Hey guys, I'm back! Before we continue to the second chapter, I will reply to the reviews.
Guest: Thanks!
Yogaratw607: My story does have some elements from Bleach, but I'm not familiar with Jujutsu Kaisen since I've only watched the movie. As for Lemons, I will include them in the future, but not right now.
Keyblademaster 2117: Haha, read the story to find out wink
Chapter 2: The Next Stage...
A long time ago,
There was a certain tale about a renowned swordsmith known for her exceptional craftsmanship and the quality of her blades. Her name resonated throughout the land, catching the attention of none other than the infamous Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu himself.
However, fate took a peculiar turn as the katanas she had crafted began to bear a mysterious curse. These once highly-praised blades slowly became symbols of misfortune, bringing harm and turmoil to the Tokugawa clan.
The clan suffered a tragic fate as each member, from the main family to the servants, met their demise at the hands of the cursed katana. Ieyasu's grandfather was accidentally slain by his vassal, while his father fell victim to the deranged Iwamatsu Hachiya. Sadly, Ieyasu's firstborn son was forced to commit seppuku, meeting the same fate as his father and grandfather, all victims of the same cursed blade.
Fed up with the relentless misfortunes befalling his clan, Tokugawa Ieyasu had had enough. He sentenced the swordsmith to death as a punishment for harming his clan.
The swordsmith was none other than the infamous Sengo Muramasa. Before her untimely demise, she had crafted four blades, each possessing unique abilities.
With these weapons in her hands, she confronted a formidable force of 170,000 armies, a combination of Mikawa Samurai and other forces led by Ieyasu. For three consecutive days, without any respite, she battled relentlessly. However, her strength eventually gave way, and she fell to her knees.
Thus marked the final chapter in the life of the infamous swordsmith, Sengo Muramasa.
Her lifeless body suffered the most heinous desecration imaginable. Her arms were cruelly severed and callously used as sustenance for the homeless, while her legs were fed to swine. The Mikawa Samurai, treating her corpse as a trophy, displayed her violated remains. At the same time, her severed head became a gruesome centerpiece in Ieyasu's castle—a macabre symbol of his ultimate triumph.
Strangely enough, immediately following her demise, her final creations—the four blades—mysteriously vanished without a trace.
The fate of these blades remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Did someone steal them?
Did it break during the battle?
No one could ascertain what befell those blades, leaving their whereabouts and destiny forever unknown to mankind.
"Come...[Fusei Muramasa]"
A katana materialized in Issei's right hand, its hilt elegantly adorned with blue wrapping. Its handguard shimmered with a lustrous silver sheen, accompanied by a silver collar positioned above the guard and another adorning the hilt.
Issei tightened his grip on the katana and glared at the man before him.
Murayama couldn't believe her eyes. Was this a dream? Not only did Issei summon a katana out of thin air, but the gaping hole in his stomach had vanished entirely as if the moment of his stabbing never happened.
But considering that a stranger had just conjured a light spear out of thin air, Issei summoning a sword didn't seem all that bizarre anymore. However, a lingering question still nagged at her mind.
'Hyoudou...What are you?'
"Jeez, hello, I'm asking a question here. Care to answer, please?" the man asked. "Seriously, are you even human? 'Cause you hit harder than Mittlet. I mean, she's not exactly a powerhouse, but she should still be stronger than a human like you, well... except for those freaks of nature like Strada."
Issei remained silent, steadily advancing toward the man. The man sighed, exasperated, before conjuring yet another light spear out of thin air.
"Seriously? Can you muster even a single word? Hey there? Are you some sort of nature-defying freak like Strada too? I always figured you were just an average Joe with locked Sacred Gear. But it seems like you've already unlocked it? How in the world did you manage to keep that hidden from Grigori?"
'This guy is seriously getting on my nerves.' Issei thought to himself.
[Can you please shut him down? He is as irritating as those third-rate villains from Sunday morning cartoons.]
'You watched cartoons?'
[I watched your memories remember?]
'Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Wait, does that mean you peeked at me while I was taking a bath?'
[...Just focus on the main task, you idiotic Master.]
"Just give me a straight answer and quit with the whole silent act!" the man shouted, hurling the light spear toward Issei at an impossibly rapid speed, too swift for ordinary humans to track with their eyes.
SLASH
It was a simple motion, nothing extraordinary. With a simple and fluid motion, Issei swung his katana vertically, effortlessly slicing through the light spear like butter.
"What? What the hell just happened? Hold up a sec. How in the heck did you pull that off? I've never heard of Sacred Gear pulling off stunts like that before. Is this some kind of wacky human invention? Have you folks really taken it to that level?"
"Hey." Issei finally broke his silence.
"Oh, well, well, what do we have here? Is the silent hero finally ready to exchange words with the devilishly handsome Lexter? Are you simply captivated by my unparalleled beauty? Can't blame you, my friend. It's a common reaction," the man introduced himself dramatically.
"Can you shut up?" Issei said while glaring at Lexter.
Issei had had enough. He could handle insults from others, but he couldn't stand it when someone tried to make hurting others seem like a joke. And Lexter's attitude just made it worse.
It pissed him off.
"...Huh?" Lexter's eyes twitched, his smile turning into a frown as he stared at Issei. "What the hell did you just say?" All traces of his stupidity vanished.
Issei maintained a composed gaze as he pointed his katana directly at Lexter.
"I said, can you shut the fuck up, you piece of shit? Are you that deaf? Did your mom forget to clean your ears or what?"
'Eh? Hyodou?'
Murayama was surprised. Issei had never insulted someone like this before. Sure, he argued with his perverted friends and used names like "baldy" and "four eyes," calling someone a "piece of heck" was unheard of for him.
"How dare you... HOW DARE YOU CALL ME THAT! Do you have any idea of your insignificance compared to me!? You're just a mere human! A nobody! Don't even think for a second that you're superior to me!"
Enraged, the man created two light spears. Black crow wings sprouted behind his back, indicating his fallen angel status, before flying into the sky.
This action caught Murayama off guard, but Issei was not surprised. He had been informed by Muramasa, the girl within his mind, that Lexter was a Fallen Angel.
"Superior? Hah, I never claimed superiority, but let's face it: you're beneath me." Issei replied, still glaring at Lexter. "A fallen angel, banished from heaven and drenched in disgrace. Man, that's gotta be the epitome of revolting, don't you think?"
"I will fucking kill you."
"Kill me? How exactly?" Issei asked, adopting a kendo stance that was anything but ordinary, sparking a sense of familiarity within Murayama.
'That's my stance...' she pondered, surprised by the realization. Had Issei not only peeked at her while changing her clothes like his other two friends but also analyzed her kendo technique? When did he do that?
Was it during one of the beatings that she gave to him?
Oddly enough, the thought of Issei analyzing her kendo technique brought a warm feeling to her lovely face.
"A weakling like you doesn't stand a chance against me."
[I gotta admit Master, you certainly have your way with words.]
"Hyoudou... Was that really necessary?" Murayama asked as she tugged at the sleeve of Issei's tracksuit.
"Trust me, Murayama. Once all of this is over, I'll treat you to dinner," Issei assured, tilting his head to meet Murayama's gaze and flashing a charming grin. "Nothing too fancy, of course."
"Sure, I'll trust you..." Murayama lowered her head, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.'Why does this idiot have to be so cheesy!? Is he a walking cliché or what? Ugh, and why does he keep making me love him even more!?'
"Stop flirting in front of me!" Lexter exclaimed, interrupting the moment between Issei and Murayama, hurling both light spears at them.
SLASH
SLASH
Once again, Issei effortlessly destroyed Lexter's light spears, casually resting his katana on his shoulder. "What's the matter? Jealous? Sorry, pal, but she's my date for tomorrow. Maybe you'll have better luck another time."
"We're not... flirting!" Murayama protested, her face still flushed, but Issei and Lexter paid her no mind as both of them locked their glare on each other.
[Master, you've only got 5 minutes left. Your untrained body couldn't hold any longer than that.]
'Don't remind me; I will beat this bastard within a minute.'
Muramasa had enhanced Issei's physical abilities, making him stronger than a low-class devil but still weaker than others. Luckily, Lexter was one of the weakest fallen in Grigori, so the enhancement was enough for Issei to defeat him.
"Murayama, please step back and let me handle him," Issei requested, his unwavering gaze still fixed on Lexter.
"But, Hyou-"
"Please."
Murayama hesitated, feeling a sense of helplessness in this situation. Eventually, she nodded slowly, acknowledging her uselessness in this situation.
Murayama then created some distance between herself and Issei; she realized she could not assist him. She had no means to defeat Lexter. The only option left for her was to step back from him.
She doesn't want to hinder him or become a burden.
'I wish I were stronger than this...' she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Feeling so weak was frustrating and annoying.
"Tch," Lexter clicked his tongue and conjured two more light spears. "A human like you really pisses me off."
"Hey, the feeling is mutual," Issei retorted. With five minutes remaining, he had more than enough time to deal with Lexter. "But playing from a long distance? That's just a cowardly move. Is the mighty Lexter, the Failed Angel, afraid of a weak little human like me?"
Lexter said nothing but glared at Issei before zooming toward him at incredible speed.
A grin appeared on Issei's face.
'Fool... You fell for it.' Issei let go of his katana.
[Fusei Muramasa] was an extraordinary and one-of-a-kind katana. It effortlessly sliced through magic, completely ignoring its essence, but when used against non-magical objects, it functioned more like a blunt weapon.
So Issei chooses the sensible way of beating Lexter.
BAAAM
Instead of getting stabbed by Lexter's light spears, Issei's fist collided with Lexter's face, producing a loud noise. Issei didn't allow Lexter to be thrown away; instead, he grabbed Lexter's shirt and forcefully pulled him closer.
BAAAM
BAAAM
BAAAM
BAAAM
He kept on punching Lexter's face.
BAAAM
BAAAM
BAAAM
BAAAM
BAAAM
The noise continued relentlessly, causing Murayama's eyes to widen at the sheer brutality of Issei as he mercilessly battered Lexter's face beyond recognition. Lexter's teeth were knocked out, and he cried out in pain, completely defenseless.
"P... Please... Have mercy." Lexter uttered weakly.
"Oi." Issei released his grip on Lexter's shirt, allowing him to slump onto his knee. Crouching down to Lexter's level, Issei glared at him while firmly grasping his hair. "I'll let you go, but promise me this: stay away from both of us... or you'll regret it."
"I...I Promise! I Promise! So please let me go!" Lexter begged.
Issei sighed before throwing Lexter to the sky by pulling on the latter's hair; Lexter hurridly composed himself in the air and flew away from Murayama and Issei by flapping his wings.
[...You're too soft, Master. You just let someone like him get away... This kind of attitude will come back to haunt you in the near future.]
'I know... but,' Issei stared at his right hand, stained with blood. He couldn't forget how Lexter looked when he begged for mercy. 'I can't bring myself to take someone's life.'
[Sooner or later, you might have to.]
'I know, with how much stuffs you've told me, I understand that I might have to take a life in the future. But if possible, I want to avoid killing as much as possible.' Issei clenched his right hand.
[...]
Murayama rushed towards Issei, disregarding the fact that his tracksuit was stained with Lexter's blood. She tightly embraced him, burying her head in his chest. "I'm sorry..." she whispered.
Issei blushed at Murayama's sudden gesture, but his eyes softened upon hearing her apology. He replied with a gentle voice, "Sorry? For what, Murayama? You did nothing wrong."
"I'm sorry...for being such a burden."
Issei felt a bit awkward, especially with a strong girl like Murayama crying against his chest, like in a scene from a romance anime. He used his left hand, as his right hand was still bloody, to gently pat her head and offer comfort.
"No... you weren't a burden. Someone like you will never be a burden," he said softly, trying to comfort her.
She didn't respond, simply keeping her head on his chest and soaking Issei's shirt with her tears.
"My, my, my~" a man dressed in a traditional kariginu robe chuckled cheerfully as he observed Issei and Murayama through the flames before him. "Such a brave young man, coming to the rescue of a fair maiden. What say you, my dear friends?"
"Tch, don't call me your friend, Kai." one of the three replied, clearly annoyed. "As for the kid, he's boring. Struggling against a low-rank Fallen Angel? What a fucking joke." he scoffed, crossing his arms.
"Well, I think he's kind of cute," the blonde-haired girl chimed in. "But other than that, I agree with Sanada. I can't believe our rival turned out to be this weak."
"...He was alright, I suppose," the girl with long black hair commented. "I have to admit, he has great potential to become a strong individual, but for now, he's too weak to be considered a User."
"Hehehehe~" Kai chuckled mischievously, a big grin spreading across his face. "But what if I told you that this is his very first encounter with the world of the supernatural?"
Needless to say, the three of them were stunned after hearing what came out of Kai's mouth.
Issei and Murayama walked together in silence, with Issei draping his track-shirt over his right shoulder. Murayama's face still had a blush, while Issei was lost in thought.
'Hey, Muramasa.'
[...What is it, Master?]
'You said I'll face more situations like the one with that guy, right?'
[Yeah, what about it?]
'Will Murayama get dragged into these kinds of things again?'
[Worrying about her again? I don't understand why you care so much about her, but to answer your question, yes. She's already involved in the supernatural world, whether you like it or not. Even if someone were to brainwash her and make her forget about that man, she would still be a target.]
'...'
"Hey, Hyoudou." Issei snapped back from his conversation with Muramasa and looked at Murayama.
"What is it, Murayama?" Issei raised an eyebrow.
"Although I still have a question about what just happened," Murayama walked forward and turned her body to face Issei. "I want to thank you for saving me." She said with a big warm smile on her face.
"Is that so?" Issei asked nonchalantly. "Does it really matter?"
Murayama pouted cutely before glaring at Issei. "Mou~ I was trying so hard to say that."
"Hahahaha, sorry about that."
"Hmph."
Unknown to both of them, there was a pink-haired girl who witnessed Issei and Murayama together, looking like a couple. She was stunned, and her jaw dropped, causing her to accidentally drop her ice cream.
"Onee-chan, are you okay? You just dropped your ice cream. Onee-chan?" her little brother asked, tugging at her pants.
'Kaori and that pervert!? How come!? Did that beast drug her!?'
It was none other than Katase Yui, Murayama's best friend, and a fellow Kendo club member. She despised the perverted trio, especially Issei, for seemingly making Murayama fall in love with him for no reason.
This was impossible. Sure, Katase knew about Murayama's ridiculous romantic affection for Issei, but there was no way they would walk together and talk like friends. It just didn't make sense to her.
It will ruin Murayama's popularity among the girls!
"That was strange. I thought I felt something off about this place," a red-haired girl muttered as she walked around the park where Issei and Murayama had just been. "Was it only my imagination? Urgh! Sensing magic is such a bother! I should have brought Koneko with me."
This was Rias Gremory, the youngest child of Zeoticus and Venelana Gremory and the current heir of the Gremory family. Despite being in her first year of high school, her bosom was quite impressive, even bigger than those of third-year students.
"Hmm? What is this?" Rias noticed a single black feather on the ground. She picked it up and examined it. "This isn't a normal crow feather; it's longer than an eagle's... Could it belong to a Fallen Angel?"
Had a Fallen Angel entered her new territory without her knowledge?
The question was, did Sona know about it and choose not to inform her?
'No, Sona wouldn't be that idiotic to let a Fallen Angel enter Kuoh. So it's an intruder?' Rias thought to herself. She placed the feather in her pocket and then glared at the abandoned church a few kilometers away from her.
"Maybe I'll have Yuuto and Koneko to check it out."
Well, I know not many people are fans of OCs, but here how they looked like.
Muramasa - Ryougi Shiki (Kara no Kyoukai)
Kadoya Kai - Tsuchimikado Arima (Sousei no Onmyouji)
Ryuu Sanada - Toshizo Hijikata (Hakuouki)
Kamisato Homura - Yuugaoze Miyabi (Maou Gakuen Rebel)
Kanzaki Touka - Kuroyukihime (Accel World)
See you guys next time! Bye!