Yep, I'm really on the roll with this one. Hahahah, I'm really happy to write this fic. I dunno why, maybe is the adrenaline or the continuation of this arc, or anything. But I'm having fun, and I hope you all too. Please, r&r, and good read.
Highschool dxd does not belongs to me, thank you.
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~~x~~
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Well, I did it. I just ran a freaking marathon around the Gremory house and some more within the forest. 1000 laps around it. Easy-peasy the first 232, the rest is hell. But I'm a ninja, I can do it if others believe in me, and as such, I did it. Yeah~! Now I need a Drink!
I took a step inside, and stretched my neck a few times, hearing the wonderful cracking noise of my bones. I did the same with my fingers with my thumbs, taking my way to inside the mansion. An old-style, typical Victorian, I remember when Papa had to take care of me and showed me the house first so he wouldn't have to guide me to the bathroom or something. However, since I was a little... Devil back then, I always pretended to cry so that he would have to lead me to anywhere in the Hellsing mansion. It was funny to see him cringe for having to touch my hand.
Back to topic, I was going directly to the kitchen on the first floor when I noticed a massive door midway the hall half open. Huh, Gremory said to avoid open doors so that we won't attract bugs or anything. Out of curiosity, I took a peak inside, and the place revealed itself to me with that single glance: it was a giant library, a place full of books and paintings, by the other side of this door. Mesmerized, I opened it whole to enter it, and gasped in surprise. This place is huge! It looks like every book of any kind is here! This is a paradise of information! But... I wonder who let the door open here?
"Kyun~... Kyun~..." My answer came quite quickly, as I heard a small moan coming from a place somewhere this hell of paper and ink. I had a small walk around, following the sound with my vampire ears, and came to an encounter with a red leather sofa, in which the small known King of mine was resting, surrounded by several books, one of them hanging from her hands. Huh, so she's also giving her best.
I gotta say, I never thought Gremory to be this diligent, but under closer inspection, my face faltered a little: those books were actually about the Gremory house and their history. The book she had in hand was about the Rias's era. Huh... She does likes Lady Rias, huh? To think the ninja community thinks she was just an exhibitionist, with all that switch princess of ruin and stuff...
Hey, let's frolic with Gremory a bit. Heheheh... After all, sleepy beauty is defenseless just like that, and neither foxy or Tasha are around. Besides, they say that touching a Gremory's breasts gives you good luck! Okay, here we go~. I approached her a little, with the tip of my toes, and then kneeled in front of her, as I could see her breasts going up and down. Okay, just a small poke. A small lucky poke. I pointed my finger onwards, and slowly but steadily moved it to touch one of her covered nipples. Heheheh, if anything, I'll say it was Ichijou, she'll believe it, anyway. Okay, and one, and two and...
"What are you doing, ninja?"
"GYAA~nnnph...!" Holy Dracula, that was scary! I heard from behind me, and when I was about to scream in distress, a hand cupped my mouth and shut me up before I could wake Gremory up. Nice saving, despite I not knowing who it was. I looked by my back, and apparently, foxy is back. Oh, crap...
"Let's talk about this outside, okay?" I nodded, as I flashed her a uneasy look, trying and failing to find some sympathy from her golden eye. She dragged me outside the library, and closing the door, *BAM!* she tossed me to the ground. "Now, explain yourself."
"Well~... I was... Trying to touch some boobs." I said, with nothing to defend myself. Foxy frowned a little, but then snapped for something, only to sigh and take her way to a random direction of the house. That's new. When the dragon is not around, she's the one throwing the straight man ball. I stood up and followed her. "What about you? Your contract with the Tsukinos? It went smooth?"
"Yeah, it was okay, I guess." She said without turning to me. We walked to the kitchen, and I could finally pick my sport-drink, while she picked a glass of milk. Not much later, Tasha entered the scene, herself sweating buckets. "Hey, witch. How are you?"
"In heat and wet." She said in her typical monotone voice, picking a glass of water for herself and sitting in a nearby chair. "Training, too intense. Tired. But I'm trying my best."
"Everybody is, Tasha. I Mean, I guess~. I wonder what dragon is doing?"
*CRASH!*
"Heh?" Tasha and I turned to the direction of that crashing sound, and we discovered that it was foxy whom dropped her glass, now millions of small fragments of it on the floor. "Hey, Foxy, you okay?"
"Hah? Oh. Yes, everything is fine. Just... Wet glass. It slipped from my hands." She said to us, gulping a little and picking some paper-towel to help her dust the glass away. That was weird. She could've just stopped the glass with her tails, or dried it with her senjutsu, but instead she just let it slip away. Like that. Not to mention, her eyes are with a very vague aura around them...
I wonder what happened...
"Hey, Ninja, wanna poke Gremory's breasts? She's asleep. She can't say no."
"Hell, yeah!"
"Stop you two, or else I'll wake her up."
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~~x~~
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"Hyaaah!"
*ZING!*
"Too slow!"
"Heyaaah!"
*ZOOM!*
"Keep trying!"
"WOOOOOOOOH...!"
*SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!*
"Concentrate. Feel the blade! Find the best moment to strike! Break my defenses!"
It has been some dozens of hours now, and I have to admit, Ichijou's getting really quick the way of the sword, while I'm here enjoying some drinks. Sure, he's handling it like a baseball bat, but at least he has stance and sense of rhythm. His stamina to withstand the constant pressure of his Sacred Gear has also improved a lot, but his hotheadness is still there: he had suffered at least ten [BURST]s since the beginning of this training, and not even the magical waters of Mt. Issei is keeping up with his recovery anymore. Worse of all, he's still very green. His stamina and instincts skyrocketed fast, but everything is just stuck. Something's missing. Something very important...
"Keep going! Keep going! Maybe like That would'll be able to break at least a sweat against Nero!" Jin-Young said, using his arms to block the impacts of Rhongomiant's smooth edges. I was seeing lady Akeno's ribbon dancing together with the blade, as Ichijou tried an aerial assault by jumping and swinging his new sword against the giant magical reptile in front of him.
"SHAAAAAAAH...!" The heir of the Red Dragon Emperor Legacy roared as he hoped to at least cut the Green Dragon with his barrage of slashes, up to no use since the former either dodged or hit the sword in a way it would divert to another random direction. When he was about to land, Jin-Yong slapped him away with his tail, as the brunette blocked just in time to ease the impact. He was launched a few miles away, but he was ready for another one. He littered jumped to a second encounter with the dragon. "Come and get me, Hyung!"
"As you wish!" The Green Dragon smirked, as his lungs burned and he spat a massive fireball against my bro. The former stopped for a second, held his Boosted Gear up and announced [EXPLOSION!], as he pulled the ribbon attached to his wrist and punched a specific part of it with all of his might. A magic blue circle emerged from Lady Akeno's memento, as a globe of water emerged from it and collided with it's flaming counterpart. I smirked at that: use the ribbon to draw some important magic runes to avoid getting distracted... Sly sonnovabitch, he's practically cheating. Can't say I'm not proud of his idea. It would be a typical one for gramps. However, the moment he hesitated a little to finally leap onwards, as another fireball crossed the white steam to hit and blew him away, I realized what was missing. Of course. The other thing that was blocking his improvement besides Narration-block. Ichijou landed next to a rock, and splashed some water on himself to cure again some of his bruises.
"Ddraig, take it easy. This water is also an analgesic. The moment the effect wears off, you'll probably be rolling around in pain." Jin-Yong warned, his eyes really shining some concern for the boy in front of him. He lifted his massive sword one more time, and spat some blood on his arm to avoid tainting the waters.
"I'm... I'm not done with you, yet!" He screamed, stomping hard on the floor and holding his blue sword. Yep, he's exhausted, he can't go on. If this dam-recon cycle continues, he'll develop some problems later. Geez...
*ZOOM!*
"What the... Aria-sa-...?!"
*CRUSH!*
"Calm down, will ya, bro?" I said, hammer-kicking and making him eat some dirt. Accidentally, I opened a hole in the ground, and that'll be a bitch to deal with later. But for now, some rest for my little brother. I turned to the ground by my back, and he sighed. "So... You've noticed too, right?"
"Share cuts and bruises is care, Aria-dongsaeng. I'm the one surprised. You have a pretty good eye for that." The dragon laughed, seriously, I think he has a problem regarding lungs. But he ended it and looked at the boy under my foot. He understood the situation, too. What was missing. Ichijou has the objective...
... But not the will.
I get it now. He wants to be like gramps, and that's great. But what he lacks is the proper will to do it. He thinks that training, basic exercises and just generally being a diligent boy will eventuallymake him a better him. Not that it isn't Really that wrong, but this simple-mentality might alienate him from his potential. Like Nemesis said, without proper care, he'll become a mediocre devil that not even the Boosted Gear will save. Maybe if I can get a reason out of him...
"Hey, Jin-Yong, can you please give us some time alone? We might need a little heart-to-heart conversation." I said to the dragon. He tilted his massive head to a side, and chuckled, covering his jaw with his claws.
"Okay, then. Some time alone you'll have. I needed a pause, anyway. Time to dig some hentai." And now he leaped to the nearest water pond and jumped from there to another one, like a true fish-King, until he was no longer in my eyes' reach. Now, back to the boy in hand. He was okay, I guess, so I lifted my foot out of his skull and kicked him right in the stomach, making him roll to another hot spring and splash there. He emerged from it a few seconds later.
"Rise and shine, 'cuzza beautiful morning, bro." I joked, seeing him struggle within the waters for a few moments until finally be able to stand up on it. He looked around to spot me, and then he frowned.
"What the hell, sis! Why did you do that?!" He screamed, while I covered my ears against it. He also improved his lungs, which means stronger screams. Hahahah, Rina-chan's gonna kill me. But for now, serious matters are priority.
"Sorry, but I've figured it out. A way to make you stronger. A way to crush your block entirely besides the protagonist Essence." I said. He stopped for a second, pouted his cheeks a little, and crossed his arms.
"Geez... You'd have Told me. Now, I'm embarrassed. Screw you, really." He said, blushing a little. Ah~, that's cute, I have a tsundere brother. But now, let's get down to business. "So? What is it? Some kind of magic or special training?"
"Well, if it was a special training, then I Would never told you to begin with." I said. He frowned even more, an expected reaction.
"Why not?"
"Well, it's because that you're not motivated." I finished. Now, his face faltered a bit, only to look down in confusion, and take a deep breath. He's understanding. That's good.
"What do you mean, Aria-san?" He asked.
"Again, you're not motivated, bro. Not in the slightest. I dare to say you're not even trying." No that so typical frown turned into a scowl. His green orbs were emanating a dark, grim aura, and the air around his suddenly began to slow down, like the drops of water that started hovering around him.
"I'll ask one more time: WHAT. DO. YOU. MEAN. ARIA-SAN?!" I guess I poked him a little too hard. Pride's a bitch to deal with, sometimes. He said he has none, yet, he's livid because I questioned his efforts. He's trying, he's really trying, but for what is worth, he's stuck.
"YOU. ARE. STUCK!" I screamed back while that same tone. Because of my stronger lungs, he backed upj a little, scared. When he finally shut up, I came closer to him and poked him in the nose. "Stuck! Stuck! Stuck! You're not drowning, but not swimming either! You're floating. You wanna change, but lacks the guts for it! You know what, but not how! You're stuck! Stuck! Stuck!"
"Why you...!" He summoned his Boosted Gear again, as he draw Rhongomiant up high to probably hit me. However, when he was about to try to slice me in half, he stopped, blinked a few times, gasped in realization, and let his sword fall to the ground behind me. He's not clouded anymore, he can think, he can control himself, but he lacks the reason to do anything with it, and ends up doing nothing. "And now what? Seriously, do I need a reason? One will spontaneously pop from the ground anyway. I just have to keep fighting until the next ordeal. Isn't that what Bleach does every time?"
"Yeah, but at least Ichigo has a motive beyond that: he wants to protect his friends and families, plus save the world. You, Ichijou, is just being tossed around, like a errand boy." And he pouted, crossing his arms and sitting in a lotus position. He's deep in thoughts. Probably, maybe, I dunno. "Look, bro, your Boosted Gear works according to your emotions. I know it might kill you, but without some reason or at least will to do anything, you won't be able to reach new levels of your Boosted Gear, including Balance Breaker."
"Will, huh? Do I need that?" He questioned, closing his eyes and thinking. That remark actually kinda hurt me. "Frankly, yes, I'm just an errand boy: my sisters tossing me around back and forth, my father putting all of his disgusting hopes of a harem on me, and now, Gremory and her wish for me to become the new Senpai. I thought that would change with my Sacred Gear, but it looks like I'll be always the errand boy."
"..."
"...?"
*POKE!*
"Huh...?"
"You piss me off, sometimes. You know that, Ichijou?" I poked at his forehead, while sitting in front of him in that same lotus position. Maybe talking about feelings might help. He looks sensitive enough, talking about feelings is always a good idea. "But, maybe with some conversation, I'll help you unlock even more potential here and now for you. Now, what was the best thing that happened to you? The best!"
"What's with that psychological crap? Why would I wanna try some cheap trick?" He deadpanned, soon blinking a few times in realization to the bit his tongue in shame. So cute. He thinks he hurt me. No even emotionally. "Okay, fine. The best thing that ever happened me... I've been talking with a girl that I like a lot!"
"Wow, sixteen years and nothing but quick dates with a girl?" Yeah. Sixteen years... People do much more than creepily stalk a crush in this period of time. He frowned at me again. "What? Sixteen years, I bet you didn't even kissed her."
"Hey! We're friends... For now. I like her, and I think she cares about me. I dunno. Those feelings are so alien to me sometimes that I think I might get a stroke with them." And now that one creeped me out. What? Those feelings? You mean horniness? Love? Lust? Passion? Those are strange to him?
"What do you mean by 'Those feelings'? I mean..."
"Yep. I ain't very loved around." He admitted, in a tone so calm and straight-forward it caught me by surprise. This guy? You mean the guy Rina-chan respects? Serena-chan says he's okay? The ninja and the Ninetails says are in good terms with? This guy? Don't tell me he's one of those cliche angst protagonists. "Of course, my mother loves me, but my sisters... Not so much."
"Elaborate that for me, maybe we can figure some things out to help you." Yep. Easy-peasy. I just need to hear his story a little, and find some reason for him to hook up to. I'm not just training him, I want him to have the will and strength to withstand his legacy. Even more since... The English white dragon emperor is probably around.
"Well, since I was a kid, they've always resented me. When I was younger, I had those two friends, y'know? Nina-chan and Julia-chan. I loved them, I really loved them, but their parents were too religious, they thought that I was just around to try 'my way with them.'. Hahahah... Stupid, isn't? I was just a kid." He began, tapping his fingers on his knees and just spacing out to remember his presumedly good times. However, his expressions became bitter. "Shit hit the fan when My stupid father passed me a pack of condoms and said I should try them with my Nina-chan and Julia-chan. It was a joke of course, but when I brought them saying exactly that's, their dad took it so seriously... He punched me. Really hard. When I woke up, They left the neighbor for good. It's because of this I hate my dad so much..."
"..." Harsh. I mean, this would be probably a funny story to tell during a lighter moment, and everybody would laugh with that really awkward story, by seeing how much this affected him... Kinda jarring when you look by that perspective. He continued soon after.
"He even didn't acknowledge his mistake, the mistake that ruined my friendship, saying to my mother it was just a men's joke." He sighed, clenching the skin of his legs a little, looking down and trying to hide his grimace. "After that, my sisters turned my life in hell, no offense. Futaba would pick fights with me just to beat me up, and put centipedes in my ears just for me to say I was just a chicken. Minatsu would dress me up and make me say I was a pretty princess in front of everyone. Shiori-nee and Satsuki-nee didn't do anything, but the way they would stare at me... I was just a disgusting bug, a roach for them. And if I ever tried to tell mom, they'd beat me up and and say they'd castrate me. That's also the reason I had no friends: if it was a girl, they'd scare her away with mean secrets about me and what I would supposedly do with her with my 'pervert mind', and if it was a boy, well, some stares can shatter a person. There was four against one, I couldn't do a thing for myself. I could only... Watch and find my happy place."
"I'm... I'm sorry for that." What the hell. If the situation were different, I'd be laughing my ass off by now. 'Sisters beating me up and saying they'll cut my dick off, scaring my friends away with crazy stories and death stares.', hahahah, why can't I laugh with that?
"My mother is a busy woman, so that's why she didn't know about for a while. When I was thirteen, she finally discovered my sisters' bullying schedule when she saw me crying while wearing a Princess Safiri dress. It took me three days to talk since I was scared shitless about my sisters threat, but I did it. Mother stormed to my sisters and beat every single one of them, and when she was done, she came for me... And cried. Cried. I hated that so much. I made my mom cry..." And drops of tears started to ran by his eyes, as his clenched his legs even tighter and snorted a little. "I hated my sisters' bullying, but I hated even more that I made my mom cry. She's the best mom in the world, and I made her cry, what Kind of son am I?! Their bullying are more tame now, but I only fight back just so that my mom won't cry for me anymore."
"..." I gulped. That was a bad idea. What the hell. Why am I feeling empathy for him? It makes no sense. In a lighter mood, his life would've been a typical difunctional family funny backstory, yet, my heart hurts. Why? I tried to reach for him, but the next line was the absolute worst.
"And then, there is Gremory. She killed me, turned me into her slave, made me go around and around, tries to seduce me even when she knows I'm scared of women, makes me do things to strangers, got me beaten, cut, Burned and humiliated, tossed around like a ragged doll, and the worst... She makes me lie to my mother." And now, his face was a mess. He's crying his heart out, and the hiccups just don't stop. He faltered forward, and now he's on four, sweating buckets and crying as much. "She stole from me the only period of time when I can bond with my sisters! She stole from me the only time I can have a family! All because she wanted to have her ass kicked by Nemesis-san! Why can't she leave me out of this?! Why can't she just shut up?! All I want now is for her to...! ... Ah."
"Huh...?" That was brutal. He abruptly stopped his rant, and suddenly, he lifted his head for me and tossed his hollow, dull but widen eyes to me. For some reason, his Boosted Gear began to emanate a black smoke out of it's jewels.
"I get it now, Aria-San... I know now the reason why I do what I do, why I don't have any will. Recruiting new members, trying to improve myself, beating Annie, just following Gremory and the others like someone's errand boy..." He continued, as his tears ceased, and he looked so confused and lifeless, yet looking like he just reached nirvana. "... If I follow them around, end things quickly and just stay quiet, maybe they'll shut up. Maybe things will stop for a while. Yeah, that's... That's why... I just want everything to shut up."
"I-Ichijou..."
"Yes... Just silence, like that..."
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[I, WHO IS ABOUT TO AWAKEN...]
"Huh?" No. It can't be! That hoarse, powerful voice echoed through the whole hot springs, as the floor around Ichijou crumbled. A powerful green aura began to leak out of his body, as he now was on his knees, looking at the sky, his yes turning golden and his hair being tinted with red.
[AM THE HEAVENLY DRAGON WHO WILL ANNIHILATE THE GIFT OF LIFE AND LIGHT GIVEN BY GOD.]
"Yes... I just want the sounds to stop... My sister's angry rants and harsh words... My mom's cries... Gremory's orders..."
[I'LL CRUSH THE DREAM, AND RIP THE INFINITE TO NAUGHT.]
"Bro! Stop! If you don't...!" I tried to put some sense into him before it was too late, but when I Was about reach him, an enormous crimson claw emerged from his back by ripping his skin there and slapped me away. I crushed into a rock wall, opening a hole in there, and when I tried to get me out of there, I could see crimson scales slowly taking over Ichijou's body.
What's that?! Is this really...? But didn't gramps...! Don't tell me... Ichijou's hatred is so massive he's fueling this form alone?! But... Why?! Is this... Is this... Really...!
[I SHALL BECOME THE RED DRAGON OF DOMINATION...]
"I want just that... Just some silence... I want just silence... Just that."
Just that.
[AND I SHALL BURN YOU WITH THE FLAMES OF THE CRIMSON HELL!]
[JUGGERNAUT DRIVE!]
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Yep, kill me now. I just gave Ichijou the power to unleash JD just with his hate. And my god, he has the hate. Now, for a good reason, or for a petty reason? It's up to you to decide, and according to the answers, I'll be either glad or sad about the outcome. Also, writing this chapter, I've finally understood why Kiba wasn't trying to help anyone during his stay on the ORC. Huh, maybe writing does makes you smart...
Nah...
Anyway. You all know the drill. Stay golden~.