Deus Ex Machina

by Soleneus

Stuck in a new world? Need safety, money, power? Build a Machine. Need a girlfriend? Build a Machine. Need a God? Build a Machine. Alone except for a Sacred Gear that creates machines from his imagination...there is no stopping him now.

There was nothing strange about the way I went to bed; I shut down my computer, brushed my teeth, gave my corgi a goodnight snuggle then flopped into bed. I rested my head on a fluffy, supportive pillow, tugged my sheets up to my neck and drifted off faster than usual.

I did not wake up there. Not under my covers, not in my bed, not in my room, not in my house and more than likely not even in my state.

Instead, I woke up leaning against a brick wall in a cramped, dirty alley, sitting right next to a recently-emptied dumpster.

In retrospect, that should've been a warning, but I think I deserve a little lee-way. For a long moment, I thought I was dreaming. I'd had dreams like that before, ones that felt so real I woke up tired from a day I dreamed.

Then it started to rain.

I was, luckily, clothed with jeans, shoes, shirt and hoodie, but all unmarked and plain. I had no wallet, no keys and no phone. There wasn't even a rolled-up post-it note saying 'get fucked lol' or anything to explain why I went to sleep at home and woke up somewhere else. It was a struggle to get to my feet and not just because I'd apparently been sitting against a brick wall; it felt like every limb of mine had become jelly wrapped around pretzel, and it took a couple of tries to heave myself up.

I stumbled out of the alley and looked around, finding myself in some sort of strip-mall sort of shopping center, various businesses scattered around a few square acres. I didn't recognize it, nor the street names on the distant signs. I found a rolled up paper in a plastic bag, abandoned to the encroaching rain that drizzled onto my head.

Looking at the date didn't help. January 14, 2007 it read. It hadn't been that date when I'd gone to bed.

I tripped back down the alley, slumped against the wall all the way to the ground, and tried to resist the urge to curl up in a ball and die.

Somehow, someway…I'd been sent from my home to a place I didn't know, almost twenty years in the past, with no resources.

I had nothing and no one…I had no hope.

"You have me, Master."

I bolted upright and nearly smashed the back of my head against the brick at the sound of a voice in my skull. Clapping both hands over my mouth to muffle the surprised scream, my eyes darted up and down the alley to see if anyone had heard me.

There was no one.

What the fuck was that?! I can help but shout internally.

"It is me, Master," the voice, a strange blend of genderless and electronic, but gentle, "I am your Sacred Gear. Designation: Unknown Dictator."

Something about the words 'sacred gear' tickled my brain, but my sudden reversal of fortune and acquisition of a voice in my head had done an excellent job of scrambling my wits.

The fuck are you?! Part of me was aware that I was beginning to hyperventilate, but most of my attention was focused on the answer.

"I am your Sacred Gear, Master. A Sacred Gear is a power tied to the souls of humanity and randomly distributed through the population, to provide you a means of resistance against all who would impugn upon your being, as intended by God the Creator."

The answer rang in my ears and my memories snapped into place. Images of a plain boy except for a red gauntlet with a green jewel on the back, a red-haired bombshell holding a handful of black and red fire, and tits.

So many tits.

It can't be, I thought, trying to blink away the shock running through my system, that kinda thing doesn't just happen, it's a fantasy! To write and dream about, not experience! It's not real!

"Beginning local scan," the voice intoned, and a wave of blue light seemed to emanate from my back, rushing over the world around me. Numbers, raw data covered my eyes and nearly overwhelmed my vision, but it disappeared as fast as it came. "Scan complete. Results: The fabric of reality is unaltered in this area. Conclusion: this is real."

Oh sure, I was just gonna take the word of the voice in my head. Seemed real smart.

This can't be real.

"It is."

But what if it is? A part of me whispered, the part that had always longed to cease writing about the adventures and go on one myself. What could we do?

By myself? Not much, as in fuck all. If this was where I thought it was, that meant that not only were Heaven and Hell real, so too were angels, demons, devils and other things with power so great they could crush the earth like a grape under a tractor…most of them dragons, for some reason.

Well, I knew the reason: Dragons are fuckin' cool.

But you aren't by yourself, that other part pointed out, and I was forced to recognize that the voice in my head with the odd lights wasn't just wild hallucinations.

Right, so…Unknown…Dictator, right? What a mouthful.

"That is my current designation, Master."

As my Sacred Gear, what can you do? I half-hoped it was something like being able to mind-control people because that would make some things far easier to do. Like making everyone leave me the hell alone.

"Unknown Dictator, also known as the Imperial Child of Machine World. Unknown Dictator has the ability to manipulate metal, commonly known as 'Magnesis.' Its most notable abilities are its abilities to manipulate and create electronic devices and mechanical equipment of the modern day." The toneless, genderless voice explained.

My mind stuttered for a second, running those words over and over in my head. Can you explain what you mean by 'manipulate and create electronic devices?' My first thought went to pulling a Magneto, but even he would have trouble in this place and I didn't have decades of experience.

"The user of Unknown Dictator can, through the medium of their Sacred Gear, manipulate the shape, form and process of existing electronic and mechanical devices, as well as create entirely new ones using material provided by existing devices."

Something kindled in my chest, a small spark that burned bright. What are the limits on the devices created by me-you-Unknown Dicta-us. What are the limits of the electronic and mechanical devices we can create? Deep inside, I was begging to hear what I wanted to hear…and afraid at the same time.

"Devices created by 'us' are limited to: the mass of the materials, a combination of mental willpower and physical stamina."

I waited, blinking. …And?

"Those are the limits. Extrapolating from metadata, it is believed that more complex devices will be simpler to create once more experience is gained in doing so."

I felt my breath catch, and it seemed like the world caught with it, the pattering of rain coming to a halt. So, you're saying…besides mass, willpower and stamina, we can create anything? Even things that don't exist now? Or use magic or violate the laws of physics?

"If it functions, then a creation does not violate physics, only known physics. In frank language; if you can imagine it, you can create it."

The candle in my heart burst into flames and my tongue felt like it was too large for my mouth, heat burning behind my eyes. It sounded too good to be true. Take a person who'd grown up in the gaming boom, who spent more time with books than people, with the exception of a certain few, then set him loose in another world with that kind of power at his fingertips?

I felt like whooping, throwing up and having an aneurysm. I instead ended up hyperventilating a bit more.

This wasn't something I could take on faith, though. God may have been dead and angels were real, but until one of them came down to smite me I was gonna keep thinking I was just sent back in time in my world. Hope is a paradox, so strong some cling to it even as it gutters and dies and thus keeps it alive, or they let it die and fade away despite an optimistic reality.

I needed to try this power for real, only then would I dare.

Unknown, uh…Dic…alright, this isn't gonna work, your name is too long. Can I change it? I thought back to how Sacred Gears work. Also, being my Gear, does that mean you're part of my soul? Would I get Bankai? Might be cool.

"Designation can be changed at will. And yes, Sacred Gears could be considered as symbiotic additions to the soul."

Does that mean you have access to my thoughts and memories? I mean, I haven't been speaking out loud or anything.

"That is correct."

I thought back to one of my favorite heroes; a super soldier clad in green power armor with an AI in his head, and the many, many ideas that had sprung from such a pairing. I'm going to call you…Jade.

"Designation accepted." Visions like half-remembered dreams flashed before my eyes, a part of me deep inside growing warm and comfortable. "My name is Jade. Hey big guy, ready to get started?"

The once toneless, genderless voice now sounded like a woman with a youthful, warm voice, and I smiled for the first time since I'd woken up in that alley. "Hey Jade," I said aloud, "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Jade replied with an audible smile, "So, what's first?"

I sighed and pushed myself up, now acutely aware of the damp and cold seeping in through my clothes. First, I need to test out these powers, see if they're all you said they were. To do that, we'll need a bunch of electronics…now, it's 2007, so computers are still fairly bulky and smart phones aren't a thing yet, but electronic recycling should still be a thing. So, I need to find a Best Buy or a Circuit City, see if they've got an electronics recycling place, find that and start experimenting. My stomach took the opportunity to growl and remind me that the last time I'd eaten had been hours before I went to bed. Actually, first I need some food…and also money. And a car.

"That can be handled," Jade said simply, "First, you need to actively use my abilities. Summoning me should be easy; focus on your desires and the will to make them possible, then say my name."

My desires were simple; I no longer wanted to be wet and hungry and afraid, and the voice in my head, plus the scan before was all the evidence I needed to know that changing all of the above was entirely possible. It was just the scale that was in question. I breathed deep, feeling the cold rain drip into my hair, thinking of the voice in my head and the promises she had made.

"Unknown Dictator." I felt a weight on my face and opened my eyes, the world now highlighted in blue with informational displays popping up in the corner of my vision as I swept my gaze down the alley. Things I didn't need to know, like the local temperature or the model of the dumpster were acknowledged and dismissed with a thought, leaving only outlines that I realized were for the power and such to the nearby buildings. Touching my face revealed that I was now wearing a visor of some kind, made of what felt like heavy plastics. Solid, but still fairly light. "You can interface with electronics, right? So can you make me invisible to cameras?"

"Done." A light tingle swept over my skin.

"Okay-" I realized I was talking out loud and shut my mouth with a click. Okay, so…scan the area for ATMs. Then electronics stores.

Another pulse of blue energy came from my feet, sweeping out over my vision. "The closest ATM is two blocks to your right, and the nearest high concentration of electronics is a block farther. You might want to pull up your hood before you go, though."

I tousled my hair to try and rid it of some water, not that it did much. Tugging my hood up and tucking my hands in my pockets, I left the alley behind and set off down the sidewalk.

It was early morning, a bit after seven, so there were barely any cars in the parking lot and thanks to the rain, no one was outside. In any other situation I would've looked shady as shit, but given the weather it was fairly appropriate. Everything looked…normal. If I truly was in the world where Sacred Gears are a thing, an anime world, well, it didn't show.

The ATM lit up in my vision, data scrolling faster than I could comprehend. I stepped up and touched the machine, and something happened, it's hard to describe…like suddenly realizing you have another arm but that arm is technology and data and coding and circuits. It was akin to a flex of the fingers then all of the data was laid bare, all of the accounts of the bank and all the money therein laid out before me. If the ATM didn't have a limit on how much money it could hold, I could've taken all the cash and vanished to somewhere sunny; I was tempted, too. But if this world was truly the one Jade said it was, then money would be the least effective means of protection.

All the cash in the world can't protect you from someone who can punch a hole in the moon.

Plus, it didn't sit right with me, just yoinking all the money from random people. I cast my will out over the accounts and skimmed a few bucks off of the top until I had collected five hundred dollars. A flex of intent and ATM purred as it disgorged a thick stack of twenties. Money thus secured, I headed for a nearby McDonalds and got myself breakfast. I got a strange look for ordering two dozen egg mcmuffins and hashbrowns and a cup of coffee, but I was hungry and didn't know if I'd have time or the inclination to grab lunch.

The 'nearest high concentration of electronics' turned out to be a RadioShack, and shit if that wasn't a confirmation of going back in time, I don't know what is. Slipping around the back I found a dumpster and a metal container for an electronics recycling plant, a pretty new one, too. It was half full of old radios, tube computers and phones with an occasional TV, so it wasn't just for the one store. The data scrolled over my vision, highlighting all of the useful materials…I was tempted to try Unknown Dictator there and then, but I didn't want anyone to come across me using magic. Instead, I reached inside to grab an old, battered laptop and a couple flip phones before memorizing the address of the recycling plant and dipping.

Okay, do a local area scan for any abandoned cars, I thought, smiling slightly at the pulse of energy. It may have been a strange new world, but magic is magic and magic is cool.

"There's a truck that's been unused for two weeks nearby," Jade whispered in my ear, an arrow lighting up on the ground, pointing to the far end of a nearby Costco parking lot.

That'll work. I couldn't help but think of Jade and Unknown Dictator, at least in that form, as the ultimate realization of Augmented Reality, that new frontier of tech. If I got a handle on my powers, I could even create similar things later on that would make me a mint.

The truck was old, spotted and battered. It looked like it hadn't seen a mechanic in a decade and paint job in two, not to mention how low to the ground it sat on flattening tires. The lock clicked as I approached and the door swung open with a screech; the inside was, mercifully, somewhat clean if not a little moldy and smelling like old people. I tossed the laptop and phones inside and closed the door, stepping back and taking a deep breath. Alright, so…how do we do this?

The busted ass truck lit up in my vision, data scrolling in the corner of my eye. "Imagine the changes you want to make and your desire to shape it to your wants. I'll handle the rest," she answered confidently.

I gave a furtive look about the parking lot to make sure no one was watching me, then held my hands out, reaching out with my will to grasp the truck. I imagined the combustion engine becoming lighter, more advanced, powered by electricity rather than gas while retaining the power; the fuel tank becoming a fusion cell, a couple years worth of energy for only a bit of mass to burn; the interior becoming clean and new, all of the old replaced by the new and advanced. "Unknown Dictator," I intoned.

A magic circle burned to life underneath the truck, masses of equations and mathematical solutions forming into geometric shapes. "Calculating." The shapes shifted and adjusted. "Extrapolating." The circle rose from the concrete, engulfing the truck in a mass of glowing lines that sunk into it, leaving a grid of magic.

"Execute," I said.

"Reformatting."

With that one word, the truck began to glow until I could barely make out the shape underneath. I could whirring and clicking as metal and plastic shifted and combined and changed with sounds I could only describe as magical.

"Process Completed."

The light faded away to reveal…a fuckin' truck. Less spotted and obviously shit, but still unassuming by most standards, at least on the outside. I took a step forward to look inside when it suddenly hit me; fatigue. It felt like I'd run a mile while listening to the most boring audiobook on taxes; both my brain and limbs felt like sponges while my heart raced. "Jesus…" I breathed, leaning down with my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath, "So, that's the price for using you, huh?"

"A temporary but unpleasant condition," Jade said soothingly, a feeling of static like gentle fingers brushing the back of my neck. Despite the sweat dripping down my face, it felt rather nice. "Care to see what we've done?"

Sucking in a deep breath, I stood up and stumbled to the truck, the door swinging open smoothly and without a sound. Contrasting the plain, weather-beaten exterior, the interior was all smooth silver lines and black synthetics, with a screen in the center of the dashboard and more than enough leg room. The seats were covered in black foam and felt heavenly as I leaned back into it, exhaustion tugging at my eyelids.

In less than a minute, we'd turned a beater, a hunk of junk for a truck into something out of CyberPunk. Barring a spaceship or two, that truck was the most technologically advanced vehicle on the planet.

It purred dangerously as I turned it on, the advanced systems within scanning my body and adjusting the temperature and air conditioning to my liking. Recalling the address of the recycling plant, I touched the screen and typed it in, the truck smoothly driving out of the parking lot to join the early-morning traffic. Can you keep an eye on it while it drives? I'd rather not crash.

"Monitoring. How do you feel?" My eyes were drawn to where the stick shift would've been, instead replaced by a console with a holographic projector. Standing atop it was a miniature version of a lithe young woman with long hair, made up of scrolling, jade-green code.

"Tired," I grunted, rubbing my eyes, "Though not too bad. I'm thinking that making a rocket might be out of the question."

"For now," Jade added with a smile, "The recycling plant is about an hour away, you should get some rest."

I nodded and resisted the urge to yawn, leaning my chair back and polishing off my coffee. After consuming another mcmuffin and a hashbrown, I closed my eyes and let myself doze.

I only realized that we'd arrived at our destination when the truck pulled to a stop, the ride being so smooth that I didn't even feel the acceleration of getting on and off the highway or the bumps from the gravel road. The recycling plant was more of a pre-processing center, and not a very busy one at that. Under Jade's direction, the truck had driven us around the back where the old electronics would be dumped off to be scrapped, though the gate was locked and monitored by a camera.

"I'm still invisible to cameras, right?" I asked, looking through the windows to see if there were any trucks or personnel coming.

"As is the truck."

Getting out, I knelt by the padlock on the gate and reached out with my will. I could've simply willed the lock to open, but I had Magnesis now and I decided to practice using it.

It did not go well.

After the fifth time the tumblers fell out of place while I was trying to figure out the others, I said fuck it and opened it with my mind. I could always practice later. It did make me feel like a damn Jedi, though, waving my hands and opening the metal gate with nothing but a gesture.

I drove into the plant, keeping out of sight of the main building and found a stack of electronics, mostly old computers to park by. Reaching out with my will, I grasped the metal in a computer and slowly picked it up, carefully directing it to rest in the bed of my truck. The price was paid, but it was much less than changing the truck had been. If I had to guess, I would say it took about a quarter of the energy I would've expended loading the thing by hand.

I also remembered all the space was inside of old computers. It's just the presence of the materials, not condition, right?

"Correct, for the process of changing them."

I nodded and flexed my fingers, crushing the tower I'd been floating into a crumpled square before dropping it off. It took thirty minutes or so, but eventually I'd filled the back of my truck with enough scrapped electronics to build a life-sized Transformer, if only a small one.

Another hour later and I parked the truck on some old, abandoned property, what might have been a house once now a moss-covered lump with barely a trail to call a road. But it was away from any other homes or the town I'd woken up in, and that was good enough for me.

Once I'd unloaded all of my ill-gotten gains onto the ground, I shook my arms out and tried to ignore the nervous sweat building on my palms. This was it. The moment where I pushed the limits to see what I could really do. If I failed here, well, I had options. But not ones I wanted.

"Unknown Dictator," I intoned again, and a magic circle appeared underneath one pile of scrap. I focused on what I wanted, what I truly desired and reached for it with all the hope I could muster.

"Calculating. Extrapolating." The circle shined like a miniature sun.

"Execute."

"Creating."

The scrap glowed and vanished into the circle like stones into a pond, the shapes twisting and turning until it rose into the air, leaving behind a shining shape that grew until it was almost as tall as I was about as wide as the truck.

Then the light faded, revealing a boxy gray device that somewhat resembled an air conditioning unit for an apartment build, except for the subtle high-tech details. A section opened up to reveal an empty divot.

Excitement pounded in my chest even as the exhaustion hit, ignoring it the best I could as I grabbed the remaining scrap and shoveled it inside the device, along with a few random sticks and the trash from my breakfast before slamming it closed and activating it. The device hummed and shook slightly as I bounced on my heels, anxiously waiting for it to finish…and with a ding, it did.

I raced to the other side, watched a hatch pop open and disgorge a tray of uniform white cubes.

And I laughed. "It works!" I shouted gleefully, picking up a cube and bouncing it in my hand. It was surprisingly dense for being only five inches around, but that was good enough.

It was time for the final test. I took all of the cubes from the tray, opened the hatch and shoved them inside before slamming my hand down on the device, programming it with pure will.

It hummed and shook, hummed and shook and I felt like tearing my hair out as I waited all thirty seconds it took for the process to be complete.

It sounded the completion and the tray emerged once more, this time carrying a rack of vials, all filled with a silvery liquid substance.

Nanomachines.

I couldn't help it. I laughed. Long, and hard and probably more than slightly crazy. I grabbed a vial and lifted it to the sky, like I'm showing it to the sun. "DO YOU SEE THIS?!" I shouted to no one, "Do you know what you've done?! You gave me, ME, the power to create any tech I can think of! Anything I can imagine! YOU DONE FUCKED UP! You hear me?! THOU. HAST. GOOFED!"

I popped the top and drank the nanomachines down. They didn't taste like anything, but I immediately felt them go to work, like the worst case of pins and needles ever known to man. Collapsing on my back, even as the sensation swept over my body, I couldn't help but grin.

With Jade's help, I directed the nanomachines to do what I want: refine and enhance. By breaking down most of the fat and waste in my body to make more nanomachines, the first thing I did was enhance my organs. My heart was now an organic machine that ran so clean and efficient I'd never even have a heart murmur. My stomach could now refine everything I eat to get the maximum amount of nutrients and energy as well as convert what waste remains into more machines, so I'd probably never have to take a shit again. My liver? One hundred percent efficient, unless I wanted to get buzzed. Kidneys? Enhanced and reinforced. Large and small intestine? Not gonna need those anymore, might as well use those as materials. Maybe extra storage? Lungs? Could smoke twelve packs a day and never cough. And breathe underwater. Eyeballs? Zoom and enhance, motherfucker.

Bones? Enhanced. Muscles? Enhanced. Veins, nerves, reflexes, skin, hair…

Enhanced.

With Jade and my nanomachines, I made myself the perfect conflux of man and machine. I could deadlift my truck and outrun a panther, jump a small building in a single bound, punch a hole through concrete and take small caliber bullets like they were flies.

But I'd lost nothing in doing so. I could still find pleasure in a good meal, feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, look at the art of the world and find it beautiful. I was still human, but everything had been cleaned, refined, enhanced.

…And it wouldn't be enough.

There were people out there, Devils, Angels and Gods who could crush my enhanced body into dust, move faster than my enhanced vision could perceive, and blast me to ashes no matter the machines in my system. I needed more.

And then a thought occurred. I'd just used my power to create a machine to give me more power. Who's to say I couldn't do so again?

Jade, I thought, done admiring my new body, there are a lot of unique powers out there, the Power of Destruction, Phenex Regeneration, Light Magic, Devil Magic…do you think we could create a machine that could copy those powers?

She hums thoughtfully as I victoriously grab another hashbrown and take a bite. "I don't see why not," she says, "We would need a lot of data, a lot of experimentation and time…but yes. Eventually. So long as you have the will to direct me, it shall be done."

I laughed again, long and hard, but only more than slightly maniacal this time. And I remembered something, one of the last conversations I'd had with one of my few friends, Noah, about the world I found myself in. How it had taken place in 2008…a year from now.

My mood fell. I hoped that my family and friends were dealing with what I assumed to be my disappearance well. I had no will or really anything to leave behind except my ideas. Perhaps, in time, I would be strong enough to make my way back, to let them know in some way that I hadn't just left, that I hadn't just abandoned them for no reason.

That would take more power than I had. But I had a few ideas on how to get more…

I lifted my hand in the air and focused, seeing my skin painlessly split and separate as a curved blade emerged from my arm, and I smiled. "Jade," I said, patting my machine like a beloved family dog, "We have work to do."

…

I won't bore you with the details. Despite my dramatic proclamations, getting everything set up was a pain in the ass that took too much time, even for Jade and myself. To that end I spent weeks creating drones, transports, nanites and Matter Reformatters before sending them off with copies of Jade's mind. All the landfills would suddenly find themselves becoming mysteriously empty as my recyclers turned trash into literal treasure in the form of programmable matter, which would then be turned into whatever was needed.

It took time and more than a little hacking to get the resources needed to start the ball rolling, but once it did…I became this world's Tony Stark.

Sorta.

Setting up a company, building capital, getting facilities…it was all necessary and completely tiresome. With the vehicle boom on its last legs, there were facilities in Detroit that were in the process of shutting down. Not on my watch, however. A few threats of blackmail, some cash waved in the right faces and the occasional good old-fashioned thievery, and they were now mine. A little refurbishment got them pumping out cars more advanced than anything currently on the market, cleaner-burning and just plain better than any car in my time, even though we left plenty of room for improvements to the yearly model.

Cars, phones, computers, televisions, stoves, dishwashers and refrigerators, even weapons, we dipped our toes in them all, partnered up with the right companies to eventually bought them out and started making money hand over fist.

Personally though, I was starting to get lonely. Jade, as much as I loved her, was only one person. That was when I stumbled across an idea.

…

Three Months After Arrival…

I stood at the foot of the bed inside the hospital room, staring down at the thin, sad figure lying on it. I didn't want to know her name, though I knew her situation. Some sort of accident at a graduation party, the EMTs had managed to keep her alive but only barely and even then it was too late. She was brain-dead. Cut down before she'd really had a chance to live. "Scan."

A wave of blue light washed over the body and I dismissed the readouts of the life support machine in favor of what I truly wanted to see. She still had a soul. The technology was rough, but it worked. I could see a shimmer of light within, though it was dull compared to all the others I'd tested. I wondered if it was like solitary confinement, being a soul in a body technically dead, kept alive only by parents who couldn't stand the thought of their baby girl being truly gone.

With that data my choice was made, and I withdrew a syringe from within my jacket, uncapping and jabbing it into her neck. The silver liquid within disappeared, and I left the room.

An hour or so later, the hospital would experience a brief but thankfully not dangerous blackout that would be blamed on a power surge and fortunately didn't occur in the middle of any dangerous operations. Except for one certain girl, whose life support machine wouldn't come back on.

I forced myself to stand and watch as her parents cried over her body, forced myself to memorize the grief on their faces. To look at what I had done and know that it had caused their suffering.

I followed the body to the morgue and sat in my truck outside. Hours later, the passenger door opened and the girl slipped inside, looking even thinner than before. Wordlessly, I handed her a trio of nutrient-rich, calorie-dense protein bars and drove us back to my hotel while she ate.

At the hotel, she stepped into the shower while I took a seat, trying not to let my anxiety show. "Scan," I muttered, and the familiar grid of blue light swept over the room. Through the wall I could see what had once been a mere shimmer of light was now a decent shine and growing more potent by the second. If all else failed, I could at least take pride in literally saving a soul.

The woman who emerged from the bathroom looked nothing like the girl in the hospital bed. Her figure was full, with long, shapely legs that came up to a mathematically perfect rear, wide hips and a trim waist with medium sized breasts, a graceful, lengthy neck leading to a heart shaped face with a delicate jaw. Her lips were small but full, with a beauty mark near her chin and a button nose above. White hair framed a pair of crystalline blue eyes that met my gaze evenly, ignoring her nudity entirely as she sat on the bed facing me.

"What is my designation?" She asked in a quiet yet firm voice.

"Your name is Beth," I told her, looking her straight in the eye. "How do you feel? Do you remember anything?"

"Beth," the woman uttered, rolling the name around her tongue before nodding, "My name is Beth. I feel…strange, I guess. I'm happy to be alive and yet somewhat sad. I remember being someone else, but the memories are old and faint. I…" she closed her eyes and thought for a few minutes. When she looked at me again, her blue eyes shone and a small, warm smile curled her lips. "I am glad to be alive, Master. You've given me another chance to live, and for that I will be forever grateful. I am yours."

I smiled at her and stood from my seat, offering my hand. She rose and took it, shaking it once but not letting go. "You will be my bodyguard, my friend, my companion and whatever else you wish, Beth," I said quietly, "But that isn't all you can be. Whatever you want, I will make it so."

Beth tilted her head and gazed at me. "Whatever I want…" she murmured, tapping her chin in thought, "I want…some food."

"Room service coming right up!"

…

Beth was close to being the apex of what a cyborg could be. All the enhancements I could devise, with a learning matrix based off of a human brain, who could not only change and desire and feel, but had a soul. Over time she came to develop a dry sense of humor that I enjoyed immensely, along with impeccable skill with all sorts of weaponry, though she favored a sword.

The perfect bodyguard, and the perfect companion.

Beth was the first of my nanite-enhanced cyborgs, but she wasn't the last. Someone had to actually run the fucking company after all.

…

Five Months After Arrival…

The situation was similar, but the person wasn't the same. The woman in the hospital bed was a mother of two, who'd dived into a frozen river to save one of her kids who had fallen under the ice, pushing them on shore before being swept under herself. They found her a day later washed up on shore, miles down river, miraculously still alive but the combination of freezing water and oxygen deprivation had starved her brain. She'd been on life support for nearly a year, and a scan had revealed a soul about as bright as gray on black.

"Wow," I resisted the urge to whistle as I scanned her memories, faint as they were, "This woman fucked." A wild sex life would be an understatement, though what I considered wild and what others considered wild might be different.

"Is that really important right now?" Jade huffed, though I could feel her amusement.

"No, but it is notable," I replied with a shrug, "She's a perfect fit for what I have in mind." With that said, I injected her with the nanites and went through the whole thing again. "And not because of the sex things."

This time, though, the woman who emerged from the shower was in a robe that could barely close around her assets, sat on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed, her chin propped up on her palm, elbow on her knee with a half-smile on her face.

I believe the term is 'big ara-ara energy.'

She was beautiful, too, with long purple hair that would reach her waist, amethyst eyes colored with good humor, a sharp nose and a jawline and plump lips similar in shape to mine. Her body was the classic hourglass shape with large breasts, wide hips and gloriously thick thighs but surprisingly dainty feet. She was taller than Beth, too, at five foot ten.

"What's my designation, Master?" she asked playfully. It seemed that age was a factor in how much influence the previous personality had even in the nanite-enhanced learning matrix she had for a brain. The memories I'd seen had shown her to be teasing and playful then, too.

"Your name is Solana White," I started, trying to ignore the fact that her robe had fallen open and I could see one of her nipples. "You are the CEO and Head of R&D for your company, Solaire Optimal Solutions. I know that's all a bit much to take in, so…how are you feeling?"

Solana, as she was now called, tapped her lip in thought before smiling. "I feel wonderful, Master, like a brand new person!" She said honestly, leaning back on her hands. "I remember a bit of who I used to be, but the memories are a bit stale. What I truly know though," she got off of the bed and knelt in front of me, taking my hand in hers, "Is that I'm grateful to be alive again, Master. I will serve you however you wish."

"And I will always take care of you, Solana," I replied, squeezing her hand, "You aren't a tool or a pawn to me, and I'll do my best to make you happy and enjoy your new life."

She hummed thoughtfully, a glimmer of something exciting in her amethyst eyes. "You know what would make me happy-?"

"Wait, shit, I forgot," I cut her off, pinching the bridge of my nose, "You're also, legally speaking, my mother, okay?"

Solana tilted her head. "Huh, your mother," she mumbled, before standing up and shrugging her shoulders, the robe pooling around her feet. "Oh, I'll be your mommy~"

…

There was another aspect to the upgrades I gave the cyborgs, one that even they weren't aware of: an imprint of Jade, buried in their subconscious, who would make sure that their loyalty above all else was to me, and me alone. It was much like quiet whispering telling them to do what I would approve of, giving microdoses of serotonin and dopamine when they did.

It was far too close to brainwashing to be comfortable, but I couldn't let all I was trying to build collapse because of human error. And it was only a backup; treating them as what they were, treasured and honored companions with real bonds would serve as more effective leashes than any imprint could.

With Solana taking over running the company, that left me free to work on personal projects; Sharpening the bleeding edge when it came to nanite technology, sending small rockets full of drones to Mars to begin building a base and later terraforming, but first and most important: sending out other cyborgs to seek knowledge of magic wherever it could be found, from Magicians to different pantheons, factions and even the Church. It would take time for my Seekers to bear fruit, but knowledge is power, and power is worth cultivating. Already my understanding of human magic had increased, leading to a couple advances in my personal projects.

And damn Noah to anime hell, I couldn't help but develop a few suits of armor I knew he would approve of. A few of them had even been completed, but they were the lesser works, comparatively. They needed more data, raw data that I could only get in one place…

…

One Year After Arrival…

Kuoh Town

I woke up the way I usually did those days; using Beth's chest as a pillow, hearing her heartbeat in my ear, feeling her fingers gently stroking through my hair. Although both of us were enhanced to the point that we needed only a few hours of sleep a night, getting a full eight hours still felt the best, psychologically speaking. Plus it gave us more cuddle time.

"It's time to get up, Master," Beth said softly, her fingers scratching my scalp. Lifting my head to meet her gaze, I found her gazing down at me with a gentle smile and warmth in her crystalline blue eyes.

Pushing myself up, I leaned in and kissed her gently, cupping and stroking her cheek. The jump from bodyguard/companion to lover wasn't entirely expected, but I did hope for it. "What idiot decided I needed to go to school?" I muttered, drawing back.

My bodyguard tapped my nose. "That would be you," she said, pecking my lips before slipping from the bed and padding to the bathroom, looking back at me over her shoulder knowing damn well my eyes were fixed on her masterpiece of an ass. "Well come on, 'Idiot,' if you make a bad first impression you'll only have yourself to blame."

"I know, I know," I grumbled, following her to the shower. Again, being what we were, we could be clean as we wished with just a flex of will and a second for the nanites to work, but nothing could truly replace getting soapy under a stream of hot water. Especially not with a shapely woman like Beth to wash my back and sneak in a few gropes here and there.

"I'll get started on breakfast," she promised after I rinsed her hair, giving one of my cheeks a brief squeeze before she stepped out of the bathroom, her skin rippling briefly before she became perfectly dry, and still naked.

I finished cleaning myself and dried off, wiping the steam away from the mirror so I could look at myself. My face itched as I made a few adjustments, sharpening my jaw a bit, reshaping nose and ears then giving my eyes just a bit of a touch up to bring my Japanese heritage to the forefront. What looked back at me was a seventeen to eighteen years old young man with a strong jaw, fairly high cheekbones and a sharp nose above a pair of lips almost half-quirked in a smile and almost almond-shaped eyes, one which was my original ice blue with a subtle yellow ring around the pupil, while the other was light green.

Jade green, one could say.

In a word my face could be described as 'Eurasian' with hints of features all around Europe but identifiably strong ones from Japan; exotic and eye-catching, but not too foreign.

Nodding to myself, I grabbed an Omni-Cover module and attached it just under my clavicle, tapping to activate it. The nanites within burst out to sweep over my body with a tickling sensation, swiftly forming into a shirt and shorts as I walked down to the kitchen. The Omni-Cover was one of our newest inventions, and one we'd have to hold onto for a while, given that it would eventually replace clothes. All those sweatshops, all those suppliers and shipping would disappear, which would be pretty terrible for a lot of places…unless there was a company that could sweep in with very profitable and much cleaner ways of making money and resources.

Of course, those would be the standard versions that would only change clothes, perhaps the main profit would be from selling programs containing new designs, with some strict rights management? The non-standard versions, however, contained enough nanites in a subspace storage pocket to go from a three-piece suit to swimwear to a set of powered battle armor, though nothing exotic.

The more exotic devices were contained in watches, though perhaps the better term would be…Drivers?

I strapped a watch on before I sat at the counter, watching Beth bop along to a song playing on the radio as she flipped a pancake and checked the bacon pan. I got the water boiling for tea and went about preparing our lunches in the classic bento boxes, packing tonkatsu pork I'd made the night before with a light salad and an apple.

By the time I had finished, the tea was done and my companion had plated our breakfast and dug in.

It was something of a paradox, really, that with our systems so tuned to extracting nutrition or converting whatever else to fuel or nanites to the point that we could consume literal trash with no ill effects…it made actual food that much more delicious. When you could consume handfuls of gravel and grass and get the same effects of a full meal (I know, I tested it), actually eating food made by hand and with care was just so much more special. It was easier to appreciate the taste and texture when such things weren't truly necessary; like sleeping on silk sheets. Cotton would do the job just fine, but there was something about the sheer expense and time that made it more comfortable.

After eating the last bite and finishing off the tea, it was time to head to school for the first day. The student Council President, one 'Shitori Souna,' had asked us to arrive early to finish filing the paperwork and get all that fun stuff sorted before classes. The only thing that made subjecting myself to school again worth it was the fact that no one would be able tell if I was fiddling with a bit of programming or thinking up a new gadget while I was in class, and any tests would be a breeze because I had a supercomputer for a brain, and a Sacred Gear that put supercomputers to shame.

And, of course, having the chance to scan Devils and Sacred Gears to gather data for my own personal use and empowerment. Couldn't forget that.

Beth grabbed our bags as we headed for the garage, tapping our Omni-Covers so that they shifted our clothes from casual wear to motorcycle suits and helmets. The bike I straddled was one of my personal projects, I'd spent days refining and adding and upgrading my baby until it was the most technologically advanced vehicle on the planet, second to my truck. It drove fast, rode smooth as silk and was packed full of surprises.

I called it the Kusanagi.

With the touch of a button, it purred to life between my legs, with Beth slipping behind and wrapping her arms around me. With a flex of my will the garage door opened up and we sped off into the early morning light, heading towards my first day of school at Kuoh Academy.

…

"So, a new transfer student, hm?" The question, rhetorical though it was, came from a vision of beauty sitting casually behind a beautifully crafted mahogany desk, long, pale shapely legs crossed as she delicately sipped a cup of tea. Brushing a few locks of blood-red hair away from her deep blue eyes, Rias Gremory, Heiress of the Gremory Clan of Devils and one of Kuoh's Great Ladies, turned her gaze to one of her longest friends and the current Student Council President, Sona Sitri.

Sona was a slim young woman with dark hair in a bob and stern countenance, adjusting her glasses as she sat on one of the couches in the Occult Research Club, which Rias was the President of. She was also the Heiress of the Sitri Clan of Devils, one of the Seventy-Two Pillar Families. "Yes, an American and the son and heir of Solana White, the CEO of the up and coming Solaire Optimal Solutions, a tech company that's only been on the scene for less than a year and already making waves." She held up a slim black phone, the back emblazoned with a stylized 'SOS' but the O was a sun. "And if rumors are to be believed, both he and his mother are the impetus behind their technology."

"My, my, a bonafide genius as a new student?" Purred a voluptuous young woman standing next to Rias, humor glinting in her purple eyes as she covered her mouth with her hand, "Perhaps you'll meet your match here after all, Kaichou."

Rias sighed and reached out to tug on the other girl's long purple hair, "There's no need to be rude, Akeno." She gave her fellow Heiress a look, "Please excuse her words, Sona-chan."

Sona sniffed and adjusted her glasses again, flipping through the papers on the coffee table. "Apparently his mother has Japanese roots and with their star rising in America, she wished for him to complete his education away from media attention and in safety, which is why he'll be accompanied by a bodyguard." She held up a headshot of a beautiful woman with crystalline blue eyes and white hair giving the camera a stoic look. "To that end, they also donated enough computers to completely refurbish our technological classes and clubs."

"Very generous," the redhead noted, standing up from her seat to stand in the window, gazing down at the academy grounds. "Do you know what he's like?"

Sona huffed and tapped her papers straight on the table. "No, but I have a meeting with him in a bit to finalize his paperwork, I should be able to get a read on him then." She held up a photo of a rather handsome young man with Eurasian features, the most striking of which was a pair of heterochromic eyes, one an icy blue and the other jade green. He was giving the camera a cold, almost hostile look. "His countenance suggests him to be a serious sort, though."

Rias hummed thoughtfully as she took a sip of tea, her eyes drawn to the parking lot as a sleek black and purple motorcycle smoothly pulled into a spot, the two riders disembarking. One was obviously a woman and the driver, a man; both tapped a spot just under their collars and before her eyes, their clothes rippled and changed from black motorcycle suits and helmets to the Kuoh Academy men's uniform for him, along with a pair of sophisticated rectangular glasses, and a professional jacket and skirt with stockings and sunglasses for her. She arched her eyebrows, surprised and impressed; no magic had been used in the change at all, it was purely human technology.

"Say, Sona-chan, when's your meeting with the transfer student?" she asked off-handedly, swirling her tea in the cup.

"Ten minutes from now," Sona replied, giving her fellow Heiress a look over her glasses, "Why?"

Rias motioned at the new transfer and his bodyguard as they started walking towards the school proper. "Because they're here."

With a quiet grunt, the Student Council President gathered her files and stood from the couch, a light blue magic circle forming under her feet. "Rias, Akeno," she nodded stoically before vanishing.

"Kaichou takes her duties so seriously, hm?" Akeno asked as she joined her King and best friend at the window, looking down at the two new people. "And who knows, perhaps these two could be useful with your bird problem."

The redhead scowled briefly. "Perhaps," she allowed, shaking her head, "At least I know these two will be interesting…" She paused, realizing that as the new student had been scanning the ground, their eyes had met. Gazing into those mismatched orbs, it felt like they were boring into her soul, reaching deep to lay all of her secrets bare…before he smiled widely and gave her a friendly wave. Reflexively she waved back and the new student seemed to stand a little straighter and walk with a bit of bounce in his step.

"Caught his eye already, I see," the Queen of Rias' Peerage teased.

"Shush," Rias muttered, finishing off her tea, "I will admit, though…they are interesting…"

…

…The fuck's in the water around here? What goddamn right did these girls have to be so damn pretty?!

I looked Rias in the eye from across the grounds and about a story up, I couldn't help but zoom in to look at her, and…damn. God damn. I knew she was supposed to be a great beauty, but neither the anime nor the manga did her justice. Her eyes were blue and gleamed like sapphires, peach skin that looked sinfully soft and smooth even from that distance, and what a rack!

…But that hair. Red as freshly-spilled blood, falling in thick and lustrous waves, framing that heart-shaped face. It was glorious. I wanted to run my fingers through it, nuzzle it with my nose and take in what must be one of the greatest scents on Earth…

I couldn't help but wave when I realized her eyes had met mine, nor feel the thrill shooting up my spine when she returned the gesture. I must've looked like an idiot, feeling so peppy just from getting a wave from a pretty girl.

Then again, calling Rias pretty is like saying the ocean is a bit wet.

"Master, I'm detecting a spike in your hormone levels," Beth said stoically, but I could perceive the slight twitch at the corner of her lips.

"Shut up," I said maturely, crossing my legs as I sat before a table in the Student Council's Office, a chess set in the center and beyond it, a finely-crafted wooden desk made of ash, by my scan.

A door opened and 'Shitori Souna' stepped inside, followed by a girl who could possibly pass as her older sister. Sona might've had less curves than Rias or the girl who followed her, but she was a beauty all the same but the stern, cold kind, with a severe gaze in those violet eyes behind her oval glasses. The girl's uniform highlighted her long, slender legs with that short magenta skirt, and the four-tailed corset, though not as tight as a real one, still drew attention to her modest bust. I bet making her blush would be damn adorable.

"Good morning, White-san, Beth-san," Sona gave a small bow that I stood to return, "Welcome to Kuoh Academy. This is my Vice President of the Student Council, Shinra Tsubaki-san." She gestured to the other girl, taller with similar black hair but much longer, to the point that it reached below her knees. I shuddered at the thought of her shampoo bill. She was quite shapely, her corset and shoulder cape outlining her substantial bust, with a pair of rectangular, bottom-rimmed glasses before her eyes, one of which was colored violet while the other was a honey brown.

"Hey, we're Hetero-Buddies!" I exclaimed, pointing at my own mismatched eyes, before pausing, "Wait, no, that sounds bad, uh…Hetero-Homies? No, that's worse…Chromatic Cousins!" The two girls traded a look. "Alright, that's not good either. Don't worry, I'll think of something, us people with our strange eyeballs need to watch out for each other."

Tsubaki gave a practiced smile. "I look forward to it, White-san."

She definitely didn't.

"Ahem," Sona cleared her throat, "As we spoke of before, I would like your assurances that your bodyguard would restrain herself when it comes to less than lethal occurrences. As I understand, your mother demanded Beth-san be allowed on the premises for your safety, however I cannot accept such a thing if it were to lead to serious injuries to other students."

I arched an eyebrow at her as Beth drew herself up to her full height, and let the silence build. "Shitori-san, you have my utmost assurance that Beth, being my bodyguard, is a professional with whom I've never had cause to doubt either her loyalty, skill or lethality. She is here to protect my life from those that would take it, not intervene in schoolyard-scuffles." I steepled my fingers and gave them a small smile. "Not that I expect many of said scuffles; I am here to learn and to socialize."

The Student Council President nodded and adjusted her glasses. "Very well. May I ask what is contained in your briefcase?"

Beth held up the slim black metallic case. "Everything I need to protect my principal," she stated, and said no more.

Sona nodded once more. It was a good thing she didn't ask to see inside, because the case was empty; it wasn't supposed to have anything inside of it, because it was entirely constructed of nanite-dense metal and could transform into whatever weapon Beth desired without sacrificing any of her armor, internal or external. "The last thing we need to handle is the Student Code of Ethics contract, it's not legally capable of bringing about penalties after being breached, it is more of a ceremonial signing," she peeled what looked like a piece of parchment from her stack of papers and set it on her desk, facing me. "Were it enforceable, though…"

I gave the contract a quick look and signed with the offered fountain pen; it was pretty basic, 'the signee will never knowingly breach the Code of Ethics laid out for the student body' etc., etc. There were no magic circles nor legal ramifications to enforce it, mostly just personal honor and reputation.

"Well, now that's all handled, I have something for you!" I reached into my bag and pulled out a container, setting it on her desk before removing the lid to reveal a couple rows of cookies, still steaming as they had been coming out of the oven last night. Spatial and temporal magics were just so damned useful, even on a small scale. "Now, I'm not sure how many people make up the Student Council, so I made an even two dozen, please let me know if that's enough for everyone."

I swear I could see Sona's nose twitch as the scent of freshly baked cookies wafted up from the container. "…That'll be more than enough, thank you," she cleared her throat and held her hand out to me with a small smile, "Once again, welcome to Kuoh Academy, White-san. Tsubaki-san will show you around campus before classes begin."

Taking her hand in mine, I tilted it up and bent down to brush my lips against her knuckles. Looking up, I could almost make out a faint hint of color in her cheeks. "Thank you for having us, Kaichou."

"That's not necessary," she said politely.

I shrugged. "Isn't that what I'm supposed to do after I'm formally introduced to a Lady? Hm. See you around, Kaichou." I turned to my Chromie Cousin and nodded. "Let's start the tour, yeah?"

Kuoh Academy was grand as fuck. Definitely more than a few square acres, with buildings for all sorts of things, fields for football, baseball, tennis courts, a full gym and even a pool. Then, near the back of the property and in the woods was the Old Schoolhouse, converted to be a club building. I wondered if the sheer irony of a Devil running the 'Occult Research Club' was what had gotten into the water?

Looking at the slender blonde who had just arrived at the doors before us and was holding them open, I once again had to wonder what the hell was going on. She was damn good looking, lithe and slender, with an elegant, heart-shaped face framed by blonde locks tied back with a blue ribbon and light blue eyes. Paired with the gentle, friendly smile on her lips and she was close to being a devastating beauty, especially as she got older. "Tsubaki-san, strangers, allow me."

"Thank you," Tsubaki nodded, "White-san, Beth-san, this is Kiba Yumi-san, one of our brightest second year students."

…Wasn't Kiba supposed to be a guy? Oh well. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kiba-san," I greeted her cheerfully, offering her a polite bow, then my hand. After she took it, I bent down to brush my lips over her knuckles.

"Yumi, please," she replied with a pleasantly surprised smile and a hint of heat in her cheeks, "The pleasure is mine. Welcome to Kuoh Academy. If you require help or simply desire company, my class is 2-C and I'm a member of the Occult Research Club, though I do give the Kendo Club pointers every now and then."

"I'll keep that in mind, Yumi-san," with another polite tilt of the head, we were back on our tour. It was the ass end of it anyway, just going around to see the lunchroom, library and classrooms, the standard stuff.

By that time, the halls had started to fill with students. "-These are the first year classes, up the stairs-"

I rounded the corner and ran right into a student, a small but surprisingly solid one, given that we kinda awkwardly rebounded off of each other instead of my nanite-enhanced frame knocking them to the ground. Regaining my balance, I looked down, then down some more to meet a pair of hazel eyes framed by white hair with a pair of cute little black cat clips. The girl was both short and adorable, with a stoic though slightly surprised mien, with budding curves that meant she'd be a knockout once she was fully grown.

…Again, what the shit. Water. Why?

"Sorry about that!" I made an aggrieved face as I rubbed my chest, "You okay?"

"…Yes," she answered, squinting slightly, "Are you?"

"Surprised more than anything," I shrugged, before reaching into my bag, "As an apology for running into you…cookie?"

She gave the small container now opened to show steaming cookies a look. Her expression hadn't changed an iota, but I could just feel she was suspicious. "…You walk around carrying cookies in your bag?" she asked flatly.

"Today, yeah," I offered with another shrug, making to close the container when her hand shot out, snagging a chocolate chip cookie. "There you go. My apologies, miss…?"

"Toujou Koneko," she replied, looking at her hand as if it had betrayed her, "First year, Occult Research Club."

"Huh, second one we've run into," I muttered, before turning to Tsubaki and gesturing up the stairs, "Shall we?"

The Vice-President nodded, "Be careful, Koneko-chan," she said before leading us up the stairs.

As we went, I sharpened my hearing just in time to hear a crunch and a sound somewhere between a grumble and a hum, "Good cookie…" And I smiled to myself. I hadn't planned to run into, uh, any of the ORC, but at least I'd managed to make a decent impression.

I think.

The rest of school wasn't interesting, besides the fenced-off roof. "And this is your classroom, Class 2-D, with Kobayashi-sensei," Tsubaki finished, and by that time the warning bell had rung and class would begin shortly, with the three of us getting some strange looks from passing students. "If you have any questions or concerns, the Student Council's doors are always open."

"I will keep that in mind, Tsubaki-san," I gave a polite bow, offered my hand and kissed her knuckles when she took it; unlike her President, she wasn't quite able to hide the color in her cheeks, "Thank you for giving us the tour."

"Y-you're welcome, White-san, Beth-san," she replied, "Enjoy your day and once more, Welcome to Kuoh Academy."

Beth and I watched her walk off, long black hair bobbing, and traded looks.
"…There's gotta be something in the water," I muttered, adjusting the black neck ribbon that was part of the uniform. Seriously, why a ribbon and not a tie? And why do girls get capes, short as they are? I want a cape…

"Ready?" She asked, a hand on the door and a curl to her lips.

I gave her a look and brushed my lapels. "I've dealt with worse things than a room full of teenagers," I said, cracking my neck then nodding.

Beth opened the door and led the way inside. The first thing I saw was the teacher, Kobayashi. She was slender, maybe in her thirties with short hair, and probably a year and a kid short of being MILF material with round glasses and brown eyes. Sweeping my gaze over the rest of the class, I felt paradoxically relieved and a little disappointed. Everyone was average looking, if on the nice side of average looking, but there were no stunning beauties. The only ones who really stood out were a bald guy, a guy with thick glasses, a girl with thick glasses that appeared to be fogging up, and…

Him.

Possibly the most average looking of the bunch, though also on the nicer end of average, I admit. Brown hair, brown eyes in a frown as he looked between Beth and me…Issei. The unknowing wielder of the Boosted Gear, unrepentant pervert and, if given the chance, one of the most powerful people on the planet.

Looking at him then, I felt a bit of…guilt. Not for anything I'd done, but what I planned to do.

And then he opened his mouth. "Hey sensei, who's the pretty boy and the babe?!"

Kobayashi shot him a glare made more effective by the light glinting off of her glasses. "Sit down, Hyoudou! As you all know, we have a new transfer student, and due to his circumstances-"

"Hello!" I greeted the class with a nervous but friendly smile, before coughing into my hand and giving the teacher an apologetic look, "Sorry." A small wave of titters spread through the room, and I cringed internally. Playing a 'greatest hits' of being the New Kid on purpose didn't mean it wasn't still embarrassing.

Kobayashi gave me an understanding smile. "Please, introduce yourself."

I turned to the class and gave them a sharp bow. "Hello!" I said again, waving at my bodyguard, "This is Beth, she's my bodyguard and she's not here to entertain anyone, so don't bother her, please." Beth didn't react besides sweeping her hidden eyes over the class, earning a few mutters about her 'cool, stoic beauty.'

"Why do you have a babe for a bodyguard?!" Issei called, waving a hand with an offended face.

I was feeling less and less guilt the more this kid spoke. "My mother is the owner and operator of an important company, for my safety she hired someone to protect me. I don't actually expect any danger, that's her job. Anyways, as a gift for uh, being…here…" I reached into my bag and withdrew a container that I set on the desk, flipping it open to reveal three rows of steaming cookies. "I made cookies! Three kinds, actually; the classic chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin," I paused to hold up a finger, "And if anyone says oatmeal raisin is bad, then…you can't have any. And, snickerdoodle. Here, pass it along and take one." I handed the tray to a girl in the front row along with a stack of napkins.

As the tray was passed around, I gave the teacher a smile. She arched her eyebrows in reply and looked meaningfully at the chalkboard.

I squinted at her before snapping my fingers. "Oh right, I forgot my name," I muttered, turning to the board and grabbing a piece of chalk, buoyed by another wave of giggles, though much more polite that time. The striking of chalk on board seemed terribly loud in comparison, as if the act of writing my damn name down was some sort of climax.

In the end, the characters stood stark, white on green.

"My name is Solomon White," I said, turning back to the class, "Though I understand 'Solomon' is a bit of a mouthful, so please, call me Saul. I hope you'll take care of me."

…

…

…

…

A/N: So, this is another story you can blame NSG for. I was talking shit about his story, Advent of the Shadow Monarch (available on FF, AO3 and QQ!), and I started wondering what Sacred Gear would fit best with me, and he let me know that Unknown Dictator exists, and as I told him…

You done fucked up.

NS: You're goddamn welcome.

Because it was all I could think about from then on. And as you can tell, this gave me quite a few ideas. It's kind of a perfect storm, because I've long wanted to write a DxD story, and I already had a SI in the works about another miraculous machine powered by will and imagination, and the desire to write both of them fused together to create…This!

It's not much right now, but believe me, the ideas I have…it's gonna get nuts.

And to help you visualize: Beth is 2B in looks. I couldn't help myself. And Solana is Raiden/Ein from Genshin Impact in looks. I couldn't help myself. And there are other agents/seekers, who are most likely gonna be more of the same.

Can't help it.

I did also modify and extrapolate what it can do. It says it can control iron, which I've turned to just plain Magnesis. The rest of the power is vague as shit, 'manipulate and create electronic devices and mechanical equipment of the modern day' which I've taken to mean 'can create whatever machine the user can imagine, powered by will and life force using other machines' which is not a good thing to put in my hands because I've existed on the internet for more than half my life, I can imagine quite a lot.

NS: Same deal as with Annihilation Maker, really. An SI with imagination and enough willpower can potentially stomp a lot of DxD. Motherfuckers have the imagination of a damn brick, with their imagination-fuelled abilities. SMH

And yes, this is an SI and yes I do in fact have a corgi, though there's this tendency for SIs to become their own characters having been divorced from my will and living in another world and dealing with different situations. And while it might seem like Solomon's gonna step all over the enemies and all those situations, both my pride in my abilities as a writer and the fact that I write stuff I enjoy ensures I won't. Reading a story where some SI sails through the story with no possible means of being impugned are fun little snack breaks between real stories. And I try to write real stories.

Big Announcement, I now have a P-a-tre-on…again. I actually set one up like, six years ago but I didn't do much with it. But now it's back and so am I. Just search for 'Soleneus'

What will you get? Exclusive first looks at the newest chapter before anyone else, along with character sheets, side stories and even first looks at my original content! Plus a monthly poll where you can vote on which story I'll be focusing on that month! And merch too, once it gets going, maybe mugs? Shirts? I got plenty of ideas.

Also, got my own Discord, too! Discord . gg / yHhxfWft! There, you can chat with me and NSG, see how the sausage is made and also get a first look at the new chapters, too.

Big thanks, as always to NSG for being both a huge nerd and a huge resource, and for pretty much being the direct reason this chapter got written in like, a week. Check him out!

Thanks for stopping by, leave a comment and a review if you liked it, and look forward to more.

Stay Awesome.

~Soleneus