Summer holidays, a period of freedom granted to students just after they enrolled or started their new school years in the spring. A great opportunity for students to relax and let off steam from school studies. Although the elementary school curriculum isn't that complicated, in fact, it is pretty easy for me, but I still appreciate the occasional break since it allows me to spend more time that I should have spent on studies on other matters, such as training and other stuff.

I've started training my body ever since I've got permission from my parents to venture outside of the house without supervision. I think it was a little after I enrolled in elementary school, so a little after I turned six two years ago.

I didn't know what kind of training program would be good in order for me to break through the human body's limits and reach the supernatural realm, so I decided to play it on the long run by simply doing basic strength building and other stuff. Originally, I've thought of training using the same methods employed in anime and manga but I dismissed the thought for a few reasons.

For one, well, some of them aren't exactly doable in Kuoh while a few can be considered a little extreme, and I've heard that overtraining can stunt growth for children and developing teenagers, which is something I want to avoid. So, instead of going all-out from the get-go and risking hurting myself in the long term, I took the easy way and just did some basic exercises, not a lot but just enough to put my body at work.

Of course, it isn't the only thing since after exercising which would strain and damage my muscles, resting and eating some good meals are primordial jobs to do in order to mend them, in turn, making them stronger, a little lesson I've learned from Haikyuu during my high school days in my past life.

Running, push-ups, dips, squats, crunches, pull-ups, and the occasional yoga with my mother, is what I've been doing for two years since and, much to my expectations, I haven't got any remarkable results yet. Well, if I were to compare myself with a normal child my age like my brother, I would like to say that I'm more athletic and stronger, but my abilities aren't anything extraordinary at all. But again, I'm only eight years old, I haven't hit puberty yet so I can say it's still too soon for me to reach that level anyway.

And if I remember correctly, it's supposed to start around the time when Issei just started his second year of high school so... I still have eight to nine years left. I've once heard in the past that training was like planting a seed, that with enough time and care, all the efforts I'll put into my training will blossom into a huge and sturdy tree. So, by the time canon starts, who knows how strong I'll get.

In any case, for now, I'll just focus on breaking my current limits and keep raising the bar, slowly but steady, one step at the time.

Running under the beating sun, I was on my way to a certain place I've been visiting regularly since last year.

It all started when I realized that, even if I were to get stronger, it would have no meaning if I didn't know how to fight, let alone throw a punch. This is why I made the decision to learn some kind of martial arts.

It was hard to convince my parents to let me practice one as they were against my request, being worried that I would get myself hurt during practice and all. But while I understood their point of views, it was something that I needed. To learn from an expert in the matter was absolutely better and more effective than learning by myself, so I was adamant that I wouldn't take no for an answer. And so, after some convincing and a lot of pleadings, I managed to make them relent on their decisions.

Then, around the same time I started to train my body, I also enrolled in a dojo a few blocks away from my house. However, it wasn't a dojo that taught martial arts for close combat, but instead, it was a kendo dojo.

I was a little disappointed when I learned about that fact since I wanted something like karate, muay thai or even baji quan, something that focuses on the body and not a weapon. But when I was told by my father that there wasn't any dojo or school around the district, all of them being only accessible by taking the train, so I relented and decided to enroll there.

It was still better than nothing, and much to my surprise, it was a choice I don't regret making.

Kendo is a sport that makes harsh demands of the body. I have to learn how to wield a shinai and wear an armor which is quite heavy on its own, so during particularly intense training drills and sparrings, my entire body is engaged all at once and it trains both my muscles and improves my endurance, making it an excellent workout.

I even had Gorou buy me a bokken so I could continue practicing at home.

Seeing the dojo not too far away, I let out a little smile before making a dash for it.

The dojo was quite old, being the only traditional Japanese style building in the area among the other more modern houses, but it is what makes it charming in my opinion. It doesn't have many students, the majority of them being old men practicing the martial arts either for physical fitness or for other reasons, like de-stressing or simply to have fun. It's not that I care for their reasons, but it's great to have people to spar with, especially when they are more experienced than I am.

I also asked Issei if he wanted to join me, be it for training or simply to play around with a shinai. However, he rejected my offer because he preferred to spend his time playing with his friends. It's too bad but it's fine in its own way. If he doesn't want to do it, I'll simply respect his decision.

As I reached the dojo and opened the door, I saw that there were only a handful of people present inside, making me let out a sigh.

Well, it was something I expected to happen, obviously not everybody can attend classes, especially in the middle of summer when most people are either working or on vacation with their own families.

"Ah, Sakuya-kun. You came!" I blinked when I heard someone call my name, making me glance at where the voice was coming from to see a girl my age with long brown hair attached into a ponytail and light brown eyes.

Murayama Yuka, a fellow martial artist and the dojo owner's granddaughter. She's also a classmate and what I would consider a bit of a friend.

If I remember correctly, she should be a mob character in the anime... a member of Kuoh Academy's kendo club, I think. In any case, I was a bit surprised to meet another named character that soon, even if she's a mob. Since we were both classmates and fellow kendo practitioners, we somehow decided to interact with each other, and before I knew it, we quickly became quite close.

"Hello, Murayama-san. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. But still, I'm surprised that you came today. I remember you telling me that you would be away with your family to celebrate Obon so I thought you wouldn't come."

"I did say that, but we're leaving only the day after tomorrow, so I'm free today."

"That's great. Since there are only old people who come here, just the fact that there is someone my age makes me happy. Also, you can call me by my given name, you know? It makes me feel like we're strangers if you call me by my last name."

"I'll think about it. Oh yeah, I'll go change into my uniform, the last thing I want is to be scolded by the master."

"Okay."

Making my way to the locker room, I changed to my uniform consisting of a black shitagi, a white kosode and hakama, a pair of black tabi, a pair of waraji, and a black obi. And once I made sure that everything was in place, I returned to the main hall where I joined with Murayama and talked about random stuff.

With how few we are, I wonder what we will do for today's session. I hope that we can do a lot of sparring, after all, there is nothing better than fight people who are more experienced that I am if I want to become better at swordsmanship or fighting in general.

"Today was fun! We even got to spar with the master!"

"Yeah, it was a good experience."

The sparrings are usually done only between the students with the master watching over us. But since we were only a handful, we had the rare opportunity to spar against him.

The difference of experience between him and I was immense, but I managed to learn a lot. The way he moved, his footsteps, the manner how he would strike, the timing and others. It was really a good experience for me. I'll try to replicate the master's movements once I'm home.

"But still, I'm sorry for always making you walk me home like that."

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Your home isn't that far from the dojo and we can talk longer like this." And I can use the extra distance for some running too.

"Like always, you're kind... By the way, have you made any progress with your summer homework, Sakuya-kun? I'm having some trouble with them, especially with math."

"I still have the art project and the individual report left to do, but that's something I can do quickly so yeah, I can say I'm done with them."

"You work really fast." No, I'm simply the type who prefers doing my homework and finishing them as fast as possible so I can be tranquil later, unlike a certain someone who likes to do them on the very last day.

"Oh, I have a good idea. Why don't you come over tomorrow at my house? We could do the rest of

"By that, you mean you want me to help you, right?" I asked, receiving a cheeky grin from Murayama, making me shake my head.

"You should try to do them yourself... but sure, I don't mind. When do you want me to come over?"

"For that, I'll have to ask Mama first, but I'll tell you over the phone later at night... what's going on over there?" Suddenly, Murayama stopped walking before she pointed her finger at a local park where I saw a group of children, sitting on the ground, who were listening to an old man who was sitting on the water fountain.

"Who knows. Maybe the old man's telling them a story or something." I said the first thing that crossed my mind while shrugging my shoulders. I wasn't interested about the situation over there so I could care less, however, the old man intrigued me a bit.

Long, gray hair, and a matching beard, some kind of foreign robe, and most importantly, that white monocle over his left eye... It doesn't look the kind of look a regular person would wear... is he part of the other side? But if that's the case, who? Is he someone important?

As I started to feel some doubts about the old man, when I saw his lips moving, I focused myself trying to hear what he was going to say, only to blink in disbelief as soon as I heard his first words.

"Listen well, youngster. Boobs are much more sacred than you can imagine. We, people, wouldn't exist in this world without boobs. They are the source of all life and the mother of everything. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't be here today. A baby when born must drink from his mother's boobs. So, we could even say that boobs are also a mother's love for their children!"

…

A large silence perpetuated in the park as nobody moved, be it the children who were watching the old geezer with respect, the bystanders who instead sported horrified expressions on their faces and I could see some of them taking out their cellphones.

"Hello, is it the police? Yes... I would like to report a pervert..."

Feeling my sleeve being tugged on, I turned to Murayama who was looking at me with a blank look on her face.

"Sakuya-kun, what is that..." She asked as she pointed her shaking finger at the deranged old man, making me sigh before I took her hand in mine.

"Don't listen, Murayama-san. It must be some kind of cult or some sort of brainwashing. In any case, it's better for us to leave so let's go."

"R-right."

And so, we walked away from the park and I glanced back to see that the old man was still continuing with his little speech in front of the children who were listening intently to his words, making me frown.

A perverted old man with a monocle... Is that really who I think he is? But I thought that it was his right eye he gave away, not the left one... Well, it's not important but why is he here of all places? Don't tell me that there is something important going on?

Shaking my head, trying to clear out my mind, I simply continued to walk away with Murayama.

No matter what it is, it doesn't concern me at all so I better ignore it. And even if it was, I'm too weak to do anything.

Every year during summer, the entire family goes to our grandparents' house in the countryside in order to celebrate Obon, the Japanese Buddhist custom of honoring our deceased ancestors.

I never liked the countryside since I always hated dealing with mosquitos, but I have to admit that there is some charm to it. The beauty of nature, the pure air, the absence of local noises, the kind of things that can't be easily found in large cities.

It's the kind of place I can see myself living during my old ages, where I would be living in peace and tranquility. And even right now, I can experience it... well, I would have if it weren't for those two.

"Ahaha! I see that you have enlightened to the universe's truth, my grandson!"

"Yeah, Jii-chan! Boobies are great!"

As it turned out, Issei was among the children who were present during that 'cult' accident two days ago, and ever since, he became obsessed with boobs. He finally became the pervert he was infamous for in the anime... or light novel. Well, whatever. I don't really care as long as he doesn't involve me in his shenanigans, however, it would be great if he learned to shut up for once. I want my silence.

And my grandfather, Juzou, isn't any better. I already knew that he was perverted since I once discovered his stash of porn by accident in the past when I once played hide-and-seek with Ise, something that surprised me since he's Buddhist, a religion that focuses on letting go of human desires, but I never thought that he would be that vocal about them.

"I'm surprised they can hold a conversation about boobs for three hours straight. Don't they get bored…"

"It doesn't seem so." I glanced behind me to see Gorou approaching me with glasses of barley tea in his hands, giving me one of them. "Why don't you join them, Sakuya? It could be fun for you, you know, instead of staying alone in the corner."

"Thank you for the drink, otou-san, but I'm perfectly fine where I am."

"Is that so? Then how about I join you? You won't mind?"

"Why? Do you want to talk about boobs with me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows, as I stared at Gorou who shook his head as he sat next to me.

"No, no. I do want to talk with you, but not about boobs. Tell me, is everything going well in school?"

"Why? Is there some kind of problem?"

"Well, not really… It's just that I heard a lot of things from Ise about his school life and everything, but from you, not that much so I'm a little curious. Are you having fun over there?"

I know that I don't necessarily talk about my life with others, especially when there is nothing worth talking about, but I never pegged him to be curious about my activities.

"We're supposed to study at school, not to have fun, so it's pretty much a no."

Honestly, the subjects studied at school are quite simple and easy to grasp, so I have pretty good grades, being among the top in my grade without trying. But at the same time, it's pretty boring. I once wished that I could skip grades so I could be quickly done with my education. But much to my disappointment, it's against the law to do it with the sole exception being the last year of high school. It's a shame, but I'll deal with it.

"I-I see. Then, are you getting along with your classmates? This year, you aren't in the same class as Ise so I was a bit worried that you may be lonely without him."

"There is no way I would feel lonely without Ise. And yes, I do get along with my classmates. I think…" Aside from Murayama, it's not like we're close or anything.

'Neutral' is how I would describe my relationship with the class. We don't interact much with each other, and I don't have any reasons to do so.

"Good. Your mother and I were a little worried that you may have been bullied or something since you told us nothing about your life at school. Well, Ise did tell us that there was nothing of the sort, but we couldn't help but to worry." Hearing him say that, I scratched my head a little annoyed, mainly at myself.

Well, it can't be helped that they are worried about me if I tell them nothing, but I prefer to keep things that happen to me to myself...

"Sorry, but there is no need to worry about me, I'm perfectly fine. And it's not like I'm alone without Ise, I do have a friend in my class. You know what, if we have time, I'll introduce her to you."

"I see. I can't wait."

"Dear, can you help us bring the vegetables in?! We gathered a bit too much!"

"I'm coming! Alright, duty calls me. Sakuya, if you're bored, you can go outside and play, but don't venture too far or you'll get lost."

"'kay."

After giving me a head pat, Gorou stood up before he walked outside in the direction of the vegetable garden, leaving me alone with the two perverts.

What should I do? I could go help them bring the vegetables in, but it looks like they don't need my help. I guess I'll train for a bit. Should I go outside and run a bit... No, the sun is beating quite hard today so I'll pass. I brought a bokken with me but it's in the car's coffer. I'll ask Gorou to open the car for me later, I don't want to bother them for now. Suppose I'll do some indoor exercises and some stretches for now.

Standing up from my spot, I left the living room and searched for an empty room where I could do my little workout. And just as I slided a door open, I blinked when I saw a wooden Buddha statue standing there in the back of the room, along with some burned incense next to it.

It must be where Juzou does his prayers, or whatever Buddhist activities. I suppose, despite his perverseness, he's really a Buddhist… Oh, that may be a good idea.

Without wasting time, I entered the room and sat in front of the statue, leg crossed.

I've once heard stories from Juzou about how Buddha managed to achieve enlightenment by meditating below a tree for many years. While I'm not trying to do the same feat, there is something I wish to try by meditating. That is, trying to awaken any kind of mystic powers inside me. Perhaps by meditating and focusing on my inner self, I may be able to access my magical energy or chi sleeping in my body. I have absolutely no idea if it will work, but there is no harm in trying.

Closing my eyes, I tried to empty my mind and focus on my body, all the while keeping my breathing stable and relaxed. And I continued for a moment until I felt something happening in my stomach.

"Damn... I need to shit."

After a quick trip to the restroom, I came back to the prayer room and sat before the Buddha statue once more.

I guess my first attempt was a failure, but it just means I'll have to try again. Alright, let's do this.

Closing my eyes once more, I emptied my mind and tried to meditate. Without thinking of anything, I tried to search for something in my body, to feel anything abnormal. And then I brilliantly succeeded... to fall asleep.

If there is something that I learned from my little visit at my grandparents' house, it's that nothing can be easily achieved.

Well, I expected that kind of result. If anybody could awaken supernatural powers by just meditating, the world would be filled with people using them. In any case, there must be something I'm doing wrong so I guess it's no use for me to continue meditating, especially when it ends up putting me to sleep.

Anyway, I'll just focus on training my body for now until I manage to get more information somehow.

"Okaa-san, I bought what you wanted."

"Thank you, Sakuya. You're a great help." Miki said as she gave me a hug, rubbing her face against mine. "I'm sure it was hot outside. Do you want to eat some ice cream? I made some while you were away."

"Yes, please!" I couldn't help but to shout when I heard her words.

There is nothing better than eating sweets, especially frozen ones during summer. Eating sweets may not be good for my health, but I'll never say no when I'm asked if I want to eat them.

'Sweets are justice', and I won't let anyone say the opposite.

"Ufufu. So go wash your hands and wait for me in the living room, I'll make some scoops for you after I put away those bags."

Nodding my head, after giving the grocery bags to Miki, I rushed to the kitchen where I washed my hands before I went to the living room where I waited for her to deliver my little reward.

She said that she made some ice creams, but what kind? Vanilla? Strawberry? Or perhaps matcha? Well, as long as it tastes good, I don't care.

*pin pon*

I blinked when I heard the doorbell ring. Are we supposed to have visitors today?

"Sakuya, can you open the door? I have my hands full here."

"Okay!"

Accepting Miki's request, I got up from my seat and made my way to the front door to open it, and to my surprise, behind it were two familiar children whom I recognized as Issei's classmates and close friends, Motohama and Matsuda.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Hmm… We…"

"We wanted to ask if Ise is here."

"What do you mean by that? Isn't Ise supposed to be playing with you guys today?" I was a little confused by their question before I noticed that they kept looking down, trying to not meet their eyes with mine.

Did something happen between the three of them…

"Alright, I want to hear the whole story, right here and now." I asked them with a frown, and quite harshly, given how they flinched back at my tone.

Maybe I'm overreacting, but despite everything, Issei is my little brother. I don't think I'll be happy to know that they somehow hurt him.

"W-we were just playing around with Ise near the riverbank..."

"Bu-but at some point, we teased him a bit too much so he ran off somewhere..."

"We both thought that he went back home so we came here to apologize to him. I swear..."

I see. So they had a quarrel... It's nothing too unusual, children fight with each other all the time, especially at their ages. And they look remorseful, so I'll just turn a blind eye for now.

"Sorry to disappoint you two but Ise didn't come back."

"I see…"

"Sorry for the bother…"

And as they said that, both boys lowered their heads before they quickly started to walk away, looking a bit sad at the news I gave them. I felt a little bad for letting them go just like that, but just as I tried to call out for them, I heard something that worried me.

"Hey... do you think he went over there?"

"By over there, you mean... You can't be serious?! Are you telling me that he took our teasing seriously?!"

Frowning once again, I rushed after the boys and grabbed their shoulders before making them turn to me.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Hii!"

"Ahh! Please forgive us!"

Why are they reacting like that?

"Look, sorry if I was too rough right now, but I won't hurt you guys. I just want to know what place you were talking about." I said as I let go of their shoulders, making the boys let out a long sigh before they looked at each other for a moment until they both nodded their heads together, as if they just had some mental conversation.

"We were talking about the factory in the forest, the one that's abandoned."

"We made a little joke about how Ise would be too much of a scaredy-cat to go there, and he got vexed before he ran away."

"So, we thought maybe he went there alone..."

The abandoned factory in the forest, I've heard of that place. Apparently, an accident happened there which resulted in the death of several employees, leading it to be closed down and later abandoned.

But there is no way Issei would go there. He should know better than to go to places like that… No matter how I see it, an abandoned factory in the middle of the forest, it sounds like the kind of place a horror plot would take place. But still, I've got a bad feeling about this…

"I'll go check that factory. I don't want to take any chances in case he really did go over there. You two, go search for Ise elsewhere. You should try places like the local park, or even go back to the riverbank. There is some chance that he was hiding over there the whole time."

"O-okay!"

"We'll go see!"

Just like that, Motoyama and Matsuda both started to run in the direction of wherever they were playing with Ise. Meanwhile, I decided to go back inside the home and went back to my room where I took my bokken and a bottle of 'holy water' with me.

I absolutely don't know if it will serve, but it's better than nothing.

"Okaa-san, I'll go run outside for a few minutes!" I shouted as I made my way to the front door, hurrying myself as I went past Miki who was carrying a trail in her hands.

"Eh?! But I just finished your bowl of ice cream right now. Don't you want to eat it before going out?"

"Can you put it in the freezer, I'll eat it later once I'm back!"

After several minutes of running, I finally arrived at the abandoned factory, and after seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn't help but to shiver. No matter how I look at it, that place looked like it was haunted.

"Damn it... If Ise really went inside, a simple scolding won't be enough..." I muttered under my breath before I started to slap my cheeks a few times to calm my nerves. And once I felt composed, I entered the factory with my bokken in hand.

As I went deeper into the factory, the atmosphere around me seemed to become darker and the surrounding air heavier, making it harder for me to breathe in. And even if I try to move as silently as possible, I could hear my footsteps quite vividly as if they resonated across the building like an echo. And it wasn't without mentioning my heartbeat which sounded like drums to my ears at this point. And despite the fact that we were in the middle of summer, the air hitting me was an eerily cold and damp one, making me shiver as sweat dripped down my back.

Damn it, I'm getting goosebumps…

And at some point, I started to hear some strange sounds. It sounded like... cracked bones. I couldn't help but to gulp when I heard that sound vividly... and repeatedly.

While I wanted to bolt out of the place as soon as possible, I still wanted to discover the source of that noise. I wanted to make sure that Issei isn't in the surroundings, nor is he the source of that disturbing noises.

And after a few but long minutes, I finally made it to the source of the noise and what I saw nearly made me want to throw up.

It was some kind of monster that looked like a two meters ogre, playing with an adult corpse as if it was a puppet, moving its limbs in all directions even if it wasn't normally possible. However, what disgusted me the most was that the corpse was half-eaten as only half of its flesh remained on the body.

In order to not let a single sound escape from my mouth, I had to shut it firmly with my hand.

There is no way I can face something like that!

As I tried to silently escape, my feet hit a pebble that bounced away on the floor a few times. The sound it made was barely audible, but I felt like my heart stopped beating for a second and when I heard the bone-cracking sound stop, without thinking, I looked back at the monster to see it glance in my direction with a smirk on its face, my eyes meeting his.

Shit... I need to run!

Immediately, I started to sprint towards the exit. However, I heard the sound of something being thrown, prompting me to glance back only to see the half-eaten corpse flying in my direction.

Without wasting time, I jumped on the side, avoiding the thrown corpse which ended up crashing against the wall, leaving a crack on it.

"You can't be serious…?!" I muttered before I noticed a shadow being casted on me, making me look up to see the ogre-looking monster with his fist raised above his head, and the moment I saw it move, I jumped back, narrowly avoiding a punch that cracked the floor.

If I take those punches, I'll die for sure!

Taking the bottle of 'holy water' out of my pocket, I quickly opened it and wet my bokken with the content before throwing the half-empty bottle at the monster.

Seeing this, the monster tried to swat it away with its right arm but, with his strength, it only ended up breaking the bottle whose contents ended up covering its arm.

*ROAR*

I widened my eyes when I saw the monster started to roar in pain as some smoke emerged from the wet part of its arm.

So it was legit holy water! I don't think I'll be able to outrun this monster, so I have no choice but to strike him!

Wasting no time, I raised the bokken above my head and jumped at the monster before striking him on the top of its head. But before I could give another blow, I saw the monster raise its left arm and swatted me away with a blow on my left side along with my left arm, making me fly away a few meters.

Damn shit... I can't feel my arm... without a doubt, it's broken...! And my ribs, they hurt so much...!

As I was grimacing from the pain I felt in my arm and ribs, I noticed that the monster was standing above me, glaring at me before a sadistic smirk appeared on its face.

Raising its foot, it posed it over my arm before he slowly pressed on it with more and more strength behind it, making me scream in pain.

Damn it... Damn it! I don't want to die...

I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die...!

I DON'T WANT TO DIE I DON'T WANT TO DIE I DON'T WANT TO DIE I DON'T WANT TO DIE I DON'T WANT TO DIE I DON'T WANT TO DIE I DON'T WANT TO DIE I DON'T WANT TO DIE I DON'T WANT TO DIE I DON'T WANT TO DIE!

And in the next moment, a bright light submerged from the ground, blinding me as I was forced to quickly close my eyes. And then, a scream followed along with the foot pressing against my arm going away, making me wince at both the pain in my arm, ribs and ears.

When it was over, I slowly opened my eyes to see a crying face. My face.

"Eh..." It was the only thing I could say before I blinked when I felt something drop on my face, making me glance up once again only to widen my eyes when I saw the monster's body being impaled by multiple large shining crystals...

No, looking more closely, they looked like blades. Pure white blades which sprouted from the ground with the monster's blood flowing on it. I couldn't help but to stare at the sight, my mind blank of all thoughts.

And as I kept staring, I noticed that the monster's body started to slowly disintegrate itself starting from the spots where he was pierced until he completely disappeared, leaving nothing but the blades that were bathed in its blood.

"Is it over…?" I muttered under my breath as I stared at the spot where the monster was standing before I started to chuckle which soon turned into a laugh, one out of relief.

I'm alive… I'm still alive…

I just wanted to let out a big laugh at this miracle but the only thing that left my mouth was a raspy chuckle, as my ribs started to hurt when I tried to laugh, which quickly stopped when I felt my eyes slowly drop.

Not good… too tired…

I tried to stand up but I wasn't able to muster any strength in my body. Let alone standing up, I couldn't even move a single finger.

I have to go… back… or they will be worried…

But just as I slowly closed my eyes, I saw the silhouette of a person standing over me…

…Who?

A/N: And that was the 3rd chapter of High School DxD - The Hallowed Blade.

I wanna say thank you all for the reviews.

It's quite hard to write a chapter when English isn't your main language and have nobody to check for errors and stuff, or even give you opinions on the chapter itself before posting.

Most of the time I spent writing this chapter was either worrying if the chapter was good enough or was it written well.

Well, I got no beta-reader so you'll have to content yourselves with some low-quality works for a while. If needed, I'll just edit the chapters in the future.

And now, I shall answer your reviews.

Mpower0438: Thank you for the support.

Halcyus Lance: Better start playing a 'find the differences' game then, and I hope you like them.

DarkDrawerJ: Happy to see an old reader back. I think it shows a bit already but Sakuya doesn't really involve himself with Issei, preferring doing his own things. Whether he will go out of Kuoh or not, better watch out for later.

As for the 'waifus'... let's just hope they haven't degraded in terms of characters.

AbbyInk: Thanks, I hope you'll enjoy the rewrite. And as sweet as it is, we can never have enough of 'sugar' daddy content between Sakuya and Ophis. As for the girls, it won't just be sweet but also 'hot' and 'steamy' (joke).

lucinziel: Except he doesn't have any ideas about their trainings' regime, but yeah, it's good.

Omegalpha: It's not that he has a mind wipe, he does have suspicions that the recent death being related to the other side aka. the supernatural. It's just a little line which is easy to miss, but he does consider the possibility.

However, about that lady's identity, there is no way for Sakuya to relate her to Gabriel. Aside from her drawn appearance being shown only once in the light novel, said image being a swimsuit one, most of her physical traits that were used to describe her can be said to be having blonde hair and the 'greatest and most beautiful boobs' in heaven.

Yeah, very 'specific' but not enough for Sakuya to think that any beautiful blonde woman who is mysteriously praying in a church could be one of the great seraphs of heaven.

At the very least, it wouldn't cross my mind. For all I care, Gabriel? could have been a regular devout or something else, like a hooker or a one-time character.

Alucard05: I'm writing during my spare time, aside from work and sleep time, and not counting the time spent playing video games. So, it may take some time and they won't come out on a regular schedule, especially if a chapter is harder to write than another.

That aside, a DxD!Balmung already exists so I won't use a Fate!Balmung. I appreciate the suggestion, but I already made up my mind on that matter. As for the armor, the same too.

Ea-Calibur: Only most of the general plot, but some details have been lost.

Mind in fact that it's been years since he hasn't seen the anime or read the light novel, not counting the years he spent living his new life, he's bound to forget things. I mean, the human brain isn't capable of remembering everything. And there are matters like the general timeline, something which isn't clear or even explained when it concerns the childhood period, that Sakuya isn't really aware of.

He can only guess, but he can't pinpoint an event that was only mentioned to happen at which years, months, days precisely. Also, it could have been a completely unrelated accident.

And to be honest, I've also completely forgotten about the King piece and all the stuff concerning Cleria and asked myself why I decided to mention some dead people's funeral when I re-read the plans I made for the story.

Green223: Happy to see you're reading this story!

Magi Mari: Good to see an old one, hope it will suit your tastes.

Guest: No.

GMotW - The Author: Let's just hope that he won't jump in front of a truck in order to learn magic, or he'll get isekai in some other world.

And yes, contracting either heiress would be an option if Sakuya wished to be known to the supernatural.