italics - Thoughts
Bold underlined - Spells/Sword Skills
[Bold] - Ddraig
[Ddraig] - Ddraig mental speech
{Bold} - Albion speech
[Issei] - Issei mental speech with Ddraig
[Issei] - Issei speaking with Ddraig
Underlined - Timeskips/Flashbacks
"Bold" - Rating Game Announcement
Disclaimer: I do not own Highchool Dxd, Sword Art Online, or any of its characters. All rights belong to their creators.
Chapter 14:Their battles for personal gains Pt.1
It was a beautiful night out. Stars shone like glittering diamonds in the night sky. It was a very stark contrast to Issei's mood a few hours ago.
It's times like these that I am fine with riding my bike. Issei thought to himself as he looked up. He had just finished doing one of his contracts, and was in the process of riding home.
Well, at this stage, he would have been able to use a magic circle to transport him to and fro from his client's house, thanks to the training he did in the underworld, as well as the now more numerous contracts being achieved once he remembered to actually fulfil the contract. But, as his regular customers had the mindset of him arriving by bike being the norm, he had to travel and arrive by back to make them happy.
Well, it also served as training for Issei, and it also allowed him to have peaceful moments like these, all to himself. Well, the training part was something he wished he could have done without. As now, he had to wear specially crafted shoes by Kirito's friend, the blacksmith, that increased the weight, and therefore, the strength needed for him to lift it.
On the bright side, it also allowed him to pedal faster, and if he ever got in a fight, he could use this to his advantage by kicking someone hard in the chest.
…On the downside, he had to remember to restrain himself when he fought, lest he accidentally killed someone not related to the supernatural.
That was when his thoughts turned to the Devils. Specifically, the High-Class Devils that Issei was aiming for.
High-Class Devils as a whole looked down on the lower-ranked devils, especially the reincarnated devils. Since most of them were from noble families, like the remains of the 72 Pillars. Including Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory, the former his School's student council president, the latter his Master. But, unlike the rest of the Devils he had met so far(excluding Kirito and the Maou), they treated their Peergae members, which were comprised of mostly reincarnated humans, as servants at the worst, and close friends at the best. On average, it was friends for the Sitri Peerage, but for the Gremory one, the one he was in…everyone was treated like family. A far cry from the usual treatment of reincarnated devils by their masters, especially the ones from noble families, like Riser Phoenix.
Speaking of that Yakitori bastard… Issei stopped at a nearby park. I wonder how is he?
Now that Issei had learned more on the history of Devils(with Kirito and Asuna, both of whom he have just realised are SAO survivors), he could understand Riser's actions a little more. The devils had lost a large number of their kind after the war. He had taken that fact for granted when he first learned of it. But when he looked through the history…
20 percent.
That was the percentage of the devil lives that had been confirmed to have been lost during the war. The number was supposed to be higher, but because of the nature of the death's of devils when exposed to light-attributed weapons, it is hard to confirm he exact number of deaths that had been brought about by the war. At the very least, it was safe to say that the population of pure devils now was around 50 percent of the overall population at best. Half-devils and the like made up the rest of the population.
This also explained the attitude of the devils from noble families, in a rather crude, yet reasonable way.
Nobles in the entire population of Devils have a veeeeerry long history. In fact, their history is the very thing that allowed their numbers to swell back up to a number that meant they were no longer on the brink of destruction after another war. It was also the main reason for the attitude of the nobles.
Before, the nobles only wished for their numbers to rise to prevent their whole race from being wiped out. So, the first thing that came to mind was procreation.
But unfortunately for them, devils were creatures with a low birth rate, so to ensure that the entire race survived, it would have meant that every female devil would become a concubine, regardless of choice. The females would have to be forced to give birth for the rest of their lives, or until the desired number of pure-blood devils was reached.
So, this left the second option. To turn other beings into their kin. Dilute their pure-blood with other creatures for survival. This route was a route that many refused to take at first. After all, their blood was from a higher existence compared to humans.
Then, came the Evil Pieces system.
With it's power to turn any creature into a reincarnated devil, it gave the nobles an alternative to the first and second option. It allowed the nobles to procreate with other pure-blood devils, while also inflating their numbers. And on the off chance their Peerage got pregnant with devils, even better. It was a win-win situation.
This mindset also, inevitably, led to the nobles current way of thinking.
If I were a High-Class devil with a long history, I would be scared of a devil that I reincarnated gaining more authority than me, the guy that reincarnated him. Stepping off his bike, Issei parked it nearby, feeling thirsty.
Spotting a vending mavhine, he walked up towards it, his mind already made up with what drink he wanted. It is like what I read in history class. Nobles have always feared that commoners would usurp their authority. Issei took out a hundred yen before he inserted it into the machine. Seeing the lights flash up, he unhesitatingly pressed the button for a sports drink. This is pretty much the same, I guess.
Issei sighed. I don't understand these sort of things so well, though. I'm just a reincarnated devil, and I am classified as a Low-Class one as well. SO, I have to work hard to get noticed so I can get my own Peerage!
Suddenly, he tensed up. …what is this presence? Quietly, Issei summoned Ascalon, before he sheathed the blade at his side in the custom sheath that Kirito had given him. For some reason, whenever a sword was sheathed in it, it would disappear, despite him being able to feel its weight. Not that he was complaining too much. It was a great surprise attack should he need to use that option.
A presence emerged from the darkness that had appeared. It was a guy wearing rather rough clothes.
"Bikou!" Issei instantly recognised the person who stood beside his bike. "Why are you here?!"
"Ah, Sekiryuutei." Bikou directed a refreshing smile towards the Red Dragon emperor. "I see that you got stronger! Well, I just came to accompany my partner today, so no worries."
Partner… Issei narrowed his eyes. He had a inkling of who was coming out of the darkness next.
Vali appeared, wearing a white tee and grey hoodie. Putting his alert to the max, Issei made a stanvce on the spot. It allowed him to fight barehanded, while also allowing him to reach for his sword at any time.
"I heard that you reached the complete Balance Breaker?" Vali took a moment to observe the boy before him, before he dug into his pocket. "Well, not that it matters."
Issei felt a little peeved off by the flippant attitude of Vali. "Yo, the genius Hakuryuukou. Do you want to continue from where we left off here?"
"Ah, please. Although that offer is rather tempting I just popped by to speak to you. After I say my piece, I would be taking my leave." Vali retracted his hand, revealing a couple of yen. "Perfect. I need a drink. Bikou, you want any?"
"Eh, sure." The descendant of the first Monkey King shrugged. "Could you get me some peach juice?"
"There ain't any." Vali picked up a can. "Here, have this instead."
"So? What did you come to talk to me about?" Issei ignored Bikou's voice of happiness when he opened the can he received from Vali.
"You are facing off against the heir to the Astaroth clan for your next Rating Game, right?" Vali opened up his can of tea, taking a sip from it.
"…what of it?" Issei decided to ignore the part about Vali knowing that he ha a Rating Game. Well, he might have heard that from one of his subordinates. He is the leader of a group of terrorists, after all.
"You should be careful." Vali took another, longer sip from his can. "You saw the match, right? Between him and the other house."
"…yeah." Issei recalled the recording with great clarity.
After Diodara had left, they had watched the other recorded match. The one between Diodara and the heir of the House of Agares.
To say that Issei was shocked would be an understatement.
That guy… Issei frowned a she recalled the match he had seen. He powered up so suddenly after that Agares sis held an advantage over him. What's more, his Peerage only supported him while he did all the work…do devil youths have this misconception that Rating games should be planned and have strategies, with the end being a direct confrontation? Buchou also said that he powered up so suddenly… In all honesty, that made the Master of Issei more suspicious of the Astaroth heir.
Well, the higher ups were fine with this sort of misconception. After all, they were looking for more exciting fights. These fights between Kings were just right their alley.
… … …Most of them anyway… …
"Well, it won't get through the skulls of those High-class devils if it's coming from my mouth. But I thought that it might be okay for you to know it." Vali gulped down the last of his drinks before he tossed it towards the bin next to the vending machine. It entered without a sound. "Just thought that I should tell you this. Can't have my future-rival falling because of a trick by a lowly devil after all."
"Wait!" Issei stepped forwards a little. "Why did you come all the way here just to tell me this?"
Vali stopped in his tracks. "…Well, I was just in the neighbourhood. So, I thought I would drop by to warn my future rival. Plus, I was curious about those new devils around you."
"New devils?" Issei was confused for a moment, then his mind went to Kirito and Asuna. "You mean Kirito?"
"Names don't mean much to me if I can't put a face to it." Vali scoffed. "I was hoping to meet them, since Albion said something interesting about them. I thought the Red Dragon in your left hand would have noticed it, but it looks like he did not pick it up, if your attitude is anything to go by. Either that, or he is choosing to not tell you." Vali shrugged. "Either way, I wanted to meet those two, but since they are not around, I would have to look for them another time."
After saying that, Vali disappeared into the darkness, taking Bikou with him.
Geez, that guy is really weird! Issei complained in his head. He shows up with a refreshed face after causing so much trouble, then leaves like he was out for a walk! What sort of guts does he have?!
[You rival is a weird one]
Yeah, I think so too! Issei sat back on his bike, ready to return home.
[Well, you are also quite weird one yourself.]
How rude! Issei scowled at his left hand.
[-But, I am having fun.]
…what do you mean?
[Out of all my wielders, you are the one that has spoken to me the most. I think you are also the first one to treat me like a single being, not as a tool. Plus, our conversation are rather fun, from time to time.]
I am clueless about most things. So, I need to ask about many things, otherwise I would not know a lot of things about things. Or rather, aren't you a being known as the Sekiryuutei, aren't you?
[Partner, I think that you have gotten a little smarter…]
W-what's that supposed to mean!? Issei nearly fell off his bike at the possible tsukkomi that Ddraig aimed at him. I'm not dumb! I mean, I know I'm not smart, but that does not mean I am stupid either!
[Kukuku.] Ddraig laughed. [You sure are a weird one.]
"Hmm. I don't understand the Heavenly Dragons at all."
"I see. So that's what Vali told you." Rias frowned when she heard what Issei had told her.
Shortly after he came back from fulfilling his contract, he immediately went to see Rias. When he entered her room, she was confused at first, but when she heard him out, a frown grew on her face.
"…If he entered this town, then we should have known about it." Rias thought about the possibilities that he could have employed to go under her radar. "A technique similar to eliminating a person's presence? Or did they use a certain application of senjutsu? Or perhaps…they used Kuroka's space barrier?" Rias shook her head slightly, activating a small magic circle.
"Whatever the case, I will report to Onii-sama and Azazel. Perhaps they would understand what method they used to get into Kuoh without us detecting their presence."
The report was very quick. Usually, she would speak to her brother, before he passes it on to Azazel. But right now, Rias wanted it to be quick. So, she decided to send a message instead of giving an audio report.
By using her magic, she could inscribe a message that would be sent to both the Maou, as well as Azazel. It was something that she did not use often due to its higher demonic energy cost, but for today, she would use it. It was faster too. All in all, the message took a second to be written and sent.
Smiling, Rias turned her attention to Issei. "We should also be on a higher alert about Diodara. I was already going to tell everyone to increase their training. But, if what Vali was said was true…well, it's not I like I believe what he said, but this just makes me even more suspicious about Diodara."
"Yes." Issei gave a small salute towards her, making her giggle slightly.
Ise, you are so cute! Rias thought to something that Asuna said to her. What was it that Asuna said? If the object of your affection is being dense, then there are three ways to break down that wall. The first one is through their stomach. The second one would be dropping hints every now and then. The third one is being blunt and direct… Hmm, being blunt and direct seems the quickest, but it's not romantic at all! Rias pouted, going through the door that Issei had opened for her. Then, I guess I'll go for the second option?
"Ise-kun~" A seductive voice sounded out, prompting both her and the boy beside her to look for the origin of it. "How do I look?"
"A-akeno-senpai!" Issei's eyes went wide. As did Rias's. However, both of them were wide for two different reasons. One was in surprise. The other, was in slight anger. Akeno got ahead of me!
"Ufu fu fu~" Akeno giggled, hiding her impressive chest behind her arms. "It looks like Ise liked me surprise."
"…Akeno, what are you doing?" Rias's voice came out similar to a growl. It was unbefitting of the Grmoey heiress to make such a sound, but she could care less at the moment.
"Ara, Rias. So you were talking with Ise." Rias could see that Akeno's smile twitched slightly.
"This is my room. It is obvious that I would be here."
"I see." Akeno's eyes had a hint of darkness in them when she next spoke. "Then, could you wait there for a bit? I am going to take Ise-kun to my room to have some fun~. You would be a hindrance there."
A vein throbbed at Rias's forehead. The smile still on her face, she slowly spoke the words that Akeno had said. "…hind…rance….?..."
A red aura burst from her figure, showing how angry she was.
Needless to say, carnage ensued.
"And?" Asuna tapped her foot against the floor. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"
""We apologise for making such a large ruckus."" Both the main characters of the fight were bowing their head. It was obvious from a single glance that they were reflecting on what they did(well, the two would glare at each other from time to time, but Asuna ignored it in favour of keeping her sanity intact.)
Asuna looked over the two for a little while longer, before she sighed, placing a hand to her head. "Honestly, why would you actually turn this into a fight with your powers? I can understand it, as well as condone it, if you fight with cooking skills, or just limit it to words and some sparring with each other with swords. BUT! I won't stand for matches involving demonic energy in the middle of a floor, which has no protection or soundproofing whatsoever!"
"We are very sorry, Asuna-san." Rias had a faint blush on her face from embarrassment. "We won't do this thing whenever Yui is around again."
"…please do." Asuna sighed. "Kirito-kun and I spent a few years trying to bring Yui here, in an actual body. We just got her in the flesh a for a couple of weeks now. I would rather not have to come home to find my daughter in the midst of a battle, even if she can handle herself."
Asuna was expecting various things to have met her eyes when she came back from doing some contracts(not that she was very successful. Most of them were about cooking tips, and she was able to fulfil them. The problem was, she was not feeling any increase in her demonic energy reserves. So, she was just allowing the completed request pile up.)
She did not expect to see two devils brawling it out on the second floor, both clad in rather…skimpy outfits. Evidence of their prolonged fight was all around, from the burn marks on the walls and carpets, to the partially destroyed floors and banister.
What's more, when she went to the place where she sensed the greatest gathering of devils(mainly, she was led to the location by her connection with Yui), she found practically the entire Peerage playing what seemed to be the devil's version of 'The Game of Life', plus Irina, Silica, Lisbeth, Suguha and Yui.
They(the gamers) only stopped when Asuna came in, found them playing said game, and went out to find the reason for the two devils to fight. Thankfully, they stopped when she used shot balls of water at them. They got soaked, but that matter was quickly settled with some towels.
..
..
"Ha~" Issei sighed. "After some gruelling practise, it is best to relax in some hot water, and have some cold milk right after!"
[Partner, I do not understand this obsession about milk and baths.]
"Hmm…I guess, its because it is really refreshing?" Issei pondered before he shrugged. "I am not too sure on the reasons either, Ddraig."
It was two days after the fiasco involving Asuna scolding two strong devils. It was also one day before the big fight between the Gremory group and the Astaroth group. Meaning the next day was the fight. And right now, Issei was stepping out of the rather large bath in his basement, having already drunk some milk.
Rias had a rather unhealthy obsession with anything related to Japan. One of them was the act of drinking milk right after a bath. Issei had no clue as to why such a thing had started in Japan, but it was something he would not question, as drinking any chilled drink after a bath was the best for him.
By the way, it would seem that all the girls had different preferences for after stepping out of the bath. Rias is in the fruit-milk faction. Akeno, Asia, Koneko are in the normal milk faction. And Xenovia is in the coffee milk faction.
"…hm?" Issei noticed some light peering out of the door opposite the baths. Who is training right now? Could it be Suguha-san? I thought she left already.
Opening it slightly, Issei was surprised to see that the person who was training hard was Xenovia.
The former member of the church was holding a large practise sword, roughly the same size as her Durandal. She was wearing some rather loose-fitting clothes. As he watched, she used the unwieldy sword to stab in front of her, before she somersaulted backwards, slashing an invisible enemy as she retreated backwards. She did some more moves, each a little more flashy and powerful than before, before she stopped, wiping the sweat that was dripping from her brow with her free hand. It was then she noticed the brown-haired boy looking at her.
"… …Ise."
"Yo." Issei stepped into the training hall, picking up one of the many towels that were stacked in the cubby holes near the entrance. "I saw that the lights were on, so I came to check it out. Training?"
"Indeed." Nodding her head in thanks, Xenovia wiped her head. "Kirito has been teaching me some things. His fighting style is very similar to mine, so he decided to give me some tips."
"His style is similar to yours?" Issei parroted. Immediately, he thought of Kirito holding a large claymore in hand, before the image dispelled itself quickly. "But he uses one-handed swords though?"
"Those were my thoughts at first." Xenovia smiled. "But a duel with me proved me wrong. I thought I would have the upper hand, but he used my momentum against me, using it as an opening to deal a precise strike at one of my vitals."
"… …doesn't that mean he is too much of a cheat?"
"A cheat?" Xenovia had a clueless look on her face. "No, Kirito did not cheat in our duel. He just simply pointed out a flaw I had."
"…never mind." Issei scratched the back of his head. He had forgotten that Xenovia was like Asia: Clueless about many things, including some words and their other meanings. "So, what was your weakness?"
"It took me some time, but I realised that my technique was lacking severely, even though my power is overwhelming." Xenovia gave a bitter smile. "In solo battles, all I need to rely on is my own power. But, in team battles, my own abilities are not enough. In team battles, fights are all about Person A's ability + Person's B ability. I won't be able to power through alone. So, I asked Kirito for some help, and he showed me some moves I could use to break deadlocks, if I were to find myself in a 2 vs 1 situation."
"I did not recognise any of them." Issei blinked in surprise. "He trained me in some moves as well, but none of them use moves like yours."
"I asked him the same. But he said that the techniques we were using were different." Xenovia explained. "You are using the one-handed sword techniques he learned, while I am using 2-handed sword techniques."
"…I see." Issei nodded slowly. He exhaled out of his nose. Did he learn these techniques from SAO as well? If he did… A thought occurred to Issei. …What if I infused some of my demonic energy into my sword when I execute one of the techniques he showed me? I mean, I have been sensing demonic energy being wrapped around their weapons when they fought, but I just thought it was to increase it's durability or something.
Slowly, Issei walked over to the weapons rack, much to the confusion on Xenovia. Picking up a wooden training blade, Issei then propped up one of the training dummies that they used to practise their martial arts. Apologising to Koneko I his mind, Issei assumed his usual stance.
"Mm…" Issei frowned. What was it again? Gather demonic aura, and then extend it to the blade? That was to strengthen a weapon, right?
[Partner, if I may.] Ddraig's voice echoed in Issei's mind. [If I recall, the Gremory heiress said that imagination was what shaped your magic, no?]
That's right! Thanks for the reminder Ddraig! Issei strengthened his resolve. Focus the aura on the blade, and–
To the side, Xenovia's eyes widened in surprise. "Ise–"
"Ha!" With a shout, Issei swung the blade.
At first, nothing happened, making Issei think he had failed. Then-
-the sword, as well as the dummy, simultaneously exploded into wooden fragments.
"Amazing…" Issei looked at his hands with his surprise, now noticing the red aura that coated his entire frame. As he watched, it slowly dispersed. So, this is how it feels like to use a Sword Skill….
"Gah!" Sharp jolts of pain shot up his right side, causing Issei to double over and clutch it.
"Ise!" [Partner!]
Concern showing on her face, Xenovia rushed to Issei's side. "Are you okay?"
"…I'm fine." The sudden pain subsided. Experimentally, Issei flexed it a few times, finding nothing wrong with the action. "…so there were such repercussions…."
"Ise, what was that just now?" Xenovia asked the boy, helping him to the floor to allow him to rest. "It looked like one of Kirito's–"
"Sword Skills?" Issei slowly nodded, thinking about the possibilities he could use with this newfound power. "I think…I recreated it to an extent."
"What do you mean?"
"Since Kirito and Asuna are not here, we can't ask them…but, I think I used a Sword Skill. But it was very taxing on my demonic energy reserves and body." As he said that, Issei rechecked his reserves once more. That one swing had nearly tapped him out. What's more, now that he was composed enough to gather his thoughts, he could fee his entire body aching from that one swing. "I used my demonic aura to reinforce the blade, and then coated my demonic energy over it. I also imagined the light that always came with the Sword Skills that Kirito and Asuna always use." Issei gave a weak chuckle. "Looks like I managed to gain the destructive cutting ability and speed of their Sword Skills in exchange for getting myself out of the fight."
"Amazing…" Xenovia looked over at the remains of the wooden dummy and sword. "…neh, Ise. Do you want to become the Maou?"
"No, I haven't thought about things like that… …why did you ask me that all of a sudden?"
"In the future, you will be going solo from Buchou right? To stand at a greater height." Xenovia shifted uncomfortably.
"Yeah, that is my plan." Issei replied.
"Asia said she will be following you."
"Hmm? Aaah, yeah. We promised we will be together forever." Issei frowned slightly, unsure of where Xenovia was leading this conversation to. "Why did you ask?"
"Take me along with Asia as well."
"!" Issei had a surprised look etched into his face. This is…I never thought she would say that…
"Why do you want to come with me?"
When he asked that, Xenovia answered with a big smile on her face.
"Because, it's more fun being with Ise."
I see…so it's fun being with me huh… "Roger that. Then I would think about it."
"I hope you think about it positively." Xenovia smiled at Issei, before she looked away.
Acha… Issei rested his head against the wooden floor, closing his eyes as he did so. I don't know about any plans for the future, but being with Asia and Xenovia…feels very interesting and nice…
Issei felt his head being lifted up, before a soft feeling enveloped the back of his head. Huh?
Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see Xenovia's head bending over him. Wait…this softness…is this a lap pillow!? Where did Xenovia learn this!?
"Somehow, talking to you made the nervousness inside me disappear."
Xenovia blushed faintly, leaned down and-
*chu*
-kissed Issei on the cheek.
"It's my gift to you. Should I give it to your lips next? Fufufu. Then I will be resting for today now."
Still blushing faintly, Xenovia gently placed Issei's head on some towels, before she left.
Still surprised by these turn of events, Issei could only touch his cheek for the sudden kiss that he was given.
Ah…what just happened?
Timekskip
"Are you ready?" Rias looked over the group that had gathered before her.
It was nearing the end of the school day, so the sky was a beautiful shade of orange and pink. But such a calming day did not reflect the atmosphere of the individuals gathered in the room at that moment.
But, this day was the day of the match between the Gremory house, and the Astaroth house. So, everyone had tense expressions on their face as they gathered on the magic circle located in the Occult Research Club. Right now, they were waiting to be transported, so Rias looked over her Peerage once more.
Asia was wearing the nun clothes that she had worn before. Xenovia was once more wearing the skin-tight battle wear that she once wore when she was a part of the Church. As for the rest of them, they were wearing the Kuoh Academy uniform, with new additions here and there.
Koneko's gloves now extended towards the very edges of her finger tips. The cat paw motif that was on the back of her hand was now on the inside of her gloves. In it's place was a metal plates with small engravings in it. If Koenko wished, she could no attach claws on her gloves.
Kiba was also better equipped. Instead of just the simple leg and hand guards, he now had metallic greaves made of leather and chainmail on his hands, and simple leather boots with studs on the bottom on him.
Issei too had new equipment. A sheath was hanging on his back, with a spare sword that Kiba had made inserted into it. Because she could not see it, it meant that the function of the sheath was working. As a bonus, he could easily unclip it, so when he went into Scale Mail, it would not get shredded by the 'scales' of the armour.
Suddenly, the magic circle they were on started to glow. "Get ready." Rias warned. She saw Asia grip Issei's hand, before the light enveloped them, transporting them to their battlefield for their Rating Game.
Elsewhere….a few days before…
"So, what is it we have to do?" Kazuto shook of the shock that he felt when he saw the magic crest that belonged to Kayaba. Now is not the time for that. All my questions can be answered when we meet her again.
"I would need you to meet me at the ARGUS building." Eiji wasted no time. "That's where the old SAO servers are running. If Yuuna is still alive, that is where she would be."
"Why is that?" Kazuto was slightly confused.
"Because Idol Yuna was based off of the Yuuna we created, and she is running off the old SAO server's boss language system." Eiji explained. "If I explained to you the reasoning we chose the old SAO server's language system, it would take a long time, so I am just going to summarise it briefly."
"There were three levels of the language engine. The first was for simple AIs, meaning the NPCs that we interact with for shops, or do NPCs that we saw around all over Aincard. The second level was for the limited events-based NPCs, like quest givers, as well as the care support NPCs. The last one was for the Bosses of each floor. The professor chose the last one, seeing as it was the most advanced." Eiji further explained. "And if White Yuna was still alive…she would be most likely trapped in the SAO server."
"Okay." Kazuto slowly nodded. "If I am right...I know why White Yuna called me specifically to help you. The place is mostly digital security, right?"
"How did you-"
"It was a guess." Kazuto waved his hand. "Time is of the essence, right? We would start to make our way there. At the earliest we would reach there in 3 days time."
"That is too long." Eiji's face morphed into a scowl. "White Yuna may not have the time to hold put for that long."
"Our choices are limited." Asuna gave an apologetic look. "We are attending a different school, and we do not have the money to use a bullet train. We need a day to travel to Argus. The other two days, we would need to use for the school to process our application to leave the school, as well as rest up along the way."
"...that does not mean I would have to like it." Eiji's scowl softened slightly. "Just make sure you try to arrive as soon as possible."
"I will." Kazuto gave a firm nod. "I thought Yuuna died too. But I swore I would not allow another person I knew to die again(*1*). Now that there is a chance again…I will do everything in my power to help save her."
"…good." Eiji swiped a screen over to Kazuto's and Asuna's avatars. "Here is my contact number. Since you have school, I want to spend your free time planning on how to get White Yuna and save her."
"Got it." Kazuto memorised the number with a quick glance. "Asuna and I have to do some things now, so we got to log out."
"Thank you." Eiji's words made Kazuto stop. "For helping me."
"…" It's not just for you. I too have my own sins to pay for. Kazuto wordlessly manipulated his menu, before he logged out. With the familiar pattern of flashing lights, he was brought back to the room he and Asuna were sharing. Taking off the Amusphere, he sat upright, thoughts heading back to SAO. I have a promise to uphold. To Sachi.
..
..
The two days after that, the duo were hardly seen in school.
If one were to ask if they were in school, the simple answer was yes. They attended lessons, and they did their work. But, out of class, it was hard to find them. In fact, one would have to comb the entire school just to find their location, which is inside the locker room of their clubroom.
"So, Yui will hack the camera systems and put them on a loop. The best time for that would be at night, since there will be minimal light difference if someone were to review the footage of when we break into ARGUS." Kazuto noted down what the plan was on his Augma. "Then, Asuna will use her speed to quickly incapacitate any human guards we meet. Eiji will lead us to the room where the SAO server is being kept."
"Right." Eiji answered back. "I am curious though…who is Yui?"
"Our daughter."
"…I'm…just going to stop asking questions for now." The couple heard Eiji sigh over the phone. "Okay, so we all meet at the front of the office?"
"Sounds good." With a click, they heard Eiji end the call. All was quiet for a moment. Then–
"Is Commander really involved?"
"…I think so." Kazuto leaned his back against the lockers. "Otherwise, White Yuna would not have sent that magic crest."
Today was the last day in which they would be planning. Later that night, after they submit some contracts to Rias for safekeeping, they were planning to use Kazuto's bike to get there. Originally, it would take about a day of non-stop driving to get to ARGUS, but if they flew half the way, then they would reach there earlier. They had a few stops to make before they met up with Eiji.
"Why would the Commander be involved? And, wouldn't he want to lay low? After all, not only is the government looking for him, the entire supernatural world is after him as well." Asuna frowned, leaning her head against Kazuto's shoulder.
"…maybe he did this on a whim." Kazuto sighed, allowing his head to fall on top of Asuna's. "It is hard to tell what he is thinking about in his mind." I have a guess though…
They stayed in this position, blissfully enjoying each other's presences, until they had to go to class once more.
Timeskip
Eiji tapped his foot impatiently against the floor, checking the time at the corner of his Augma every now and then. Where are they?
At first, after Eiji was released from the police station, he had stayed at home for several days, wallowing in despair.
Yuuna had died. Again. This time, she faded out of existence in-front of his eyes.
At first, he wanted to blame someone for her 'death'. Even if she had already died back then to the Floor Boss on floor 40, he wanted to blame someone for the death of the AI that was based on Yuuna.
He had seen the AI as 'Yuuna Shigemura', the childhood friend that had cared for him, and he inevitably lost to the Field boss. Because he was too weak to save her.
…No, Black and White Yuna were Yuuna. To me, they were. Eiji closed his eyes. Black Yuna was a possibility of Yuuna, had she survived that day on the 40th floor and became an Idol. White Yuna was another possibility of Yuuna. A possibility of when she attended the Survivor's school.
"Ha." Eiji let out a small bark. The professor said that Yuuna was dead. Her daughter, was dead. But that is wrong! White Yuna, Black Yuna…they are all possibilities of Yuuna! Her personality, her faults, her quirks…all of them were shared by the AIs we created…
"What's wrong?" A very familiar voice entered his ears. "You worried about White Yuna?"
Opening his eyes, Eiji looked up. There, stoodtwo very familiar figures. His Vice-Commander, and the Black Swordsman.
"You're here." Eiji chose to ignore Kirito's question. "Let's get started."
"Right then." Kirito cleared his throat. "You have to ID?"
"Of course I do." Eiji irritably patted his breast pocket on the jacket he was wearing. "You have to do something about the cameras first."
"Oh, those are already done."
"…That was quick." Eiji blinked in surprise, pausing for a moment before he turned to face Kirito.
"Ah, I asked Yui to do this for us before we approached. The faster we do this, the faster we can save White Yuna, right?" Kirito's words made sense to Eiji, although he was still suspicious about this 'Yui' person. He was still unsure if Kirito's earlier words of Yui being his daughter was true or not, but right now, all that mattered to him was saving White Yuna.
"Okay then." Looking at the shuttered entrance of the tall building, Eiji placed a hand over the ID that allowed him access into the building, ready to use it. His other hand grasped a small charm that hung over his neck. "Let's go."
..
..
After they entered the building, they were very cautious of the surroundings. Even though the shutters were down, and the doors were shut with the placards behind them, Eiji showed them to a side entrance, hidden from the public eyes, so they were able to enter the large building with relative ease. It also gave the indication that there could be human guards in place, and that the security was not just limited to the surveillance cameras.
Quickly moving so as to not get noticed by any of the guards, they managed to cross the darkened rooms, entering the elevator hall.
Out of the three of them, only one was still powered on. And it showed that it was rapidly approaching the first floor; The same floor they were on.
"Shit!" Swearing, Eiji quickly pried open one of the elevator doors. "Help me with this!"
"Got it." Despite Eiji's frantic actions, Kazuto was of a cool mind. Why?
Well, because Asuna would be able to knock out the guard the moment the doors open. Of course, Eiji did not know that, so he had the right to be frantic. Besides, if we hid in the elevator, wouldn't it be obvious to any guard that comes to check on them?
"Hurry up!" Eiji frantically pulled on one side of the doors. "If you open this doors, we can close it easily with the mechanism on the inside! That way, the guards would not know that we are here!"
"Is it really that convenient?" Kazuto easily pried the door open with Eiji, allowing them to see that the elevator was still there.(thankfully. He did not want to have to get his clothes, or God(ow) forbid, Asuna's clothes dirty.)
"From what I heard from the Professor." Eiji grunted as he got into the elevator, pulling on the doors again, this time to close them. "In case of a sudden power cut, Kayaba designed the elevator to be easily opened from the inside in case the elevator stopped right outside a floor."
"I see." Still frowning, Kazuto helped Eiji push the doors together. With a soft click, both doors came together, effectively blocking them from view. And not a moment too soon, as they herd the soft footsteps of a guard appear outside the elevator. Light shone through the gaps, indicating the guard's presence.
Despite the fact that he and Asuna were both reincarnated devils that could move so fast, they would be able to knock out the guard easily, Kazuto could not help but hold his breath in fear of being discovered by the human guard.
For a few, painful moments, the light's intensity did not decrease, flooding the interior of the elevator with dim light, before it slowly receded together with the sound of footsteps.
Kazuto held his breath for a few more moments, but finally released it when he could no longer hear the sound of the guard's boots.
"They should be gone." Eiji cautiously opened the doors, before he stuck his phone outside. Using the camera, they could see that there was currently no one about. "Let's hurry and go."
Moving quickly, they changed elevators, entering the centre one before the doors closed. When they entered, Kazuto was surprised to see that there were six additional underground floors to the eight floors above ground. According to the information plates by their sides, the first three floors were the parking lots. The fourth one, B4, was the data centre. B5 was the server room, and B6 was the machinery room.
"…why are the server rooms underground? Wouldn't they be on the upper floors? It would be bad if the bottom floors got flooded due to a flash flood or a downpour." Asuna asked Eiji.
Instead of a 'Humph', Eiji formed a faint smile, before it disappeared as he responded in a blunt tone. "When I first came here that was the exact same question that I asked the professor. He said that there was an underground cooling system, on the fourth and fifth underground floors, so the systems are all cool. Also, while the underground floors are susceptible to flooding, it also meant that in the event of an earthquake, they would be better off compared to being at the top of a building."
"…I see." Kazuto could understand Kayaba's reasoning. But he did not think those were the only reasons. I think this was a clue for any supernatural being that came here, to say that he was part devil, due to devils being from the ground in several texts about mythology. Plus, if he wanted to, Kayaba could easily use magic to reinforce the underground floors without raising any eyebrows, protecting the servers from any natural attack, while remaining under the radar of the non-supernatural community.
Besides, now that he thought about it, the system console in Aincard was underneath the Town of Beginnings. It served two purposes, now that Kazuto thought about it.
One, no one would think that the starter location would have the location of a system console, capable of freeing everyone should they have the right user ID and pass code. Two, it allowed Kayaba to appear without raising any suspicions, as in the beginning, if Kayaba wanted to make any adjustments,(like say, gifting himself with the Holy Sword skill set, or the System-assist), he would be able to do so without raising many eyebrows, as players would frequent that area.
Thankfully, Kazuto was able to use the console for other purposes. Without it, Yui, who was about to be deleted at that time, would not be with him right then, swaying her feet to and fro as she sat and Asuna's shoulder, in place of the probe that she usually used.
..
! The moment the doors, opened, Kazuto narrowed his eyes, hand moving to his side. Finding Asuna's hand, he tapped it twice.
Finding his eyes, Asuna nodded subtly, having received the signal.
"Ah, Eiji." Kauto called out to the boy before him. "You and Asuna go ahead first. I need to use the toilet."
"You should have gone ahead earlier." Despite that, Eiji raised his hand. "The toilets are at the end of the hall. Make it quick."
"Thanks." Kazuto watched the two figures, one his previous enemy, the other his girlfriend/in-game wife slowly become smaller and smaller, until they were swallowed up by the darkness that the dim lighting was unable to eliminate. Then, he summoned his Sacred Gear, Elucidator already drawn. "Get out of there. I can see you."
"…kah. A mere human could sense this me?" From the far side of the room, emerged a devil. It's wings were not displayed, but Kazuto could feel the suppressed demonic aura thanks to the passive Danger Sense skill that his Sacred Gear replicated. "…no? You are no human." The devil's eyes narrowed. "A devil, like me? Working with a human?"
"What are you doing here?" Kazuto levelled Elucidator at the devil. "You should not have any interest in the old SAO servers."
"you do not know why we are here?" The devil gave a low chuckle. "Well then, die!" Lunging forwards, it's sharp claws glinted in the dim lighting, before it disappeared into thin air.
(*1*) – This is something that I am unsure if it happened in canon. That said, I do intend for Kazuto's AU experience in SAO to have this, so it does not matter much if it happened in canon or not.
AN
Ah, sweet, sweet cliffhangers. They are a pain to see in books and fanfics. I can see why authors love to put them in now. They make for great suspense building. As a bonus, we can torture readers by making them wait! Mu ha ha ha!
Alright, in all seriousness, this is the first chapter in a very long part 'Arc'. So the next couple of chapters would have the same headers, which is boring, I admit. After that would be the interlude!
So far, I have a three-way tie. If this keeps up, I would most likely use my preference, and I would rather not do that. My preferences are horrible! Take my fics for example! Horrible choice of jumping right in with no planning whatsoever!
And finally, the elevator. I can already see some people thinking bullshit, or don't do it, since firefighters are the ones who open the doors for the ones trapped inside. Well, it is called fanfic for a reason. Logic and reason don't go hand in hand all the time, something that would piss off fans. Or laugh, or be neutral. No need to pick a side.
Sorry for the late update. Meant to do it on Sunday, but no time is a factor to consider, since schools up again. I will try to keep to my update schedule as best I can, so expect a few days of false hope. Sorry.
Anime is Life, and please review!
