REVIEWS:
PraetorXyn: Thanks, buddy, and stay tuned for Ingvild's time to shine!
SpartanKing J: Such reviews are what keep me going, buddy. Also, whilst Raynare is still...Raynare, I am slowly redeeming her in some ways. Additionally, in regards to Kiba and Akeno and why they are not practicing with water - there is NO Hell Water. Hell Fire exists, yes, but other Hell-based elements do not really do. There is Hell Wind and Hell Ice, but other than those, no Hell Water, and even then, there is no magic that controls those elements. Normal water also doesn't do that much against Hell Fire, being more or less effective only as a defense. I did give Kiba a new sword concept, but until I come up with something new for him, the waiting game is on.
Xerzo LotCN: My friend...Long reviews are nice, but yours are still a bit hard to understand. Lemme see: He couldn't take the lore stuff because they were murals painted on walls, and him leaving the place and not checking more was not as bad as the stuff that happened with Errgo. Mainly because there is no additional bad guy coming from that dungeon. Also, Yasaka already has paintings with her mother. Next, Solomon was not on crack, it is just that, during his times, there was no such thing as hot sauce. Keep in mind, he still adapting to modern times.
Reviewer: Thank you! I even had some people asking me for advice for starting their own, so if anything, that confirmed I am top-notch! *insert sunglasses*
nanox876: I am already writing RWBY fics as well, using Jaune Arc as MC. Do make sure to check those out as well!
Striking Thanatos: Again, the kind of reviews that keep me going. Thanks, man, and holy shit, did you really read 29 chapters of around 20 pages each in one go?! You are a mad man! XD
ZafkieL FN: RIP indeed.
Gilgamesh50: An Issei was young, and kind. Solomon could tell a lie from the truth, so he knew Kuroka was no liar. Also, I am pretty sure I stated that Youkai have much finer senses than your other beings, and Issei's skill was not working against them.
Khavros: Truth be told, I am anything but a master of economics XD. So yeah, I am not familiar with how much the Yen is worth and so on.
Discord Link: /sts9DRyW4
Note: Due to Discord changing some stuff, invites from now on will only be good for 30 days! Keep that in mind! If the invite no longer works, then contact me directly to join the server. Void Devil#7199 is my name and tag. I will reply and invite as soon as I can.
Walking through the woods in search of Raynare, Issei remained vigilant of any potential dangers. If Ddraig was right, then those Tengu might just attack them, and if so, he had to be ready to strike back. But once again, like before, something was off. If he was walking into enemy territory, he expected his skills to warn him of any danger like they had been doing so far. Yet, everything was silent.
The only way he knew he was on the right patch was because he saw signs of their activity on the trees and their branches. "It is eerily quiet," Solomon remarked.
"Indeed. The Tengu must be still a distance away."
"How do we know when-" Suddenly, Issei looked up, hearing the sound of leaves being ruffled. And right there, he saw them.
"Good day to you, Red Dragon of this generation." Being dressed in fancy robes and wearing a long necklace made of beads, with feet like the claws of an eagle, and the hard to mistake red face, with a long nose on it. Its black eyes fixed themselves on Issei, his thick eyebrows and frow making it clear he was not pleased with his presence, despite the nice greeting. "I know what you seek. The Fallen is within our custody."
"Then you know I want her back," Issei stated, looking right at the Tengu. "What do you want? Why'd you take her?"
"The reason is simple: She violated our agreement with the Gremory." The Youkai explained. "Your group and that family, are meant to remain within the borders of their property, not causing damage to the forest outside of it. She, however, was caught damaging the trees, which angered the small, weaker youkai living in them."
"I see. However, I can assure you, that was not her intention. From what I know, she wished only to train to better herself, meaning she didn't want to cause damage to anger the youkai. Additionally, she had no idea of this agreement, as neither did I until now." Issei explained, making use of his WIS to talk with the Youkao. However, the being shook their head.
"Ignorance is not enough to earn our forgiveness. On top of her transgression, we Tengu do not see kindly to beings outside of the Shinto lands. You, Red Dragon, despite bearing power outside of those lands, are of this land. As such, we Tengu agreed to extend you an offer." The Tengu descended to the ground, unfolding his wings and leaping off the branch, landing before Issei. "We will return her to you in exchange for the Nekoshou Youkai under your service."
"Kuroka? Are you kidding me?" Issei reacted with hostility as he heard their deal. "I am not going to give up one of my own just to save another - that would accomplish nothing! I give up on no one! Why would you wish for her anyway?"
"It doesn't concern you, Red Dragon, and if you do not agree with our proposal, then you leave us no choice!" Issei's [Danger Sense] blared like an airhorn as they came out of their hiding places within the trees. Tengu's, a handful of them, jumped out and began to pull their bows, aiming at him.
"Balance Breaker!" Issei shouted, and his gear obeyed, deploying his armor and unfolding his wings. However, the Tengu that was next to him thrust its hand forth, delivering a powerful shockwave to Issei that saw him flying through the forest, coming to a stop only as he hit a tree. "Fuck! What was that?!"
"Wind magic!" Solomon stated. "I recognize the signature!"
"Tengu are especially skilled in that element, so be careful!"
Looking ahead, and even above, the tengu gathered, aiming their bows at Issei and attempting to fire, but Issei was quicker this time, generating a magical circle and launching forth [Water Jet] to take them out, remembering one crucial detail, that being the fact he was inside a forest. And those guys do not take kindly to damaging the said forest.
He then got up, swiftly, and charged at them, going straight to the one that hit him with the shockwave and attempting to land a solid [Power Punch] to their body, only for the Tengu to take flight, boosted by a strong wind current that saw him lifted high above. Seeing this, Issei launched several volleys of his [Wyvern Shot], with only two of them hitting home on the tengu's shoulder and hip, making them groan in pain as their ascent turned to descent, but luckily for them, one of their allies caught them.
They began to retreat, shooting arrows at Issei as they went, which he allowed his armor to block for the most part. Those were weak projectiles, all things considered, but something was not right. He followed them, of course, up the mountain, navigating the tricky woods. He eventually went up, going above the canopy, but that was when he saw them. "Oh, shit…" Tengu, tens of them!
"Fire!" The one he hit before shouted, and the tengu let loose a large volley of arrows boosted with wind magic and sharp blades of wind, which he did his best to dodge, but the wind was a fast element. Faster than him, one of those blades managed to slash at his wing. Almost instantly, his flight was affected, and he began to fly slower, allowing for more attacks to land. His arm, shoulder, thigh - his scale mail was tanking most damage, and nothing for through, but some arrows lodged themselves into his armor.
And some arrows…Came with a nasty surprise.
"Issei, watch out! Those arrows are-!"
"GAH!" Issei shouted in pain as the multiple arrows embedded into his scale mail seemingly exploded in his armor, and whilst it only had the shock and power of one and no flame, it hurt greatly. He heard ringing in his ears, and patches of his body were exposed through holes in his Balance Breaker. Those tengu…were serious business.
However, he was not about to easily give up. "[Air Bullet]!" Putting himself upright and aiming at the Tengu, Issei began to spam his skill, launching as many projectiles at them as he could muster. The tengu, taken by surprise by this kind of attack, dispersed their formation and went in all directions, drawing their bows and arrows, but Issei went under the canopy.
"Tch. He is a smart one." The leader said, watching the battle. "Go search for him! The Red Dragon is not to leave-" The leader gasped as he felt a presence behind him, turning around sharply and drawing a blade as Issei did the same, their swords clashing. However, the tengu was swiftly pushed back, unable to hold his ground in the air. "So fast. I couldn't even sense you until the last moment."
"It was not speed, but one of my abilities that allowed me to attack so swiftly," Issei said, his scale mail fixed thanks to Ddraig's aid.
"And those bullets…You wield he same power as us Youkai!" The tengu noticed, raising his katana at Issei. "How are you able to do so without any Youkai blood in your veins, Red Dragon?"
"That is my secret to tell if I so wish," Issei replied, raising his sword as a blueish glow enveloped it. "Now, call off your men."
"Hmm? Are you trying to threaten me whilst not having the upper hand?"
"No, I am merely telling you what to do to keep casualties to a low." Issei raised his head, then he swung his blade, sending forth a wave of blue light that saw many enemies slain already. The tengu widened his eyes, dodging the strike, but two of his comrades were not so lucky, as the strike saw them cut down and falling from the heavens to the ground below.
"That-" The leader turned to Issei, seeing him pointing his sword at him. He narrowed his gaze at the boy, then held a fist up, signaling his troops to stop. "Everyone! Lower your bows. Too much blood would be shed if we decide to war this dragon." Hearing the order, the tengu obeyed, and Issei let his sword down and back into his inventory as a result as well.
"I guess negotiations are open again, correct?" Issei asked, to which the tengu did not reply verbally, but rather, kept their sword up. "You still wish to fight?"
"Two of us already fell. I will fight you by myself."
"Wait!" A feminine voice was heard below them, and both of them looked to see another person there, Issei was immediately focused on her features, having the ears and tail of a fox, red in color. "Stop this at once, in the name of Yasaka!"
"Tch. Looks like the representative is here." The tengu lowered and sheathed back his sword.
"Who is she?" Issei asked, but the tengu did not reply.
"Come down!" She demanded, and the tengus and Issei listened, descending down to the ground before her, at which point, she turned to the tengu leader. "Mososhi, I believe I was clear when I said you are to NOT attack anyone from within the Gremory mansion, including the group led by the Red Dragon!"
"The Fallen among them broke the terms of the agreement." The tengu leader, named Mososhi, replied. "We had every right to take her hostage."
"But did you have the right to ask for another of my own for her?" Issei replied, which caught the Kitsune's attention.
"Mososhi, care to explain what the Red Dragon means?"
"Among his ranks, there is the Nekoshou, Kuroka Toujou, daughter of Fujimai," Mososhi said, which was not lost to Issei, who turned to him sharply.
"You know their mother?"
"Knew." Mososhi corrected. "The younger one is still half-devil, but I can sense that the older one was purified, and as such, I attempted to get her back among her kin. Back among Youkai."
"Mososhi, your intentions might have been well-placed, but the way you went about it was not." The Kitsune said. "Remember, that when I speak, I do so with Yasaka's authority. You will release the Fallen you have captured back into the care of the Red Dragon, at once!"
"He killed two of ours!" Mososhi quickly added, which the Kitsune seemed to take seriously. "There is a debt of blood to be paid now."
"Only in self-defense, as you and your group attacked me first!" Issei defended, then turned to the Kitsune. "Tell me, was I in the wrong?"
"N-no, you were not, Red Dragon." The Kitsune replied. "You acted in self-defense, but even so, Mososhi is right that there is now a blood debt to be paid in one way or another. Usually, you'd be required to offer two other lives in exchange for the ones you took, but such practices are things we are slowly trying to take distance from." Mososhi let out a low growl at the mention of that. "As such, while you still need to pay for the damage you have caused, the payment can be anything of value."
"Anything of value, you say…" Issei pondered on the issue for a bit, then, eventually, he reached into his inventory, his arm vanishing in the air, which got their attention, but then he pulled something out. A basic HP potion. "This potion can cure one's wounds when drank. This is the basic version of it, and so, in exchange for Raynare and paying my debt, I am willing to offer the tengu any amount they desire in exchange."
"T-that's…Quite something, Red Dragon. Potions that are able to cure and heal are rare indeed, especially in these lands where arts like alchemy are not well-developed. Mososhi?"
"100 bottles." The tengu said, naming his price. "If you can provide us with that much by sundown, we will forget of this incident and allow you to leave with your Fallen whore."
Placing the one in his hand back into his inventory, Issei nodded his head. "Very well. I will have them done as soon as I can." Issei then went away, going deeper into the woods.
"Looks like we know where most of our budget is going toward." Solomon remarked, and sure enough, once Issei was out of range from the sight of the tengu, he brought out his shop. He spend over 5000 Y on the bottles, but once he had them all, he went back to the tengu. They were surprised to see him having prepared the bottles so quickly, but then he began to unload them.
"You may count them," Issei told them, and sure enough, the tengu flocked ot them, counting the number of bottles currently on the ground.
"They are all here, Mososhi." One of the tengus said. "100 bottles of this potion. The Red Dragon held his word."
"Now it is our turn." The Kitsune said, and sure enough, Mososhi frowned and signaled for Raynare to be brought out, which she was, held by two tengus as she struggled against their hold.
"Let me go you feather for brain - I-Ise?!" Raynare gasped seeing him, surprised even, judging from her look. "What are YOU doing here?!"
"Saving you." Issei said as Raynare was thrown toward him, the moment in which he caught her. "You caused me quite a bit of trouble. Whilst I may not care much for this, seeing how we were not aware of the tengus, I think you know who will."
"That slut of a cat…" Raynare said bitterly. "Fine. Take me back. At least there I will have more comfort than sleeping on the ground."
"I hope we won't have any future problems coming up from now on." Issei added, to which the representative replied.
"Believing you are now aware that you must remain within the set borders of the Gremory property, no, we shouldn't have any future issues. But, in case an issue arises again, we may need to elevate the situation with the Gremory."
"Hopefully, such things can be avoided." Issei stated, then he turned to Raynare. "Let's go."
And so, the two of them left, leaving the tengu and kitsune behind.
"I cannot believe you let them leave, just like that!" Mososhi said, voicing his immense displeasure at last. He was angry, and if not for his already red face, he'd be showing a few shades. "To Yomi with the potions, Fujimai's daughter is my only concern now! I will convince her myself if need be!"
"You will do no such thing, Mososhi." The kitsune said, sternly looking at him. "Need I remind you that the times are changing? We need to show more tolerance to outsiders."
"Easy for you to say." The tengu growled, then spread his wings and flew away.
"Why did you save me?" Raynare asked as the two of them were walking back to the mansion. "It would have been easier to let me get killed by the tengu and be rid of me once and for all."
"That is not how I do things, Raynare. I thought you'd have learned that by now." Issei replied, but evidently, that answer was not what Raynare wanted to hear.
"Bullshit!" She snapped, but then the seal on her began to act up, making her flinch as a warning to reduce the aggressivity in her voice toward Issei. "Grr. Face it: No one likes me. The cat, Leviathan, the devils - to them, I am nothing but YOUR captive! Fuck! I do not even know why you keep me around anymore, given how everything I knew about my former cohorts is worth its weight in shit."
Issei remained silent for a bit, then he sighed. "I guess I cannot argue with you there. Except, there is one exception." Raynare spat hearing him.
"The former nun." She stated. "She has been acting different from the others, I admit, and I guess I have been mellowing out around her, but that doesn't mean shit!"
"It means more than enough for her!" Issei argued, turning to her sharply. "Look, Raynare, like it or not, this is your situation right now. I am not asking you to like any of us - I never did! But Asia? She has a big heart and is willing to forgive and forget what you almost did to her. So please, if not for me, then at least try to better yourself for her, ok?"
Raynare remained silent for a bit, her teeth gritting themselves and her fist tightly clenched. But then, she just…let go. "Fine."
+5 RP with Raynare! Pigs are flying!
"Good. Now, let us continue onward to the mansion. It is almost evening, and I think every one is getting pretty worried about our whereabouts." Issei said, and sure enough, the rest of the road toward the mansion was pretty quiet all things considered. Not even a smart argument from Raynare, or anything of the like. It made the atmosphere awkward, but considering he just earned RP with her, putting him at -15, which WAS a step forward, he was willing to write this off as a good win.
The sun was slowly setting by the time they arrived, coloring the sky in a gentle orange hue. "Issei!" And sure enough, it was Asia who ran up to them first. "You're back! I was worried you encountered whoever captured Raynare and you were hurt fighting them!"
"Not far from the truth," Issei admitted. "It was the tengu."
"The tengu?!" Kuroka gasped as she approached them along with the others. "There is tengu living in those mountains?!"
"You didn't know?" Issei asked his Youkai lover, but she shook her head.
"I didn't even sense them!" She added.
"Makes sense," Koneko added. "Tengu are noble youkai, masters in the use of Senjutsu and Youjutsu. The fact we couldn't sense them is not unusual, but I thought Rias informed you of them already."
"Looks like someone forgot to mention it." Issei said, a small edge to his voice as he eyed Rias, making her flinch back. "Why were we not informed of the tengu?"
"My family and the tengu clan led by Mososhi have an agreement regarding this property, where we are allowed to live here as long as we do not disturb the surrounding forest outside the borders of the property," Rias explained. "I didn't believe it was an issue, seeing as no one here ever strayed past the borders."
"Still, the information would have been good to have." Ingvild added, then Issei continued.
"Very good to have. They have taken Raynare, and this entire incident caused quite a bit of trouble. I was attacked and forced to defend until a representative of Yasaka herself was able to intervene and negotiate for Raynare's release." Issei stated, which seemed to worry Rias.
"You didn't…kill any of them, did you?"
"What do you think? I had to defend myself, so I cut two of them down with my sword." Issei admitted, making Rias take a more bitter expression.
"The tengu usually ask for blood debts in such situations." Akeno remarked. "What did they ask for? What did you give them?"
"A special potion I use in combat, multiple bottles of it." Issei admitted, making sure to refrain from giving full details. "Still, the loss of so many bottles was relatively expensive on my part, and while I do not ask for a refund, I do require that you apologize for this, Rias. Your lack of foresight caused this incident by not informing us of the presence of the tengu."
-1 RP with Rias Gremory.
"Very well. I apologize. I admit this was a mistake on my part, as I didn't think they would cause any trouble, or at least come to me first if anything were to happen."
"Tengu are known for not being friendly with beings outside of Japan." Kuroka stated. "We should feel lucky Raynare here was not seriously harmed, nya!"
"She only has a few scratches and bruises." Asia stated, already healing the fallen with her sacred gear. "Nothing serious."
"Damn birds…" Raynare said slowly, but then Kiba spoke.
"What were you doing, Raynare?" He asked, quite sternly so. "The tengu wouldn't have attacked unless provoked."
"Tch. What do you think? I was training!" She admitted, which caught the attention of everyone present, except those already aware of her routine. "With the spare time I did get, I started to go out in the forest around 3 days ago to train and better myself."
"But for what purpose? You are already under the protection of the Red Dragon Emperor." Rias stated, but the fallen seemed more displeased with that than pleased. "I see…"
"Regardless, this entire ordeal has been exhausting," Issei stated. "I will retreat and rest for the remainder of the day. Everyone else is free to do what they wish, but I wish to be left alone for a bit to ponder over everything. The fact you hid something from us, even if not by intention, is not looking good to me, Rias."
The Gremory heiress tensed hearing his words, but as Issei walked away, leaving her there with everyone, Rias made a sharp turn to Raynare. "So, you are training to maybe attempt to escape one day from his grasp." She stated, facing the fallen.
However, Raynare simply scoffed. "As if." She tried to reach for her chest, to show them the seal, but Kuroka was quick to interject.
"Raynare, no." She said, getting her attention. "Remember, Issei wants to keep some of his secrets like that: Secrets. You cannot tell them how he is keeping you around, nya."
Raynare scoffed further. "Fine. But know this, Gremory: I am not hanging around of my own free will. That dragon…" She shuddered as she recalled hearing Solomon. "Is hiding quite a bit. You may think simply having him on your side is lucky, but trust me, you have no idea how lucky you were. I honestly expect the building to collapse on you, just so fate can even the scales."
"I will keep that in mind, Raynare," Rias stated, then everyone went their way to enjoy the rest of the day.
"Today could have been better," Akeno stated as she and Rias were in the bathroom, aiding one another in washing. The bathroom in Rias' room had a tub large enough to fit 5 people, so it was no issue if she chose to bathe with her Queen.
"Indeed," Rias replied as she was finishing her shower before going to soak in the bath. "I am afraid we damaged our relationship with Issei, causing a small rift. Luckily for us, if the others are to be believed, he is not the kind of man to hold a grudge over something that has been resolved."
"Still, why didn't you inform them of the tengu?" Akeno asked, and soon after seeing Rias flinch a bit from her words, she pieced it together. "That message…You are convinced that he might have attacked them?"
"Judging from his growth, I came to a conclusion that the word 'Game' refers to a hunting kind." Rias replied. "He is likely able to absorb the power of enemies he kills. This, of course, counts for certain abilities as well. I was worried he might try and eradicate the tengu clan to further increase his power, which in turn would attract Yasaka's scorn."
"I see. True, that does seem to fit when it comes to explaining his absurd growth-rate, and addition of abilities." Akeno stated, stretching in the tub. "A dangerous ability, not to mention he is the Red Dragon Emperor."
"Question is, how did he come upon such an ability?" Rias asked, turning to Akeno as she slowly approached the bathtub. "Surely, it is not a bloodline ability."
"I doubt we can either confirm or deny that, Rias. Our prior investigation into him, back when we didn't know of his identity, did allow us to match some other events. We know his parents are no more, killed in a fire."
"Hence, the scar on his forearm," Rias added, knowing full well the story, minus Issei's point of view on the matter. "The police ruled it out as an unfortunate incident, if I recall, although the source of the fire could not be located."
"Because it was no incident." The two women turned their heads to the door, seeing none other than Kuroka, who was naked as well, walking inside the bathroom. "Forgive me, but I couldn't help but eavesdrop on your conversation."
"What do you mean it wasn't an incident? It definitely was." Rias pointed out, but that was when Kuroka sat down to do her routine before anything else.
"I meant an accident." Kuroka corrected herself. "I cannot tell you much, but Issei knows someone lit his home on fire."
"What?!" Rias gasped as she and Akeno rose from the tub. "You mean to tell us he KNOWS someone planted the fire, killing his parents? What did he do about it?"
"What he didn't do? Everything so far was a result of our only lead." Kuroka explained further, rubbing her breasts to clean them. "He returned to Kuoh, as our lead pointed us. However, ever since we arrived, we found no other evidence."
"Did you return to his old home?" Akeno asked, but Kuroka shook her head.
"The land has long since been re-used, and a new house was built upon it. We are…stumped, for the most part. Or at least, I believe we are. I do not know if there is anything left that could lead us to the truth. It has been 10 years since, so any trail, clue, or otherwise has likely gone cold already, nya." Kuroka explained, grabbing the head of the shower.
"Oh my…" Akeno said slowly.
"Maybe I can help him." Rias offered. "The Gremory family has plenty of connections. Surely, I should be able to learn something of what happened."
'Even then, I think Issei wishes to do it himself." Kuroka stated. "I wouldn't worry, however…He has a capable aid."
"Ddraig?" Akeno questioned. "I know he is an old and wise dragon, but is he really a detective?"
Kuroka giggled. "Well, I am afraid I cannot say more. This is mostly Issei's secret, not mine, and so far, only me and Ingvi know the full truth. But one day, he may share it with you as well." She gave the two women a knowing look, especially Akeno, but the two of them did catch something. Namely, where Kuroka's eyes were lingering.
Akeno giggled. "A breast person, is he?"
Rias sighed. "I don't see how our chest can make him tell us."
"Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but I think…Oh, you are aware of the reputation of Red Dragons, you get what I am trying to say."
"You mean…Us joining him as part of his future harem?" Rias asked, and sure enough, Akeno simply giggled on the side.
"You were very defensive of him before when I suggested I join."
"Akeno!" Rias gasped hearing what her friend attempted to do. "What did you do?"
"Nothing too serious, I just laid next to him whilst he slept…Wearing nothing but a bathrobe." She confessed, causing Rias to groan.
"I sincerely hope you didn't anger him."
"On the contrary, nya!" Kuroka butted in. "I was the one irritated by that. Issei was very honest with the entire deal, making it CLEAR he doesn't plan to add ANY MORE women to his harem WITHOUT consulting ME and any other woman already in beforehand." She fact she stressed multiple words during that sentence delivered a strong message to the two.
"T-that he was," Akeno admitted, then she cleared her throat. "However, you seem confident we might end up requesting to join."
"Well…" Kuroka trailed off, standing up. Her wet body glowed in the light, and the droplets slowly fell off her, going to the floor. "He has his charm."
+2 RP with Akeno Himejima.
"The girls are up to something, I just know it," Issei said as he was in the bathtub by himself, talking to no one other than the two voices in his head. "Akeno's RP went up by two points."
"It is quite curious, how the system can allow us a limited form of espionage," Solomon noted, but Ddraig was swift to correct him.
"More like keeping track of things. We know this much, that she now likes us more, but we do not know everything. Like, for example, we do not know where they are, what they are doing, saying, and so on."
"Quite. Forgive my earlier words, then. Still, I do wonder about the current relationship we have with the Gremory. They withheld information from us." Solomon stated.
"Rias claims it was unintentional," Issei added. "But I wonder how much of that is true."
"If I were to guess, I'd say none of it. Devils cannot truly be trusted, no matter how much we may like to think she needs us, this Rias Gremory is reminding me a lot of Runeas. Physically, that is. In truth, she doesn't resemble her personality-wise."
"The first Gremory? What is she like? Or, was."
"Childish." Solomon gave one word. "She acted like a child, having inferior devils and demons entertain her with silly shows, dances, and songs, always cheering and clapping her hands. Overall, whilst not the worst of the Ars Goetia, she still held the rank of Duke."
"If my memory of rankings is still good, the only ranks above that are Prince and King," Ddraig noted.
"Indeed, old friend. She was almost royalty, hence why so many demons and servants of hers sought to be on her good side by entertaining her so much! Why, whilst certainly not the most dangerous, she did make more than one of my hairs go white."
"That actually brings up another question. Who would you say was the most dangerous, Solomon?" Issei asked, and that had the old man rub his beard in deep thought.
"All of the Ars Goetia demons were powerful and dangerous, my student. But if I were to give criteria, then I'd say there were 3 who could be said to be the most dangerous in light of their ability, physical might, or knowledge. First, in terms of might, the Balam family was unmatched in terms of their physical powers. Even without a spec of training, they were stronger than 10 bodybuilders combined!"
"And with training?" Issei asked out of curiosity.
"Good Lord, my student. Good Lord." Solomon replied. "Next, we have the Belial in terms of their clan ability."
"Wouldn't the Bael be the greatest, given their power to destroy anything?" issei asked again.
"Don't be so certain, partner. Their power can only do that: Destroy. It has as much versatility as a stiff stick." Ddraig stated, making Issei nod, which was Solomon's cue to continue his own explanation.
"Their ability is called Worthless." He continued. "If they understand something, they can nullify it completely. I remember when the original Belial attempted to make my magic worthless and undo the seal. However, God's power was greater than any demonic ability, and he fell into despair seeing his power was rendered as the useless one."
"I see. That does indeed sound terrifying." Issei stated, with a thought coming to his head. 'Do you think they could make the system worthless?"
"I highly doubt it, my student. The system is something else and doesn't seem to follow full norms. Even then, we are barely grasping what it can do, let alone an outsider! I do not think we need to worry about something like that." Solomon continued. "But then comes Dantalion…"
"You mentioned him before, back when we faced that Stray, Danbooru. You mentioned them being skilled in magic."
"I am afraid that, at the time, I gave an understatement." Solomon continued. "Dantalion was in charge of guarding the Forbidden Blibliotecha. He was its keeper. He had unlimited access to all information from within, and as such, knew all the magic the devils today might know. Dantalion was, however, loyal. I summoned him early in my life, and he proved a great aid. I wonder what became of him, at times. Out of all demons, he's one I actually enjoyed talking with."
"So, Balam, Belian, and Dantalion, huh?" Issei recounted their names. "I wonder, we have dealt with devils and fallen, but how would we deal with an angel?"
"No need to worry about them, partner," Ddraig added. "Due to God kicking the bucket, their means of recovering numbers is done for. I do not know how they are dealing with their limited numbers now, given how Fallen seems to still happen."
"Dear me, I hope heaven is not left barren," Solomon said in worry. "But Ddraig, I've been wondering for some time now."
"Hmm?"
"What of Jesus?" Solomon asked. "Isn't he able to take his father's divine throne?"
"No one heard from him since the Great War, old friend. He is not dead, but rather…Somewhere. No one knows where, not even Michael, but wherever he is, all of heaven hopes he will one day take that throne."
"In short, the world is waiting for its messiah again." Issei mused, earning a nod from Ddraig and a deep sigh from Solomon.
"What troublesome times I was sent to…" The old king muttered. "But with that subject aside, tell me, my student: What are your plans going forward?"
"Well, once the training period is done, Rias did tell us the Rating game won't be far, time at which we shall be fighting Riser Phenex and his peerage," Issei stated. "However, we have little information about their tricks and members."
"Hmm. Phenex was, at least the one I knew, a master of wind and fire, along with regenerative immortality. No matter how much he suffered, he bounced back, even coming back from death!" Solomon stated. "If we wish to win against such an enemy, we must double down on our efforts, my student! Come the light of tomorrow, I will take more active means to enlarge your magical arsenal!"
"Weren't you doing that already?" Issei asked, confused.
"Well, yes, but I am taking it slow since it takes time for you to level up those skills. Plus, get too many, lose track of them." The old king clarified.
The second week's first day of training had officially begun, and everyone was hard at work. Since the first week was mostly meant to discover what everyone had to work on, they began to focus on that. Kiba, for one, took to working out more to build his physical strength and endurance. Shirone was still training with Kuroka, keeping up the good work, but Akeno was working with Rias, meaning that Issei was mostly by himself. Even Raynare joined them, no longer using the forest outside the borders of the property.
That means he had the chance to train by himself for once, working on his magic. And other skills of his. But he knew he couldn't go full out here. Instead, he went inside the mansion and got out his key. The one to get to his dungeon. Going to his room, he twisted the key and entered his dungeon, relishing the intimacy it provided.
Although, not he didn't have the luck of a repeatable quest to give him EXP.
"Alright, Solomon. Tell me what you wish to teach me." Issei told his teacher, and with a nod, Solomon began.
"As you know, during the fight against Malachi, you unlocked a new casting method. The description already tells you about its potential, but I will show you how to make use of it." his teacher began. "Issei, know I stand against the use of Blood Magic. But for the betterment of our progress, I will put my displeasure aside. However, you do not have to use your blood every time. That is your choice."
"Would chalk do the trick?" Issei asked.
"Only if you imbue it with some mana, otherwise, normal chalk won't do. And I am afraid we do not have access to that yet. Now, as much as I hate myself saying something like this: Cut yourself, my student! And draw according to my instructions."
Summoning his gear and using the claws on it, Issei cut his opposite palm, letting the crimson liquid begin to flow down his fingers. It stung for a second, how he did it, but he soon recovered. He angled his hand, clenching all fingers except for his index finger, and crouched down to the ground, drawing a symbol based on Solomon's instructions.
The first symbol was to be a trap using his fire magic, as that was his most proficient one. He drew the symbol on the ground, his HP dropping very slowly as he bled, and when he was done, he took notice of how it glowed slightly before the blood seemed to instantly dry and boil, vanishing, but leaving behind the symbol, nor orange-colored, before it vanished.
"The symbol is still there. Throw a rock into it." nodding, Issei picked up a rock with his intact hand and threw it at the symbol, watching it trigger and glow before a torrent of fire erupted upwards. It didn't last long, maybe a few seconds, but by the time it vanished, the rock was glowing due to the heat.
Skill Acquired! (SUB-SKILL) [Blood Seal - Fire Trap]
"Holy…" Issei said slowly, then brought up the new skill to check its stats.
(SUB-SKILL) [Blood Seal - Fire Trap] (Level 1| 110/400): Lay a trap for your enemies! When this skill is activated, 50 HP will be used up to draw the symbol using blood. The cost of this skill is 200 Mana per seal. Whenever an enemy steps on the seal or the user chooses to activate it remotely, it will create a stream of fire that engulfs the enemy which deals damage based on the MGI the user had when this skill was activated times 100. Warning! The seals will only remain viable for 10 minutes after being laid down. After the time is up, they vanish.
"Not bad." Issei said, reading his skill before closing the window and turning to the training dummy, giving him a nod of his head. "You and me again, old pal. Sorry, but I will need to abuse you a bit."
"That sounded ominous, my student." Solomon added, yet, his job was finished. As far as Issei's skill went, he should be able to make new seals when he needs to, now that he knew the basics. His INT and WIS stats certainly aided him in more than one endeavor thus far, and Solomon had no doubt they will continue to do so.
Summoning forth multiple magical circles, however, Issei got to work. Today was bound to be busy for him.
"Where has Issei wandered off to?" Shirone asked as she was taking a break, being dressed in a standard gym uniform as her sister was drinking some water. To reply, her sister put the bottle down.
"Hmm. If I were to guess, seeing as he didn't leave the compound, I think he went to his special place." Kuroka stated, earning some curiosity from her sister. "Not to worry. He is not lazing about, I am certain of that much. He is training just as hard as us, nya!"
"I was not doubting his commitment to the training." Shirone/Koneko said. "I was just asking where he might have gone off too."
Kuroka's ears perked at that. "Hmm. What is this? Are you perhaps, by any chance, ogling your sister's mate?" Shirone perked up immediately at the light accusation, facing her sister with her lips pressed together tightly and replying as best as she could.
"No." She replied, trying to deny. "For starters, he is a pervert-"
"The good kind, nya!"
"-and secondly, although Nekoshou traditions do allow for us to share, I wouldn't attract his attention." She finished, making Kuroka tilt her head in confusion before she figured out what her sister meant.
"Oh! Are you afraid he might not give you attention because of your chest size?" She asked, making her younger sister flinch.
"It's not- He has you, Ingvild, and even Asia!" Shirone said, trying to deflect.
"He has not laid any hand on Asia, though. But I can tell she is growing a small crush on Issei." Kuroka stated, making Shirone sigh.
"Point proven."
"Hey! Don't go mopping on me, nya!" Kuroka half-shouted, going in front of her sister. "Come on, Issei might like big breasts, but he knows that is not all there is!"
"What else is there- K-Kuroka!" Poor Shirone was unprepared as her sister leaned past her, grabbing her hips and giving the poor younger sister a squeeze on her lower cheeks.
"This!" Kuroka said teasingly. "You might not have much upstairs, but I can tell this is a nice little bun you have hidden in there, sister!"
"Get off!" Shirone pushed her sister away lightly, a blush on her face. "Perverts, the lot of you."
"Ohhhh, don't be such a prude, Shirone." Kuroka said, teasing her sister further. "Come on, be forward with your sister! Are you interested in Issei? You know I am more than ok with sharing him - provided you respect a few rules. And provided he does as well. You ARE my younger sister, and I do know how rough he can get during-"
"Stop." Shirone said quickly. "I do not wish to hear any details regarding your nightly activities."
"Hmm. Fair. but my point stands: I do not want you to have an unpleasant experience when the time does come-"
"The time won't come. Ever."
"Now, who's the judge of that, nya?" Kuroka gave her sister a mildly disappointed look. "Just give it time, dear sister. Trust me, you will see him in the same light I am soon enough."
Shirone sighed. "We'll see. Let's return to our training."
"Very well. Oh! And before I forget." Shirone turned to her sister, who was holding two fingers up.
"He is about this big."
Poor Koneko/Shirone couldn't take it anymore.
+3 RP with Shirone (Koneko) Toujou
"Kuroka?"
"Most definitely, my student."
"That cat is up to not good."
As everyone was training in the human world, that is not to say other things were not happening in the background. Preparations had to be made for this special Rating Game, and as such, it fell to two particular people to oversee this. One of them is directly related to the possible wife-to-be, namely, Sirzechs Lucifer, formerly Gremory, himself. In terms of looks, he shared his sister's hair color but had his own features.
In spite of his looks, many would think he was barely in his early 20s, but as a Devil, he stopped aging normally upon reaching the age of 25, as most others do. As a result, his true age is somewhere more along the lines of a few centuries, which goes to show how much difficulty Devils have with reproducing seeing as his younger sister is just 18 years of age, soon to be 19.
He has shoulder-length crimson hair and blue eyes, a color he shares with Rias, which were both features inherited from their father, Zeoticus Gremory. He was dressed in his usual robes whilst acting as the leader of the New Satan Faction in the position of Lucifer, with his light armor underneath.
Currently, he was looking over various documents together with his friend, and Satan like him, leading from the position of Beelzebub: Ajuka Beelzebub, formerly Astaroth.
Like him, he took was older than he looked, having a natural bewitching beauty that rivaled his own with his personal brand of charm. Whilst Sirzechs might look more free-spirited due to his long hair, Ajuka looked more dignified and cultured, which is reinforced by his relatively old choice of clothing, preferring a grey shirt covered by a green blazer with yellowish-edges around the collarbone area and a greenish coat with black detailing, coupled with pants that match his shirt in color and black shoes.
He has blue eyes like Sirzechs, yet his eyes were a lighter color, and his green hair was slid backward, further enhancing his looks and devilish, mysterious aura. Currently, the two of them were working out the details of the upcoming Rating Game between Rias and Riser, but recently, some issues came forth.
"Those rumors are troublesome," Sirzechs admitted, looking over another document. Namely, they were looking over recent transactions of the Phenex House. "I am aware that Riser Phenex is not an honorable opponent, given his record, but do you believe he'd go as far as cheat to ensure he marries my sister, Ajuka?"
"I wouldn't put it past him, but at the same time, it couldn't be him. It might as well be someone within his peerage that is rumored to be cheating." Ajuka analyzed, looking over a similar set of documents. "Regardless, there doesn't seem to be anything out of order with the documents."
"What about going over the legal limit for Phoenix Tears?" Sirzechs questioned, resting his chin on the back of his hand. "They are the main producers, so they could easily sneak more than allowed."
"If that is the case, it would be a minor offense. Still, it would warrant that the Rating Game be canceled and your sister declared the winner." Ajuka said, but his undertone seemed to jab Sirzechs a bit on the wrong side.
"Are you…Considering my sister is hiding something?" Sirzechs asked, giving his friend a small look that transmitted his emotions. "I was kept in the loop through her reports, and she informed me of a secret weapon against Riser, but assured me fully it is within the rules."
"I am not trying to say your sister is the cheater, old friend." Ajuka defended himself, clearing his throat. "But we must be open-minded. The rumors say someone within the upcoming Rating Game between Gremory and Phenex is going to cheat using an illegal item. Holy items are off the list since contact with them can harm Rias just as much as Riser."
"That does leave magical items, such as artifacts, or even poisons." Sirzechs listed the possibilities. "As we know, the Rating Games have a safety measure meant to retire those who were hurt beyond a certain threshold."
"Indeed, not to mention barriers that prevent any instant-death attacks and skilled users of healing magic and medics ready to tend to their wounds." Ajuka continued, listing off the measures taken to ensure no one is hurt during a Rating Game. "I am even working on a few new rules that forbid the alteration of those measures or their suppression."
"The Belial?"
"The one and only."
"True, their ability has caused issues in the past, abusing loopholes and political power to escape punishment." Sirzechs recounted. "Good to know you are working toward that, but I think we digressed from the main subject. We cannot confirm or deny the possibility of an illegal item or alteration to the Rating Game that is coming up. As such, we cannot in good conscience allow this Rating Game to continue with such uncertainties hanging over us."
"Unfortunately, we cannot stop it now. Due to your relation to this, it would seem like favoritism, which might give the opposition the arguments it needs to bring your leadership into question." Ajuka stated, and Sirzechs knew he was right. Truth be told, had he not been related to the Bael house as well and as powerful as he was, his position as Lucifer wouldn't be as secure as it was.
He was part of the Gremory House once and was meant to be skilled in their bloodline ability, Charm. Yet, his sister proved superior in that ability more than he, but he was a master in using the Power of Destruction. Still, due to not being a Bael, that didn't weigh as much as it should have weighed during the Devil Civil War.
Or helped them score any major victories. He still had nightmares, at times, waking up all sweaty from seeing an entire village or town INCINERATED to the ground. And those eyes…Those golden eyes, shining almost with God's light, stared at him in pure hate and anger from the smoke.
"Zechs." Ajuka called out to him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You spaced out."
"Ah, my apologies. This line of conversation brought forth unpleasant memories."
"From the Civil War?" Ajuka asked, receiving a nod. "Did…You remember him again?"
"The Snake of Adam, which Rias has reported, has been bugging me greatly," Sirzechs admitted. "I had an investigation force sent to the base that was apparently cleared out by someone Rias calls a friend. They reported multiple devils, reincarnated devils, half-bloods, and so on. Whoever they are, if they really are part of the Old Satan Faction's remnants, they are breaking any vow they ever took to increase their numbers. But then again…He never was predictable."
"That name rings a bell to me as well…" Ajuka said slowly. "The General we faced during the war was…Unpredictable. No matter what I tried, I couldn't create any solid enough strategy to counter him in combat, and our soldiers always ended up lambs to the slaughter before him and his forces."
"We never saw him, however. Or rather, never clearly, until the day he surrendered willingly." Sirzechs recounted. "Yet, we saw his handiwork."
Ajuka remained silent for a bit, him too recalling the destruction he witnessed. "We digressed again." He grabbed Sirzechs's attention, mostly for his good as remembering such events was not good for one's mental health. "Although we cannot stop the Rating Game, there is nothing stopping us from requesting a larger attendance. If I, you, and Lord Phenex himself are present, I think that should bring enough pressure to think twice about cheating."
"Indeed, that does sound like a good idea. Should we also add additional barriers and triple-check the systems?"
"Of course." Ajuka replied with ease. "Such additions and additional checks are not an issue to do, especially if there is suspicion of illegal activity. Whilst we cannot stop the Rating Game, it is within our power still to ensure it proceeds fairly and smoothly."
"Can't we also have Tiamat watch the Rating Game?" Ajuka shook his head.
"I am afraid I cannot use my contact with the Dragon Queen for something so trivial, especially seeing how this is an unofficial Rating Game with an impact on the standing of the participants. She only agreed to provide aid with more high-profile Rating Games, with the possibility of cheating being higher due to higher stakes."
"I see…If so, then we have done everything we can for Rias and her peerage." Sirzechs stated, placing the documents aside. "The rest will need to be left to them."
"Did you hear from your sister lately?" Sirzechs shook his head.
"They went to one of our properties in the mountains to train, but that is as much as I know. She is being careful not to leak the exact location or any possible intel."
"She is worried about spies from the Phenex?" Ajuka asked, finding this curious. "I doubt Riser would resolve to such low tactics."
"Especially as the area is home to a Youkai Clan." Sirzechs added, catching Ajuka's attention. "Tengu."
"Ah, I see. That one. True, any spy would be met with quite the unfortunate fate." Ajuka stated. "With that being said, there is nothing to do but wait."
'Indeed. Wait." "And hope," Sirzechs thought to himself.
"Phew. That was a good grinding session." Issei said to himself as he came out of his dungeon, exiting back into his room at the mansion.
"Quite, my student. Quite." Solomon replied, agreeing with Issei. Despite no longer receiving any EXP for their level, their skills continued to grow. Solomon was especially elated with [Parallel Mind] and how its growth seemed to further enhance Issei's ability to process various bits of information from different subjects at once.
Something to maul over in terms of possibilities at a later date, however, as right now Issei headed into the shower to wash before bed. Granted, as the water washed over him, Issei seemed troubled by something.
"Something the matter, partner?" Ddraig asked first.
"Well, kinda. Guys, if my stats peak, as a human, at 100, how do I become even stronger?" Issei asked, which to them, was a good question. Although Solomon believed they already discussed this subject before, reviewing it was never a bad thing. "I mean, we all saw how members of the Gremory Peerage seem to have stats going beyond that value."
"The system stated 100 to be the maximum for humans, provided no magical enhancement or otherwise is done…Perhaps that is the limitation." Solomon explained.
"If so, then the fact Issei has the Boosted Gear should make up for the difference. Currently, if my math is not wrong, he can do…around 17 Boosts, and store 8 for [Explosion]. Not a bad amount."
"Yet, the drain on his stamina is an issue, Ddraig, not to mention the time limit. After 5 minutes, he needs to use his skill again." Solomon stated, bringing up their weakness. "Our Stamina is our biggest worry when using the Boosted Gear. If we are not mindful, we can end up exhausting ourselves and being left as sitting ducks. Hence why I propose NOT abusing the power of the Boosted Gear. Instead, we should use it wisely."
"And how do you propose we do that?" Ddraig asked.
"I think he means using it in combination with my [Observe] skill to gauge out my opponent's stats, then use [Boost] only as much as I need to give myself a good winning chance. Forget overkill, go only for sure kill." Issei stated.
For analyzing and explaining smartly, you were awarded 2 WIS and 1 INT.
"Well, you do not need the system agreeing with you for me to also agree. That is a sound proposal, but what about enemies we cannot equal? Eventually, we will cap, and when that happens, any being above the amount we can increase will be able to threaten us." The dragon said, and sure enough, Solomon could not disagree with such a statement.
"I am sure the system has something," Issei said with a sigh as he turned off the water, grabbing a towel. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be letting us cap at 100 in every stat."
"Hmm. Let's hope you are right, Ise." Solomon added, then the boy went to sleep.