The Substitute Shinigami

Outside of Kuoh, in a typical Japanese-style garden, two men were sitting in the middle of a garden with a table between them. One had a glass of tea in front of him and the other had a bottle of sake in his, this one being Susanoo.

The second man was smaller than the god of storms, having the height of an average adult. He had long dark hair tied in a ponytail and wore traditional Japanese clothing. In his lap was a bow and arrow.

This was the Japanese God of War, Divination, and Culture. He was also one of the gods that were part of the Susanoo's faction, within the Shinto faction.

"So they arrived all right? Great. However, I know that expression of yours. What did you do?"

And being part of Susanoo's group, he already knew Issei and Cynthia.

At the moment Susanoo was telling him about what they did when the two arrived and about the amulet that had been made to hide Issei's draconic aura.

At the god of war's speech, Susanoo laughed carefreely.

"Do you remember what the amulet does exactly?"

Hachiman nods in affirmation.

"Well, as planned, Issei's draconic aura was hidden. Anyway, it's only a temporary measure, but... there was a..." It was weird how much the god struggled not to burst out laughing." A rather unexpected side effect."

That made Hachiman raise one of his eyebrows, curious, waiting for Susanoo to elaborate.

"So, the amulet didn't exactly hide his aura, but the draconic characteristic of it."

Hachiman started to understand what he meant.

"So there's some other kind of trait left?"

He was just failing to understand why Susanoo was trying so hard not to burst out laughing.

"Lust."

Susanoo said, still trying to contain his laughter. Hachiman blinked a few times, thinking he had heard it wrong.

"Care to say that again?"

At that point, Susanoo had already burst out laughing. Hachiman waited patiently, slowly sipping his tea, until the god of storms stopped, taking back some control, although still laughing.

"The brat is so perverted that it affected his aura! Without the draconic part, his aura is an aura of pure lust, he manages to be worse than an incubus!"

Hachiman blinked a few more times, associating the absurdity of the information he just heard. Then he sighed and decided to take another sip of tea. He would inform the newly arrived couple later.

[...]

"Mommy! It's us!"

Having finally arrived home from shopping, Nezuko announces her presence, carrying two of the lighter bags. Behind her came her brother, Issei, Cynthia, Tatsuki, and Orihime. Originally the group would only accompany the two until after the market, but the childhood friends meeting made the brother and sister pair invite everyone to their home to eat there.

Cynthia felt it was a bad idea considering how much Issei would eat, but Nezuko was too excited for her to deny her will.

'Fufufu, she is cute.'

Elsha commented about Nezuko in Issei's mind space.

'Isn't she? Of course, El-chan, and Cyn are too, but Nezuko is cute in a different manner.'

Issei said, agreeing with the former Red Dragon Empress, who chuckled softly at his comment.

'Indeed, but right now you should be paying attention to them and not me, right?'

The comment made the brunette want to laugh, but he knew that, except for Cynthia, the others would find it strange, so he just mentally agreed with Elsha.

"Ara, did you bring your friends?"

On the way to the market, Tanjiro had sent a message to his mother informing her about Issei and Cynthia and how they were likely to visit the house, so Kie wasn't taken by surprise.

As soon as they passed the entrance hallway, reaching the kitchen Nezuko and Tanjiro's mother appeared to welcome the group.

Kamado Kie was a very fair-skinned woman, almost pale. Her eyes were a beautiful dark purple, and there was a beauty mark on her chin near her mouth that implemented her beauty and mature appearance. She also had long dark hair that was currently tied in a ponytail.

Kie was wearing a white shirt and jeans that were a little too tight, and both pieces of clothing accentuated her curves, making them very obvious.

"Your mother is beautiful."

The line came out of Issei's mouth without any hesitation, taking everyone by surprise.

"Oh my, thanks."

Kie said, with a slightly flattered smile, surprised at Issei's size. The last time she'd seen him he'd been a small child, and now she needed to look up to face him.

What Kie didn't understand was why she suddenly felt a heat in her cheeks, both from staring at Issei and his praise, things that shouldn't embarrass her, but did. However, she didn't think too much about it either.

Cynthia laughed, already expecting that attitude of him while Orihime nodded in agreement.

Nezuko already had a shocked expression for a moment, then she blushed a little and then puffed them out cutely.

"You have good eyesight Ise."

And Tanjiro spoke with his arms crossed and waving his head, proud of his friend's good eyesight.

"Those two are Ise-kun and Cynthia-chan, right? It's good to see you back. But, Ise-kun, you've grown a lot, haven't you?"

She commented, now giving the sekiryuutei a good look.

Of course, the whole group was quite different from when they were kids, but the difference between them and Issei was more contrasting since he was now a giant near the rest.

'Ara, if Nezu-chan still has a thing for him, it might be a little difficult for her...'

Surprised by her thoughts, the purple-eyed one shook her head slightly, letting it go. After all, she could see how close Cynthia and Issei were.

"Hi, aunt."

"Thanks for having us."

Tatsuki and Orihime followed, greeting her.

"Hello Tsuki-chan, Hime-chan. Ara, it's rare to see you all without Ichigo-kun, did something happen?"

Again that caught the curiosity of Issei and Cynthia, who looked at their friends, wanting to see if now they would elaborate further on what the orange-headed could be doing.

"As soon as the class ended he ran away, I don't know what got into him."

Tatsuki said, shrugging.

"I see, hopefully, he's okay, why don't you send him a message? Meanwhile, I will prepare something for everyone."

Kie proposed, already pulling some of the groceries out of the market bags.

"Can I help?"

Issei asks promptly, surprising the others.

"Thanks, Issei-kun, but you don't have to."

However, the lady of the house would not put the visit to cook.

"Don't feel ashamed to use him, Kie-san. Not to brag, but my father is a professional chef and Issei learned everything from him."

Cynthia said, patting Issei on the back, looking like a saleswoman trying to convince a customer. And she did manage to surprise the others, who looked at Issei, waiting for some kind of confirmation.

"Heh, my family always said that I cook well."

He said smiling from ear to ear.

"OK then. Fufufu, I'm curious to eat a professional chef's food."

Seeing that the brunette was determined to help, as well as being a little curious about his cooking skills, Kie no longer refused Issei's help.

"I'm sure it will be great!"

Nezuko spoke, looking forward to Issei's food.

"Do you want my help too?"

Orihime asks innocently.

While Issei and Cynthia were curious, visibly everyone else, including Kie, froze and paled.

"No need Hime-chan! Please do not."

Tatsuki spoke, first laughing, then almost pleading.

"Why don't we play something instead? I'll get the controls!"

Tanjiro ran off to give Orihime no time to consider.

"Yes, let's play! We have your favorite, Hime-chan!"

Nezuko spoke laughing nervously, praying that the orange one agreed.

"Hmm? Hey, let's go then!"

It was possible to feel the relief that hit everyone in the house when Orihime said those words.

Issei and Cynthia looked at each other curiously and shrugged. Clearly, they were having fun.

[...]

Somewhere in a less populated part of Kuoh, a small figure could be seen running, screaming into the air. At least that's how normal citizens would see the scene since those who had a connection with the Supernatural would see besides the short girl, that there was a young man with spiky orange hair, wearing a black Japanese traditional uniform, and swinging a ridiculously large sword.

And there was still one more being, the one the two were after. It was a grotesque-looking creature, a monster with a hole in its chest, a macabre-looking white mask, and a body larger than even animals of big stature.

The young man with orange hair was Kurosaki Ichigo, and the short-haired one was the "new student" at Kuoh Academy, Kuchiki Rukia.

The hollow, the creature they faced, fled from the two, its body already covered in injuries, but Ichigo still hadn't managed to land the final blow.

With a jump, the substitute Shinigami reaches the hollow, and making an arc with his sword, he cuts the creature using the momentum to stick the sword halfway through the monster's body.

GRRRRRIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAA

An agonized scream came out of the hollow's mouth as its body disappeared. Ichigo took a deep breath, and bracing his sword on his shoulders, he turned to face Rukia.

"Ok... are we done for today?"

"At least until I receive a new mission, yes."

The short girl says, crossing her arms. Her answer makes Ichigo sigh tiredly.

"This is exhausting, why don't we ask the devils for help?"

Sitting down with his back against the wall, Ichigo asks the question that has been on his mind since discovering a part of Kuoh's supernatural world.

However, that simple question of his seemed to offend Rukia greatly.

"Never! It's the Shinigami's duty to deal with hollows! Where would our honor be if we delegated it to others? Especially to outsiders! We have a mission and we shouldn't trust it to others, much less to devils!"

Rukia's words had more dedication and emotion put into them than Ichigo could have expected. Despite this, he rolls his eyes and faces away from her.

"But you had no problem giving me your powers?"

Though his speech wasn't loud, it wasn't quite enough for Rukia not to hear.

"Those are different... under different circumstances..." However, to Ichigo's surprise, she didn't react violently as he expected, although she seemed uncomfortable. "In any case, having been born in these lands, you are not an outsider. It's... less bad to pass my powers on to you than to ask the devils for help."

The orange-haired noticed that she was leaving something off the subject, but decided not to continue the discussion.

At that moment his body, which was occupied by a soul Rukia had gotten from a shop, showed up. The orange one was still getting used to his new life.

"Good job!"

And it was strange to see his body greeting him with a smile and a thumbs up.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks."

Unceremoniously, Ichigo returned took his body back, and stretched, cracking his back.

He took out his cell phone expecting messages from his sisters or his friends. Chad was probably doing who knows what, Tatsuki and Orihime were supposed to be with Tanjiro and Nezuko, so he just planned on going straight home to sleep.

After all, working twenty-four hours a day as Rukia's substitute, with the only remuneration being her, sometimes, buying lunch for him, with money that was most likely his, was a little tiring.

However, instead of his sisters, he had received a single message from Tatsuki telling, or rather demanding, that he go to the Kamado family home. That piqued his curiosity.

'Orihime was looking at me strangely during class, and Tatsuki and Nezuko looked strangely irritated. Did I let something slip without realizing it?'

Anyway, he decided to check out what his friends were up to.

"I need to go, if anything happens send a message."

He speaks to Rukia, praying that she doesn't text him.

"OK, see you later."

The short-haired one also said goodbye, planning to go to Urahara's shop.

[...]

Apple was finding this whole city rather interesting. After all, it wasn't every day she had time to explore the sewers. And the mice being tasty was just the icing on the cake.

She was having a great day until she bumped into some weirdos.

There were at least three hooded men with katanas and pistols. At first, she would just ignore them and eat the rat she was hunting until the bastards had the nerve to shoot her prey, and then try to attack her.

In response, she simply bit and poisoned one, killing him instantly, and the second, using her Devil Fruit, the Dragon Dragon Fruit: Model Velociraptor, to attack at a speed greater than humans were able to follow, cutting his neck. The third even tried to attack, but using her tail as a whip she ripped out his left eye, which finally made him run away screaming.

She considered going after him, but her laziness got the better of her.

Apple stared at the two bodies on the floor, a little thoughtful.

'Well, they ruined my lunch, so I guess it doesn't hurt to be the substitutes. Meh, they are dead either way.'

She thinks, licking her lips and going into her full velociraptor form, so as not to leave even the bones behind.

[...]

"This is delicious!"

It was everyone's reaction equally. It's not like they expected Issei to ruin the food, but no one expected the end result to be this good.

Tanjiro and Nezuko ate incessantly, always stopping to praise Issei. The two were so in sync at that moment that even those who didn't know would notice that they are both brother and sister.

"This is amazing! If I could, I would marry you just to eat like this my whole life!"

Nezuko spoke without thinking, freezing completely as soon as she realized her words.

Tanjiro gasped, Orihime looked at her friend with an encouraging expression, and Tatsuki was notably surprised. And Nezuko's mother laughed, planning to use this to tease her daughter later. Though, if one looked, once more Kie had a bit of a tinge of red in her cheeks.

"Chichichi, marrying you would be great Nezuko."

But to everyone's surprise and shock, Issei replied like that without even blinking an eye as he casually ate from his plate.

Now Nezuko's face was redder than the pepper used in the kitchen.

Out of the corner of their eyes, the others like Tanjiro and Tatsuki, looked at Cynthia expecting some reaction from her, and they got it, just not what they expected. The blonde was laughing and looking from Nezuko to Issei with obvious interest.

However, before they could even try to ask Cynthia something the doorbell rang and Issei was already on his feet.

"It's Ichigo, right? Let me open the door for him."

He said already heading for the door.

"Wait, I didn't tell him that Ichigo was coming."

Tatsuki spoke in surprise, not understanding how Issei knew who had arrived, or even how he was so sure of it.

"Issei has his ways."

Cynthia spoke to the others, and except Nezuko who was totally red and not listening to anything from the conversation, it sounded even more mysterious.

Ichigo was waiting for Tanjiro, Nezuko, their mother, or even Tatsuki to open the door. What he didn't expect was to see someone as tall as Chad opening it, much less someone so familiar.

"Yo, Ichigo. It has been a while."

At that moment, the Dragon and the God of Death faced each other.


For clarification, what happened between Rias and Issei last chapter has nothing to do with the change in Issei's aura, those are two greatly different things. What happened between them will be addressed and explained eventually.
Now about his lustful aura, honestly, I thought the idea fit DxD and so I did it, simple as that, lol.

Reviews are appreciated.