Hey there, fanon. How's it going? Another chapter to close this arc for now. truth to be told, this chapter is kinda of a trainwreck because everything that might happen here can show how much the story has progressed, and how much I think the character have developed. I do like the idea that I'm doing a decent job by making then more awesome in some aspects as the story goes on. If you're reading this, even if you don't leave a review, I thank you for reading this and have accompany up until this chapter. Thank you and stay golden.
As always, Highschool DxD doesnt belong to me.
I just knew it, I simply just knew that today wasn't going to be a normal day anyway. I'm getting used to it by now, but unfortunately, I wasn't the reason for the central conflict here. Yoko was. The students of 1-D were all wracked beyond all belief, and the class itself was a mess. All because of the guy in a Scale Mail armor in front of me. Fortunately, when we did break the barrier, Serena-kaichou created another one to evacuate the injured ones and leave only him, Yoko and I around.
I don't know, but knowing this stuff, this guy simply doesn't give the aura Aria-San gives. This means this guy's not the White Booty Vanishing Dragon Albion...
"I can read your mind, y'know." The armor said, taking a half-step onto me. I took a step back, a little taken back by his words? Does he read minds? "I bet you're thinking 'This guy's level power is not even close to someone I know', right?"
"Huh...? No, of course not." I said. Yes, I compared him to Aria-San, but because she's the senpai's granddaughter. Nothing about power levels.
"Meh. I bet you did. You, the Red Dragon, would say something like 'your level of power is inferior' or 'I don't have time to weaklings like you' when facing a new cocky enemy. I know this stuff, you're no different from other protagonists here." He said with a glacé pose. Is he an idiot or what? Well, he can't read minds for what is worth, but it's still annoying.
"Uh-huh. I used to have that kinda of syndrome too." I said to no one, annoyed by his behavior and the fact that he lacks any tack for the situation. I turned to him, a small vein of rage on my head, as sighed. "And who are you to say anything about me?"
"Who am I? Do you really want to know?"
"Wait, on second thought, that topic doesn't seem so hot at all..."
"I was born seventeen years ago, my father is a renowned scientist and my mother was a fallen in the same level of a Seraph, but turned into a renegade when she fell in love with my father. They lived a peaceful, secret life, since her own existence was being chase down by the higher-ups of devil and angelic realms. I was born from this love, me as the first nephilim in many years, however, before I could even speak or walk, they found my mother, and killed her right in front of my eyes, while my father, using a new-invented gadget, destroyed the intruders in a blink of an eye. After that incident, my father went mad, and rising from the crumbles of our home destroyed by the Devils, swore revenge against the supernatural. For the next years, he would find and take to himself homeless children to try experiments on them. Sacred Gear implants, Holy light element experiments, fusing of several creatures in our DNA and genetic matter, he experimented those and many more in all of us for a period of time my traumatized mind can't remember, all I can remember were the screens of agony of my friends and step-siblings as they would either die or turned into monstrosities with no more humanity on them. After all those years, with my body implanted with the Sacred Gear [DOWN FALL DRAGON SPEAR], I and more four girls escaped that torturous world, and we went to the streets, where we would be living on dirty water and rotten food from the garbage until a nice couple took us in and out of our miserable state. I was still a kid so I completely forgot about my real parents the horrors we suffered in the Miyama house. For a while, we were a happy family, but one day, a pack of Devils and killing droids of the Miyama house came to us and tried to kill us. In a moment of desperation, I awaken my asleep Sacred Gear combined with my Balance Breaker and defeated all of them in a blink of an eye. My memories returned soon after, and I remembered my hatred towards my father and his experiments. I couldn't let that grief and despair go, so my sister and I went into a journey of revenge and self-worth."
...
...
Now I get why they need flashbacks in series. Backstories are boring as listening to when the mood is not right... I sighed. Seriously, I don't understand why bother with a backstory just now. He also looked very happy to share this with me. I wouldn't be that much if I was telling a story about how my mother died, my dad went crazy and everything in my life sucked so much until now. But he's powerful. To be in a scale Mail Armor so nonchalantly like that, he's powerful.
"I'm sorry for you, I'm really am. But that doesn't explain why would you attack my husband." I coughed a little, but a lot less than before. "Explain yourself. Or I might get angry. And you will remember that, and tell me, because I don't remember Jack when I'm angry."
"So... You're the Sekiryuutei. I was indeed looking for you around here. Aside from the fact that you stole my sister's seat in the classroom, I have another proposals for you." Tch! So Kiruko-San was telling the truth, her psycho brother did made a number on class 1-D of of spite from what I stole from her! The clench around my sword grew, as a burst of fury was boiling in my blood. Attacking people for such a petty reason. "But first, let me explain this: I did that to call for your attention. Miss Kurama just so happened to be part of this class."
"Kurama...?" I repeated that unfamiliar name. Great, another one with no context whatsoever. I turned to Yoko, who was still struggling to keep herself awake, and gave her an question mark. "Yoko... You have... Any idea who this Kurama might be?"
"..." Nothing out of her. I snapped back to him. No, I'm going sidetrack now. The problem now is that Scale Mail and the problems that might bring.
[PARTNER, DON'T BE FOOLED.]
"Ddraig?" For the first time, I heard Ddraig's voice outside my inner world. I guess the situation called for a little push so that he can communicate with me. I looked at the jewel in my sacred gear, as it shined with every word.
[DON'T BE FOOLED BY HIS WORDS OR BEHAVIOR. IT MIGHT NOT LOOK LIKE, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE FORMS OF AN ARTIFICIAL SACRED GEAR CREATED BY THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF THE FALLEN ANGELS AZAZEL. I CAN ALSO FEEL FAFNIR'S SPIRIT INSIDE OF IT.]
"Azazel... Senpai's mentor and the Occult research Club's advisor teacher?"
"That is correct, red dragon emperor." The armor said, as it flashed golden once more in an imposing way. "However, this artificial Sacred Gear is an improved version. Fafnir's soul no longer is contained, but sealed inside of this it. The power of the Golden Dragon King, the Gigantis Dragon known as Fafnir, is mine to use and abuse. Azazel was weak by siding with a Dragon, but my father was strong to simply tame and slave it!"
[PETULANT NEPHILIM. YOU'RE NAÏVE AS A CHILD FOR THINKING THAT SOMEONE COULD... NO, CAN IMPROVE ANYTHING FROM SOMETHING FROM THAT FALLEN ANGEL.]
"That's the part when I say: 'Let's see about that', while kicking your sorry ass for underestimating me. [GOLDEN PLUTO ARC!]" he announced again, and golden magic circles appeared right behind him, lauching countless weapons at me! Fast as my [SONIC BUSTER EMPRESS] could, I picked Yoko up, bridal style then to my back in a piggyride, and jumped away from the rain of swords. He gave a brief moment to cool off, steam and blood boiling out from his helmet, and continued with that barrage of blades, hammers and other shiny and sharp treasures.
"Red dragon, if I may, what's the plan? Piss him off much so that he would end up being out of ammo?! I can't keep up with him like that!" I said midrun, burning my legs with violent drifts and curves to avoid the swords in my direction. When I couldn't dodge, I would use Rhongomiant to deflect the projectiles.
[PARTNER, FAFNIR HAD A GREAT VARIATION OF TREASURES UNDER HIS POSSESSION. IF HE'S REALLY USING ALL OF THAT, A DRAGONSLAYER WEAPON SHALL PRESENT ITSELF IN ANY MINUTE.]
"A dragonslayer sword... Being kept by a dragon?! That just makes as much as sense as them teaching dragonslayer Magic!" I mentally retorted. Suddenly, however, I felt a chill down my spine, a sensation of utter horror and Thrill only imminent punishment from my sisters could give me. This terror... Was coming from a sword! I could feel it! Even among the other ones coming into my direction, I could feel a monstrous aura coming from that particular golden sword. "Is that it?! Is that...?!"
[AFFIRMATIVE. YOUR AFFINITY WITH THE BOOSTED GEAR GRANT YOU MY POWERS, BUT MY WEAKNESSES AS WELL. A DRAGONSLAYER HOLY SWORD WOULD DEFINITELY DRAW A REACTION FROM YOU, BOTH A DEMON AND A DRAGON.]
"This means... That guy is also weak against those, right?!" I said, summoning Rhongomiant once again and stopping in one point. The shower of blades continued, but using that I've learned in mt. Issei, I blocked some of them, and dodged the rest with just a few rips on my clothes. However, when that only sword was coming my way, I stomped hard on the floor, clenched my sword and...
[NOW!]
"Gotcha!" And in one smooth but powerful move, *TING!* I hit that one right in the tip, while the others were blown away by the impact. That only sword danced on the air for a few seconds, only to be caught by my hands. "Again!"
[BOOST!]
"[DIVIDING WYVERN FAIRY SLASH!]" both of our voices announced, with me slashing the air and creating a barrier of white lines out of the edge of my sword. It collided with the barrage of blades, and like before, it stop them all in midair. He's not attacking now, the cooldown is starting! That's my chance! "Eat this!"
[BOOST!]
"I must say, you're nothing short of a deathflag." He said, as he raised his hand to counter that incoming sword. The countdown was over, and new golden magic runes appeared behind him! But the sword was about to...! "Don't be alarmed. This will all end soon."
[DELET-...]
[PENETRATE!]
*CRACK!*
"What the...?!"
*BOOOOOM!*
...
"Wow... That was actually easy." I said, panting and looking at the cloud of smoke right in front of me. That clash between dragons must've been too much, since that part of the classroom trembled, with the floor crumbling. I looked back at Yoko, and She looked so desperate, so shaken. I pat her in the head again, and she calmed down. However, I can't let my guard down, that was... "Easy... Too easy."
[GOLDEN PLUTO ARC!]
I knew it! I can't never be so sure about anything! Like before, a barrage of blades and other weaponry showered over me, as I used Rhongomiant to deflect some while taking some space away from it! Shit! That was close!
"Huh... Is that all you got?" I heard that oh so cliche sentence in the middle of the cloud of dust. And like I was suspecting, there he is, the possible owner of that scale mail armor, a guy around my age, wearing Gessen high's male uniform and with that spiky pale green hair and fair skin dripping blood. Not to mention... His own arm was stabbed by the dragonslayer sword?! That's sick! "I'm disappointed in you, sskiryuutei. If you were the protagonist, your serialization would come to an end soon."
"Hey, Red Dragon, is that normal? That sword is giving me goosebumps even now. Is that normal?" I mentally asked.
[NO, IT IS NOT. EVEN A NEPHILIM WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTIES IN TAKING ONE OF THOSE BEING BORN WITH A DRAGON SACRED GEAR.]
"That is correct, Sekiryuutei. However, as you can see. I'm not your average extra. I'm the main character! The perfect protagonist!" He said, taking a deep breath and then shining like a star! In another second, his Scale Mail armor returned, unfolding two dragon wings and four new pair of crystal clean angel wings! So he's really a hybrid! "Tragic past, special lineage, a rare sacred gear with lots of potential, immense stock power, physical and magical prowess beyond possible, that's who I am! I am the one who's closer in being the protagonist than anyone else!How about you, Sekiryuutei?!"
"What?" He pointed at me with his clawed hands, as I returned to a battle stance. Rhongomiant felt a lot heavier now, as my Boosted Gear went standby. Does He want to know about me?
"You, who has nothing! No tragic past, no super abilities or powers, no link with the supernatural, not anything! Your only gimmick is your sacred gear, and that's all!" He said, as he picked a card and tossed it towards me. I picked it up and saw a miniaturized version of me, with some information about yours truly. Okay, that's really creepy. "Face it, you're not unique in any way...
You're not strong or resolved like Lyonel...
You're not cunning or determinate like Abel/Katsu...
You're not savvy or intelligent like Desmond...
You're not charismatic or reliable like the countless Makotos...
You have no grief or Way of living like Yusei...
Nor power to break fate like James...
... You're just a Highschool student with no knowledge about the supernatural nor royal blood, who just so happens to be the host of the Boosted Gear. You're as pathetic as your predecessor, the protagonist no one likes, the one who would be substituted at the drop of a hat. That's you, just a small little worm in this world of Giants."
"..." How to respond to that... I'm a worm here, and I'm a worm at home, I'm a worm anywhere. To forever be dragged into something unwillingly because of my Boosted Gear, trying to climb the supernatural Everest named Hyoudou Issei. I looked at the ceiling for a few seconds, with Yoko almost ripping my uniform off from biting it, and sighed. "You're right."
"..."
"Ichijou...?"
"I'm not that strong, or smart, or special. My parents are humans, I had a very typical little brother childhood, I want to date a girl instead of dominate the world and, honestly, I would drop this role to anyone in the beginning." I said, the armor still hovering on the air with it's countless wings, while Yoko reached for me and clenched harder on my uniform...
"No, Ichijou. Don't say that! You're... You're..."
"But!" I said, pointing my sword to him, as he summoned even more magic circles. "I made some really good friends. Some really good friends and teachers that would have been better protagonists that I'd ever be. Doesn't mean I can't become stronger. I am strong, even without those."
"Is that so~? Where are going to with those inspirational words? Going 'I'm gonna protect my friends and get stronger' stuff? That's so cliche."
"No, of course not. I know that they can protect themselves. Truth to be told, actually, I do like to be... Unfitting, sometimes. People rather be happy than miserable, right? I don't want to be miserable, thank you!" The world looked like it stopped as I said those things. Yoko loosed her grip around me, but an ominous aura began to leak from the armor In front of me. Oh, did I touch a sensitive subject? "Besides, I can be what other protagonists, no matter how perfect they are, cannot in a million years."
"Hah?! And what's that? What can you possible be when you don't have the necessary to be a protagonist?! A main character?!"
"Well, the only thing others can't be other than me... Is being the protagonist of my own story, Tsukino Ichijou"
"..."
"I-Ichijou..."
Yeah, I'm not a hybrid, or a master in anything, or a champion, or a person with a tragic past or royal lineage, but that's what I am, and no one else is...
... Tsukino Ichijou.
*ZOOOM!*
*CLANK!*
"Shut that trap!" And in one second, that armor crossed the distance between us and clashed one of his light swords against Rhongomiant. This chilly aura... He's using a dragonslayer sword. "What are you trying to say?! That every difficulty I had in life, every hardship that I was forced to endure was for nothing?! That you, a simple someone, can be a main character that easy even with everything I did and had to do?! No! No, no! Shut up!"
"What...?" Those words actually shook me more than expected. He summoned another sword and tried for my neck. I dodged that one and pushed my sword further into him, using the recoil to jump away and regain some space.
"I am the protagonist! I am the main character! This is my story! A story of hardship and will! A story in which I face everything and get a happy ending! I deserve a Happy ending! I DESERVE IT!" He screamed, his voice reaching my ears as nails on a board. He's delusional, he has what I suffered with Nero-san. Was his past really that terrible? He clashed swords again and this time his recoil almost snapped my arm! "You're just the villain! A villain with an easy life and praises of the world! You can't defeat me!"
[PARTNER, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE. HE'S BLINDED BY RAGE. IT'S THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR AN COUNTERATTACK.]
Red dragon, as much I'd love to end this battle quickly, there's no way I can reach him in this state. His frenzy mode Is really cutting my edges here, and those in his hands are anti-dragon weapons! I have to think!
[...]
Red dragon?
[THIS IS... LIMIT... I CANT... ANY... longer...]
Wait what?! Is that the time to 'tilt' me off?! I'm gonna die like that!
[use... Delusions... Your favor... Novels... Cliches...]
Shit! It's finally cut! Now it's just me and Yoko against this guy! What does the Red Dragon meant by those words?! Use delusions at my favor?! What's the meaning of this?!
"Ichijou..."
"Yoko?"
"He thinks... He's in a novel... Maybe we... Maybe we can use this at our advantage..."
And then she went quiet again. She's exhausted, and her bleeding arm is just making matters worse. Think... Novels... Delusions... Wait...
'He took your protagonist essence. Everything that might came from this won't happen to you...
No gimmicks... No advantages... No catchphrases... No second chances... No sudden power-ups...
You're on your own.'
...
Poetry classes, you saved me yet again!
"Yoko, I'm gonna do some stuff. Stay with me all this time, okay? Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Jokes on her. That's a hell of a bet; and I have no idea what I'm doing or how the outcome will be, but that's all I have for now! She just dived into my back and muttered 'always'. Okay, and one, and two, and...
"How?! How can his power grow so spontaneously?! Is that the power of the Golden Dragon King?!" I said in surprised, as I let him corner me with his own barrage of slashes. We clashed again, and stopped. In a moment of stasis, he shared glances, and soon I pushed him away. "No! This can't be it! I am the Red Dragon Emperor! The Sekiryuutei! The heavenly dragon of domination!"
"Tch! You don't deserve this power, Tsukino Ichijou! Weak ones like you should stay in the shadow so true warriors won't bother with your existence!" He said with a mocking tone. I can almost see his cliche grin of confidence against a weaker fool. It's working! Maybe if I... I pushed him again, and clashed my Rhongomiant against his chest armor, sending him back to a wall! Here goes nothing!
"Shut up! With this power, I'm invincible! A puny imitation like you, defeating me?! Hah, know your place!" It's even funny to say such cartoonish sentences. Staying focused, I aimed my sword at him, and with my [FAIRY BLASTER PRINCESS] form, unleashed a barrage of red energy slashes against him! Where so many, yet I'm not that tired! I did that until I could no longer see him on the dust my destruction caused. Okay, now. The final sentence in this situation. And one, and two... "How's that, huh?! Who's the weak one now?!"
...
...
"Is that... All you g-...?" Now!
[SONIC BUSTER EMPRESS!]
*ZOOM!*
"Woooooh...!"
*BAM!*
"What the... Uuuuuugh...!" The moment I took a glimpse at his image by the other side of the dust, I used my fastest and strongest form to close the gap in between us, picking a random sword in the way, and clashing it against his chest armor with an extra force from my Boosted Gear! He went flying into another wall, his armor lightly broken in one side.
That's number 1 cliche in a fight: the villain thinks he owns the battle, only for the protagonist to appear from the shadows, a cocky grin on his face, mocking his opponent.
"Hahahahahah~! You're so weak, Golden Dragon!" Damn, poetry classes, what a boost in my life you've become! Gotta continue the act. He's doing it accordingly, so other ideas must work too. Okay, now cliche number 2. "You can't keep up with me, I'm the red Dragon emperor!"
"It looks like I'll have to go full force against you." A calm, collected voice echoed from inside the armor, as in a flash we clashed blades again. [BOOST!], my sacred gear announced, and so we were doing that again, trying to find an opening in between the countless conflicting slashes between us. In the end again, we clashed one more time and continue our staring contest as he struggle against each other's strength and grip on our weapons!
"Hyahahah! That's all you got, Golden Dragon! Your power level is nothing compared to mine! Where's all of that confidence from a second ago?!" Focus! Continue to tap his nerves! That shall trigger him! Just like Nero-San did. "Oh-hoh! Who knew beating you would be so easy in my full power?!"
"Hehe..."
"Haaaah?! Why are you laughing at?! I should be the one laughing!"
"No, you stupid Sekiryuutei. I'm the one laughing. Is that your true power? Pathetic." And now he's summoing his magic circles again. Look surprised now, Ichijou. Get ready, you might get messy.
"Ichijou, watch out!"
"Well then, might as well show you my true power as we-...!"
[CHANGE: FAIRY BLASTER PRINCESS!]
"What the...?!"
*BOOM!*
And before he could even aim at me and launch, I used my newly change setting to escape in time, but not before leaving a magical explosive afterimage on my place, exploding right into his face and vanishing his other runes! He was again launched again from me, as I back-stepped to a safe distance.
That's the second cliche: cocky enemy always mocks the protagonist's own power, only to be surprised by a new surprise ability on the nick of time.
"I'm not done yet! [DRAGON SHOTS]!" And gathering as much as demonic energy I could, I created a full barrage of black demonic balls to launch at him! And again I created a dust of destruction in his direction, and everything I could hear was the sound of his screams and the explosions my [DRAGON SHOTS] were causing. I stopped before running out of breath, surprisingly I'm still a-okay, and when the dusk cleaned off, I saw his body on the floor, struggling to stay up, his armor gone and heavily breathing. It might be over or not, I'm not sure. I turned to Yoko, and she was still panting, struggling to keep her grasp on me. "Sorry."
"No... No... Problem..." She said, her eyes, now completely uncovered, shining at me. Sorry Yoko, but we need to end this ride with a certain death bet.
"Hey, Yoko. Remember when I said to trust me all the time?"
"E-Eh...?"
"Well, now's the time... Tch! What a waste of time. I can't believe I lost my precious time with weaklings like you." I frowned at the golden Dragon in front of me, as he put himself on his knees and tossed his stare of disdain at me. I put up my best 'Cliche arrogant villain' persona, and held my sword at him. "The strongest, you said? Don't make me laugh, when I'm done with you, it'll be your sisters next."
"...!"
"I-Ichijou...?" I got the reaction I was looking for. He's shaken. He heard me. That's the thing I wanted. With all of that, I don't need to say anything else.
"What did you say...? My... Sisters..." Oooh~, boy. There we go, I'm again in one of those moments where I regret this more than the condom incident. I might not be the end for me, but it's gonna hurt like hell. Another heavy, dark aura surrounded him, and I could feel the gravitational pull he was causing around. He slowly lifted from the ground, and in a moment, he screamed louder than anything I've ever encounter, and his Scale Mail armor covered every part of him again. Gotta maintain the act.
"W-What's that?! His power increased so suddenly?!" I said, mixing my acting with... Utter genuine fear, because I just messed with a bull! A bull with a dragon armor! Holy shit! But gotta stay calm! I mustn't panic! I am, but I mustn't panic!
"No! I won't let you defeat me! Nor let you touch my sisters! Mark my words, Sekiryuutei: you're gonna pay for this! I'lol kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!" And in a flash, he appeared right in front of me, weapons ablaze like the Sun, and ready to tackle me! I lifted Rhongomiant and defended myself with it, but like I was expecting, his rage was far too powerful for me to handle, and so, he pushed me away!
"No! How is this happening?! HOW?!" I said as I flew away from the explosion our encounter caused. Even Yoko went away in a different direction, and I end up hitting the wall, falling on my back, facing the ceiling. "Ugh..."
*STOMP!*
"Gwah...!" And that's another broken bone to my collection! A hard, bright as gold dragon claw stomped my ribs, stopping any kind of escape from my part, and before I knew it, that same dragon armor was holding a giant light sword against my face! By the ominous feeling, I'm sure that's a dragonslayer! I'm scared! Shit! "A-Ah...! H-Hold on, gold dragon! Please! Spare me! I didn't mean to threat your family! It was... A joke... A joke! Please forgive me! Please forgive me~!"
"..." He's quiet. His eyes were hidden under his bangs, and he diet even look fazed by my display of misery, crying and hiccuping like a little bitch. I was really trembling. I need to focus... But I'm so too damn scared...
"Forgive you?" He said, in a low, hoarse, direct tone. I did my best half-assed smile, and nodded still trembling. He sighed, and pushed one of his bangs away, shining a single pale green eye at me. "Very well, I shall forgive you."
"O-Oh...! Thank you! Thank you!"
"I'lol forgive you... For being so pathetic in front of me!" And then his rage showed up, as he gripped his sword even more, and lifted his sword to deal one last fatal blow, and then...!
"... You just took the words out of my mouth."
*ZING!*
"Kaichou!"
*BREAK!*
"What the...?!"
*BAAAAAAM!*
"Sitri... KICK!" And the game turned in just this one second. By the nick of the time, I pushed the 'help' seal Serena-Kaichou gave me, and right before my eyes, that same blue-haired kamen-otaku broke her own barrier to deliver the most fantastic kick in history figh in the face of the Blacl dragon, who went flying away only to crack on a wall, and consequently, at the barrier. Kaichou landed right in front of me and was now skipping in one foot, turning to me and giving the thumb up! "Woosh! That was sick! He was so heavy with energy I thought he was gonna rip my own leg off! Butchamokey!"
I did the same for her. Yes, thank whatever she gave me that emergency rune to call her. It came in handy in the end, but I would never thought it was going to be used to fulfill the grid cliche:
The third cliche: when the protagonist corners the coward villain, he must always give a last-hope speech and kill his/her antagonist in the most dramatic and awesome way. Which leads to the fouth and final rule:
The perfect protagonist is... Predictable and boring.
Rule 4, pay your respect!
Also, today, she's wearing black lacy ones... Ugh...
"Well, I guess that's over." I said, sitting up on the floor and then standing up. Serena-Kaichou smiled at me, and turning around, I saw Yoko supporting herself on a wall, nodding at me. Yes, we did it.
"And once again, the day is saved thanks to the Sekiryuutei! I demand the highest of fives!" And she lifted her palm as high as she could right in front of me. Surprising as always, eh president? Whatever, out of that, I high-fived her and she smiled brighter, as she turned to the golden dragon to put a spell on him, making him unable to move. That match... Wasn't even that hard, just... Complicated.
Well... At least it's over.
"That's not fair..." I heard from a different direction. That voice was from inside the prison circle where the golden dragon was lying! He stood up, and then, gasp, he broke the magic circle with sheer force alone! Then, out of nowhere, devil, angel and even black wings emerged from his back, six in total on three different kinds! He summoned one more golden circle! "I'm not done yet! I'm the protagonist! Deserve my happy ending! I don't want to be I the darkness anymore! I DONT WANNA!"
And then, that golden circle began to shine even more. I summoned my boosted gear one more time, while Serena-kaichou prepared a bubble of water from her hand! He pointed his hand at us, and from his magic circle, it came...!
White panties.
Just... White panties.
...
*SLAP!*, was all that happened after Serena-kaichou slapped him with a water whip right into his face. Kinda sad, really...
"It's... It's not fair..." He moaned on his knees. It wasn't the water from Kaichou's attack, he was now really crying. "I don't understand... I don't... Why? What's the point of living, then? My life was miserable since the beginning...
"...?"
"My sweet mom's death... My dad's madness... The experiments... My dead friends... The pain... The grief... The horror... I thought... I thought that... I was the protagonist of a novel... I grabbed onto this... Because there's always a way, right? If I endured things, if I continued with my heads up during my journey, gathering my sisters... Defeating strong people and fighting all the way to the top... I would be able to be happy... But if I'm not any of this... Then... What's the point of living? Why should I continue to live if I don't know if I'll be truly happy in the end, with everything that happened to me until now? Why... Why... Why..."
"..." I gulped, hard. Serena-Kaichou is almost crying, just like me. I can see now: he's delusional, but that's his way to escape everything and grab onto something. He has nothing, utterly nothing, to hope for, now. He's trying to hold himself onto something, or else, he'll fall into despair, into madness...
He's... Just like I was...
"Hey..." I began to walk towards him, one hand reaching for him, while I could mirror myself on him. Serena-kaichou tried, but stopped when she saw what I was about to do. "Hey... Golden Dragon..."
He lifted his head, his eyes still watery, and with a dull stare only a hopeless person can make. I remember... Confused, lost, hopeless... He's... He's...
...
*PUNCH!*
... Really pissing me off!
"Ugh...!" And he met again with the wall, courtesy from my punch. That's right, he's really pissing me off! Was I really that pathetic?! Shit, no wonder I pissed Aria-San off too! Once recovered from his emotional clash, he turned his surprise eyes to me in a alarmed and angry stare. "Why you...!"
"SHUT UP!" I said, no, roared, that one silencing everyone here. I turned to him, and clenched my fists in... I dunno! Rage?! Sadness?! Stress! My eyes are watering now. "I know how it feels... It hurts... It hurts, doesn't it?! Trying to feel the gap in your heart... Trying and failing to find a reason for so much suffering... don't go assuming that I don't know how it feels to try to be important... The feeling that everything will be alright in the end, only to be one more delusion..."
"...?!"
"I suffered... I did things I didn't want to do... I was dragged around by destiny and made it's bitch... I can never understand you... But..." I shook the tears away, and looked at him deep in the eyes. "It doesn't mean I need to suffer more than that to be someone! I don't need any of those gimmicks to have an excuse to do nothing!"
"...?!"
"You get it, don't you? There's no such thing as protagonists, antagonists, main characters, side characters, extras or anything here! This is not a manga, an anime, a movie, a light novel or even a fanfiction! This is real life, and in real life, there's only winners and losers, and the losers are always the bad guys, and the winners are the good guys!" I screamed those melancholic words one by one, as he grew even more exasperate and insecure. However, I'e learn more than that. "But so what?! Even if everything seems lost, even if the future is uncertain, even when things are pitch black, if we keep moving forward, despite the role we carry or if we even have those, we're gonna reach somewhere far away from when we started!"
"S-Sekiryuutei..."
"That's why... Even when I don't have a tragic past, special lineage, mixed blood or anything else but my Boosted Gear and friends... I beat you. I beat you because I don't think I deserve a happy ending... I WANT a happy ending!" And now, I opened my arms so that he could feel the aura of the world around us. A world full of anything. "I am not a protagonist! No one is! But we don't need to! And do you know why?! Because no matter how lame, exciting, tragic or happy it is... LIFE IS EPIC!"
...
...
And so it ended. It has been a while since I last said something like that. It was good to take those poetry classes, and help others that were just like me. I know, I can never understand his pain, and be might not understand what I'm trying to say, but at leas we should try to talk and share ideas. After all... Even if I'm not a human anymore, I can understand how lonely and lost someone can be.
"..." After a while, he was still there; eyeing me with dull, surprised eyes. However, a shine returned to his eyes, and soon, he was crying again. But this time, he was smiling. "Tch... This is so lame... Not even Shounen Jump has those kind of monologues anymore those days..."
"..." I frowned a little with his little wacky comment, but stay at ease, as he simply faintly smiled back, and vanished with the wind.
"Y'know... If our roles were reversed... I guess I would punch you too." He said, as he faded away in golden dust. "See you later... Ichijou."
And now... He's gone. In a instant, Serena-Kaichou's barrier shattered, and we're back in the bloody and messy classroom. Hs must've escaped. Well, he's weaken a lot, this means we won't be seeing him for a while. But this chilly aura... He's still around... I can feel it...
And if he attacks again... I'll be waiting...
.
~~x~~
.
"Kaichou said that with proper rest, you'll be okay. Just a stab in the shoulder, but the only thing they need to take care of is your level of chakra... Or something like that."
"Thank... You." And now I'm sitting Ina chair at the infirmary, deserted since Headmistress Shizuka 'needed to organized a sudden reunion in Kuoh'(aka, evacuate the place so that it wouldn't have any more casualties.), besides Yoko, who's now on the medical bay, resting. According to Kaichou, Yoko was running short on life energy, and she Even used some of her senjutsu to try help in my spar, pushing her further to the edge. That explains a lot. "Hey, Ichijou... I'm sorry."
"...?"
"Huh... For making you worry about me, fighting for me when I could no longer, for taking care of me and almost die." She said, covering her blushing face with the white blanket. That again? Was I really like that when I think of myself?
"Think nothing of it. It felt nice to be the one doing the saving. I just wanted to have a peaceful day today, but since you're safe, I can't complain." And that didn't help much. She dived even further into the blanket, and her little fox ears twitched.
I'm not the type of person that wants to be saved all the time either. This time, the enemy was the one I had more careful about. Annie, that crazy nun, Nero-San and Nemesis-san were all monsters that I had to have help against... Still, doesn't excuse the fact that I want to become stronger and beat the crap out of them myself. Self-worth... That's a thing I need to work out along with my body.
"Look, you can always look up to me. We're friends... After all." I said. She covered herself even more in the sheets, and peeked for a moment at me. I sighed, well, here goes my last resort. "So... Huuuuh~... How about I kiss you?"
"...!" And now she's alarmed. That's literally a Fate/Stay Night in a form of a sentence. Dozens upon dozens of routes to make a dirty joke, yet the only thing she did was to put herself sit on the bay to look at me straight in the eyes. Oh, now what? What did you trigger, Tsukino Ichijou?!
"Y'know... To make you feel good... I mean! You're so... Gloomy those days, maybe another kiss will cheer you up." And now I'm sweating buckets, losing my words and twitching my hands. And she keeps staring at me! Oh, crap. Now what?! "Ah, damn it. J-Just forget what I said, okay? That's so embarrassing. But..."
"Ichijou..." She said, putting her hands on my cheeks and making me look at her straight in the eyes. She was wearing now a medical eyepatch, but I could feel her looking at my soul. I blushed, and the world around me just stopped. I stop my own breathing and sweating to just stare at her... Then to her rosy lips, which were coming closer to mine. She closed her eyes, and pulled me more into her face. A-Ah...
Ah, what the hell. You only live once, anyway. I closed my eyes, picked her by the wrists to pull myself closer too and in the end, smelling her fresh scent and feeling her motherly warm...
*OPEN!*
"Hold it right there! Cockblock police!"
"Gah!"
"Kyah!"
We both jumped out of her reverie of romance, and instead headbutted each other! Serena-kaichou just opened the door to the infirmary, and walked towards us just to check us out. Now that I'm sane again... Was I really about to do it?! AAAAAH~! I'm losing my mind again!
"Hey, Akabane-chan. How are you? Sorry, we didn't find that little bastard whom escape, but his scent is still around Kuoh, so our top werewolf won't take much longer to track him down." She said with a smile, but Yoko was reaaaaly far from being 'okay'. She had a frown I could only describe as 'murderous', and the bad out around her was causing nearby spirits to vanish. I gulped down as Kaichou turned to me. "And, Tsukino-kun, since we evacuated the school, you need to go home as well. We don't want any students to think... You're having an affair with the principal and she just wanted to close the school because she can't control her libido any longer."
"That's a very, very disturbing description. What kinds of comics you read?" I said, as she smiled and walked away. I turned to Yoko, and she shyly turned away from me. She's now stoic as ever, but blushing. Huh~... What should I do? She can go home alone, right? I can't, that's why I need to get out of here. I just hope everything here is okay. I picked one of her hands and we interlocked fingers. "Yoko..."
"...?"
"When you get home feeling better, I'm going to make the most delicious kitsune udon for you, okay?" I said, turning my eyes away in shame. Sheesh, how cheesy can I get in just one day? She wilded her eyes, and then smiled. She nodded, and soon, after I while, I hit her one last goodbye and walked away to the infirmary. At the door, I saw two giant monk statues, which I remember, weren't there before(trust me, my visits to the infirmary became a thing once the whole devil thing started.), and the powerful aura they were emitting. Maybe they're her bodyguards or royal soldiers, that's the leader of the whole aka to region for you. I walked a few steps and saw Serena-Kaichou waiting for me at the middle of the corridor.
"Hey-ho. Tsukino-kun. Sorry for that. But the staff with start closing the doors, and if someone sees us, rumors will start." She said with an apologetic bow and a forced and awkward smile. I sighed.
"Don't sweat it, Kaichou. Actually, I'm glad that someone stopped us." I said as we began to walk with each other. Yeah, that Cockblock was needed, otherwise lust would have win me over. I dunno, but if I make the wrong choice, I might end up like my father, and Yoko will get hurt. She just became my friend, if I jump too early like that, who knows what comes next?
"Huuuh...? Why's that? Kissing is something so common around here. You don't need to sweat it. Actually, I take that last one back." She gave me an smile, and I blushed while scratching my cheek. Yeah, no, thank you, that's the route I took that made my friends depart from me and my life turn into hell, with all due respect.
"I'll rather take things easy a little bit. The cater I try, the fastest she'll grow bored and think I'm a chump." Just like dad... Just like dad...
Just like dad...
"Ichijou..."
"Eh...?"
*CHU~!*
"...!" That's just unfair! She just kissed me! On the lips! Oh, shit! What the hell! My day was rollercoaster of 'WTFs' today! Really can't I have a normal day with freakish things happening not to me?! I can't... I can't move! She froze me! She broke me! I can't even... Fuck!
"You think too much, Tsukino-kun. Enjoy every moment once in a while, will ya?" She said separating herself from me. I was static, I couldn't move. She caressed my cheeks. And smiled with a finger on her lips. "It's the president of the student council saying that. Take that to the word."
"..." I wanted to scream, to headbutt her, to stab her in the ass so hard with my sword that not even King Arthur would be able to take it out...
.
~~ Somewhere else...~~
"Brrr..."
"Eh? What's the matter, Arthuria?"
"I dunno, i feel... A disturbance..."
"...?"
~~And back here...~~
.
"Yes, I get it..." But I said nothing. How I hate this, being not able to answer to something with a proper response. I sighed, and frowned a little, biting my lips and still feeling the flavor of strawberry shortcake lipstick. How do I know that? Let's just say Minatsu-nee used to take my cosplay of Princess Sapphire a bit too seriously. At least it was better than wearing a GioGio costume... Still with lipstick.
"Great. Now, to compensate you for not bringing your lunchbox back in the underworld hospital, I'll give you this: let's eat a barbecue together."
"..."
"...?"
"Miss Sitri, you're trying to seduce me."
"Nah... What gives you that idea? Can't I have a lunch with my kouhai whose senpai was my Gramps's best friend?" Oh, those fuck-up relations. Well, I'm running low this week, better save something, and eating barbecue sounds like a great idea.
"I'm coming as well!"
"Gah!" And the Queen of the inconvenience was dethrone by a certain albino coming from a secret passage on the wall(geez, Kuoh academy sure is a strange place.). Ren jumped away from the said passage, and walked towards me. "What the hell, Ren!"
"I'm coming to this barbecue as well! That's the second time you blew our tour around Kuoh, Ichijou! And don't need excuses anymore! You'll repay me by taking me to this barbecue!"
"Ren, you discovered a freaking secret passage! How the hell I'm gonna show you around after that!" I said, pointing at the said passage.
"No excuses! I'll kill you!"
"I'll bite you!"
"I'll French you!"
"I'll...!"
"Hey, Tsukino-kun, who's she?" Kaichou stopped our little argument, as we turned around to her. Ren stopped, frowned at her, and turned back to me, sighing in relief.
"Well, Kaichou, he's... A friend of mine." I turned to him and blinked once. "Anyway, I own him one. Can he come with us?"
"Sure, why not?" And she smiled again, a smile so bright and innocent I just forgot that Nemesis-San said she doesn't like Kaichou because Lady Sona was a hypocritical bitch. "Just make sure that he has his own money to buy his part."
"..."
"...?"
"Sigh... Can't I have break?"
"You can't, Ichijou. You can't escape fate. You're it's bitch now."
"Nah, jus kidding. Let's eat. Miss Ren, Tsukino-kun."
"By the way, Ren's a guy."
"Eeeeh~?"
I just hope my day ends as calm it can get... Which of course isn't going to happen.
At least I'll eat some barbecue.
So... Longest chapter so far, and maybe the most important about development and type of characters. Truth to be told, I wasn't planning for ichijou to have that speech, because let's face it, he's the last one on the line to that kind of things. but then I thought 'Hey! Wouldn't be awesome if the protagonist go all mad on himself like thatw'. And then he said it. Kinda cheesy like always. But that's what you get. I hope you all liked it. The next chapter will be about mama Kyou's day. So, until then... Stay golden!