Didn't think I'd pop a chapter out so soon, oh well. Also. The reader traffic is relatively high. Follow/favorite the story if it interests you. The stats encourage me to write more than my own lazy ass wants to (but I much prefer reviews that tell me how to improve or give their opinion).

Well, I slept, and I mean that in the loosest way possible since I seem incapable of genuine rest. All through the morning and well into the afternoon just as I had told Issei I would. It was rather productive, the time allowing me the peace to hash out future plans and the approaching events. I rose into an upward seated position on the futon and crossed my arms as I briefly revised the aforementioned plans.

'Issei wore the Kuoh uniform, meaning that he's either already met with Gremory's peerage and joined them…' I hummed, cupping my chin as I considered the converse, 'it's too soon to tell. I'll have to take the wait-and-see approach to this. Issei could've just had his first day today for all I know.' I lamented that particular train of thought. Things were not going to be eternally easy; if anything, my experience in this world might inevitably turn out for the worse. Especially if much of my effort goes more into protecting and watching over Issei, should I become attached to the boy, that is.

'Might as well gather a bit of information. If I recall, Issei's mom is a housewife so she should be around.' I nod to myself, rising from the futon to exit Issei's bedroom and eventually descend the stairs.

Within the kitchen preparing another meal was Miki, Issei's mother. Blinking, I briefly consider that Miki Hyoudou is an attractive woman for someone her age before shaking off the intruding notion. Question in mind, I approach from behind and inhale—not that I needed to anymore, I suppose—only for Miki to somehow startle at the sudden sound of my breath.

"OH, DEAR GOD, WHO—" Miki whirled around, cast iron skillet in her hand before she realized who I was, "Child! My soul almost left me!" Miki held her free hand to her chest in a vain attempt to calm her heart.

I blinked owlishly, my right hand clenched taut to keep myself from acting out in self-defense as I slowly, gradually, carefully released the breath I held when I witnessed Miki raising the skillet.

'Holy shit, I nearly killed the protagonist's mom. Not a good way to start my introduction to any of this world's future superpowers. ' My line of thinking denoted how relieved I was to not have committed a crime not even one week into existing in this reality.

"Uh, sorry?" I apologize uncertainly, unsure of who it was that genuinely needed to ask for any modicum of forgiveness. My left hand rose to the back of my scalp and I lightly scratched it, "So what school does Issei go to, anyhow? I saw him wear a red and black uniform but I didn't quite recognize it." Best move on and act as if nothing happened, no sirree. No sudden scares here.

[So benevolent of you to pretend a little scare didn't occur.]

'Shut up, you!' I snap back at the system's taunting.

Miki took what reprieve she could, sighed, and pretended she hadn't just nearly whacked me in the face.

"My son is currently a third year in Kuoh academy," Miki turned around to lay skillet back onto the stovetop, her voice soft and motherly, "he worked hard to get into that academy, studying hard and earning good grades… even if his reasons for doing so weren't necessarily for a great career one day," then Miki's voice took an agitated tone, "instead he did it for boobs of all reasons! Because he has this ridiculous dream to be, of all things, a harem king!" The mother of Issei sighed, yet she had not done so with anger or irritation, the sigh was more of fond exasperation rather than any true annoyance.

I hummed aloud and sat at the dining table. Everything Miki spoke was par for the course as far as I knew.

"Issei didn't come off as some unrepentant pervert last night before we went to sleep. If anything, he even yelled the most ridiculous promise I ever heard. You know what he said to me? To some kid that came from the streets that he never known until then?" I put some emotion into my voice, an attempt at selling the image of the child I knew I wasn't.

"He said to me that he was going to be 'the greatest older brother in history.'" I iterated to Miki, word-for-word, Issei's promise, manipulating my body in the meantime to produce tears as Miki turned her back to the meal she was in the midst of preparing. Soon enough did Miki dim the heat of her stove and turned towards me.

Miki took one good look at me at and approached, arms wide to take me into an embrace.

Enough time passes that Gorou, Miki's husband arrives. The three of us spend time together, most of that time spent with the married couple questioning me on my past; that was a conversation that resulted in more Kakashi Hatake bullshit levels. My BS levels were over NINE-THOUSAND!

[Cool it with the references or I'll appeal to have the memory of your past life eradicated.]

'I only used two! Two references! Up your mom's,' I snapped in retaliation, my voice projected inward, 'what do you gain from provoking me anyhow?!'

[Your current inaction is incredibly and increasingly becoming worthy of being watched by a failed lobotomy patient with a penchant for scratching their dirty ass-crack.]

Eventually the time comes for Issei to leave the academy and so I leave the Hyoudou household to intercept him on his way home.

'Fine. You want action? I'll give you action, just be patient. Damn system.' I griped, hands in my pockets—I technically don't have pockets anymore. Same for clothes.

'Wait, I'm basically naked all the time now! Does this make me an exhibitionist since my clothes are also a part of me?' I blinked and blinked as I pondered the conundrum. Shit.

[Get going if you want to see your big brother when he gets out to the entrance. Pfft. I'm sure your new big brother wants to see his new little brother.]

The system's teasing irritates me enough that I don't notice my body reacting negatively; that is to say that tendrils unfurl from my torso and writhe violently. Despite my perfect control, or perhaps because of my perfect control, I subconsciously displayed my unnatural biology in a public area of all places. Full of civilians of all things.

"Awww shit." I turned my head skywards. The following moment was going to suuuuck so fucking muuuuuch.

In my desperation to amend my slip-up I hardened and shaped my exterior into an armor similar to Mercer's from the games; a last ditch effort to conceal my face and body. I lunge at the nearest person as my hands and fingers deform and reshape. My right arm became the far-reaching whip-fist with a modification; along the lateral and medial sides of my arm are multitudes of segmented blades no larger or longer than an index finger—my left arm reformed into one singular blade as long as I was tall, its edge wickedly serrated and meant to rend flesh in the most harrowing ways.

My blade arm was thrust through the sternum of my new victim, feeder tendrils immediately ripping apart and absorbing the newly made corpse. I snapped my whip-fist out and arched it horizontally, dragging the massively elongated limb through the air and bisecting scores of men and women alike. My panic was evident, my frantic breathing—something I was sure I did not have to do anymore—and my pulse—which I don't quite know how I heard if my body is all viral matter—hammered in my ears.

Screams, cries, yells, yelps, and all manners of synonymous words perfectly described the cacophony of voices that began to flee. Voices that I could not allow to roam or get away. They had seen my face when my body reacted to my irritation, when I absorbed my first witness, they will witness more until they are all no longer perceived threats.

Every person ripped in twain at the midsection had feeder tendrils latched onto them, hauling them along the swinging whip-fist as it tore apart and simultaneously consumed even further numbers of the present civilians. Whilst my whip-fist repeatedly lashed out to reduce the human presence in my vicinity, I leapt at another person, my blade penetrating their cranium as I directed more feeder appendages to break down and absorb them.

Two men seemed to have found their courage for I more felt than observed two briefcases pummel the rear of my head and upper back. The two men paid for their deeds as feeder growths lashed out from my shoulders and pierced each unseen victim in the throat before rapidly consuming both.

The ensuing carnage ended with twenty-seven dead and consumed on the streets. The nearby homes and buildings coincidentally had no one present for some odd reason, something I was grateful for.

Once I was absolutely sure I was alone, my armor was dismissed, my body taking its original shape; that of a sun-kissed, black-haired, orange-eyed thirteen-year-old boy. I was absolutely thorough in my clean-up, making use of thermal vision to identify and assimilate any visible traces of blood in the vicinity. Once I had completed my task I turned away to return to the Hyoudou residence. My little trip to Kuoh Academy was going to have to wait for tomorrow. Right now I wanted nothing more than to shunt the mammoth influx of memories into the darkest corner of my mind. The last thing I wanted to face was my bottled up remorse and the consequences of my carelessness.

[Use the book.]

I blinked, blatantly frowning as I curled up in the futon in Issei's room. Night had fallen and Issei was snoring carelessly upon his bed.

[Use the book. Write in it. It will quite literally give you anything you could ever want. In this case I would assume that peace of mind or the capability of handling your traumas be what you write about.]

'What? Why would I do that if I can just give myself more power?' I returned with lilt to my thoughts. I shuffled around until I laid on my belly, the book suddenly wrought into existence before my eyes as a black pen appeared in my right hand. It had been quite some time since I utilized the book. I was due for another boost to my capabilities.

[Because as it is, your spiritual fortitude will barely ever rise if you constantly turn away from the consequences of your actions. Need I remind you what will happen if you take too much power that your spiritual fortitude cannot handle?]

'You're quite invested in my well-being for a system that's been more of a pain in my ass than anything else.' I rebuked sourly, my eyes gazing at the first page of the book. I had not written enough within the book to fill even half a page.

[I believe I've told you my purpose is to—]

'Yeah. To quantify my capabilities and guide me and blah, blah, blah so that something or other,' I interrupt the system with more than a tad bit of venom in my mental tone, 'you haven't done much guiding or whatever else your purpose was. Instead you've caused me nothing but grief and pain as of late.'

[You have not listened to me when I told you my purpose. I will guide you should you need it of me. Thus far you have not requested much—if any iota—guidance from me. Your failings are not my own. You have attempted to go at your new existence alone without much input from me.]

I had no rebuke for the system's reply. The system made its points but I still viewed it as a flawed entity that had failed its task in aiding me in any meaningful way other than giving me numbers.

'Fine. Then from now on I want your input on any matters that seem like you could offer even the smallest bit of advice, clarity, guidance, whatever! I don't care! Actually guide me. From the stupidly simple to the most complex things—I want you to actually talk and guide me without any actual prompting from me.' I projected to the system, partially having acquiesced to the notion the system made within the very same minute, yet I had to make known what I expected from it from this moment on.

[In that case, I suggest not using that space in the book for another ability or improvement to an ability, and instead utilize it for some form of peace of mind surrounding your inability to face the memories of your victims.]

I had the overwhelming urge to be petty, to do the opposite of what was advised. The urge was overcome, and rather than give myself another form of power I laid the ballpoint of the pen upon the book's pages and wrote within the given space.

'I'm able to face, overcome, and move past all the trauma I've accrued; whether by consuming someone and sifting through their mind… or by personal experience.' I had written word-for-word those same thoughts, the following moments replete with numerous bouts of introspection, memory diving, then thankfully, my spirit and mind being given the peace I longed for but had refused to give myself. During my introspection I had discovered that four of the twenty-seven that I had butchered were fallen angels in disguise. The rest were human.

[Your stats have all increased. Your physical fortitude increased by the least amount while your mental and spiritual fortitude skyrocketed. Would you like to know them?]

"Might as well, I suppose." I murmur, turning over to lay upon my back as the book vanished.

[Your stats are as follows:]

[Physical fortitude: 5,226]

[Mental Fortitude: 10,905]

[Spiritual Fortitude: 12,925]

I blink. Once, twice, thrice. Then I repeat the question, only for the system to give me the exact same answer.

'Holy shit. Ho-ly shit.' I was in utter awe. Those numbers had to be incorrect. From twenty-three humans, four fallen angels, and Viser—there was no possible way that it all added up to that much mental and spiritual fortitude.

'How?!' I wracked my mind, attempting to compute and divide the numbers of both. It didn't make sense, especially since I had no idea how the system calculated the numbers.

'I doubt you'll tell me how it is you get these numbers?' I inquire, the system quick to respond.

[Indeed. But know that as you are, the two peerages in Kuoh do not surpass you in any of the categories. The only ones present that do surpass you are Kokabiel and one other. Kokabiel's physical, spiritual, and mental fortitude surpass yours by quite a fair amount. In addition to that, I thought it would be prudent to inform you that your defense against attacks and debuffs of a magical nature is calculated with a formula involving all three of your stats.]

'So, as I am, can I take on Kokabiel when he appears?' I prod, curious on as to what the verdict was.

[Should you not gather more strength as it, then if you work hard enough for it when you inevitably encounter him, you might achieve victory.]

I nodded, then closed my eyes to peer into the memories of the fallen angels I had absorbed so that I might learn how to tap into their light magic.

The next morning came and I pondered what next to do as I stood from my futon. There was an astoundingly tantalizing aroma coming from the kitchen that beckoned my down to the source.

I descended the stairs and there setting down breakfast was Miki. The food smelled pleasant and attracted my gaze once I entered the kitchen. Plates with buttered toast, eggs over easy, and glistening bacon with a soft, maple aroma decorated the dining table.

'Oh, God. I'm in heaven.' I gulp loudly before plopping into one of the available seats, prepared to become involved in the affairs of wolfing down this breakfast of the gods.

'Wait. Become involved? Involved… hm. Oh, shit, I'm incredibly stupid, aren't I?' I lean forwards and casually whack my head into the table. I'm dumbass certified for not having considered this sooner.

[This is a favorable course of action. It is something that extradimensional forces and I find better than your current course of laying low.]

'I'm sorry. System say what now?' I blinked once as I heavily mulled over what the system had just spoken.

[Exactly what I said. I'm not repeating it.]

"Hey, uh…" I began, attempting to figure out what to address Miki, "Mrs. Hyoudou, do you think you can enroll me in the same school Issei goes to?" I inquired curiously, acutely observing the older woman for her reaction.

That same afternoon I find myself at the academy in someone's office, 'Maybe the principal's?' I wasn't quite sure due to having grown bored after taking a series of tests to ascertain my academic levels. I had become so inattentive that I failed to notice Miki and whom I thought to be the principal attempt to catch my attention.

"Solaire? Solaire, dear." Miki called a second time before she shook my shoulder and I, in turn, shook my head to snap back to reality.

"Uh, what'd I miss? I zoned out and I swear I saw a fly land on the desk a couple of times." I remarked as seriously as possible, my eyes meeting the principal's—or administrator—at least I think he is. Unless both are the same? Meh.

The principal—administrator?—appears familiar, yet I'm not quite able to recognize him. Granted, he's got long red hair and teal eyes. That's where the familiarity ends. This is probably due to not having watched the anime itself very often.

The principal nodded, the corners of his lips curling upwards as he briefly applauded. "I was telling your guardian that you quite literally aced all of our placement exams. Your education surpasses that of all the high school and most college students enrolled in this fine academy. The way I see it, you're capable of entering our college division if you so pleased." He spoke jovially, pleased even.

I sucked in my lips and shook my head in the negative.

"Nuh-uh. No thanks. I'd like to attend the same year my brother, Issei, attends. That is if isn't too much trouble, sir." I respond evenly, my gaze locked onto the principal's own.

The red-headed man nodded as he crossed his arms and leant against the backrest of his seat.

"Alright, then let's get the paperwork settled right now and you can begin attending classes first thing tomorrow." The giddy tone in the principal was throwing me off and I did not appreciate it. I felt as if something was off.