and disrupt the class. The strange, wrong thoughts were becoming more prominent, asserting themselves.
"Yatogami-kun?" A female voice called out to him. He looked up to see a veritable succubus striding over to him; judging by how everyone was chatting amongst themselves, class had ended. Scarlet red hair that fell to her mid back along with a heaving bust, a pair of hips that made the school uniform skirt ride up, and pale, smooth legs, Rias Gremory was the complete package for a foreign beauty, in pretty much all the ways that Roy just quite didn't measure up to. She and her longtime friend, Himejima Akeno, were considered the two great beauties of the school, in the same class as him, no less. For some reason, she had gravitated towards him, chatting him up over anime.
Just one comment about her choice of manga, and she'd more or less instantly decided that they were friends. Well…not that he minded or disagreed in the slightest; a pretty girl talking to him did wonders for his spirit.
The only downside was that her ever-abundant fanclub had taken an instant dislike towards these interactions. It was like they got off on considering Gremory and Himejima as untouchable.
Like I give a damn about that idol fanboy mentality.
"Ah, Gremory. What's up?"
Rias giggled and pulled out a manga, one that he had lent her just the other day. "I wanted to bring this back. Ahh, it's so refreshing to read a romance that funny!"
He nodded, taking it back. "Nn. Glad you liked it."
"Is something troubling you?" She asked, almost immediately noticing that his response was slightly more subdued than usual, "Don't you want to know what I thought?"
Roy fought to clear the cobwebs from his head. "I…yeah, of course. Sorry, just got a lot on my mind." He squeezed the coin in his hand, feeling an odd, but not altogether unpleasant ache radiating up his arm. "...Hey, you're part of the Occult Club, right?"
She smiled. "Yes. I'm the club president, in fact. Why, do you wanna join?"
"Maybe later. The 'Go Home Club' still holds some fond memories for me," he replied dryly, shrugging, "I was wondering if you could tell me something 'bout this." He held out the coin, "Does a coin with no faces have any Occult meaning?"
"Hm?" She took it, turning it over in her slim, soft fingers, "A silver coin…well, coins can be used for things like Numismatomancy." At his raised eyebrows, she explained, "Basically it's predicting the future by tossing coins. I-Ching uses three identical coins, while the Roman method uses gold, silver and bronze or copper coins."
"Huh," he uttered, "That's…actually pretty cool. I only got this one, though."
The redhead shrugged, handing the coin back. "Well, our club does have some books on the subject if you want to take a look some time."
Unbidden, Roy found himself giving her a lopsided smile. Off to the side, a couple of girls stifled squeals of delight. "Yeah, maybe if I wind up, er, collecting some more. Do you get up to that kinda stuff in your club?"
"On occasion," she replied, chuckling and leaning casually on a hip, "Why? That make you want to join?"
"See previous answer," he grunted, though not unkindly.
She giggled, moving away before the teacher for their next class came in and called them all to order.
Numismatomancy, huh? he thought, rubbing the coin in his pocket, That doesn't sound too bad…
Yeah…becoming a fortune teller wouldn't be too bad.
For once, Roy didn't protest against the foreign thoughts.
ASM
All too soon, it was time for lunch, and Roy found himself treading to his normal spot in the tree lined grove away from the school. His mom's bento was full with beef, rice and tempura veggies, all packed in neat sections, which she knew he appreciated greatly. As he ate, he observed three people walk by. He groaned, recognizing them: Hyoudou Issei, Matsuda and Motohama, the three biggest perverts in the school. Not only did everyone know it, but those three seemed openly proud of their reputation.
Roy could certainly understand an appreciation for some soft female curves. After all, he was at Kuoh, and regularly chatted with a cute girl. Unlike the three perverts, however, he knew the meaning of the word discretion.
He glanced at his watch. Half an hour left for lunch. More than enough time. Sighing and grumbling, he reluctantly closed his bento, got up and followed after them. It didn't take long to figure out what they were up to, given how they were only marginally attempting to keep their voices down.
"...should be finishing up their morning practice right about now…"
"All those tits gettin' soaked in the shower…!"
Roy frowned as he tread quietly behind them, trying to figure out who these idiots would be going after today. It could only be one of the many athletic classes or clubs, since they were starting to let out. Checking off what clubs were currently active in his head, the older boy let out a sigh. "The swim team?" he asked them, making them yelp and whip around to see him, "Really?"
"Ack! It's the Half Prince!" yelped Matsuda, "Do you get off on cockblocking us, you damned handsome bastard?!"
"Don't you have anything better to do!?" demanded Motohama, practically blowing steam from his nose, glasses shining sinisterly, "This has gotta be harassment!"
Issei only cringed under the boy's irritated glare.
"My fetishes are none of your business," grunted Roy. "Do you have anything better to do than ACTUALLY harass the swim team and violate their privacy?"
"S-Senpai," started Issei nervously, "It was only going to be a little peek, right guys? We'll be in and out- er…we'll be gone before anyone notices!"
Both the other boys quickly nodded, but they rolled their eyes and grimaced when he looked away.
"Bullshit."
"It's true though!"
Roy deadpanned at the boy, who earnestly seemed to believe that his perverted indiscretion would be just as brief and unnoticed as he said. "You do realize that you've told me the same thing every single time, only to get caught when Matsuhama inevitably starts hollering like dumbasses."
The other two boys had the gall to look sheepish at the truth being thrown back at them, right before they realized the rest of what he'd said. "DID YOU JUST COMBINE US INTO ONE PERSON, YOU SON OF A BITCH?!" yelled Matsuda, his entire shaved head reddening with indignation.
"Fuckin' pretty-boy looking down us…" snarled Motohama, pushing up his glasses angrily, "I'd love to wipe that smug face through the mud…!"
"No seriously, why do you hang out with these two, Hyoudou?" sighed the older boy, ignoring them to turn his attention back to Issei, "You know they're just gonna use you as a scapegoat and ditch the moment the girls notice you, right? Just like every other time?"
"Urk!" the Matsuhama duo blanched when he so bluntly hit the nail on the head.
"Yo, Murayama-san!" he called out, making them immediately yelp and scatter at the mention of the female Kendo club member.
"Every man for themselves!"
"So long, Issei! Rot in hell, Half Prince!"
The brown-haired boy yelped and looked around, but by the time he realized that the girl Roy had called out to wasn't there, he'd already been left behind. "...I know you mean well, but they still kind of are my friends," Issei muttered.
"And we aren't? Friends don't ditch friends to get beat up," the older boy told him flatly, turning to walk back towards his lunch-tree, "Also, unlike those two, you at least have a speck of decency in you, Hyoudou. There's no hope for them, but if you at least pretended to be a nice person, you'd at least get the chance to give a girl a good first impression."
Trailing along behind him, the brown-haired boy sighed. "Again with that…?"
"It works. You think I got on such good terms with Gremory by drooling over her tits?" He paused for a moment, before dryly adding, "Where she could see?"
"Damn it, why do you have to rub that in!" Issei grumbled, "Talking to one of the two Great Onee-samas…how smooth can you be, Yatogami-senpai?!"
"Lemme let you in on a little secret, Hyoudou. I'm terrible at talking to strangers."
Issei rolled his eyes. "I know, you're super blunt and you've got a face like a yakuza thug." When Roy gave him a withering sidelong look, he pointed at him accusingly. "See?! Like that!"
"My point," continued Roy with a huff, "Is that if you want a girl to like you, then you gotta show that you're interested in her opinion and her interests. Find out what she likes, and converse with her on it. Hell, have her teach you if she's so inclined; it'll show that you're invested in what she has to say."
"And then what?"
He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe she'll become friends with you, maybe she'll even decide that you're a decent enough guy to date. Just don't push things faster than she would like, but don't be a doormat about it either." He opened up his bento and began eating again.
Issei stared at him. "You're surprisingly wise, Yatogami-senpai," he said.
"Whaddya mean 'surprisingly?'" he replied grouchily.
"I mean, aren't Americans, you know, not that bright?"
Roy glared at him. "Well judging by you, I didn't get my brains from the Japanese half either, boyo. Now shut up and lemme eat."
Issei sighed and waved him off, walking away to get his own lunch.
Moron, thought the older boy exasperatedly, but without any real heat, But then, it's always been that way. At least sometimes my words get through. There's some hope for him yet.
ASM
The rest of the school day passed uneventfully, though Roy could've sworn he saw Matsuda and Motohama out of the corner of his eye, giving him filthy looks.
But what did that matter? Classes were over and he was free to go home. Sure, that overbearing Student Council President was always on his case to join a club, but he'd do that when he damn well felt like it, not a moment before.
It was that way back then too.
He shook his head, banishing the flashes of a high school that he'd never been in.
His brain had always been full of thoughts and memories like that, as far as he could remember. Growing up, he'd always asked his mother where the challah was each Friday, only to realize that he wasn't Jewish. His sister would get rather pissy when he forgot that he was supposed to be the younger sibling. His parents were loving and supportive, of course, but it was clear that they worried that he might have some sort of mental condition. Therapy hadn't done much to make the memories go away, but as he grew older, it became easier to tell which memories were real and which weren't.
Somewhat, at least.
It all made his head spin, almost lightheaded as his current memories and these new ones fought in his mind. But he plodded on, used to the sensation.
The commute home was uneventful as always, taking him halfway across town. The area he lived in was one of the more upscale areas of Kuoh Town, with traditional Japanese manors mixed with more modern housing. He lived in the latter, which appealed to his other memories at least; it wasn't like he hated it himself either.
"I'm home…!" he called absentmindedly when he let himself in.
"Welcome home!" His mother called out, "How was your day?"
Roy looked up to his mother in a blouse and long skirt. The memories in his head were suddenly appreciating her figure, which, while not as developed as Rias or Himejima, the term MILF would apply to her, her black T-shirt sitting tightly across a burgeoning, yet firm chest and child bearing hips squeezed into a pair of jeans.
...Gah. He had to blink hard to try and shake away the unbidden thoughts. What the shit, brain? I don't wanna think about how sexy my mom is!
"Something wrong, honey?" Mizuki asked.
"Nothin', just…thinking weird thoughts again."
"Oh. Well, if it's not anything too serious, then why don't you go lie down for a bit."
He grunted. "Yeah…maybe after I do my homework, I guess."
Meh, napping is a waste of time. There's too much I'd rather do, even if it ends up being nothing.
He grimaced, but couldn't disagree.
ASM
Homework wasn't all that tough to deal with. Even besides the memories of learning all this stuff before, it wasn't like Roy couldn't parse through it himself. He was challenging Shitori sempai for best scores in the school, at least in some areas, and he certainly wasn't bad in the others either.
I was never this good at concentrating on my own.
That thought made him pause. On my own…Are these thoughts...someone else's?
No. From the beginning, I-
He shook his head, clasping his hands to his temples. NO! I'm me! I'm Yatogami Roy!
Yes…that's right. That's who I am now. But before all that…
Pain pulsated behind his eyes, making him roll over with a gasp of pain. Images, memories of a life he didn't lead, a life that was completely different to what he lived now. Shows, games, people he never met or saw, all of it seemed to be mixing with his own.
"HRRRNNNNNGH!" he groaned, trying not to scream at the top of his lungs, tears leaking from his eyes.
I am I. That will always be true. These memories are me, and this life is also me. Just go with the flow, Roy. I have all that I need. Just remember…
The pain faded away, and he lay back on the bed tiredly. He could feel the coin in his hand again. Is there really something supernatural out there? he wondered, too tired to dismiss it outright anymore, Am I really a reincarnation? Well…I guess remembering my past life isn't so bad. It's not like it invalidates the life I'm living now.
Those memories rose to the surface, but this time, he took the time to examine them. As he did so, he began to realize that the whole Isekai thing might actually hold some water.
Kamen Rider? Isn't that that show from back in the 70s? He quickly hopped on the internet to check. Sure enough, it was from the 70s, but the show had ended long before he was born, despite attempts to bring it back. His memories spoke differently, showing him images of more colorful, more modern interpretations of Ishinomori Shoutarou's creation. Sure, modern day Super Sentai was good too (even if admitting that he liked it nowadays would make him a laughingstock), but something about the shows in his mind's eye appealed to him more.
Not to mention a reversed version of his favorite comedy manga, The 100 Boyfriends Who Really Really Really Really Really Want You. To think that he could remember a version that was more like a harem anime. Hyoudou would die if he knew that something like that existed, he thought, snorting.
It wasn't all anime, however. His childhood was filled quite clearly with several series that he quickly confirmed did not exist.
Alright. So I remember stuff from my previous life in another world. What now?
He held up the silver coin, rubbing it between his fingers absently. It almost seemed to tingle against his skin. "So what are you supposed to do, huh?" he asked quietly.
Suddenly a female voice called out outside his door. "Roy! Dinner!"
"Alright!"
Well, it could wait for now.
ASM
The next day saw Roy heading to school, this time accompanied by his older sister. Yatogami Chiaki was practically the spitting image of their mother, albeit even taller, with longer, wavy hair and a propensity to hide her generous curves under more baggy clothing. Well, as baggy as the Kuoh Academy College Division dress code would permit. "Mom's been telling me about your headaches. You alright, little bro?" she asked, pushing up her thick, round glasses.
"Mm. They're not as bad as she probably implied," he answered vaguely.
She gave him a sidelong look that would not have been out of place on his own face, her own bright blue eyes showing through the lenses. "...Is it those memories again?" she asked seriously.
"You wanna get into it this early?" he sighed, "...Yeah, they haven't stopped. Never have."
Chiaki bit her lip, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. After school, why don't you stop by the shrine? Get yourself a charm. You might have a Youkai haunting you."
He gawped at her for a moment. "A Youkai? Jeez, never took you for the superstitious type, Chiaki-nee."
"Look, all I'm saying is, my friends picked up some charms when they were having trouble and it helped out a ton!" she protested earnestly.
"I'm not putting all my hopes in a dinky little pouch, nee-san. Not to mention, correlation doesn't equal causation. They could've just turned their lives around on their own, or just used the charm as a placebo."
She frowned. "Now what did I tell you about throwing around smarty-pants vocab like that?"
"That I'd make your nerd glasses feel ashamed to be worn by such a dumbass sister," he replied without missing a beat, turning away to hide a shit-eating grin.
"Yeah, that's ri- OI!" she yelped, hands immediately leaping up to push at her round frames, inadvertently smushing her voluminous breasts between her arms.
"Heheheh…"
As the siblings badgered each other, out of the corner of his eye Roy spotted something white. Breaking free of her sister, he looked closer to see the unofficial school Mascot, Toujou Koneko. The tiny girl was practically the polar opposite of Chiaki, barely four and a half feet tall with short white hair and yellow eyes. The only place where they shared similarities was in curves; his underclassman was very blatantly stacked, with massive, wobbly orbs that bounced around under her uniform shirt, and plush, soft thighs that rubbed together under her short skirt.
There wasn't a boy in Kuoh that hadn't at some point daydreamed of having the shortstack sit on their lap. The perpetually chilly expression on her face only made things worse, a black cat-shaped hairpin being the only hint of vanity about her. However, much like the two Great Onee-sama, Koneko was considered completely unapproachable. Anyone who tried to chat her up would probably wind up getting stonewalled by her cool nature…and then beaten up by all her other fans.
Noticing the girl, Chiaki commented, "I swear, she gets shorter every day."
"Suits me fine," he said absently.
She snorted. "No wonder you get along with that perv Hyoudou."
"It's called having a healthy appreciation for them without being a fucking idiot." He nodded at the girl, raising my voice in greeting. "Yo, Toujou-san."
She turned to regard him, eyes narrowing for a moment. Then she grunted softly and continued on her way.
"Well that was rude," Chiaki huffed.
"Nah, don't worry about it. Reminds me of a cat."
"Bah, boys like you would forgive anything for a pretty face! Anyway, I have to do something at the shrine later, don't wait up alright?"
"Business as usual?"
She shrugged, adjusting her shoulder bag. "Yeah, sure, that."
Without thinking, Roy reached into his pocket to rub the silver coin. Hm…for all I know, she could be serious about that Youkai thing. Though these memories aren't caused by that.
ASM
As the day passed on, Roy noticed something strange in the air. The students, normally giving him weird looks on a good day, were physically avoiding him hugging the walls or even going on detours around him. What, did my uniform get stained or something? He looked himself over; nothing unusual that he could see. Nevertheless, he could feel an almost uncomfortable tingling in the back of his neck.
Fortunately, the Perverted Trio seemed to be lying low today, so he was able to eat lunch at a leisurely pace.
"Is there something going on, today?" he asked Rias in the afternoon, "I'm getting the weirdest feeling that something's different."
However, the redhead only raised an eyebrow quizzically. "No? Nothing that I'm aware of."
He hummed, even as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, would you mind if I dropped by your club today? Just to see what it's like."
Her eyes, which were a lovely shade of blue-green, widened, practically sparkling as she beamed. "Certainly!" she chirped, "Just come by the old school building!"
He gave her a smile and a nod, but as he turned around, he noticed several boys were giving him dark looks. He only gave them a blank stare right back, to show that he was not intimidated (even if he was just a little).
And then, at last, classes ended for the day. As Roy packed away his books and slung his bag over his shoulder, two of the boys in his class suddenly approached him, subtly blocking his way. "...Can I help you?" he asked doubtfully, even as his grip tightened on his bag.
"Come with us for a bit, Yatogami," one student requested flatly. Something about his cold, almost blank expression made Roy's skin crawl.
"Mmm, sorry, can't," he replied nonchalantly, "Kinda made plans already, but thanks anyway. Don't wanna keep you from your clubs."
"This won't take too much time," said a third, approaching them with an identical expression. Completely identical.
Before he knew it, what felt like half the boys in the class were clustered around him, forming a wall of uniforms. He stared around at them, unnerved, but finally, he gave a resigned sigh and nodded. "Alright, fine."
None of them touched him, but he was quickly herded out into the hallway and out of the school building. He glanced around, spotting the old building where Rias had told him to come visit her. However, he had the feeling that trying to break away from the group would only get him dogpiled. Japanese society in a nutshell. He snorted at his own joke.
His nerves only mounted, however, as he was led into the woods just outside the school grounds. "Oi, what's this about?" he asked, masking his nervousness with irritation.
Finally, however, they came to a stop, parting slightly. However, doing so only allowed Roy to see that even more people had joined them. Looking behind him to make sure, he counted about twenty or so boys, all of them looking to be of different years, all giving him the same blank, yet hateful looks.
"You know what this is about, Yatogami," said one boy, rolling back his sleeves to show off a pair of well-muscled arms. Most likely he was a member of one of the Martial Arts clubs.
Roy rolled his eyes. "Humor me, then. I wanna hear how you plan on justifying this debacle."
His snide expression faded when he saw that everyone's eyes began glowing.
"You've been buzzing around Gremory-onee-sama for too long," growled another boy, "You're an eyesore."
"Someone as great as her doesn't need some boy chatting her up!"
"So, what, you want me to stop hanging around her?" he asked, putting a hand to his neck and cracking it, "I fail to see how it's any of your business."
A shout of anger and movement behind him made him spin around. His hands came up and brushed aside the attacking underclassman's wild punch, before shoving him past him firmly, making him stumble into the others.
Something's wrong here, thought Roy, even as he set his bag on the ground and got himself into a Bajiquan stance, These guys have to know that they'd get in serious trouble for something like this. He eyed the glowing from their pupils.
"You might have a Youkai haunting you."
He grimaced as he remembered his sister's words. Maybe you had a point, nee-san.
"Oh? So you know some Martial Arts?" asked the boy with the rolled back sleeves.
Roy shrugged. "Eh, Dad thought it would be handy to pick some up for self defence. And look at that, he was right." He was talking mostly to psych himself up, trying to keep his breathing under control. His heart pounded, and he was already starting to sweat at the prospect of fighting so many people.
And then they were upon him. It had been years since he'd first learned Bajiquan, and he hadn't advanced all that much before moving to Japan, but he still made sure to keep himself from getting rusty. He weaved through the mass of bodies, redirecting some attacks and wincing when others got through. He forced himself to keep calm, even as panic bubbled up in his throat, trying to stay on the move.
But then his arms were being grabbed and yanked around behind his back. He grunted, trying to struggle free, but a heavy fist smacked across his jaw, making him see stars for a moment.
Damn it...of all the days for my sister to be right about something… Another fist smacked across his cheek, almost knocking him over, but the two holding him made sure to keep him upright. The only reason they even got the jump on me is 'cause of numbers.
A punch to the stomach made him double over, wheezing, his vision blurring. His fist clenched, and he felt the coin between his fingers. What good are memories gonna do me if I can still be overwhelmed like a normal human?
Even so, fuck these guys. If I was the one with the group, this whole situation would be reversed!
What I need is numbers.
Suddenly, a blinding light shone from his clenched fist, making everyone cry out in shock and discomfort, and Roy felt the grip on his arm slacken for a moment. Taking the opportunity, he yanked his arm free and shoved himself against the boy who still had hold of him, toppling him to the ground. Even as he deflected another attempt to grab him, the boy opened his hand to see that the mysterious blank coin was now shining white, breaking apart into vanishing fragments.
And then, suddenly, everything became a whirl of black. Roy gasped in shock, his knees buckling as his mind split. Suddenly, his vision fractured, and his stomach lurched nauseously as his consciousness scattered through the void. His vision danced with shadows and light, his eyes seeing himself like a mirror over a thousand times. He felt his own body moving in a dozen different directions, striking out faster and harder than he'd ever moved in his life. The other boys cried out in shock and pain as he punched and kicked them mercilessly, countless impacts reverberating against his fists. He could barely think, his mind overcrowded by too many sights, too many lightning-fast motions.
I'm not this fast…what am I doing?
Where am I?
There was a sharp jolt as he/one of him was grabbed by the arm and thrown over a broad shoulder. He kicked the offender's leg with one of his, making him buckle, but when his back hit the ground that one viewpoint vanished. He barely even noticed, however, because there were easily dozens more, which easily returned the favors on all the other boys, all being thrown about like ragdolls.
And then, suddenly, it was over. All the boys lay on the ground, groaning, but unconscious, and the movement finally stopped.
With a gasp of shock and effort, Roy pulled himself together, and found himself lying insensate on the ground. He scrambled his his feet, swaying, feeling lightheaded, and looked around.
Roy stared, uncomprehending, at the new group that had arrived. They were undoubtedly humanoid, dressed from head to toe in black and all identical. However, the hands that emerged from their sleeves were a cold blue. "Um…" he uttered, having no clue what he wanted to say.
However, at the sound of his voice, all of them looked up at him with glowing red eyes, their faces hidden behind masks. Roy gulped, but at the same time, he could feel some of his fear seeping away. In the back of his head, the voice of his past life was able to identify them.
Shadowkhan!
His eyes widened as he remembered the coin vanishing, just before these…Shadowkhan had materialized. "Did I…did I call you here?" he asked them.
As one, they all nodded silently.
"Okay...do you know how I called you?"
They merely blinked at him. However, just as he resigned himself to being given the silent treatment, a feeling of lightheadedness overcame him and he stumbled. Instantly two more of the ninjas were at his side, supporting him. He barely registered that, though, as he suddenly became aware of something inside his mind. A great, vast pool of darkness, imprinted into which was the image of a shimmering coin. However, this time the coin was marked, emblazoned with a single word.
NUMEROUS.
"I didn't just summon you," he murmured, looking around at the ninjas, "I made you."
Once more, they nodded.
He gazed at the group of students that had just tried to attack him. He still had no idea why they'd gone so far as to assault him, but it was clear that something had provoked them, something supernatural.
Given that I can summon fucking ninjas out of nowhere, it'd be stupid to say that the supernatural doesn't exist, he thought ruefully to himself.
"Hm...I wonder if Gremory knows any of this stuff?" he wondered, forcefully trying to move past his earlier terror. The aching pain starting to throb on his face and stomach made that difficult, however. "I…fuck, I gotta get outta here, before they wake up," he mumbled, stumbling back towards the edge of the woods, "You guys make yourself scarce or something."
At his absentminded order, the Shadowkhan instantly melted into the ground and vanished behind him.
Off in the distance, a figure in the trees took flight, leaving behind a scattering of black feathers.
ASM
Fortunately, this time he was able to reach the old school building. As he approached, Rias opened the door to greet him. She was about to say hello, but then saw his jaw and cheek bruised, the boy himself visibly shaking. "Yatogami-kun! What happened?"
"Let's just say that your fanboys are the worst," he groaned, rubbing his face, "But that's not important."
The redhead frowned severely. "Not important? You're all beaten up! Don't act like a shonen protagonist and get in here!"
He snorted, even as she dragged him inside and led him down the hallway. "Like you're one to talk, you otaku. Your Occult club actually deals with the real thing, doesn't it?"
She paused mid-step, blinking. "W-what?" she asked, suddenly flustered, "What makes you say that?"
"Just call it a hunch, especially considering that I just awakened a superpower myself."
She whipped around to face him, her blue-green eyes widening. "What?!"
"Yeah, that's why I said not to worry about those guys. I ended up coming out on top."
Rias let go of his hand, pressing her palms together and breathing deeply. "...What sort of power is it?" she asked slowly, as if trying to contain some sort of emotion that he couldn't identify.
Roy closed his eyes, imagining that same pool of darkness from before, raising his hand and curling his fingers, almost as if he were pulling at a chain, or beckoning someone. "Come."
He felt three of the Shadowkhan step out his shadow before he saw them.
"Wha-?!" gasped Rias, jumping in a way that made her prodigious bust bounce in an eye-catching way.
"Don't worry, they won't hurt you," he assured her, glancing at them, "Er, right?"
They shook their heads.
"Right."
However, she only waved that off, even as he gestured for them to step down. "No, not that! You just...pulled them out of nowhere?!"
"Yeah, don't know much at the moment, but I think I actually created them. Um, so about that medical treatment-"
Suddenly, she grabbed his hand and yanked him forward again, making him yelp in shock. She practically hauled him up the stairs, leading him to a spacious room lined with bookshelves and a pair of sofas.
"Sit!" she commanded, nearly shoving him down onto a seat, before running off through another doorway. "Akeno! Akeno, get the first aid kit!"
Then she came running back into the room and plopped herself down on the opposite couch, her eyes glimmering with giddiness.
Roy stared at her, bewildered. "Okay, not exactly the reaction I was expecting. What the shit, Gremory?"
Her face went slightly pink, even as she grinned widely. "S-sorry! It's just, I had a feeling that you had a Sacred Gear, but I never thought that you'd actually awaken it like this! And that it was that power! Oh-oh my gosh, where do I even start!"
He blinked. "Sacred Gear? Wait, you knew I had power?"
"It-it was pretty noticeable," she admitted, practically bouncing in her seat, "I mean, not that you aren't an interesting person on your own, but it was kinda hard not to tell that you had one!"
"Okay, let's start from the top! What is a Sacred Gear?"
Finally, the redhead took a deep breath. "Right. Fine. Okay. I'm calm, I'm calm…Sacred Gears, Yatogami-kun, are special powers that were bequeathed to mankind by the Abrahamic God, in order to give them a chance against the supernatural."
"So...what my sister was blabbing about is true...so where do you fall in, Gremory?"
With smirk and a toss of her hair, so perfect that it had to be practiced, a pair of spindly, bat-like wings suddenly snapped open from behind her back. "I never thought you'd ask. I am Rias Gremory, a Devil. And you, Yatogami Roy, are the bearer of Annihilation Maker, one of the most powerful Sacred Gears in existence."
ASM
AN: And boom! Didn't think you'd see me again, did you?
Don't worry, this does not mean that Waking Dreamer is dead or anything. It's just that these fics will be running parallel to each other.
UO: Read whenever he can drag me away from my stuff and when the motivation strikes
Notes:
1: Roy's name was thought up by my friend UnitedOsprey, meaning king. If you're gonna complain about him having an English given name, I refer you back to the fact that he's half American and grew up IN America.
2: I'm not going to bash Issei, full stop. Yes, he is a damn pervert, but I feel that that does not mean that he deserves the same level of scorn as…certain others. Certain purple others.
UO: Lord knows there's too much in this fandom. And we would be hypocrites...well NSG would be.
Oh, don't pretend like you're any less.
3: Yatogami Chiaki is an OC, though I suppose that the closest comparison one could make as far as her appearance would be Tamaki Ako from Netoge no Yome, except older and way less Chuuni. And glasses.
4: Yes, I made Koneko into a shortstack. Look up the character Felt Whitesnow. You're welcome.
5: The voice/memories of Roy's past life are from things that are in our world. In that way, yes, he's technically an SI, but also kinda not, at this point.
6: Idol fanboys be absolute trash sometimes. Especially for popular girls in school.
7: I hope I didn't make the mind control thing TOO subtle.
UO: The Mummy would make a great episode based on that for the record
Soul: walks through with popcorn, looks around, gives a thumbs-up, and walks back in his Shattered Realms
UO: *Hears carnage* GOD DAMMNIT! KATSUKI! NATSU! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU! *Further carnage ensure.
Moving on…
8: Who WOULDN'T use the power to create any creature to make minions as cool as the Shadowkhan? Plus they fit the Shadow aesthetic...but that's for another chapter. An explanation for how Annihilation Maker works will come in the future.
9: That 100 Boyfriends manga is DxD's parody version of pretty much the greatest harem manga ever, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really Really Love You. I totally recommend it if you want an MC who isn't a dense moron and gives all his girls love and support.
And that's all for now. As always, if you have any thoughts or questions, leave a review or send a PM.
North South Out.