Disclaimer: High School DxD, Naruto, etc is owned by its respective companies. I do not own anything except my OCs
Chapter 15
Training Camp
Day 4
Haru's POV
It was the fourth day of our training camp, and from morning till late at night we trained.
I didn't mind it that much since I was used to it, but it seemed like Issei was being put through the ringer.
Not that I felt sorry for him, if it helped make him stronger than I was all for it, just hope he manages to survive.
As for me, it was actually a challenge since I decided to improve my foundations. After becoming a Devil, I had to get used to the increased physical capabilities provided by the Evil Piece.
Though I don't know the exact limit since the Mutation Piece harbors unknown potential I'll need to keep training and gauge my progress from there.
At the very least compared to when I was human my body could only barely withstand up to the Four of the Eight Inner Gates.
As for what are the Eight Inner Gates Exactly?
The Eight Inner Gates are basically eight specific Chakra Points in a person's Chakra Network which act like valves to limit the flow of chakra in a person's body. The main purpose of these is to put a cap on the body's physical capabilities, to keep a person from overexerting themselves and dying.
However, by undergoing intense physical training one can learn to "open" the Eight Inner Gates on their own and allow the user to drastically increase their physical capabilities.
Of course the side effects of using the Eight Inner Gates can range anywhere from extreme fatigue to Death depending on how many of the Gates one opens up, hence why this was labelled a Forbidden Jutsu in the Naruto world since it puts the user at serious risk.
That won't stop me from using it though, if someone like Might Guy can use it with seemingly no repercussions then there's no reason why I can't do the same.
Besides, I feel as if I'm close to opening up the Fifth Gate already. In order to understand the significance of this, you have to realize that opening the Gates are by far some of the most difficult things to do in the Naruto World.
Kakashi Hatake was an extremely talented ninja and even he could only open up one, one of the Gates.
Compared to Rock Lee, who when he was thirteen could open up to five of the gates, the difference was like night and day because of their difference in talent.
Even Ren Tianyou, who in just three years could reach all the way to the Seventh Gate. Most likely because he trained himself in even harsher conditions than shinobi who train in the safety of their village.
So being able to open up until the Fourth Gate in three years and on the verge of opening the Fifth actually shows how much talent I have. Though opening up the next gate gets harder and harder as you progress towards the later stages, opening up the Fifth Gate is like reaching a breakthrough to a higher realm in those cultivation novels.
Not to mention you can only perform certain Jutsu like the Morning Peacock (Asakujaku) and Daytime Tiger (Hirudora) after opening a certain number of Gates.
"Maybe I'll be able to open it by the end of the training camp, that would certainly make for another trump card" as I tilted my head to the side and crossed my arms "then again, because of that bird brain's (Riser's) pseudo immortality, that will probably change to being a last resort"
As I walked into the living room, I recalled last night that Rias told me that she was going to be first lecturing us on the history of devils and about the other factions.
About the war between Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils. A massive three-sided battle ending in neither victory nor defeat. All sides lost a great deal of their people due to the impact of the Great War.
For the Devils of the Seventy-Two Pillars, it claimed over two thirds of them in the war, with most being either wiped out or missing.
Though I know some had to breed with humans to ensure their lineage survives, but at that point they won't even consider them as part of the 72 Pillars anymore.
Devils have very low birth rates, but since each one is capable of living for at least 10,000 years that helped to ensure their population, though at the moment they are in danger of going extinct due to the war's outcome.
Rias also went on about how a few centuries ago they began recruiting humans to replenish their numbers, followed by the Rating Game being created, the leaders of each faction, etc.
"Okay, I think that's it. You guys look pretty tired, what do you say we take a break and have some tea?" asked Rias, Akeno agreed to do as she got out of her chair and went ahead to make some.
Issei then apologizes to Asia for what happened last night, then Kiba asks what it is, but she turns him down saying that it's a secret.
"No doubt in my mind it's Dress Break, honestly that's something I am not looking forward to seeing in real life" that will definitely affect my sanity, being a friend to someone like him.
As Rias looks at Asia her eyes widen for a moment before settling down with a smile "I almost forgot Asia, I'd love to learn more about your former life as a Holy Sister"
Asia looks at her with confusion "Um, you mean like right now?"
She nods her head in response, then Asia leaves for a few minutes but returns with a bottle and the Bible in her hands.
For experimental reasons, I borrowed it from her once and tried reading it, the next moment I received a massive headache simply from trying to read a verse. Though I was shocked that I wasn't burned by the book itself, maybe that has something to do with canon where the words have power, not the object containing them.
Same could be said about the holy water, though in my case I just used a turkey baster to suck it up into the bottle, then carefully laid a drop of it on my arm.
Suffice to say...
It burns… a lot
The moment it made contact... it felt like someone had dropped acid on my skin, burning through it. Of course, I did this in secret so that no one would worry.
It took me over a day to heal that burn using basic Medical Ninjutsu. Fortunately, it wasn't nearly as bad as when I got hit by the bullets from Freed, makes me wonder how bad it would be to get hit by a Holy Sword or the True Longinus?
That line of thought though quickly ended as it immediately sent shivers down my spine.
By the time I finished recalling that incident Akeno had already returned with a tray filled with cups of tea for everyone, we took another few minutes to relax before we settled down for my little sister's lecture.
"Um, let's see. I did a lot of exorcisms so I guess we can talk about that" as she held up two fingers.
"There are two things you need" as she goes for the bottle "The most important one, is Holy Water. But Devils need to be careful, it's vital that you never actually touch it"
Issei then raises his hand "Is it going to make us melt?"
"Since I already tried that, I can personally guarantee you Issei...it will"
Asia on the other hand responds "It will do something bad"
"I figured that much. I don't know why you're leaving out all the cool parts of the story" as Issei sighed in disappointment.
"It isn't just us, this goes for you too, you're a Devil now remember?" as Rias reminded her Asia cringed in response.
"Yeah, I know, I guess there's no point talking on how to make it, so let's just move on to something else" as she puts the bottle down and goes for the Bible next with her face beet red in embarrassment.
"The second item is, the Holy Bible. I used to read it constantly when I was a little girl, it was my favorite" as she hugs the book tightly "But now every time I recite a verse, I get a terrible headache and I can't get through it"
"Because you're a Devil"
"You're one of us now Asia"
"You should write it down"
"Ufufufu, probably not a good idea"
As Rias, Kiba, Koneko, and Akeno all chimed in as if in sync.
"I just want to read one verse; it was always my favorite. Okay, here it is" as she opened the Bible and flipped to one of the pages.
BZZZT!
"Ahhh, I didn't start yet" as she clutched her head in pain from it.
"Dear Lord, forgive me for not reading your words, I promise I'll try" as she opened it again before clutching her head once more.
This act went on for nearly a minute before Issei and I eventually grabbed her hands and stopped her from reading the Bible.
Everyone then decided to take a ten-minute break before starting the last lecture of the day, mine.
I told Rias I was off to get something from my luggage necessary for the lesson, she agreed and headed straight for my room.
Ten Minutes Later
As I stood in front of everyone as Rias and Akeno sipped their tea for a moment, but from Rias I could tell she was actually very excited to learn more about ninjas, and the rest were waiting for me to get started.
I swear it looked like Rias had stars in her eyes in anticipation for this, which is honestly kind of dorky and cute of her as she starts to act like a girl her age again.
"Ahem!" as I clear my throat everyone looks at me "alright then, today I'll be explaining more about chakra itself. You all remember the basics from last time?"
"Something about it being the source of a ninja's power?" says Issei, though I'm surprised he remembers it.
"Good Issei, I'm shocked you actually listened to some of my explanation, but I will tell you something that you didn't know. It's that the 'chakra' I'm referring to is completely different from the ones you've heard of in Hinduism mythology, where chakra refers to each of the seven center's of spiritual power in the human body to achieve enlightenment"
"How is it different?" asked Rias as she smiled.
"For one thing, it's that my clan used it to connect our inner spiritual and physical energies together. They kneaded their inner chakra, amplify and weaponize it, creating what we now call ninjutsu"
"I see, it does sound fundamentally different from it" as Akeno smiled in agreement.
"Though what else is different?" asked Kiba.
"That's what I'm about to show you" as I explained I took out a scroll from behind me, though the others were probably wondering where I hid that since I didn't use Magic, except Rias who was like 'ninja storage technique' or some other nonsense.
I laid the scroll out on the table and opened it for everyone to see.
Inside was the drawing of a man and a woman, though you couldn't see the private parts as they were instead covered from head to toe from what looked like veins and coils. Along with hundreds of dotted points spread throughout the body, from the head and eyes, surrounding the brain, to the tips of the fingers to the bottoms of your toes. There were also eight bigger and obvious nodes that were each specifically highlighted to stand out from the rest.
This was a scroll depicting the entire Chakra Network in the human body.
"What is this Haru?" asked Akeno.
"This is the other difference I was telling you about earlier, the Chakra Network"
""Chakra Network?"" everyone asked in confusion.
I nodded my head in response "Exactly, the Chakra Network, to simplify they are enmeshed into the body and are like blood vessels. Though in this case they touch and interact with every single living cell and pass through every organ. There are a total of 361 Chakra points in the human body, though don't be mistaken, Chakra Points are very small, about the size of the tip of a needle. So trying to strike them is pointless even for someone with pinpoint accuracy...and assuming they knew where they are to begin with"
"It's completely different from an average human's body that's for sure" muttered Rias with a serious look.
"Then what's up with the eight colored points" I hear Koneko point out the obvious ones.
"These Koneko, are very special Chakra Points, every person who has a Chakra Network has these eight specific chakra points in their body, they are called The Eight Inner Gates"
"Eight Inner Gates? I am so lost here" I hear Issei and Asia can no longer keep up, at least Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko are all still following along.
I then explain to them the function of the Eight Inner Gates, how they limit the flow of chakra in a person's body and are essentially there for the body's own sake. Though if you go through intense training you can learn to open them yourself and are able to essentially remove the limiters placed on your body and accomplish superhuman feats.
"Though it sounds like to me that your hiding something Haru, tell me" as I heard Rias sternly warn me.
"I'm not hiding anything, I just haven't gotten to that part yet. Give me a minute here" as I explain how each Gate works and how risky it is to open them, but also the huge payoff.
Though one can train to minimize the effects some of them range from extreme fatigue and torn muscles, broken bones, etc.
They were horrified by the consequences of opening the gates, though once I got to the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death and how it temporarily grants them strength hundreds of times their normal power, though the side effects being of course, that the person who opens it… dies.
"Haru? At what Gate are you at right now?" asked Rias, though I could tell she was worried.
"Right now, I'm at the Fourth Gate, though I'm close to being able to open the Fifth since I became a Devil. Opening these Gates isn't easy you know. Skilled ninja takes years, even decades before you can reach even the Seventh. So if your worried about me opening up the Eight don't worry about it. I'll never open that Gate, not like I want to die anytime soon" as I smiled at her.
"That's an order. I will not let one of my servants die for me, you're family and we look after each other" as I saw her warning me with a very serious look, it was actually the most serious look Rias had ever given, probably worried that one day I'll use that technique and leave them someday.
I can honestly say that will never happen, even Ren Tianyou found better ways to get stronger than using up to the Seventh Gate, so why can't I do the same?
"I know it sounds bad, but trust me. I'm not planning on dying anytime soon, I want to live a long and fulfilling life, so I won't ever go beyond the Seventh Gate, so please don't worry Rias"
"... Do you swear Haru?" as Rias looked at me with a frightening glare, I swear I saw her eyes change colors for a moment.
"Yes, Yes, Yes. I swear I'll never open the Eight Gate alright, so please stop" if looks could kill I swear her glare would have burned a hole straight through me by now.
Rias didn't say anything for a few seconds, keeping me in suspense about if she believed me.
Though my worries were unfounded as she smiled in content "I'm so glad you understand, now then. What say we get on with the lesson?" as she took a sip of her tea and acting like nothing happened.
As I saw her mood do a one-eighty I thought "I will never understand women"
Though it seemed like I'm not the only guy who realized that fact if the look of terror on Issei's face and sweat pouring down Kiba's cheek was any indication.
It took me a moment to regain my cool before I proceeded to go on with the lesson. I talked about the three types of Jutsu a ninja uses: Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu and what each one of them does.
I had already shown them how I use Ninjutsu during the fight with Raynare and in other demonstrations. I had also used Taijutsu during my training with Kiba, Koneko and the others during our stay here so I didn't need to elaborate on that.
As for Genjutsu, that was the part I was looking forward to the most.
Why?
Because for that I needed a volunteer (victim) for this one.
That became Issei.
It was really funny to watch, I casted a simple Genjutsu on him, like the one Kakashi used on Sakura during the Bell Test.
The results being that Issei began hugging the plant in the corner so closely that it was almost like it was a body pillow.
When the others asked what I had done I explained I placed him under a Genjutsu and manipulated his mind into thinking that the plant was actually a naked women who was open to fondling her.
As if such women actually existed in this world.
…
…
…
…Wait, they do.
"Pervert" said Koneko coldly as she looked at Issei with disgust.
The others seemed amused though as Rias looked at Issei "It feels like I'm watching over a little brother" as she smiled at his antics and her eyes seemed to be filled with nostalgia.
Maybe he reminds him of Millicas in some way perhaps.
Akeno merely laughed as usual.
While Kiba and Koneko were impressed by my ability to control his five senses so thoroughly.
Then lastly, I went into explaining the Five Basic Natures used in the Naruto world, how they're strong to one and weak to another, though I'm not sure if those weaknesses still apply in a different world, that requires further research that will have to wait for later.
Then I took out a few Chakra Testing Papers for them to see that ninjas also have affinities for different elements.
When I injected my chakra the same scene from three years ago repeats itself, as everyone applaud in delight I took a humble bow to play along.
I gave out one to each so that they can observe it, needless to say nothing happened when they tried injecting their demonic power into it.
Though I expected that since the paper only reacts to chakra.
Rias asked if she could have some along with the scroll detailing the Chakra Network, I didn't mind the Chakra Testing Paper and gave her a small stack of it, which she then opened a Magic Circle and stored them inside.
Though the scroll was something else entirely as I don't want just anyone getting their hands on it. I explained to them that it's something usually kept secret and only felt comfortable showing them because I trust them.
Most of all the biggest reason is that I don't want Azazel and Akuja finding out.
Then there's the Khaos Brigade which in the light novels they were able to mass produce Evil Dragons out of Vampires with the Sephiroth Grail thanks to extended research on it and even fake Scale Mails from fragments of Issei's old body left in the Dimensional Gap.
…
Then there's the crazy old bastards at Grigori who'll research literally anything for the right price... or that catch their interest... mostly the latter.
"Here's hoping they don't come anytime soon" as I look to the ceiling as I imagined foreshadowed one headache after another appearing in the near future.
The lecture came to an end not long after that and it seemed like everyone was happy about it, especially Rias since I probably revealed a lot more info than ever before, probably happy that I seem to be trusting them.
I didn't mind either since it will also help build her strategy against Riser.
I couldn't wait for the day to come sooner
9th Day of Training
Miles Away from the Mansion
Night
"Haaaa!"
PSSSH!
"Aghhh"
"Aghhh"
PENG!
PENG!
"Dammit, not again" as I grunted in agony while laying down on the floor, covered in sweat without the jersey top.
You may be wondering what's happening?
Right now I was trying to perfect my new Jutsu.
One that's probably part of the most iconic ones in the Naruto World.
Wind Style: Rasenshuriken
An S-Class Ninjutsu developed by Naruto Uzumaki.
It's actually my first attempt to master an S-Class Ninjutsu, especially one as difficult as this.
So far being able to use several A-Class Ninjutsu has been difficult, thankfully due to focusing training on the Rasengan early on, learning them was much smoother thanks to the advanced Chakra Control I had developed in the process.
Though mastering S-Class ninjutsu was a whole nother ball park, even using Shadow Clones to help me assist the process I can't create more than three while I'm training, not to mention already having learned the steps from the series so thoroughly.
Since I don't have Naruto's unrelenting willpower, the Nine Tails Chakra or even the incredible chakra reserves of the Uzumaki clan, it was a lot harder than most can imagine.
By the time I left the cabin I had managed to complete the leaf cutting exercise.
Only yesterday did I manage to finally cut the waterfall with my wind chakra, making me much better at controlling my wind's change in chakra nature, as well as strengthening my other Wind Style Jutsu.
But it's actually trying to form the Rasenshuriken that I have trouble with, it definitely won't be ready in time for the Rating Game.
"Guess it isn't called S-Rank for nothing, guess I'll have to give up on using that against Riser" as this was supposed to be the main part of my plan.
If I had managed to land Rasenshuriken on him, it would most likely deplete most or nearly all the demonic power from his regeneration.
Even someone like him would have trouble recovering from an attack on the cellular level even with the immortal body of the Phenex.
But the chances were low since even if I did manage to pull it off, the Jutsu would only stay together for a few seconds at most without Nature Energy in the mix. Not to mention the Jutsu consumes a massive amount of chakra.
"Then I'll have to use Plan B, that's something to look forward to at least" as I quickly washed myself in the waterfall and headed back to the Mansion.
It was pretty late tonight, and seeing as we have the Rating Game in a few days I decided this would be my last chance to train and try to perfect the Rasenshuriken, though it doesn't seem possible.
As I approached the mansion, I quickly looked off to the side, but didn't see Rias or Issei where they were supposed to be having their talk, which would have become a major point for Rias's and Issei's relationship.
"Maybe they already left. No, if they did I would have felt at least a trace of her presence" as I thought up such a possibility but quickly shot it down.
As I walked in through the door I didn't see anyone, figuring that perhaps that this event wasn't going to happen tonight, I decided to run to the fridge and grab something to drink.
Believe it or not they stocked up on plenty of sports drinks, sodas, juices, and all sorts of other stuff for this trip.
After grabbing a juice and taking a few swigs I finished one of them immediately, while taking another with me back to my room.
At least… that was the plan.
"Oh. Haru, you're awake?"
As I turned my head towards the stairs I was thinking " No Way is Gaia screwing with me now"
Yet there she was.
Rias was walking down the stairs, dressed in her nightgown, book in hand and glasses on her face.
"Gaia... you bitch!"
"Yeah, couldn't sleep. So I decided to do some late night training on my own to burn through my excess" while swearing in my heart I smiled and
"You mean every night, right?" as she looked at me with a devilish smile from the first day we arrived, though I didn't deny she was right.
"Wondering why I know? As your Master it's my responsibility to look after my servants wellbeing" as she smiled I couldn't help but think "That sounds… terrifying" as I felt a chill go down my spine for a moment.
Then I remembered that eventually Rias and Akeno developed the ability to sneak up on Issei whenever they were fooling around.
"I can only hope the others don't develop such skills"
"Well, what about you? Can't sleep either?" I decided to change the subject.
"Yeah, what perfect timing, I need to chat with you about something important, do you mind following me?"
"Sure, no problem" and followed her outside, to the little gazebo located right next to the house.
As she sat down against one of the pillars I stood just a few feet away from her.
She started discussing with me about her attack plans against Riser, from what I heard it wasn't all that different from in canon, though she also asked me if it was possible to lay some traps. I told her yes and she asked if I could lay down some traps along with Kiba and Koneko.
I already thought of a few that might work, along with some obvious ones to hide the real ones.
As she finished explaining to me "I see, and that's our best shot at defeating Riser huh"
"It is, but it's not a very good one I'm afraid. According to this manual we still have a lot to be worried about"
"I trust you President, after all you've been working on this since we got here, sometimes you don't even stop to sleep just to improve our chances of winning even a little" as I placed a hand on my hip.
"Doesn't matter though, we can't control what the opponent will do, you realize we're going up against Phenex, right?. Let me assure you, the name is most appropriate"
As I narrowed my eyes, already expecting what comes out next "A Devil, but he is also a Marquis counted among the 72 Pillars. We've got our work cut out for us" as she closes the book and laid down on her side.
"His ability is the same as the beast the family's named after, immortality"
"Immortality? Wait, don't tell me that's…, is that really allowed? Sounds more like a cheat if you ask me"
"It just is, he's indestructible. He regenerates immediately following an attack. Riser's win/loss ratio is 8:2. However, those two losses were accepted out of respect for a family they're close too, he lost on purpose"
I decided to keep quiet, though the serious look on my face never faded
"Ever since the Rating Game was put into effect, the House of Phenex has dominated the playing field, they've always had the highest scores. Though I can't say I'm surprised, how are you supposed to lose if your immortal?"
As I put my hands in my pocket "You make a good point, though there is one thing I'm sure of"
Rias tilted her head a bit "and what is that?" she asks what I mean.
As I walked over to the center and took a seat.
"Is that there is no such thing as an immortal in this world, so despite their so-called immortality, it's nothing more than regeneration, even for them they must have a limit. One that I'm more than glad to push them past they're breaking point"
"!"
Rias's eyes were looking at me not with shock, but more like curiosity, so I decided to continue "Listen Rias, I'm the one who provoked Riser and told him where to stick it, I'm the one who provoked him into this fight, so I'll make sure to bring Riser to his knees, no matter what it takes"
"Please don't worry about it, in fact thanks to you I'll have the chance to tell my father and the others where to stick it, they set up this game because they all anticipate me losing. Now I'll be able to change the scoreboard and prove them wrong. In our chess this is called a 'swindle', or a trap maneuver" as she looked down I could tell that there was plenty of sadness in her eyes.
"Guess she still feels like she's been cornered, a few simple words from me isn't going to cut it" as I thought about how the Game turned out in canon, can't say that I blame her.
Her family had set her up with someone she knows she doesn't have a chance of winning against.
"If I were in her shoes, I would have thought the same thing"
As I looked at her I decided to continue "Well, in the end, I'm glad that you rejected the proposal, though if it's alright with you… mind telling me why you're so opposed to it in the first place?"
Rias looked at me for a moment, before she took off her glasses "The proposal was to the Heiress of the House of Gremory. Because of my title, I'm not ever recognized as Rias, the House of Gremory will always come before me" Rias then got up and started speaking, before walking over and leaning on the other pillar.
"I've learned to adjust to it and make personal decisions accordingly" She takes a moment to collect herself before continuing "Make no mistake, my title is something I'll always take pride in, but when it comes to the subject of marriage I want to share that with someone who loves me as Rias, not for how my status can improve their life. Otherwise they might as well marry the House"
"Damn straight Rias" as I smiled in my mind, thinking how amazing she really is in person.
"I understand that history is not in my favor, and the idea of love may just remain a dream... but it's one I'd like to keep"
She reached out her hand out into the distance, as if trying to hold on to this small but one of her most cherished desires.
If you can imagine it. You can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.
For some reason those words surface to the front of my mind. Though I can't really recall who said it.
Though it doesn't matter, but I'm glad it chose to do so.
As I closed my eyes and spoke from the heart "And you will Rias"
"Huh?" as I saw her turn her head towards me.
She needs to hear this...
"When you think about it, I haven't treated you any differently then the day we first met, even after knowing you were a Devil that didn't change things much, if at all. I may not know everything that's going on with you or how you feel at this moment, but to me you are simply Rias"
As I stood up and took a few steps "Others can think what they will but to me you could say to have given me a new lease on life, up until recently I thought to myself that I'll always be alone in this world. No friends or family left, I was truly alone in the purest sense of the word"
"Haru" as I heard Rias whisper my name, as if she couldn't believe it.
Be honest with her...
"At least, until I met you, you showed concern for me, a complete stranger just coming to give his thanks to someone who let me stay at their home when I first got here. Later you offered me a place in your family, food to eat and a roof over my head. I even got a little sister of my own, look at all that you've done for me Rias, this isn't something an ordinary person could do"
As I clenched my fists "Guess I'm really going through with this, I wonder what's changed about me? Perhaps the people here, or rather my mindset has, either way I'll just roll with it"
As I opened my eyes, revealing the Sharingan once more and looking straight into her eyes.
Don't hesitate, when the time comes just act!
"If your dream is to be able to love someone who simply sees you as Rias then go ahead. Like I promised you before, I'll use every ounce of strength I have, to turn fantasy into reality… you deserve that much and so more. No one will take that away from you, not Riser, not your family, and certainly not the House of Gremory!"
"…"
"..."
"There. I said it. I really am getting involved with this world more and more"
As I turned my back to her for a moment "After all, Devils are by nature selfish beings. No one has the right to take that dream away from you, so be selfish"
…
…
…
Eh? What's going on?
As I stood there for a few seconds, yet I haven't heard anything from Rias.
"Was that too much?"
As I wondered what was going on "Let me take a look"
As I turned my body around to look at her, what I saw was something burned deeply into my eyes.
Rias
Her mouth was covered by her hands
Her face flushed red like never before, almost the same color as her hair in fact.
But her beautiful face, probably more perfect than any other I had seen in my life, was stained with tears, not out of sadness, but out of joy.
Shit!
Shit!
Shit!
"I didn't mean to make her cry, hell I didn't even expect for it to turn out this way, what the hell do I say now?"
As for Rias, probably just breaking out of her stupor.
"I'm fine Haru, I'm just… so happy right now. Hearing you say that, it felt like you finally started opening up… to me… and I just…" as she wiped her eyes with part of her robe and tried to explain herself so she still managed to choke up in between it all.
It took her a couple of minutes, but she finally managed to calm down.
Though her face was still a bit flushed and her eyes red from her earlier waterworks, she soon returned to normal as she spoke up in her usual tone of voice.
"Thank you Haru, for telling me how you feel, it means the world to me to hear you say that. Together, with the House of Gremory, no one can stand in our way." as she announced her declaration fitting of a young noble devil like her, I couldn't help but smile in the face of such passion.
"Naturally, I can't wait for it"
As she and I gazed out at the moon together, I couldn't help but apologize "Sorry Issei, but from here on out this is my story"
A minute goes by together in silence and I decided to break the ice "Well, I think I'll be heading off to bed, have a good night Rias" as I turn around and begin to walk away.
Grab!
I felt something warm grab my right hand "huh?" as I stopped in my tracks and look down for a moment, I see Rias's hand grabbing mine.
"Rias?" as I thought things would end there like it did in the series.
"Haru… at least for tonight, would it be alright if we slept together?" as she held her head down and asked me.
"... Right… forgot about that" as the corners of my mouth raised for forgetting something like that since things were already deviating from canon.
"I just hope she leaves the nightgown on"
The Following Morning
I did not sleep much last night.
If the bags under my eyes were any indication.
Rias had asked to sleep with me, of course I had no choice but to agree after everything that happened last night.
Thank the Nine Hells she left her clothes on, if she slept with me naked like during our first time in the hotel when she turned me into a Devil, I don't think I would have been able to get any sleep at all.
And again it wasn't that long ago she tried to sleep with me, so memories from that night didn't help my case at all .
But even with that the nightgown was still almost see through in the moonlight, combined with the fact that she was hugging my arm the entire time and I wasn't able to sleep until nearly morning.
"Though she slept like a log" when I think back to how she fell asleep so quickly after going to bed, she must have been exhausted after staying up several nights, going over our strategy to fight Riser, and how emotional she was last night must have been too much for her.
"After this I'm gonna need a nap myself"
"What happened Big Brother Haru, did you not sleep well" asked Asia, which was just like her to care for others first.
"Don't worry Asia, just stayed up late last night, don't worry about me" as I patted her head as if to assure her, she offered to use Twilight Healing but I politely declined.
"And Issei, before you try to get a dirty joke in I swear I will throw you into the lake, then I'll fry you like a grilled fish"
Issei then quickly covered his mouth and shook his head in terror "I didn't say anything" was the message he was trying to give.
Another thing that happened during training camp were the mock battles, me and Issei battled with Kiba, Koneko, and Akeno several times. Obviously I showed them more of my Jutsu then just during the incident with Raynare, though I only made sure to reveal a few from each chakra nature, as I want to keep the rest under wraps for fights in the future.
The Chidori was also one among those, everyone actually had a deep impression of it, most notably because of the high frequency chirping noise the jutsu is known for, though it's destructive power was nothing to scoff at.
During one of my fights with Kiba he was just barely able to dodge it because of his Knight's speed, I ended up hitting a huge boulder since we were sparing near the mountainside.
The result.
As soon as my attack pierced it the boulder was practically blown into powder, along with leaving a trail of destruction 20 meters long.
Shit, getting off topic again.
Let's get back to the training session.
"Your gonna need to use your Boosted Gear, can you handle it" said Rias, who now looked much better and energetic than before, and everyone could see that. The reason why however was unknown to everyone, except for me.
"Uhh, of course but you said not to use it during training camp, you change your mind?" he asked as he was confused.
"You weren't supposed to use it without my permission. Kiba, would you mind partnering with him?" she asked, and the blonde was happy to oblige.
As both sides took a set distance from us and Kiba readied his wooden sword "I'm not going easy on you" with a serious look on his face.
Issei then began striking a pose "Neither am I, Boosted Gear, GO!" as he called out the Sacred Gear appeared on his arm.
[Boost!]
"Good, now again" ordered Rias.
"Go" yelled Issei
[Boost!]
"You can do better"
"More
[Boost!]
"Great, keep it going"
"Boosted Gear"
[Boost!]
"Keep it up Issei"
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
"Again"
As she repeatedly called out Issei kept boosting his power even more, over, over, and over again.
[Boost!]
It wasn't until he powered up sixteen times that I saw the Sacred Gear reach had finally reached his limit.
"Sixteen power ups in a row, that's a record isn't it?" said Akeno, as she sounded impressed by his improvement.
"It is, though in canon it was originally only twelve, seems training with me actually increased his limit further" as I was just as shocked as the others.
"Alright stop, can you see how far you've come? You've never been able to endure this much power for this long in the past" as Issei looked down at his Boosted Gear, Rias's words had shook his being to its core. As he remembered how weak he was just over a week ago.
"The results of your training were made perfectly clear just then"
"Holy crap" as his eyes seemed to have been finally opened.
"Let's keep moving" as she ordered for the match to continue.
"Let's see how well you do this time Issei, show me what you can really do" as I gave Issei some encouragement, Asia seemed to like it and followed suit.
"Alright, Boosted Gear!" as he struck his hand out and called to his Sacred gear, it seemed to respond to his feelings.
[Explosion!]
I saw his Sacred Gear release a different voice from earlier, as his Sacred Gear lit up and caused an aura to emerge from Issei's entire body.
"His power has increased drastically, I'd say he's at least Mid-Class Devil right now when he activates this, impressive" as my eyes widened in shock
"What's he doing?" asked Asia, though before I could answer her Rias beat me to it.
"Perfecting a new call it seems, this should allow him to gather all the power in his body and unleash it in one massive blow" as she turned her head around "You're up Kiba"
Kiba just started the fight as he went into a running start before jumping in the air, as he swung down his sword, though Issei blocked it easily with his gauntlet followed by a kick.
Though Kiba dodged that by jumping back, they soon started clashing for about a minute, though with Kiba's experience he was able to still get one or two hits in on Issei.
But compared to last week he showed fewer openings which was a good sign.
Though soon enough the fight was reaching its end as both fighters separated with Kiba kneeling on the ground from dodging Issei's last attack.
"Okay Issei, now try using it all on him" as she looked on with her arms crossed.
"Haaah!" as he held his hand open, what formed was a tiny light the size of a pachinko ball.
"What, that's all I have?" was what I knew was going through Issei's head right now.
"Trust yourself!" as Rias yelled Issei went with his instinct as he punched it. The ball of demonic power soon swelled up to the size of a laser as it quickly approached Kiba in a second.
Kiba seeing this was surprised for a moment before quickly dodging to the side, but just barely.
As the block of demonic power zoomed past him and headed straight for the mountain behind him.
BAAAAAAAANG!
As a huge explosion of red occurs followed by massive shockwaves as everyone covered their eyes with their hands.
As soon as the shockwaves settled, we all look at the sight before us.
Issei had just blown part of the mountain sky high, leaving a small trail of destruction that widened more as it reached the summit.
In fact, I think it was actually a few dozen meters wider than in the anime.
"Looks like it worked"
"You broke the mountain"
"I can't believe that came out of Issei"
"You and me both Asia"
As Akeno, Koneko, Asia, and I look on, I couldn't help but think of how strong he'll get in just a year's time.
"Though powering up with breasts is just a little- no, don't even think about it"
As Issei looked at his Sacred Gear in astonishment "Wow, that did a lot more than I thought it would…" as the afterglow faded Issei dropped to his knees.
Asia quickly ran over to him in worry.
"Looks like he used up all of his strength on that last one, so what do you think he's improving isn't he?" as Rias smiled and asked Kiba for his opinion.
"I'll say, I didn't expect him to be that strong" as he held up his wooden sword "That last move was way better than anything he's ever thrown at me"
SNAP!
Kiba's wooden sword was snapped in half from just the aftershock of his attack, that alone was enough to show how much he's improved.
"But it's still only one shot, he needs to either improve or ration it during the Rating Game, otherwise...he won't last long" as I knew I sounded cruel but that's reality.
"Haru, what about you?" as she looked to me as well. Seemed like she somehow knew I had something to say.
"Honestly, yeah. I think that most of Riser's pieces will be blown away from that last move, he's certainly gotten stronger that's for sure"
"Issei, you have become one of the linchpins of this game, your attack will critically affect the direction in which the competition moves. Trust in us, and more importantly you must trust in yourself"
"I trust you, and I know I can handle this" as sweat beaded down his forehead.
"I believe you Issei, and so does everyone else too" as me and the rest of the Occult Research Club does.
Rias then step forward and declared to everyone "This is it everybody, the House of Phenex has no respect for us, let's give them a taste of how strong the House of Gremory truly is, they will receive no mercy from us"
""Yes Ma'am"" as everyone declared at once.
The rest of the time is spent discussing the mock battle and before long the day they had been anticipating arrived.
The Rating Game that would decide Rias's fate is finally upon us.
Author's Note: Hi everyone, Ashbel Dusk here.
I HAVE RETURNED!
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(Insert Cricket 3)
Well, this is awkward.
[Image of Ashbel scratching his head]
I can only say it's nice to be back after so long and also I have to apologize for the two years without new chapters.
Real life has not been kind to me since the last time I posted.
I know you guys have been waiting for so long and I can't say anything in my defense.
Now, I've got some good good news and a bit of bad news.
Let's start with the bad news, there won't be a new chapter for Fairy Tail: Guildmate in Another World for about two weeks.
Haven't had much time to write since I've been helping support my family.
So I hope you guys can be patient with me as I haven't gone and abandoned it at all.
I fully intend to continue the series as I have all sorts of inspiration and ideas to write more chapters so look forward to that.
Now for the good news.
In the time I have been able to squeeze in, I've managed to finish writing the Rating Game Arc just a few days ago.
I'll be spending the next week editing them and have them out before the end of February.
Then I'll be able to begin writing Season 2 from March onwards along with Fairy Tail again so look forward to that.
So I hope you guys will be kind to me as it has been quite a while since I've posted chapters again.
So forgive the cringe if you see any.
Next Time: The Rating Game begins, how will the battle between Haru and Riser play out? Tune in to find out.
Till Next Time!