Chapter 3: Before the Storm
[So, what's your plan now, partner? You got power exceeding everything you stood for.] The sudden question almost made him leap in response. He breathed a sigh of relief as it was none other than the being that resided within him. But he certainly did not expect their conversation to start again this soon.
He cleared his throat. "This amount of power might attract more of the stalkers' attention to me, which is why I must lay low, if possible."
[Indeed Partner!]
He acknowledged that declaration with a nod. But despite promising to lay low, he still has doubts about whether doing so is even beneficial. Though he kept himself quiet and continued preparing food.
[This world is full of beings far stronger than I am, so you must become stronger as fast as possible!] Ddraig exclaimed. [Because at this rate, your death is imminent. Especially if you were to face the White One, my rival!] He snarled in disdain. [In fact, that bastard's weakest host would be more than enough to send you to the afterlife!]
"I already knew that such people existed, so I've worked on becoming stronger ever since…" He answered respectfully. "…But the power I have right now…" He murmured, his voice low. "…It is still not enough, is it?" He asked after hiding the frustration brewing within him; he halted what he was doing for the moment.
After he was transported into this world, his desire to become stronger grew even more apparent - caused by the horrid events he saw and experienced during the Fifth Holy Grail War; the bloodshed and his inability to help made him realize how weak and incompetent he truly was. When he was given an arm that made him achieve wonders, he felt as if he could do everything that a human could not; it was something that made him become a God among men. But still, he failed to keep the promises he formed; he failed the ones he loved and left them behind in a world where their deaths were not far-fetched.
No more, no more!
He would not allow those things to happen.
Never again!
As such, he trained; he trained despite the pain he felt. He conditioned his body for months, just so that he could save many people's lives by eliminating the creatures that roamed the night.
And yet, it is still not enough…
…If he was not capable of facing the weakest of creatures with ease, then how could he survive for longer?
…How would he be able to survive in this world, where beings stronger than even a phantasmal creature exist?
…How would he be able to survive in a world where the Age of Gods has not ended yet?
[Indeed! Even though your growth is astonishing, you still need to up your game, Partner!] Ddraig puffed his chest in pride; a smile split his metallic face. [That is why, I, Welsh Dragon of Domination, will help you train so that you can become stronger, faster, and more efficient than you ever thought possible!]
"I am thankful."
He genuinely was. He was thankful that a dragon, a phantasmal being that he never could expect to aid someone lower than him, would. He clenched his fist as he wondered: Would he finally achieve the level of power he dreamt of, now that he had the assistance of one of the strongest beings out there?
…
A few seconds of quietness passed.
He continued to prepare the meals; he finished adding a few touches to the lunchboxes he prepared for himself and Koneko and the breakfast for his still-sleeping parents. He wrapped the lunchboxes with a clean cloth, setting them at the table; the gesture itself caused a thud as the quietness was prominent.
[…Though the good perk of being weak is that you're not going to be targeted all the time!] Ddraig continued, breaking the silence that plagued them. […This made the possibility of an encounter absurdly low; THEY would simply dismiss you and treat you like a mere insect! Therefore, you have a lot of time to become stronger!] Quietly, he reminisced about the fates that his hosts suffered. He gritted his teeth; he hid such emotions behind an upbeat veil. [Perhaps, you would grow stronger than you already are.] He spilled solemnly. […After all, I cannot afford to lose a host once more over a needless rivalry!]
"I will, Welsh Dragon of Domination!" Shirou let out in his mindscape, where Ddraig smirked.
[I like that motivation, Partner! But…]
Ddraig sighed exasperatedly; Shirou took note of such expressions quickly.
[As much as I wanted to tell you more about the supernatural world, you should focus on your studies!] Ddraig exclaimed after remembering one crucial detail. […Let me remind you that your goal is to fix Hyoudou's reputation! Now get on moving, time is upon you, Partner!]
Shirou twisted and moved his body; the ground itself shook after bearing such pressure. But when he was about to set his foot down, the booming voice of Ddraig rang within his ears once more. Caught off guard, he almost tripped on a non-existent twig.
[Oh, and by the way, call me Ddraig! Should save you time speaking my name!]
Shirou was, in more simple terms, confused. "Wait, what? Why should I address you in such a casual way? The title you were known for is what I'd use to call upon your name to show respect." The words rolled off his tongue slowly.
[Partner, I allow you to call me by this name as we are in one body and soul, for we are equal! Do not take the opportunity I gave you for granted. After all, many would die just to speak my name so casually! [NOW GO!]
He quickly ripped off a piece of paper, then he swiftly started writing down his "good-bye" letter and as he finished, he put it on the table. His eyes then darted around, finding something to hold them so that they would not follow the way of the wind. After that, he slung the bag over his shoulders almost barbarically fast, grabbing the lunchboxes in such a way that the contents would have already spilled out if he did not have this somewhat supernatural reflex to handling meals. In a blur, he approached the door, turning the handle as fast as he could.
Fresh air blew to his face, refreshing him
He locked the door and then closed it gently behind him, his adrenaline flaring to the point it permeated the air and with speed rivaling that of great track athletes, he ran towards the academy. When he arrived, the pressure brought on by the countless eyes staring at him made him quite uncomfortable, but he had already grown mentally capable of ignoring it. He quickly passed through the halls where the students flocked to. Step by step, he got closer to his destination as his eyes examined the crowd for potential threats and fortunately, he did not perceive any.
And that relieved him.
A few minutes had elapsed as he finally arrived at the door with a familiar number.
"I am here…" he muttered as he opened the door slowly, revealing a noisy and lively classroom filled with the mischievous people that he grew to know. He quietly walked towards his assigned desk, settling himself properly as he put aside his sling bag on the ground and there, he waited for the first class to start.
"Good morning everyone!"
The trance he and his fellow students had was broken as they focused their attention on the personnel that greeted them.
Hours elapsed seemingly in an instant.
The bell rang, notifying the students that recess was just around the corner.
There are no notable events that have occurred since even he has not noticed that time has passed. He stood up slowly, grabbing the lunchboxes then headed for the rooftop. However, unlike the other days before, someone was accompanying him, and it was the familiar girl, who trailed him quietly and discreetly. When they arrived at their desired destination, the brown-haired boy opened the door to the rooftop which led a gust of fresh air to blow to their faces.
"Koneko…" he muttered, turning around to look at the girl, who gazed intently at the lunchbox he was holding. This made him smile; a genuine smile. It was clear from her mannerisms that the girl was excited despite her cold, emotionless exterior. "Here you go." He handed over the lunchbox and the chopsticks; the girl snatched them almost immediately. , he settled himself close to Koneko in observation.
To his surprise, she devoured the meal with speeds that rivaled even the best eaters, perhaps even with the same boldness as someone whom he used to know.
"It is okay if you slow down, right? You might choke," he murmured. The girl acknowledged him, slowing down. She was still eating at a fast pace. But at least, it did not semm like the girl was going to explode due to how much food she inhaled.
"Amazing, Senpai's cooking tastes good. I thought that Senpai had no talents and only had perverseness," she said monotonously, but there was a hint of satisfaction and happiness in her tone.
Rubbing his head slowly, he chucked wholeheartedly. He remembered that the first time he met her yesterday, she barely even uttered words to him seemingly distant. But now, it would seem like she was more open to him than before, ignoring her oddly unsettling tone.
He unwrapped his lunchbox and grabbed his chopsticks. He slowly let the meal inside his mouth, savoring the texture and taste of the food that he prepared. But, before he could take another bite, the girl reached out for him, shocking him so that he nearly spilled the contents of his lunchbox onto the ground.
"Senpai. " She muttered as she gave him the emptied lunchbox. The little girl stood up slowly as she turned her head mechanically towards him, a face of discontent and longing plastered on her face. "Can you add more? I am nowhere near satisfied, Senpai…" she requested boldly.
"I'll see what I can do."
She bowed with thankfulness and after that gesture, she quickly ran out of the rooftop.
As the very last trace of presence disappeared, he let out a quiet sigh.
Time passed by relatively quickly, and nothing unusual happened throughout the remaining classes he had to attend.
The classes were now over.
He immediately organized his things inside his sling bag took off quickly. He passed through the halls of the Academy, with the students' numbers readily decreasing every minute. However, as he passed through the gate, despite the flocking students, he saw a glimpse of someone suspiciously looking in his direction, standing in the middle of the footbridge.
Step after step, he gradually saw the person, and much to his surprise it was a rather beautiful girl.
She had raven-colored hair, and violet eyes and was wearing a rather unfamiliar uniform. But what caught most of his attention was her presence. It was quite intimidating; it felt like that of the other more hostile presences that observed him. And even though this one is still inferior and less refined, the fact remains that this girl belongs to the moonlit world and that does not make him less cautious, much less drop his guard. "A-are you Hyoudou Issei?" she asked with a rather distinguishable tone of fakeness as she twirled her fingers, trying her best to have a genuine-looking blush on her face. At first glance, it was obvious that she was just wearing a facade, but he must say, her acting was good, at least good enough to fool unsuspecting people.
To not arouse suspicion from the girl in front of him, he played along. "I-I am Hyoudou Issei. W-who are you, and who do you ask?" he faked a stutter as he "nervously shook" in front of her, imitating a shaken expression.
"M-my name is Y-Yuma Amano, a-and I-I saw you passing by this bridge ever since you enrolled in Kuoh Academy…and I-I cannot believe it myself, b-but I found you attractive!"
He scoffed inwardly as he noticed that it was the first hint of a lie. With her ungodly gorgeous appearance, many people should have flocked over to her, and knowing that this is an academy full of perverted people, it is almost impossible for a girl such as her, to hide in the shadows for so long without even getting noticed.
"Do y-you know t-that my world just flipped upside down as I saw you?"
Yet again, a lie, but he chose to maintain the facade of a shell-shocked teenager.
"That's why…"
"I-I want to find out i-if my feelings f-for you are genuine! So, please, can you go out with me?!" she exclaimed.
"I am sorry, but I have to decline…" The look of disappointment on the girl's face amused him. It was obvious that she was only trying to hide the rage boiling within that sweet facade of hers. But he did not show that, instead he continued the act of deceiving the girl on her own game. "I cannot go out with someone I do not know. No offense to you, I find you very attractive, much more than a regular girl. It's just that, I don't know who you are."
"O-oh, I see…" She paused. "T-, here you go!" she exclaimed, shakingly handing over a small piece of paper. How quick of her to continue her act despite his decline of her "request".
Nevertheless, he immediately examined the piece of paper handed to him and it contained a phone number, presumably hers. How adamant.
"I-if you change y-your mind, y-you can call me by that number" she faked a smile, which he equated with a faked expression as well after shoving the piece of paper in his pockets.
"I'll think about it." he responded or rather "lied" because he will never change his mind. He walked away as quickly as he could.
But after he got a notable distance away. [That, partner, was a fallen angel!] The being exclaimed, enthusiastic. The sudden exclamation almost made him miss a step, however, he was able to balance himself relatively easily. Despite his irritation, however, he acknowledged what the being said. He continued moving, navigating through crowd-filled streets.
Despite his meager response, it was adequate that it served as a sign for the being to continue.
The sun finally set as night began to fall.
[The conflicts between the three sides are true but they were twisted because of humanity's ability to perceive and interpret them! Everything humanity thought was a myth like the famous tales of kings such as King Arthur true, they existed!]
Inside the premises of Kuoh Academy, situated a Victorian room that could be described as expensive and there sat a group of five, a peerage to be exact.
"Did you find anything that could suggest that Hyoudou Issei had or had any connections with the supernatural?" a girl asked firmly, yet roughly. She had long and lush crimson hair that seemed to glisten in the light and had a pair of aquamarine eyes that displayed tiredness. The female academy uniform that she was wearing was noticeably disheveled as it was worn hastily and despite her best to sit firmly, she could not hide her fatigued stature.
This girl is the leader, or more specifically their "King".
Furthermore, she stood as the heiress of one of the most prominent clans. Her name? - Rias Gremory.
However, despite her high-ranking status, she was not so carefree. She lived a life that was already full of hardships, a life that she had grown accustomed to.
As such, she never could have expected the absurd increase in workload and responsibilities, caused by the influx of supernatural activities. She never could have expected the suffering the appearance of the beasts and their kryptonite caused her. For countless sleepless nights, the higher echelons of power demanded that she spend her miserable life trying to find the solution to the matter.
But no matter what she does she simply is incapable of doing it, and the fact that she was to do these without making any mistakes made it worse. However, nothing could have made her feel more that way than knowing that the marriage contract that involved the name of Raiser Phoenix, a devil whom she hated so much, was set about a decade earlier due to the sudden shifts and turns of political rule because of the situation that the Underworld, her home, was experiencing.
Rias Gremory wants to change her fate.
But no matter what she did, it was all fruitless in the end.
All of the things she has done or rather attempted to do to make a difference are for naught, as it was proven time and time again how fruitless the attempts were.
Despite all the hardships, however, she held on, desperately scrambling for ways to change the fate she was destined to suffer.
But , she realized that there was still something left to be done which was perhaps, the hardest yet the most probable solution – an option that she never would have thought that she would choose; fighting against him in a game, a rating game – a game where two sides would fight using their peerage as chess pieces.
There is still hope, but this work requires an anomaly to pull off because having to fight against the full force of a peerage of sixteen is a not-so-brilliant idea, especially coming from her, a master strategist.
Fortunately, she knows of, or rather heard about the second-year student known as Hyoudou Issei – a possible wielder of one of the thirteen "Longinus" or more specifically, the "Booster Gear" which is a sacred gear that grants its wielder unimaginable and limitless power. This boy should have been easy to manipulate, knowing how lecherous he is. But, when a metallic presence started to linger around him, his personality seemed to change drastically and his appearance as well. He was like a completely different person, as proven by her countless failed attempts at interacting with him.
Unfortunately, it seems that time is running out because other factions are now interested in him, as shown by the failed attempt by a fallen angel earlier to convince him.
With this knowledge in mind, she began to worry because he directly refused a fallen angel, which could mean that he knew of their existence.
But there should be hope left, there has to be.
"I found nothing that could suggest Hyoudou Issei was involved in the supernatural. I checked his family's records, and everything related to them. Though aside from a brief encounter with an entity whose origin is unknown, none could suggest that their family line had any encounters after that." A girl with raven hair and violet eyes responded. Akeno wore the same female academy uniform as Rias, but it was more properly worn, and she had the presence befitting that of a second in command.
A smile finally seemed to force its way to the redhead's face – a sight that her peers had not seen for a long time.
Rias was grateful.
"I see. I appreciate your effort, Akeno." But her smile disappeared almost as fast as it appeared, replaced with the all-too-familiar expression of seriousness. She remembered that there was still something that had to be done before that.
"Let's get straight to the point." Rias crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes.
Their collective nods were an adequate sign for Rias to continue. Composing herself, she continued. "The creatures are now gradually becoming more resistant to magic – a problem that if not solved, could cause the downfall of not only the Underworld but the other factions as well." She declared, crossing her arms. "And the only way to fix this problem is to permanently stop their adaptive capabilities, which could only be done by destroying the entity that all of them are connected to, as it was proven that all of the creatures' neurological functions only rely on that single entity." She paused. "If we are successful, all of them would become dysfunctional as they would become a useless lump of flesh."
"And if we could reprimand the figure who slayed them indiscriminately, all this would finally be over. Pleasant news, isn't it?" For a brief second, she flashed a small smile, knowing that after all of this, the entirety of the responsibilities placed upon her shoulders would be gone. But as fast as that expression appeared, it was once again replaced by that of seriousness.
Rias cannot afford to be so casual about the matter; they will most likely die.
"It would not be easy, would it?" a blonde boy with gray eyes asked. He was wearing the male academy uniform and had a presence befitting that of a knight. "After all, we had already spent months trying but to no avail."
"Of course, it would not be, Kiba." Rias sighed. "But, if we are to be successful in our attempt, the distribution of the monstrosities would be greatly disrupted, thus giving time for the three factions to breathe a sigh of relief and to perhaps prepare for further threats."
Rias stopped, seeing the confusion Kiba and Koneko had. "They found out that there are multiple of those scattered throughout the entire world. But fortunately, one of them is situated in an abandoned church nearby and all we have to do is erase it from existence." She elaborated.
"But why couldn't I sense it?" Koneko asked monotonously; she raised her eyebrows in question.
"It was surrounded by a field that disrupted our senses. It led us to assume that there was nothing suspicious happening within its compound, but in reality, there was." Rias responded grimly, her eyes dark. "...However, there is a problem..." She muttered." The fallen angels who reportedly strayed from their orders, now have their eyes on the church. They already knew of the entity's existence despite it being a secret kept by the higher-ups. By the use of inside traitors, it would seem." She hissed.
Akeno scoffed. "Ufufufu~ Their greed for power will cause their imminent deaths, not that I care about them~" she chuckled darkly. "But the problem is the aftermath. If they successfully used the power for themselves, there is no telling how much destruction they could inflict. So, the most probable solution is to kill them, and I am more than willing to~"
"However, we will only kill them, only if we have a definitive reason as to why because there is a very high risk of starting yet again a pointless and reasonless war. That's why we must be careful. If they failed to control it, the power itself would control them; the resulting collateral damage would be far worse." Rias hissed in anger. "As such, we will not "visit" physically on this day." The redhead declared firmly.
"And Kiba?"
"What is it, Butchou?"
"You and Koneko observe the abandoned church and tell me whatever you find. Understand?"
"Understood."
"Meeting is adjourned…All of you may go now."
A day has already passed.
Shirou Emiya walked to the academy.
He had an oddly calm expression but not to be fooled, it was faked; his honed survival instincts were at their maximum, and his guard was the highest it could ever be.
However, in an abrupt change of fate, he bumped into a girl, who had her baggage fallen off and its contents scattered on the ground. Fortunately, the lunch boxes were not harmed, courtesy of his ability to retain his equilibrium, no matter what happens. But the girl? Not so much.
"Ow!" the girl let out in pain. She was a nun, proven by the clothes she wore.
But her face…
He gasped. But he ignored that nostalgic feeling, prioritizing the girl's wellbeing. "Are you all right?" he asked, offering her help.
"I am all right, Mister!"
"Here." He gestured at his hand. She took hold of it immediately, carrying herself upright.
He felt quite guilty; his clumsiness cost this girl her time, he thought. Immediately, he knelt as he looked over at the scattered garments that came from the baggage.
"M-mister, I can do it myself."
"I will do so myself. I am the one to blame, after all."
The nun was about to retaliate, but when she saw his expression, she stopped herself from doing so. She held her consciousness and forced herself to watch him fix the mess that her clumsiness caused. However, she was surprised at how quickly and how efficiently he organized it.
He stood up and looked at the girl apologetically. "Here you go." He handed the baggage carefully. "Please be more careful next time, er?"
"Asia. Asia Argento." The nun responded with a grateful smile. "What is yours, Mister?" she asked respectfully.
"My name is Issei. Hyoudou Issei."
She twirled her fingers nervously as she quaked in her boots. "W-well …Do you know where the church is, Mister Hyoudou?"
"The church? But from what I know, it was already abandoned a long time ago…" Despite her seemingly innocent face, he grew suspicious. What does she want?
"Even so! Please tell me!" She insisted politely, clasping her hands in prayer.
He hesitated. She seemed innocent. "There." He pointed at the church by the hillside. "Just be careful." He let out through his sealed teeth.
She simply smiled. "May our paths cross again!" Innocently, she ran to her destination, never looking back.
He narrowed his eyes into a hawk-like glare. Something is amiss, and he has to find out before it is too late.
The masterpiece of oddly entrancing hues of colors dominates the skies.
Yet again, an uneventful day. The classes went by as expected.
He is headed to the abandoned church to investigate. However, he stopped after sensing a pure presence of hostility nearby. Suspicious, he focused his attention on the source of the odd presence.
Slowly, he moved, his guard up and his eyes narrowed.
When he arrived, he slowly walked towards the handle and took hold. But it was not locked; the door swung with no hindrance whatsoever. This was a sign that something was amiss. He readied himself. Fortunately, it seems like he would be able to use his magecraft now that he has recovered most of his reserves. He noted it was surprisingly fast, but he was thankful.
Within his soul, a spark lit the rust that is of his inner world. Slowly, it began to form into the blades he favored the most. He was right. In his peripheral was a human, brutalized and hanged. Who could have done this? A monster is the only logical answer. But before he could even compose himself, a gunshot emanated throughout the room.
Skillfully, he narrowly avoided the speeding bullet.
"Impressive~"
His eyes darted to the source, his teeth gritted in anger but was met with a bullet. Utilizing his exceptional experience, he grabbed the speeding lump of metal with ease. "Who are you?" He hissed. He let the bullet fall, clanging with the floor below.
It was a young man with bloodied white hair stopping at his shoulders. The bastard had red eyes filled with blood lust; he was no human, he was a beast; the maniac had malevolence surpassing even the mindless beasts he fought. But what caught him off guard, was the robe the sick man wore.
A priest?
"Me~? My name is Freed Sellzen! REMEMBER THAT NAME, AS I BRUTALIZE YOUR ROTTING CORPSE!~" Freed growled, pouncing with incredible speed. Quickly, he pulled out what seemed to be a sword…
…Made out of light?
Swiftly, Shirou evaded and struck the maniac in the liver with whizzing speed. But, Freed immediately picked up his body the second it faltered; he leaped away from Shirou, whose face presented nothing but anger. The form of aggression reminded Shirou of his opposite; Kotomine Kirei.
"You are good for a devil such as yourself~ But...no devil has ever escaped my grasp, alive!" Freed howled in the craze. He swung the sword of light at Shirou, who narrowly evaded it at the last second.
"I am no devil. You've mistaken me for someone." Shirou muttered monotonously. He leaped away from the sword, currently whizzing in the rampage.
"Ah." Freed to a realization. "It must be their scent ." He smiled, deranged and crazed. "If so~ NOTHING CHANGES ABOUT YOUR FATE!"
Shirou smirked. The swords he visualized earlier took form; a blinding green ethereal light illuminated the room.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?" When the light subsided, Freed was caught off guard.
Shirou took advantage of this weakness. He swung his blade at Freed's throat. Unfortunately, the bastard avoided certain death by parrying the blade with his own. But the sheer force behind Shirou's swing, left the latter winded.
At that moment, Freed realized that this "boy" was stronger than he anticipated.
Realizing the pressure of the situation, he narrowed his eyes. With his full power, he pushed Shirou away. There was enough room to breathe. , he backpedaled, effectively increasing the distance between them. After breathing a lucky sigh of relief, he cocked the firearm. If the "boy" has an advantage in close quarters, he must have a weakness in ranged combat, Freed thought.
Oh how wrong he was.
Gunshots emanated throughout the entire room but were met with metal.
Shirou parried and blocked the bullets with ease. Within, Freed's frustration grew. He was not used to this occurrence. Most of the devils he exterminated were unbelievably weak. Most encounters he had with them were not battles but were an execution.
And yet...
How was he struggling against a mere boy?
The frustration leads to desperation and desperation leads to errors; Shirou simply capitalized on those weaknesses. He projected a pair of thin swords that had a hilt resembling that of a cross. Swiftly, before Freed could even realize it, he was pinned to the wall, smudged with the blood of his victim.
"DAMN YOU BRAT!" Freed cursed in rage. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!?" he screamed desperately.
"You must know something about the church, am I right?"
Deranged, Freed retorted. "WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I TELL Y-"
Shirou projected a thin blade and without remorse, he stabbed Freed. A howl of pain erupted. He was not amused by the development, but he had to. The attack itself did not hit any vital organs, and it was intended. He needs to prolong Freed's suffering until he utters the right answer. Because it would seem that he is a stubborn one.
"Tell me, Freed," Shirou said with malicious intent. Abruptly, he painfully pulled out the blade and remained apathetic to the howls of suffering.
But Freed remained stubborn.
He stabbed Freed once more, yet again avoiding a vital organ. "Quickly. Time is precious." Shirou muttered, pulling out the blade abruptly. "Should I do it, again?" He questioned monotonously as he prepared to stab Freed once more.
"I'LL TELL YOU! STOP, PLEASE!" Freed whimpered.
"Well , tell me. What are you waiting for?"