Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or any of the references found in this story, nor am I making any profit from this story. All original Highschool DxD characters and references belong to their rightful owners, I just own the original characters and concepts that I have created myself.
"Stop backing away whenever I advance!"
"Then stop trying to kill me!"
"You have two swords, don't just block everything!"
"If I don't, I'll die!"
"Why do you keep dodging!?"
"Why are you trying to kill me!?"
"Your right side is open!"
"Oh fuc-!" That was all I managed to say before the impact on my side sent me tumbling across the training ground. My body was feeling numb from the number of strikes my body had accumulated during my training session with Masaomi, who might I add just stood there with a satisfied smile.
He's been complaining about how hard his day was today. As far as I know, this "training session" is just stress relief for him.
"Come on now, don't tell me that's all you got?" Masaomi shook his head with a disappointed sigh. "Is this all the bloodline of Sigurd has to offer? My grandmother could do better and she's dead."
"S-shut it..." I managed to gasp out between my breaths. Masaomi just snorted as he made his way towards me.
"I suppose that's enough for today." he sighed as he gave me his hand, lifting me off the ground with ease. "You should probably go and get yourself fixed up, Lint looks like she's about to maul me." he spoke with an uneasy face. I took a look at the spectating area where Freed, Lint and Jeanne were watching and winced when I saw the intensity of the glare Lint was giving him.
Too bad he's the only person willing to teach me how to dual wield, otherwise I would have sicced her on him.
Freed just looked amused by the beat-down he just watched while Jeanne was distraught between helping me or laughing at me-she doesn't make a very good Holy Maiden in my humble opinion. Riel was trying to calm Lint down but there wasn't any real effort behind her action, almost as if she wanted to see how far Lint would go.
As for Rion, he didn't bother hiding anything as he proceeded to point and laugh at me.
Man, there must be something wrong with me if I consider these people family.
"You're getting better." he commented as we began to exit the training room. "Your form could use a little bit more work but your reaction time has greatly improved compared to our first lesson." His face suddenly took on a smug expression as he looked down at me. "Keep it up and you might manage to scratch me next time."
"Do all high-class Exorcists feel good beating down trainees?" I shot back with a scowl. Masaomi just gave me another one of those annoying grins as he smacks my head, evoking a squawk of annoyance from me as I slapped his hand away.
"Respect your betters, brat."
Just as he promised, Masaomi had begun training me with swords whenever the both of us have free time. The only downside is that Masaomi is a straight up sadist; I swear he is, no matter who or how many people say otherwise.
However, if you're able to tolerate his unique personality (which I highly doubt; I just have no choice), it becomes worth it because the man may be annoying but boy, is he a good sword teacher. In the year I've spent as his apprentice, my sword mastery has leapt by bounds. Whatever I find difficult, he knows exactly how to help me overcome and remedy it in the short span of ten minutes.
As much as I hate him, I have to admit that I wouldn't be where I am without him.
Now if only I could wipe that annoying smirk off his face, everything would have been perfect.
Freed, Lint and Jeanne were waiting for me outside the training room but before I could walk towards them, Lint had barrelled into me and scowled at Masaomi from my waist. "You've done enough, you can go now." she growled, I swear to all that is holy, she actually growled at him.
"Now now, Lint." Masaomi chastised, "That's no way to speak to your superiors. Who knows, you might even work for me in the future."
I honestly had to hold Lint back from mauling Masaomi for a second. Does he not know how close he is to death? Do you want to die before you even meet Cleria, you fool?
"T-thank you... for t-taking... c-care of S-Sieg..." she managed to get out between some dangerous intervals. Masaomi just smiled as he patted her head, ignorant of her growing anger.
"Well, thank you for being so polite-"
"I was just being polite."
"Alright, time to go." I cut in as I began to direct Lint away before she could become a prime murder suspect. "I'll see you tomorrow." I added just before I left.
"I can't wait for out next session!" I shuddered at the disturbing amount of glee in his voice.
It's been one year since I have been inducted into the Exorcist Training Program. I still have another three years left before I finish my training, in which I'll be assigned a partner to work with. Each partner duo will then work in a group of six or eight with other sets of partners for the next couple of years after that.
Training has been just as you would expect it to be: hard. The role of an Exorcist is not an easy one, that's the first lesson they hammered into us and boy, did they hammer it into us.
I still feel the phantom pains whenever I look at Griselda.
Ugh.
Anyways, this last year has had me go through a lot. While it had been filled with the usual pain, misery and suffering, it would be wrong for me to say that it was terrible. There had been a lot of positive experiences and I got to meet a couple of new people.
Moving on, my training throughout the last year has done wonders for me, though I've had to make a couple of changes to it. I've cleared out my personal magic training since I'm just doing the same thing in Magical Studies, and I do the physical aspect during Physical Education.
People have begun to call me a "Training Maniac", much to Mr Rossi's glee. He's even decided to personally oversee my training. Daily intense workouts, followed by sparring sessions with Griselda and Masaomi after that, and I've managed to reach one of the goals I set for myself, namely the obtaining of Touki.
It was halfway in my first year when I was training with Mr Rossi that it just suddenly burst out of my body without any prior notice. It was a shock to the both of us when I tried to swat an annoying fly against the wall, only to smash said wall, and the fly, into mush. I was also treated to the sight of my female classmates in the changing rooms who were getting ready for their own Physical Education session.
I suppose it made sense that the girls changing room just had to be there of all places, otherwise this wouldn't be much of a fan service anime. Needless to say, I was beat down ruthlessly. Is this another sample of the protagonist experience?
Aw fuck, does this make me a lolicon? I swear I'm not a lolicon; my little Fafnir didn't react in the slightest!
Anyways, after an unwanted hug from Mr Rossi, a corny speech, a couple of pictures being taken by Freed and Jeanne, and ten seconds of trying to stop myself from screaming in frustration, I had managed to deactivate it.
I've been training my Touki ever since but there's not much to train when all I'm doing is activating and working out in that state. It's a shame I can't just throw it at people like Ouryuu did in canon, unless someone gets me a Sacred Beast and seals it inside of me. Otherwise, I'll just forget about that for now.
Actually, now that I think about it, it was stated that the earth has natural ki running through it, and that some kid is able to utilise it thanks to some weird beast sealed inside him. Maybe I could find a way around that restriction?
I should practice that in my own time.
Freed had shown an interest in Touki and, after some demonstrations of my Touki, had started to work towards the same goal. To be honest, this is kind of a risky move. At this point, I have no choice but to fix Freed after giving him the opportunity to become stronger. Just thinking of a Touki-enhanced, crazy Freed with a fused Excalibur makes me shiver.
But that won't happen. Rather, I won't let that happen.
I think that right now, I'm the first of my generation to obtain Touki. I'm pretty sure that I began my training (read: punishing my body) before Sairaorg did, meaning that I probably unlocked it before him as well. That kind of makes me feel happy for some strange reason.
Anyways, with me obtaining Touki, I had gotten to tick off one objective from my list. My next goal is to try and learn how to use Senjutsu, though the chances of that happening are pretty low; the only people I know of who use Senjutsu are Kuroka, Koneko, Sun Wukong and Bikou. I'm sure that there's another one but I can't remember their name.
The point is that none of those people would train me in Senjutsu without a proper reason. Kuroka is still part of a peerage, hence she's with the Devil Faction and I can't be near her without being reported.
Koneko is far too young and by the time she is of age, I still wouldn't be able to go near her without being reported to Rias.
As for Bikou and Sun Wukong, I have no idea where they are, nor can I just walk up to them and say "I want you to teach me Senjutsu".
So to sum it up, I have no way to learn Senjutsu for the next couple of years. Since I've already obtained Touki and a sword teacher, all I've been doing is focus on training my magic.
The good news is that my Magic Core has increased in size after all those spells I would practice. I have enough Mana to rival that of a middle-class Magician, which will only increase in the future so long as I keep stretching my Magic Core with the usage of spells.
I've also moved on from the Runes beginner guide and am almost finished with the intermediate guide. At my current level, I'm able to create multiple rune-chains with a single gesture, with the most being seven rune-chains. The more rune-chains I want to make, the smaller the chains have to be, though the magic circle is able to fix that problem easily. Now all I have to do is reach a certain level of magic control where I can spam magic circles and essentially become a one-man magical bombardment squad.
The better news is that the Mana crystals are a godsend.
The first couple of times, I had failed spectacularly; there are still signs of the explosions in my bedroom. After a couple of more tries, I had begun to get the hang of it. Whenever I manage to fill them to the limit perfectly, she gives me another batch that require less Mana and more control, and the cycle just repeated itself for the next year.
Right now I'm on my second hundred crystal; it keeps getting harder as I progress and I have to make time for the rest of my schedule, so I won't be finished any time soon-
*BOOM*
...I don't think I'll ever go beyond two hundred.
"What happened!?" "Are you okay!?" "What did you do this time?" Sister Sophia, Lint and Freed asked in that order as they all came rushing into my bedroom, worry displayed on most of their faces.
Looking at you, Freed.
"It's fine, no problems whatsoever!" I assured them, coughing and wiping the soot off my face as I spoke. I don't think I did a very good job; at least, that's what Sister Sophia's glare is telling me.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to practice magic on your own?!" She told me off, wiping my face with a wet towel.
"But I couldn't wait any longer! I had a really good idea recently but it requires a higher degree of magic control, and-"
"Sieg is lying! He told me that he found a way to create a magic bomb!" Freed! How could you just throw me under the bus like that!?
"A magic fuel bomb!" Dude! Stop breaking the Bro Code!
"Is this true Sieg?"
"No it isn't-"
"Check his notebook! He writes all his ideas in there!"
Freed, you little-
The sound of sword swings echoed throughout the training room as I parried every strike sent my way by Freed. I continued to rush him without letting up once; without giving him the chance to counterattack.
"All of my hate..." I hissed as Freed and I clashed swords once more. I was lucky that we were sharing Combat Training today; it gave me a chance to express my hatred for the black-haired boy in front of me.
"I did what I had to do." Freed replied as he parried my wooden sword, forcing me on the defensive. "My actions saved everyone's lives today."
"You broke the code! You don't just get to break the code and walk away unharmed!"
Freed's fighting style was a technical one; each strike was delivered with a balance of power and technique, aiming to knock me down in a single blow if his sword managed to connect.
Just as another sword strike was blocked, I retaliated with a swing aiming at Freed's waist to knock him off balance. He jumped over it and returned an overhead swing of his own, forcing me to twist my body. While I didn't manage to get a hit on him, I did manage to create a gap between us by jumping back.
Having regained my bearings, I dashed forward, swinging my sword down at Freed's legs in order to limit his movement. In turn, he smashed his sword into my own with all his might, effectively keeping it in its place. He slid his sword across my own weapon, trying to strike my head but at the last moment, I ducked and swung my sword upwards, throwing him off balance.
Several more clashes echoed: first one, then two and soon enough, at least ten.
The battle raged on for quite some time; each blow being matched with equal strength, each strike being blocked with practised ease. Another overhead strike was blocked as I raised my arms. As soon as our swords made contact, I pulled my arm backwards and tilted my sword to the left, forcing his weapon to slide down my own before I countered.
"Ow!"
"And that's another point for me. I win." I placed my wooden sword on the ground and held a hand out towards Freed, gesturing for him to grab onto it.
"Can't you show some restraint?" he asked as I helped him up.
"After you broke the code?" I snorted. "I don't think so."
Freed groaned as he nursed his shoulder, the pain having already starting to recede. Thanks to our torture-I mean, training sessions, with Griselda, we were quite durable. Say what you will about that monster but her lessons have done wonders.
"So what's the score now?" I called out.
"It's two in your favour!" someone replied from the spectator stands. Freed frowned at the reminder of his score but accepted it nonetheless. I stretched my arms above me, releasing a satisfied groan as Freed and I made our way back to our places.
We were just about to start sparring again when we were interrupted by Griselda.
"Warriors Freed, Siegfried and Wren. Stop what you're doing and come here immediately." She called from the other side of the training room. I sent a quick look to Freed who just shrugged and dropped his sword.
I have to admit that I'm kind of annoyed that I didn't get to carry on sparring against Freed. I certainly wasn't a battle junkie in my old life but having all this power just makes me want to hit something.
Is this the reason why Vali enjoys fighting so much? If it is, I can see why.
"You called for us?" I asked once I arrived at her location. She gave the groaning pile of students behind her one last look before letting them go and get some rest. It's a good thing that she knows when someone's reached their limit, otherwise we would all have died before we even became Exorcists.
As they left, Griselda turned away from her latest batch of victims to face the three of us. "The three of you have been ordered to return to the Sigurd Institute." She said, getting straight to the point. "And before you ask, I don't know the reason behind this order." She added before Wren could ask.
"Is there a specific time that we need to be there?" Freed inquired.
"In the next forty minutes." Well, it takes us five minutes at most to change and ten minutes to get to the Institute; we should have enough time.
"And just the three of us?" I asked.
"From what I know, all the Sigurd descendants have been told to gather at the Sigurd Institute." And the plot thickens...
So all the Sigurd descendants are being called back to the Institute and we don't know why. Damn it, I hate it when I'm left in the dark.
"With that said, go and get changed." Griselda finished before turning away and moving towards her next group of victims. A group of boys were messing about in the far end of the training room, their laughs travelling all the way to our current location.
Those fools. You don't get to laugh in Griselda Quarta's Evil Combat Course from Hell. The only laughter allowed in this place is that of the deranged. Their fates were sealed the moment Griselda caught wind of their smiles.
As soon as they made eye contact with her, every one of them was rendered pale white.
There was no escaping now.
Godspeed brothers.
Ten minutes later...
"So why do you think they're calling us back?" I asked as Freed, Wren and I left the training institute. I was glad to see Freed still nursing some of his injuries while Wren decided to stay as far away as he could from me without making it too obvious.
"I suppose we'll find out when we get there." Freed replied. It didn't really answer my question though. I turned towards Wren who was trying his hardest to pretend he didn't notice my gaze.
Wren Wagner: designation number 42. He's a part of the Wagner series that was created a couple of months after my own series. Like the rest of us descendants, he was born with ruby-like eyes. Every one of the Wagner series members were also born with golden-blonde hair.
It's just that Wren was born with a rather... feminine appearance, contrary to his brothers.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you.
Wren Wagner
The Trap™.
And the female descendants-and sometimes the sisters as well-took the chance to dress him up in female clothing. After spending most of his life in female clothing, it isn't a surprise that he's taken a liking to female clothing.
Well, it's not like I have any problems with it. I don't feel anything in the first place; Wren is just a kid after all.
Now. If only he wasn't so afraid of me, everything would be perfect.
"Wren? What do you think-"
"Idon'tknowI'msosorrypleasedon'thurtme!" Wren blurted out, ready to cry at any moment. Rion was right; I traumatised him pretty badly. I don't even remember what I did to the poor kid but it must have been pretty bad.
I ignored the look Freed was giving me and tried one more time.
"W-Wren, I just want to-"
"SorrybutIhavetogonowgoodbyesir!" I didn't even get a chance to apologise for what I did to him; he had disappeared in the same instant.
"Like I said, traumatised." Freed quipped as he entered the Sigurd Institute.
"So you know why they called us back?" Rion asked me. Rion, Riel and Lint entered the Sigurd Institute moments after Freed and I arrived, locating the two of us in a short amount of time.
"No idea." I replied, looking around at all the confused faces of the descendants. "I don't think anyone knows why we were called back early. It must have been important if they called all of us back."
Breakfast is, as always, the loudest part of the day. The oldest generation of Sigurd descendants have gotten used to their timetables now, and the excitement they showed on their first day was pretty much gone now. The younger generations, however, still enjoy hearing stories of what goes on during training and never seem to be satisfied.
"And!? What happened next!?"
"Hurry up and tell us."
"Well, after Griselda was finished with Freed, she turned her sights towards me!" I grinned when Lint let out a small gasp and Riel's eyes, even with her deadpan expression, began to sparkle. "I held my ground and fought back but it wasn't easy. Not easy at all." I continued with a shake of my head. "She was as strong and fast as a magical beast, but in the end, even she was no match for my-"
"Sieg got knocked out in one hit." Freed snorted, having decided to interrupt my story from his side of the breakfast table.
"Freed! Why do you always try to ruin everything!?"
"Eh? So... So everything was a lie?" Lint asked with a hurt expression. "You didn't face the She-Devil in one-on-one combat?"
"You didn't
"Don't listen to Freed, he's just jealous because he got taken out in the beginning." I eased her worries with a head pat, melting when I saw her lean into the palm of my hand. A glance at Freed showed that the boy looked quite annoyed at how easily I saw through his actions.
"I didn't get taken out in the beginning..." he quietly mumbled to himself.
Keep telling yourself that, buddy.
"Anyway!" I removed my hand from Lint's fluffy head as I turned to face the rest of the table. "We have the whole day to ourselves, so what do you all want to do?"
Jeanne was going to be busy today, training with Vasco and all, and Asia is swamped with Holy Priestess duty today, so it's just going to be the five of us relaxing. I wonder what we should do-
"CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, BOYS AND GIRLS." the speakers suddenly blared. "THIS IS DR MORETTI SPEAKING. WILL THE 1ST GENERATION OF THE 1ST TO 10TH SERIES' MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE AUDITORIUM. I REPEAT, WILL THE 1ST GENERATION OF THE 1ST TO 10TH SERIES' MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE AUDITORIUM."
...Well, I suppose my question has been answered.
Five minutes later
"So what do you think is going on?" Rion asked as we sat down in our seats. Almost everyone looked a little bit confused at what was happening, especially since they didn't really give us a reason for calling us here. More specifically, the generations he chose are those filled with the oldest descendants.
"No idea." I shrugged, looking around at all the confused faces of the descendants. "I don't think anyone knows why we were called."
"Quiet, Dr Moretti is here." Freed whispered.
I turned to face the front and, up on the stage, could see the man in question.
Dr Moretti is a young looking man with shaggy brown hair and a scruffy beard. Under his white coat was a brown turtleneck, black pants and shoes, and he always looked like he wanted to be somewhere else; all in all, he gave off the Bachelor-Uncle vibe.
He's the current chief of the Sigurd Institute after the previous one was replaced; apparently, he had some nasty plans for us before we relocated to Vatican city but thanks to Griselda looking into the place, his plans were discovered and he was excommunicated. Again, another fine example of the butterfly effect.
You know what? At this point, canon can just go fuck itself. It was already screwed the moment I was reincarnated so what's the harm if I mess with it a little more?
"Alright boys and girls, Let's get this over with as soon as possible." Dr Moretti yawned. "It's that time of year again where we give our exorcist trainees a chance to test themselves to see if they're compatible with the relics stored in the Vatican."
As he said this, he pulled out a small device and pressed a button. As soon as his finger pushed down on the button, the wall behind him let out a hiss as it began to slowly open up, revealing a large corridor.
And what we saw made everyone pause in their tracks.
Swords, spears, bows, daggers and all other types of weapons could be found lined up on the wall. On the right were weapons that all gave off a faint glow of gold light, banishing the shadows surrounding it. On the left were, strangely, only five weapons that all gave off a cold feeling, with every one of them strangely giving off no light despite the various lights surrounding them.
They were all unique in their own way: one of the swords were coloured entirely gold and released a small glow: another one oozed with bloodlust: the bow on the far right looked like it would burn through the restraints at any moment: the sword at the start of the left wall had wisps of blue light surrounding it.
These... are not normal weapons.
"Some of you may have already guessed that these are not your average enchanted weapons." Dr Moretti continued. "That is because they are weapons that have been collected by the Church, reaching back as far as the first century AD. Every one of them are ancient weapons that have been recorded in various legends."
He pointed at a first sword on the right side that gave off one of the weakest glows. It's a basic-looking silver longsword with an elongated crossguard but the tip seems to have been broken off. "That right there is Courtain, also known as the "Sword of Mercy", a mid-tier Holy Sword that was carried by Sir Tristain, a Knight of the Round Table, and Ogier the Dane."
Then he pointed at a sword on the left side of the corridor. The blade was pitch black in colour with white runes stretching across it, and the handle and guard were a brilliant silver. "That sword is Dáinsleif, an A-rank Demon Sword that can generate a freezing aura. Demon Swords are stronger than their counterparts, and the fastest way to gain strength, though they tend to kill their wielders in the process."
He turned to face the shocked crowd of hero descendants with a smug grin.
"And if you're lucky, some of you may get to wield them."
Safe to say, the entire auditorium lost it.
"Damn, another failure." I muttered to myself as I placed down the golden, oversized sword. I had high hopes for Almace but it looks like we can't all get what we want.
Looking around, I can see a lot of the other descendants frowning and muttering, placing the weapons back in their stands. So far, nobody has had any luck, though that's probably because everyone is sticking to the weapons on the right side rather than the left.
After our momentary state of absolute pandemonium, Dr Moretti went on to explain what kind of weapons they were exactly. I had a small inkling as to what they were but his words all but confirmed it for me.
The weapons lined up on the right side of the corridor are all Holy-Class weapons while the weapons lined up on the left side of the corridor are all Demon-Class weapons.
So obviously, everyone is going to go for the weapons that are safer and easier to use, rather than the weapons that are harder to use and eat away at your lifespan.
Unfortunately, none of the swords seem to accept me. I probably don't have a powerful Light element, otherwise at least one of the weapons would react to my presence.
Now that I think about it, my canon counterpart also didn't have any Holy weapons, barring the mass-produced Light Sword. Maybe this is a sign that I can't wield Holy weapons?
I do seem to remember that the selection of Demon-Class weapons is different from the selection of Holy-Class weapons in the way that the latter requires a certain level of Light while the former is decided by the weapon themselves.
So that would mean that Demon-Class weapons have a consciousness. They are aware that nobody wants anything to do with them, and they can't do anything about it.
That... That's kind of sad.
I snuck a glance to the Demon-Class weapons taking up the opposite wall. I could feel the sadness from them as they were ignored. Their frustration at not being wanted, their rage at never getting to leave their restraints and being forced to gather dust.
Their despair at not being able to accomplish the goals of their creators: a chance to witness the greatest of battlefields that they were forged to stand in.
And it was the last sword that felt the most despair. The sword that was rusted from the bottom to the top, dust clinging onto it like a lifeline as it remained standing. Strangely enough, it was the only sword without a stand; rather, it was stabbed into a tree trunk.
I don't know what it was that made me go through my decision, nor why I did it. All I knew was that I had to hold that sword in my hand.
I didn't waste any time in making my way towards the Demon-Class weapons, ignoring the surprised looks from my fellow descendants and the raised eyebrow of Dr Moretti.
As soon as I left the area that was enveloped by the Holy weapons, and took a step into the opposing area, I was hit right in the face by the demonic aura they were all naturally putting out. It felt like all five swords were staring at me with open curiosity, as if I were an interesting specimen.
Or a small piece of hope.
I made my way to the sword that caught my eye the first time. I stood directly in front of the rusted Demon Sword and the first thing I felt was the fiery aura running through me. It's appearance was hidden away by the amount of rust that has accumulated over the years; only small traces of what hide below could barely be seen.
"Gram" I muttered, reading the inscription above the sword stand. I could feel a strange feeling bubbling inside me, wanting to laugh at how silly this situation felt to me.
It must have been an amazing sword thousands of years ago.
To think that such a sword has been reduced to this level.
I didn't hesitate to grab the handle, drawing a mixture of shocked gasps from everyone watching.
Did I care?
Not in the slightest.
"You are of Sigurd's blood." an alluring, female voice spoke directly into my head. It didn't take a genius to figure out who it was.
"That's right. My name is Siegfried, a descendent of Sigurd." I introduced myself, more calmly than I thought.
"There is no fear in you. Why?"
"What is there to fear?"
"Ah, so confidence then, is it?" Gram chuckled darkly, her soft voice dripping with a... resigned tone? "I know of your type, child. The type who think that they can tame a sword such as I."
"Well, that's not true at all." I pouted. "I like to think that I'm different from others."
"Oh? And how so? Tell me, how are you any different from the hundreds of men who wielded my brothers and sisters? What makes you different from the hundreds of thousands of humans who only want a subservient tool?"
"They didn't care about what you all wanted for yourselves, did they?" I replied. "I can see why you would try to actively kill all your wielders, when they just see you as a tool."
I do. I truly do. After all, we Sigurd descendants are also considered disposable tools by the Church higher-ups.
"You did not answer the question, child."
"I am different because I understand how you feel. The looks they give you, knowing that it doesn't matter what happens to you in the end. It makes you angry, doesn't it? Truthfully, I feel the same way. I hate it when I'm treated as disposable, as if my life doesn't mean anything. It makes me want to hurt them, just so I can prove that I'm more than what they believe me to be."
Gram seemed to quiet down at that, a newfound curiosity that concealed a small glimmer of hope.
"Trust me when I say that I completely understand how you feel. So if I told you that I would never treat you the way I have been treated, that I would see you as a partner and a friend, would you accept me?"
"If you are lying to me, I swear that I shall-"
"I am not lying, otherwise you can just kill me right now and be done with it."
..."Do you speak the truth when you say you understand how we feel?"
"I do."
"And you shall not go back on your word?"
"Never."
I could practically feel the emotion coming from the sword in my hands.
"You truly want to wield a sword that shall take your life in the end?"
"Only if you'll let me. After all, it's your choice to make."
..."Then I will follow you to the ends of the earth, descendent of Sigurd."
I smiled as I fully removed Gram from the stand, feeling the previously cold aura turn lukewarm as it caressed my body. Gram released a bright light, shining like a beacon-no, like a sun. The rust that adorned its features was burnt away, leaving nothing but crisps to reveal the beautiful weapon that is the Sword of the Sun.
A round pommel of a beautiful silver, and a grip of gold with a strip of blue. A slanted crossguard with squared ends that was facing upwards, the gold colour scheme practically in my hand. The rainguard was a matching gold and, laid directly above it, there was a small inscription of unknown origin. The blade was a bright silver that glimmered proudly underneath the light, flawless and pristine without a single blemish; I could see my face reflecting from it.
In that moment, everything just felt... right.
I waved my arm around, testing its weight and speed. It's quite heavy but not anything I can't handle. The aura surrounding it wasn't spreading out anymore; it was fit snugly around Gram's blade.
"Call me Sieg, like all my friends do." I said aloud to Gram, receiving an affirmative hum in response.
Ah... I went and did it after all. I just couldn't help it in the end.
...You know what?
In for a penny, in for a demonic pound.
"Gram, what do your siblings think about leaving this place once and for all?"
"My brothers and sisters would most definitely prefer to be free of their wretched confines." Gram replied eagerly, practically vibrating in my hands.
I didn't bother turning around to see all the shell-shocked descendants behind me, opting to face the rest of the Demon Swords weapons.
"Well? Want to come along with me?"
Tyrfing, Nothung, Balmung and Dáinsleif all glowed erratically in response.
And that's chapter 6 complete.
So there we have it, Siegfried has officially unlocked his Touki. It never really went into detail in regard to Touki and Senjutsu, so it isn't exactly clear as to how old most users are when they unlock Touki. I understand that I made it sound easy to gain Touki, but think about it for a moment.
Most races in the DxD world rely on their magic or weapons, rather than their physical abilities. It's easier to increase magic/demonic/holy power than it is to increase physical strength, thus most denizens of the Supernatural rely on the latter.
And humans have weak bodies to begin with, so they're forced to reinforce their bodies using magic. At least, that's my own theory as to why there aren't a lot of Touki users.
Moving on, Wren Wagner has been introduced! I wasn't planning on adding too many OC's but I felt on an instinctive level that Sieg-kun needs to have his own Astolfo-chan. At some point, Wren probably won't be afraid of him anymore so you can look forward to that. Oh boy, I'm going to have a lot of fun writing Wren. Just imagine the moment Issei meets him. It will be glorious!
And finally! Demon Swords confirmed! Demon Swords are stated to have a will of their own. Working on that, I've decided that it isn't far fetched to say that they have a conscious, and if they have a conscious, then they can communicate with their wielders. They don't have an actual body since they aren't beings that are sealed into the swords so much as they are the swords themselves, so don't expect his swords to join his harem or something. Those are fetish levels we shouldn't even be looking at.
I've also decided that I'm going to be giving every single Demon Sword a different appearance from the the anime versions, since I didn't like what they did in the anime; Gram was the only sword in my opinion that looked alright but in this story, I'm giving it the appearance of Gram before it was reforged by Sigurd from the Nasuverse. And yes, I'm planning on giving these swords the buff of a lifetime. Some of them will be simple while some will be awesome to write about, so stay calm and wait a while longer.
And now, review time!
[flitterflux] Damn, you saw through my plans at the last possible moment. Kudos to you, my friend.
[Kensei-1085] The thing is that Holy Swords are different from Demon Swords in the way that you need a certain amount of Light element for their wielders to be compatible with it. Meanwhile, Demon Swords choose their own wielders as they have their own will. That's why Siegfried can't wield Holy Swords; he was just never meant to wield them in the first place. Hell, even Irina wasn't meant to wield one in the first place. The only reason she did was because she was given the Property of Light, namely the crystallised Light element.
[Shen] I agree with you on that point. That's why even if he was chosen by the Demon Swords, he's going to have to work hard if he wants to learn how to wield them. I think that if characters are given power-ups, then they should work hard to control it rather than learn how to use it to its full capacity on their first try. I'm also planning on expanding a lot on Norse mythology, namely the nine realms connected to Yggdrasil.
[SoftItalics] I have plans for Masaomi and Cleria, don't you worry about that. I can't really answer the rest of your review without spoiling the story though, nor am I planning at any point. Sorry about that.
[Yevon] If he were to become a guardian of Gaia, then he would have to relinquish his humanity in some way. I'm not planning on removing his humanity any time soon, and does Gaia even need Counter Guardians to be honest? I like to think that a creature that has an absolute right to kill man would do a good job, that is when it isn't being shackled to a loli-vampire or a cute fluff-ball. In regards to the potential of humanity, well, I'm going to have lots of fun abusing it.
[dj max] Seriously, just when I thought that the story couldn't get any more ridiculous, these random machine gods, said to be stronger than Ophis, Great Red or Trihexa, just come out of nowhere. And what the hell is up with a boob deity? That's the dumbest shit I've heard in my life. So to answer your question: no. All of that EXE bullshit can just stay the hell away from my story, I'm not having any of that crap here.
[Dxhologram] He will have to move on at some point since there's only so much a book can teach you. I've got some semblance of a plan regarding who's going to teach him but it should be ready when the time comes.
[TehStorm] Don't worry about his lifespan being absorbed, I already thought of like four different methods to overcome that. As for Ascalon, I'm going to leave that with Issei. The reason Micheal gave it to him in the first place was as a show of trust, to show that the Heaven/Church faction can and will work together with the Underworld and Fallen factions. Besides, Balmung is a Dragonslayer so he would technically still have two Dragonslayer swords.
[ARSOLTHES] There's not much that a modern weapon can do against a legendary weapon that's been forged by famous blacksmiths, or bathed in dragon blood, or even forged by gods. There's also the fact that the various races of the Supernatural have a different physiology compared to humans. For all we know, normal bullets and swords will just bounce off their skin or something like that.
[Sakra95] The "contract with Midgardsormr" idea isn't bad, but isn't he currently asleep at the bottom of the ocean? I doubt he would wake up just to listen to the request of a human.
[apostlelord] Since this Siegfried wasn't put through experimentation thanks to Griselda, he doesn't have his white hair. At his current age, just imagine a young Solace/Fenriart from Elsword. That's the closest appearance I can think of that resembles him.