Home.

Noun: A place where one lives. Simple on the surface, yet so much more when the surface was scratched. Truly a word loaded with meaning. Home was comfort. Home was belonging. Home was safe.

And though the alley was where he had lived for the past month, it wasn't (and would never be) home. Sparing no glances to the streets behind him, Hachiman walked forward with renewed purpose. Four walls and a roof would suffice, running water a luxury. Wherever he ended up, it would be leagues better than where he had left.

His searches on the library computers had yielded some results. Filtering out buildings that were either too run down or too far from the city centre, he was left with two possible locations. The first was an old warehouse in what qualified as the towns 'industrial area'. From what Hachiman could find, the place had been listed on a real estate website for nearly 3 months with very little interest. The advertisement had said it came with a kitchenette and bathroom, with an upstairs office.

It was risky, squatting in a place that was up for sale but with so little possessions it wouldn't be difficult to leave at a moment's notice. He wouldn't be forming attachments here anyway.

The other location was further away, a factory that had been abandoned for years. While the place was more secretive, there was no way of knowing what kind of state it was in or the kind of amenities it had (or were still in working order). Street view could only do so much.

Stomach grumbling, Hachiman decided his 'house' search would have to wait. Food would come first. Before that, however, he needed to somehow get money. Uriel had mentioned something about a job, but he didn't like the idea of further indebting himself to the man. Well, angel.

Which left another problem. How the hell (or was it heaven?) Was he supposed to contact him? His phone had, no surprise, broken during his summoning. The outside was fine, but the internals were burnt to a crisp and beyond repair. Even if his phone was working, did Angels use phones? Or did they have some other divine form of communication.

Sorry Uriel but I don't have a goat to sacrifice.

Then in a burst of golden flames the angel in question appeared.

"Invoking a Seraph's name is more than enough, though I'd never say no to a good meal."

Magic flared on Hachiman's fingertips.

Taking notice of the spell, Uriel shrugged and dismissed it as a non-threat. Hachiman despised that. For all the man had given him, he had taken far more. A bag with the bare necessities wouldn't cut it. He'd rather keep contact direct and minimal.

He knew somewhere mixed in the man's good intentions was manipulation at its finest.

"I need work. Nothing dangerous, as promised."

Uriel nodded and with a blinding flash cardboard box appeared in his hands, perfectly wrapped in tape. Handing the box over to his newest employee, Hachiman was surprised at the lack of weight.

"One of the original purposes of our creation was to be God's messengers, and we still get jobs like that from time to time. So, whenever you got time for a delivery just send a prayer."

Another flash of light and Uriel handed over a small handheld GPS and a closed envelope.

"A bit old school, but it'll do the job. And your payment of course, I trust you to get the job done"

The last sentence was said with a wink, but both knew there was only the illusion of choice. Take the money and run, and he's one source of income would disappear too. The Seraph gave Hachiman a double 'thumbs up' before once again disappearing.

Hachiman sighed and repositioned the box to go under his arm, being small enough to not be awkward. After pocketing the envelope, he looked at the GPS and sighed again. It was going to be a long walk.

"Thank you Courier-san! You know-"

Being the good Japanese boy that he was Hachiman turned around and started walking away, ignoring the middle-aged housewife's cries of 'wait, come back! Come inside'.

It was his fifth delivery and his third offer of 'extra payment'. If he had to hear one more 'Courier-san, my husband doesn't come home for another 3 hours' he'd quit right on the spot, money be damned. This had to be a hentai world, where porn physics and laws ruled supreme. It had to be. Hachiman refused to believe there were this many horny housewives in his own, real, Japan.

NTR was trash anyway.

Hopping on the new bike he had bought with the first two payments (He didn't like the guy but Uriel paid well) Hachiman pedalled towards his next destination: food. The sun was setting and he still hadn't eaten anything, but now he had a decent sum of money to spend on a proper meal. More money than when he arrived here. Uriel paid very well.

A delicious smell wafted through the air as he was riding, originating from a small family restaurant across the street. Warring against his frugal nature the decision was ultimately made by his stomach, refusing to subject itself to another cup of instant ramen. Quickly crossing the street Hachiman parked his bike against a nearby pole, thumbing the handlebars and activating the runes he had etched on to it.

While it wouldn't outright prevent theft, it'd make the thief dreadfully regret trying. Hachiman knew from experience how painful burnt hands could be.

Door squeaking on its hinges, he entered the restaurant.

Blink.

A sigh of relief involuntarily left him. The only magic he could sense was from the small Shinto shrine standing on the counter, red Torii gate inscribed with various Kanjis that promised protection and good fortune.

The inside was small, a bar on one side that backed on to the kitchen while the other side provided cramped seating for larger groups. The place was empty, the time being far too early for corporate slaves to have finished work, let alone the overtime they'd 'willingly' volunteer for.

Taking a seat, Hachiman ordered the cheapest dinner set menu and leaned back. He hadn't much chance to practice his magic today, considering he spent most of it running (and later riding) around Kuoh delivering random packages to random individuals.

Whatever business Uriel was running, despite proclaiming to be an Angel, he certainly didn't care if his customers were bit more morally ambiguous. Whatever. It wasn't Hachiman's place to comment or care.

His food arrived, handed to him by the old man in the kitchen, and the teen started eating. It was good, nothing special but nutritious and filling. For the price he paid and the money he was making it wasn't out of the question to come here more often.

The bell above the door jingled and instinctively Hachiman turned, activating his Magic Sense. All four swirled with red and black energy. It was them, the two from his first night in this world followed along by two others. Up close they were more beautiful, Hachiman couldn't deny that. It was hard to look away, as if he was being drawn in by some invisible force. Magic.

Steeling himself he returned to his meal, perfectly content with them ignoring him. The women in question had other plans. The small, white-haired one sniffed the air and whispered in a soft voice.

"He smells like magic."

Fuck. Of course that was a thing. If his eyes could see magic, it was logical to assume that there others who could do the same with other senses. Hoping to get away with playing ignorant Hachiman continued eating, trying his best to ignore the new group of customers.

If only fate was so kind.

He could hear one walk up behind him but paid it no heed. He did spare a glance behind him once the foot tapping started, taking note of red hair and sizeable bust. The constant tapping was getting annoying but Hachiman would endure. The throat clears were aggravating but he would endure. It wasn't long before a frustrated groan reached his hears.

HA! Of course he would be the victor, Buddha himself was jealous of his patience. One did not grind best-in-slot gear in Monster Hunter without learning the great virtue of patience. It was one of his 108 skills after all.

Then, she poked him. She poked him. Who the fuck did that?

He turned to face her with the meanest glare he could muster.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to eat."

She was taken aback at first, and when the shock wore off she recoiled in disgust. Hachiman ignored the pain in his soul, quickly squashing it down. It was always the same, why would a different universe change that? Admirably, the redhead regained her composure and spoke.

"Sorry, we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Rias Gremory. The magicians council didn't inform me of a visitor in my city."

Huh? Magicians council? Her city? His confusion must have shown on his face because Rias took a step back and narrowed her eyes.

He blinked in response. All four were far more powerful than him separately. Together? He wouldn't last a second.

"If you aren't, then what faction do you belong to?"

Heart rate rapidly increasing, Hachiman's mind worked overtime to find a way out of this mess. Preferably alive.

Uriel was out of the question. Being the man's errand boy was enough, and even then it was far too much interaction with the guy who fucked his life over and sent him here. Fighting his way out was a death wish. Ignore what anime would have you believe, one month of self-training did NOT make you ready for a fight.

Looking towards the restaurant owner and his wife, he saw them looking at the group with wary eyes. Yes, he could work with that. It seemed Gremory-san was more of an 'act now, memory wipe later' kind of girl. And that very much worked in his favour.

Hachiman let a self-satisfied smile appear on his face before it quickly turned to fear, causing confusion amongst Rias and her little posse.

"I told you, I only have enough money to pay for my meal. Please let me go."

Concerned, the restaurant owner started making his way towards the group. Regardless of who was right or wrong, a fight inside your own establishment was never good for business.

Hachiman turned to look at Rias, whose confusion turned to understanding. The lone boy in her group was relaxed and the small one was also unconcerned, though her eyes were still focused on the mage.

Then there was the black haired one, a true 'Yamato Nadeshiko', giggling behind a hand that covered her mouth like some self-proclaimed Ojou-sama.

"Ara ara. Who knew a magician could play so dirty."

Nope. No. Stop it, get some help. Any semblance of beauty Hachiman thought the black-haired girl had, was gone. Maybe he should call Uriel because this woman right here need an exorcism.

Red magic circles with a strange crest appeared and soon a glazed look befell the restaurant owners. With the biggest threat in the room occupied for a small moment, Hachiman struck.

They were still underestimating him and he'd use that to its fullest advantage. A magic circle burned itself to the table under his palm, the glow hidden from view. With a little bit of force he slid his chair back, scraping the ground as he did so. It didn't do much, but the sound did draw everyone's attention.

Perfect.

Calculations ran in his mind and his spell was released. Searing light blinded everyone in the room from his overcharged Mage Light, including himself. It didn't matter; he had other ways to see. Pained groans filled the room and Hachiman shoved down the feeling of guilt from the two innocents caught in the crossfire.

Dealing with the white-haired one first, he released two Fire Weave's at the girl's feet. Hopefully they'd hold her back for more than a moment. Running towards the door he let another overcharged Mage Light leave his fingers. It didn't seem to have much effect, the occupants in the room already recovered and shielding their eyes.

Cursing under his breath the teen shoved the door open, releasing two more Weaves that he had imprinted on his fingers. As painful as the process of storing spells were, it was an invaluable skill to a beginner magician. The spells burned themselves to the door frame and for good measure he cast a small Ice Field on the door mat.

He turned to the four who were still in the restaurant, quickly noticing the extra flare of magic each was putting out. The boy was wielding a sword and glaring at him while the petite girl was already free of her bonds and staring at him with an impassive face.

Damn, he'd hoped the spell would last longer.

Rias again stepped forward with her hands out in a placating manner.

"Please, we didn't come here to fight. I just want to know,"

Her friendly demeanour changed and she looked at him with a threatening glare. Tried to at least. Hiratsuka's glare made the redhead's seem like a wet kitten. Someone seriously needed to marry that woman.

"Will you be a threat?"

Hachiman nearly let out a laugh. Nearly. Laughing at people who could kick your ass to hell and back was never a good idea. Source: Me.

"No, now stay out of my way and leave me alone."

With those parting words, Hachiman released the spell he had placed on the table earlier and watched the magic happen. The previously hidden magic circle sparked to life and chaos followed shortly after.

Chairs, tables, plates. Anything that wasn't bolted down flipped over and rapidly flew towards the circle in a whirlwind of furniture and porcelain. The four students were quick to dodge the majority of it, but in the confusion Hachiman had already made it to his bike and raced off down the street.

Polarity was quickly becoming his favourite spell. It was a considerable drain on his energy, and the day spent studying magnetism and physics was mind-numbingly dull, but it was so damn useful. Already he had theorised ways to weaponise the spell and unlock its full potential.

Back at the restaurant Rias, Akeno, Koneko and Kiba had just finished restoring the small diner to its previous state. The Knight dusted his hands and turned to his King.

"Do you think he's dangerous, Buchou?"

Rias put a finger to her chin in thought.

"Hmmm… I don't think so. Akeno? Koneko?"

Akeno shrugged in response, just as unsure as Rias, while Koneko looked Rias in the eyes.

"Lonely."

Interrupted meal aside, the day wasn't a total bust. There was no more want for money and he'd even manage to pick up a couple of novels from a bookstore he passed by. As for his 'house' shopping, the first place he arrived at was a bust.

Sure it was always a gamble, but it seems the real estate website was out-dated if the big sign reading 'LEASED' was any indication.

Just arriving at the second location he scouted earlier, the sun had well and truly dipped beyond the horizon. In its place the moon illuminated the streets with its ethereal glow. From the outside, the abandoned warehouse looked a little worse for wear, but still sturdy. There was no obvious damage to the exterior walls and the roof looked to be free of holes despite the building being abandoned for many years.

A true testament to the Japanese building industry. Thank you Builder-san, you can rest easy in retirement now. Your unpaid overtime will not be in vain.

Walking his bike through opened gate Hachiman felt excitement build in his gut. Finally he was off the streets. Sure it didn't seem like much but it still felt like progress. The door took a bit of convincing to open, but a simple Freezing Touch spell made the lock brittle enough to smash open with brute force.

The inside was dark but dry, the moon filtering through the skylights on the roof. Wide open space with aisles of empty shelves and stacks of wooden pallets leaning up against the back wall. To his left there was a door to what he assumed was the toilet, and to his right were a set of stairs leading up to an office space.

Perfect.

First order of business: water. Opening the door for the toilet, Hachiman flicked the light switch to no avail. Not that he expected anything to happen but it wouldn't hurt to try. Electricity wasn't a must have. He didn't have a phone to charge or a fridge to keep running. He could always sort something out later.

More importantly, he needed to check if the water was working. After spinning the faucet all Hachiman could do was hope. Not long after and ancient pipes groaned as they were once again called in to service. Water rumbled through the walls and sputtered out the taps.

Weak at first, but it wasn't long before a steady stream was gushing out. He let it run for a few minutes before shutting it off. Small blessings, he supposed. If only they could keep coming.

Next, he went up the stairs and in to the office. The carpet was clean enough and the dust build up wasn't as heavy as he'd thought it'd be even if it was only a little softer than concrete. Dumping his meagre possessions on the desk that never got removed, the displaced teen finally allowed himself to rest for the day.

As eventful as it was, he had a sinking feeling that this was just the start. It wouldn't be the first time he'd run in to the redhead and her friends again, of that he was sure. Still, he'd call it a success.

Steady income. Shelter. Water. Food.

Normally that would be enough to survive, but from his limited observations this world needed one more thing above all others.

Strength.

And that was something he didn't have. He didn't know where Uriel stood in terms of 'power rankings', but he assumed towards the top end at least. Far stronger than the redhead, that was for sure.

At least they couldn't forcefully shut off his Magic Sense.

That realistically only left one option: get stronger. It'd take time and a lot of effort, but it seems he was in this world for the long haul. He didn't have the luxury of an MCs bullshit super OP ability, nor did he have the genius level intelligence to manipulate those more powerful than him.

His endgame was getting strong enough to get back home. A lofty goal to be sure, but it gave him a sense of direction and purpose. For now, he'd settle with having the strength to at least defend himself long enough to come up with a plan to tactically retreat.

But, these were worries for tomorrow. . Right now, the blessed realm of Morpheus called to him. The thought to set traps up passed his mind and left just as quickly. Another thing to do after he had rested.

Hachiman just hoped it wouldn't bite him in the ass come morning.

A/N:

It's been a minute. No empty promises this time. Trying to get a proper grasp of Hachiman's character which is kind of hard to do. End of the day it's fanficion; wish fulfilment. The hardest question right now is in a world of beings who can blink you out of existence, how do you make a (for now) weak and underpowered character relevant? He doesn't even have the power of friendship and nakama to get him going. In the end there's always two words to fall back on.

Training arc.

Take care and stay safe.