Chapter 1: Fusei Muramasa, On Stage!

[Master, it is the time.]

[The moment of your awakening draws near.]

Hyoudou Issei, a healthy 15 years old boy with brown hair and eyes, groaned as he leaned into a half-sitting position in bed. He sluggishly rubbed his eyes, his gaze fixing on his anime girl alarm clock.

Today was the 20th of July, the first day of summer vacation.

"Strange...What with that voice?" Issei mumbled because he couldn't recall setting any alarms.

So was that voice a mere hallucination? Or did he start to become insane?

The voice he heard didn't resemble his anime girl alarm clock, which usually had a mechanical and artificial tone. Instead, it sounded natural and human-like.

"Did I play way too much Eroge last night? That I'm now hearing some girl's voice calling me 'master' in my dream? Damn, I guess this is what happens when you don't have a girlfriend."but before Issei could stand up from his bed, he saw something right beside his pillow.

"What is this?"

Was it a stick? A knife? Nah, this is way too long to be a knife; maybe it was a pipe? He didn't know, but the item was wrapped in a bunch of talismans like a cursed item from anime.

[My name is M̶͇̙̖̃̽̓̉͋̌͛́͝ų̶̢̼̳̞̅͐́r̷͚̤͕͙̺͈̄̐͛͊̈́̂́͘͠ā̷̛̲̓͂̿̀̾́̾ḿ̵̨̛̇a̶̼̞̎͆̂͋̀̀́͘͠s̵̡̨̮̩̥̮̜̫̈́̈́̐ȧ̴̛͍̾̒͛͌͗̓́]

The voice resounded inside his head as he picked it up.

He then stared weirdly at the item.

'Was this thing talking to me?'

'Nah, there's no way this stick just talk to me. That kind of stuff, like a talking stick talking with a human, only exists in fictional worlds...To begin with, who the hell put this thing in my room?'

But it magically disappeared from his palm before Issei could do anything to the item.

'Wait...Am I really hallucinating? It feels too real to be a hallucination.'

He then began to look around his room to find the item due to unscientific disappearance. Maybe he was feeling sleepy and accidentally dropped the item.

After an hour of looking around his room for that item, Issei gave up, thinking he was too sleepy to differentiate between hallucination and reality. Issei then sighed tiredly before heading down the stairs, still wearing his pajamas, and made his way into the living room.

His mother was busy prepared breakfast in the kitchen while his father sat comfortably on the couch watching the news on TV. She was what could be considered the epitome of beauty. Despite being in her late forties, she still looked like she hadn't aged a day since turning twenty. Her long black hair and captivating yellow eyes exuded an aura of allure.

However, what truly made her stand out were her remarkable curves, particularly her ample bosom that effortlessly captivated the attention of any man in its presence.

Except for Issei because he is her son. He is not into Incest! Sure, he is a degenerate, but his degen level are not even close to those who like incest.

His father was average compared to his mother; He was a tall and slim man with a goatee, long brown hair, and eyes. He looked like an older version of Issei but with glasses, which makes Issei wonder how his father even got laid with his mother.

"Morning, Dad." Issei lazily greeted his father.

"Hmmm? Yo, Issei. What's got you up so early? Did you have an outing with your buddies or something?"

"Nah, it just happened." Issei then took a seat on the couch next to his father. "So what's on the news? Did scientists finally discover how to make women's breasts bigger naturally without silicons implants?"

"Hah, I wish." his father chuckled. "If that kind of thing was real, I'd be the first one in line, asking for that stuff for your mother's bre-"

WHAM

Before the father could finish his sentence, his mother slammed the frying pan on his head with a resounding thud.

"Gorou-kun! Could you please stop filling Ise's mind with your dirty joke!? He's already perverted enough, so don't encourage him further!" His mother pouted, her face adorned with an adorable blush.

WHAM

WHAM

"Wait, Miki-chan! Please stop hitting my head with the frying pan! You're going to make me go bald!" His father cried out, only to be struck once more with the frying pan.

"Then stop corrupting our son!"

WHAM

"He already corrupted enough! Gaaaah! That's hurt, you crazy bitch!"

WHAM

"What did you just call me, Gorou-kun!?"

"I'm sorry! I'm just kidding Miki-chan! I love you! Kyaaaaa!"

WHAM

"Ahahahaha..." Issei could only laugh awkwardly while scratching his cheek at the sight of his parents.

It was just another typical day for the Hyoudou Household.

Nothing was out of the ordinary in here.

After taking a quick bath and donning a tracksuit, Issei decided to jog around Kuoh Town. He usually never did this due to constantly waking up pretty late, but considering he woke up pretty early, there is no harm in doing this activity to keep himself in shape, right?

During his jogging session, a ball suddenly rolled before him, making Issei stop on his track.

"Hey! Big brother! Could you pass that ball back to us?"

Issei shifted his gaze from the ball to the group of children around the age of ten standing on the field, waiting for the ball to be passed to them.

"Sure, kids!" Issei exclaimed cheerfully, a smile spreading across his face. With a skillful touch of his right foot, he effortlessly lifted the ball into the air, juggling it playfully for a count of five.

"Here!" with that, he passed the ball to one of the children.

"Thanks, big bro!" the children wave their hands at him with a bright smile.

"You're welcome!" he waves back.

"Hmmmmm... I never expected someone as perverted as you could act like that around children, Hyoudou. You almost looked like a decent human being."

"Ack...Murayama."

The girl who stood before him was none other than one of his schoolmates from the same Middle School and a victim of the perverted trio. Which means she was a victim of his lecherous act.

Muryama Kaori just stared at him with both arms under her breasts, making them appear even larger than they already were.

Well, they weren't as big as the breasts of a certain 'Yamato Nadeshiko' student that attended the infamous girls-only school, Kuoh Academy, but Murayama's breasts were still bigger than most girls in his class.

"What with that tone? It sounds like you don't want me to be here."

"No... no. Of course not. I'm just surprised to see you here," Issei stated nervously, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. The reason for his unease was the shinai bag Murayama was carrying.

"Hmmm...that was my line Hyoudou; I didn't expect a pervert like you will do something like this. I thought you'd be stuck in your room and keep watching porn like a pathetic loser." Murayama stated.

"Urgh, that's really harsh, you know. Don't you feel any hint of guilt for insulting this poor Hyoudou-san?"

"After what you pulled at school? Nah, I've lost all the respect I had for you. Well, it's not like I even respected you in the first place."

"By the way, Murayama, do you have club activities or something?" Issei pointed at her shinai bag, swiftly changing the topic of conversation.

Murayama raised her eyebrows at his question.

"I always carry this with me. With how many perverts in this town, you will never know when some creepy perverts might try to approach you."

"Ouch... that stung."

"I didn't mention you."

"Well, it nice talking to you Murayama, but I gotta go now. Still, need to finish my morning routine,"

"Care if I join you?" Murayama asked.

"Sure... but why tho?"

"I want to make sure you stay away from harassing innocent women and having your way with them."

"Oi! What the hell do you think I am!?"

"A worthless piece of garbage," she replied without hesitation.

"Urgh, whatever. Have it your way." Issei grumbled.

What Issei failed to notice was the slight blush adorned Murayama's face after he allowed her to join his jogging session. It was pretty clear that Murayama Kaori, the captain of the kendo club, harbored romantic feelings toward our infamous resident pervert, Hyoudou Issei.

She just couldn't be honest about her romantic feelings for him.

In other words, she's a tsundere.

After a few hours of jogging around Kuoh Town, the duo decided to take a break and rest on a bench in the park. Issei handed a bottle of water to Murayama, who was now drenched with her sweats, making her 'inner' outfit slightly visible to Issei's eyes.

"Thanks." She gladly took it and quickly took a sip, thirstily guzzling down the water. "Pwaah~ that was refreshing. By the way, Hyoudou, that was really surprising. Especially coming from a pervert like you."

"Hmm, surprising? About what?" Issei asked, effortlessly tossing his empty bottle into the trash can.

"Your stamina, obviously. I don't remember you joining any sports clubs in our school, so it kinda surprises me that you're barely covered in sweat while I'm...Urgh, drenched like this." Murayama complained, still unaware that her pink bra was visible to Issei. "Did you work out on a daily basis or something?"

"Not really; this is my first time strolling around the town." Issei shook his head at the question. His eyes still staring at Murayama's ample chest.

"Hmm, is that so..." Murayama replied, tossing the empty bottle into the trash can. She noticed something weird happening around them, quickly moving her gaze to Issei. "Oi, Hyoudou."

"Y-Yeah?" Issei snapped out of his trance, meeting her gaze with his own. He nervously swallowed his saliva, hoping she hadn't caught him ogling her breasts. "What's up?"

'Did she catch me staring at her boobs? Fuck! Is she gonna whack me with that shinai!?'

"It's still morning, right? Then why the heck is the sky all red?" To Issei's surprise, Murayama didn't shoot him an angry glare.

Instead, she stared at him with confusion, her expression void of anger.

"Red? What do you mean?" He tilted his head, then looked up at the sky. Indeed, it wasn't the usual bright blue morning sky he was used to. Instead, it glowed with a reddish hue, resembling a sunset.

"What's happening here?" Issei muttered, moving his gaze from the sky. He then scanned the park with his eyes.

He had never seen such a strange phenomenon like this before.

Once bustling with people of all ages, the park now lay desolate, devoid of life.

The only individuals remaining within its boundaries were none other than him and Murayama.

[Master on your left!]

Eh?

Under the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine of Kamakura City, there lay a clandestine chamber. Within the chamber, a man garbed in the traditional attire of a kariginu robe stood before a towering blue flame. Around him were numerous individuals, each dressed in identical robes and a veil to hide their face.

"Hoh." the man uttered, with a shit-eating grin spreading across his pretty face. "After all these years, the wielder of Fusei has finally been chosen. I was starting to think I'd grow old and wrinkly before they showed up. Well, well, let's see who the unlucky winner is, shall we?"

With a playful gesture, he extended his index finger and lightly poked the flames.

Instead of it scorching his finger, the flames revealed a name.

Hyoudou Issei

"Well, well, well, talk about a twist of fate!" the man exclaimed, unable to contain his amusement. He let out a hearty chuckle that echoed through the chamber. "How delightfully ironic! The son of that person, of all people, ends up being the chosen one for Fusei!"

"Servants! I hereby decree that you must inform the other three that we have finally found the wielder of Fusei!"

Murayama Kaori was just an ordinary middle schooler. While her chest size may have been comparable to those in high school, she was still normal. Born from an average family of a housewife mother and office worker father.

She attended middle school, had a circle of friends, a best friend, and was an active member of the Kendo Club. She was also a decent student academically. All of these aspects of her life were normal.

The only weird thing about her was her romantic attraction towards Issei, which Katase found ridiculous, especially given Issei and his friends' perverted acts towards them.

Even her best friend, Katase, didn't know how and why she had fallen in love with Issei.

SWOOSH

The sound of something whizzed through the air at an incredible speed.

"MURAYAMA!" Issei lunged towards her, swiftly moving her body and embracing her, using his body as a shield. "GAAAAAHHH!"

"W-Wha?" Her face turned crimson as her face was pressed against Issei's chest, feeling the warmth and strength of his embrace. However, her shock quickly overtook embarrassment as she noticed the blood flowing from his injured arm.

"Hyoudou, you're hurt!" Murayama exclaimed, her voice laced with concern and worry.

Questions swirled in her mind.

What had just happened? How did her crush get this kind of injury? When did it occur?

She had been by his side for more than half an hour. It seemed impossible for her not to notice something as obvious as this.

[What are you doing, Master!? You could get yourself killed!]

"A-Are you okay, Murayama?" Issei ignored the voice in his head and instead focused on the teary-eyed Murayama, his expression filled with genuine concern.

"Am I okay? You're asking me that? Idiot! You're in way worse shape than I am! What happened to your arm!?"

[Master!]

"Wow, what a magnificent move! A man protecting a maiden from harm is a true act of chivalry. I applaud you, my friend," a man in his mid-twenties approached them. He was dressed in a classic tuxedo, with neatly combed-back black hair and a majestic mustache. "However, I'm afraid you won't survive this time."

The man raised his right arm in the air with an open palm.

ZZZZZT

The air crackled with energy around the man's palm, and in a blinding flash, a spear made of light materialized.

"W-What the hell?" Issei stuttered; this kind of thing only happened in fictional stories. A guy appeared out of nowhere, able to create a spear from thin air and want to kill him and Murayama—it was beyond surreal.

[RUN!]

"Let's go, Murayama!" Issei gritted his teeth, pulling the stunned Murayama with his left hand. The situation was dire—Murayama was too shocked to move, and his right arm was injured.

[JUST LEAVE HER! TRYING TO SAVE HER WILL ONLY GET YOU KILLED!]

"Just shut up, will you!?" Issei retorted to the voice in his head, "I'm not going to abandon her! I won't leave her behind!"

"How scary~," the man said playfully, his demeanor twisted with sadistic delight. Watching his prey struggle like helpless animals before slaughtering them makes him incredibly aroused. "I can't wait to see what you will do if I kill the girl first."

"You piece of shit! Don't you dare come close! I won't let you lay a finger on her, you hear me!? Why did you even attack us!? What did we ever do to you!?"

"Well, nothing, honestly. It's just that your birth was a mistake from God, and I'm here to correct it. As for her? She just happened to be with you, so she's a necessary sacrifice. Besides, killing a man isn't my preference, especially considering how repulsive men can be. So, I'll take my pleasure with her." the man licked his lip.

Silence filled the air as Murayama remained wordless, her fear apparent to Issei.

"Hey..." Issei whispered slowly, ensuring his words wouldn't reach the man's ears. Murayama slowly turned her face towards him. "Although I don't know his motive, his main target is me, not you. So when I rush towards him, I want you to run away as fast as you can, okay?"

"Wh-What about you? What will happen to you? What if you die?" her voice trembled with worry. "I don't want you to die!"

"Hahaha... What's this? Is the captain of the kendo club worried about this pervert? I thought you hated my guts."

"...I could never hate you."

"Well, are you guys done with sappy drama? You can continue if you want to. But the way you interacted with each other sounds like something straight out of a telenovela. Hey, girl, are you going to raise a death flag by confessing your love for him after acting like a tsundere for the whole five seasons?" the man interjected, pointing his light spear at Murayama.

"Run; I will catch up later," Issei whispered to Murayama. Without hesitation, he clenched his fist and charged ahead toward the man. He going to deck this man in the face.

"HYAAAAA!"

[MASTER, YOU IDIOT! ARE YOU GOING TO SACRIFICE YOUR LIFE FOR HER!? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?]

SCHTAK

The light spear pierced Issei's abdomen, causing a gush of blood to spray from the wound.

[MASTER!]

"HYOUDOU!" Murayama screamed, her voice filled with anguish and rage. She bit her lip in frustration, causing it to bleed. Ignoring her safety, she abandoned the idea of running away and grabbed the shinai from her bag, rushing towards the man with a determined cry. "YOU BASTARD!"

Deep down, she knew she couldn't do anything against this man, but her overwhelming anger clouded her reasoning.

She couldn't ignore what happened to someone she cherished the most.

"What just happened?" Issei muttered as he found himself in an old shrine; the decorations and artifacts within the room seemed to belong to the Meiji era or maybe even older.

What is going on here? Didn't he just get stabbed? Where is the hole?

"Urgggghhhh... This is the worst," a feminine voice echoed nearby, frustrated. "I can't believe I ended up with an incompetent master. Why can't I get someone who knows more about this world instead of this suicidal nobody?"

A beautiful girl approached Issei, looking around his age, maybe slightly older than him. She had mid-length, silky black hair and black eyes. She wore a traditional black yukata with a white haori and had four katana sheaths strapped to her left hip.

She had a scowl on her face.

"Errrrr...Hello?" Issei slightly raised his right hand to greet the mysterious girl before him.

"Tch, look at you. All skinny and have no muscles. How the hell did someone like you get chosen by my Fusei!? Fucking hell, even a gorilla is a better pick than someone like you." the girl scoffed.

"Hah?" Issei's eyebrows twitched, he had no idea who she was or what she was talking about, but her comment likening him to a gorilla struck a nerve. "What did you just say!? Did you just compare me to a gorilla, you bitch!?"

"No, comparing you to a gorilla is an insult to them. Gorillas are way better than you in every aspect. Heck, they're even more handsome than you."

"You're really pushing my buttons, you damn woman. Just because you're hot doesn't mean you can insult me like that! Do you want me to give you a spanking or something!?"

"Spank me? Hah, as expected from a hopeless pervert. The first punishment you can think of is spanking me. How disgusting of you, Master."

"Listen here, you bitch. I may be a pervert, but at least I have manners!" Issei then blinked. "Wait...? Did you just call me 'Master'? Do I know you? Your voice sounds awfully familiar."

"Heh," the girl smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "Took you long enough to realize, Master."

"...Did you have a BDSM fetish?" Issei tilted his head.

The girl's face quickly turned crimson with embarrassment at his tasteless statement. "What? No! I-I don't have a BDSM fetish! Where did you even get that idea? That's not what I meant!"

"Because you called me 'Master'? Wait, am I daydreaming?" Issei questioned, trying to process the unexpected situation unfolding before him.

"I'm not calling you 'Master' in a lewd way, you dolt! Also, this ain't a freaking dream!" the girl snapped, her face still blushing red.

"Not a dream? Hmmmm, so where the hell am I? I don't recall any shrine that looked this outdated. Did you kidnap me to have your way with my irresistible body?" Issei asked a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You perverted woman!"

"What!? No way! I didn't kidnap you! And I'm not a perverted woman! Get your mind out of the gutter, you delusional pervert!"

"Sure, that's what the guilty always say. Call others pervert just so the blame won't be on them," Issei replied playfully.

Despite having just met her, he couldn't help but find teasing this girl really enjoyable.

"ENOUGH! Stop calling me a pervert!"

"Well then, how about you explain where this place is and where is... Murayama!? Wait, where the heck is Murayama!? Did she manage to escape? Did someone save her!? Please don't tell me that bastard did something to her!"

The girl before him simply raised an eyebrow, observing Issei's anxious demeanor.

"I didn't expect you to worry so much about her. I've seen some of your memories with her, and most of them involve you getting your ass handed to you. Well, it's mostly your fault tho," she stated. "So, care to tell me why you're so hell-bent on saving her? I honestly don't understand your reasons. Care to tell me, what do you gain from saving her?"

"It's not about what I gain. It's about doing what's right," Issei replied. "I couldn't live with myself if I let harm come to anyone, regardless of the circumstances. Besides, do I really need a reason to save someone?"

"Is that so?" The girl's skepticism was evident, as she couldn't fully grasp Issei's thoughts and moral compass by watching his memories alone. "So, are you telling me you're willing to sacrifice yourself for a stranger? Someone, you don't even know? You do realize how foolish that sounds, right?"

"I know, but who said about sacrificing myself?"

"Eh?" The girl blinked in surprise.

"I'm going to survive, along with Murayama. No matter what, I want to return home and spend time with my family. I'll make sure she returns to her family as well. So, I'm going to make it out of this in one piece."

"..." The girl fell silent.

"So, where are we? I already asked this already but where is the answer?" Issei inquired, shifting the focus back to their current situation.

The girl shook her head before fixing her gaze on Issei.

"Well, Master, have you ever heard of a mindscape? A world within a human's mind?" the girl asked with a beautiful smile on her face.

"YOU BASTARD!" Murayama let out a resounding cry, her anger; she swung her shinai upon the man who had just pierced Issei's abdomen. But the man simply smiled, effortlessly parrying her barrage of strikes with his left hand. "I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"My, my, my, what a feisty little lady~ But a girl like you is simply the type that I..." He licked his lips, a twisted smile playing on his face. "Really, really, really enjoy breaking the most."

"SHUT THE HELL UP AND LET HIM GO!"

"Let who go? Your boyfriend? This man?" The man's voice dripped with mocking amusement. "Wow, this guy must mean a lot to you. This feels like something out of a romance manga, but this time the roles have been reversed between the heroine and the hero. Too bad that he's dea-"

THWAK

Before he could finish his sentence, Murayama's shinai struck his face with a powerful blow.

"Shut up! Don't you dare mock him like that, and don't you dare say that he is dead! He is still alive," Murayama declared. "He has to be. He promised that he would catch up to me. So, he can't die. I won't let him."

Just as the tension in the air thickened, a voice broke through the silence. "Thanks for believing in me, Murayama," Issei spoke warmly, despite the light spear piercing his abdomen.

"How-"

BAAAAAAM

Before the man could finish his dialogue, a fist made its way to his face sending him flying several feet away from Issei and Murayama. The punch came from no other than Issei.

"H-Hyoudou, y-you're alive," Murayama stuttered, her voice trembling with relief and overwhelming emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes. "I-I thought you were dead. I thought I had lost you... I thought you'd be gone forever."

"Hey, don't cry on me, okay? I'm not that weak," Issei reassured her, gently patting her head. "Besides, thanks to your daily beatings, my body is already strong enough."

"That hurt..." The man winced, massaging his now bruised cheek. He stared at Issei, his eyes filled with curiosity and disbelief. "How is it possible for a mere human to inflict such pain on me? Are you even a human?"

Issei didn't answer the man's question. Instead, he removed his hand from Murayama's head, his expression filled with determination. He extended his hand and locked his gaze on the man. "Come... [Fusei Muramasa]."

So, here is the first chapter. I know the story is cheesy, and some readers will probably be unsatisfied with how I utilize Murayama and make Issei a more heroic guy than in canon.

This is a canon divergence story, where Issei's actions will significantly impact other factions and future events.